1970s What Brand for Lower Control Bushings

[SaltLife97]

I have Mevotech bushings for the lower front arms and they absolutely will not press in. I need to source a 54mm socket anyway to help press it in but otherwise when I tried with a balljoint press kit it didn't press in. Should I nix Mevotech and go for ACDELCO gold series? Its $45 a bushing.

[Poncholover]

You do not mention your car.
What passes for modern rubber is pretty sketchy.
Moog or nos are the best choices.

[SaltLife97]

You do not mention your car.
What passes for modern rubber is pretty sketchy.
Moog or nos are the best choices.

I apologize, the car is a 1973 Eldorado. I heard MOOG went third party for their production aka lower quality. I'm looking at the Delphi brand currently

[TJ Hopland]

No idea what Moog quality is lately since the last several parts I have tried from them were not even close to fitting or sometimes didn't even look like car parts.  Its like they are just throwing random defective parts into random boxes.

[signart]

Right, Moog has been hit or miss for a while now. Last time I shopped for tie rod ends, one side was U.S.A. and the other side was from over yonder. By now, they may be all "miss".

As for your "pressing" dilemma, you might try tossing them in the freezer.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

I'm using Moog, installed a couple of years ago, no issues.
If there's one thing I've learned in 6 years, don't drive yourself insane over certain parts,
don't psychoanalyze every purchase, it will burn you out. "Certain" items are manufacturer sensitive,
the majority are not. This is one of the "nots".

[SaltLife97]

I might try the freeze method but there does appear to be a "step" on the body of the bushing that is 0.020" thicker than the diameter. Other brands I've seen do not have this raised step. I'm thinking that might be the issue for it not fitting though

[TJ Hopland]

Does the freezing shrink it a bit?  Or is it mostly about making it more solid so it doesn't squish and expand as much as you are trying to get it in?

[signart]

I've warmed up pistons with a heat lamp and tossed wrist pins in the freezer many times in my dirt bike days. Yes it will shrink them and make the install easy. Should work on the bushings as well.

[Daryl Chesterman]

I was just on the Mevotech website https://www.mevotech.com/parts-results/?date=1973&make=Cadillac&model=Eldorado&drivetype=FWD  (scroll down a bit to the control arm bushings) and it can be a bit confusing if one doesn't read carefully, to get the correct bushing kit.  The way I read it, you should have part # MK5222, which doesn't look like it has any step in the outer casing of the bushing.

To answer TJ's question about freezing the bushing: yes, it does reduce the diameter enough to allow the bushing to be more easily pressed into the bore.  When one uses this method, everything needs to be ready so that when the bushing is removed from the freezer it can be immediately pressed into place.

Daryl Chesterman

[Chopper1942]

As a suggestion, make a spacer out of wood that will slide between the inner and outer flanges of the control arm. Make a notch wider than the OD of the bushing. This will prevent the control arm from bending when you press the bushing into place. OE used a steel C shaped tool when replacing control arm bushings. A lot of control arms have slightly different diameters of the control arm bores.  I would use a digital vernier/caliper to measure the ID of the control arm bores and the OD of the bushings to make sure they are a match.

[SaltLife97]

Fellas THIS is what im talking about. This "Step" is conflicting my lower control arm opening for the bushings. I haven't tried the freezer method yet but the area I highlighted in red is what is preventing the bushing from pressing in.

[SaltLife97]

As a suggestion, make a spacer out of wood that will slide between the inner and outer flanges of the control arm. Make a notch wider than the OD of the bushing. This will prevent the control arm from bending when you press the bushing into place. OE used a steel C shaped tool when replacing control arm bushings. A lot of control arms have slightly different diameters of the control arm bores.  I would use a digital vernier/caliper to measure the ID of the control arm bores and the OD of the bushings to make sure they are a match.

I love this idea because I've been looking for spare metal to wedge between the flange! What a great idea to use wood! I have plenty of blocks! Thank you sir!

[Seville Life]

I've built a '73 Eldorado from the ground up using (then) all original GM parts.

Using an Arbor press all the bushings should simply press in as it's described in the workshop manual. The manual also shows the positioning of certain bushings, this needs understanding.

I've not bought much MOOG recently, sway bar bushings, made in Turkey (I think) and nasty moldings. The other problem all these years later is correct durometer readings? This is the softer/harder rating of the rubber in a bushing. Cadillac's tended to be softer, lower numbers. If the bushing fits another car which it almost certainly will what rating is it?

I have rear leaf, front eye bushings, '78 Seville that fit Camaro. Detailed research tells me they are typically durometer rated for a Camaro, not a softer Seville.

Add to this the new obsession with polyurethane bushings, these are not right for softly sprung Cadillacs of old. Paul

[Moody]

The bushing dilemma had been a focus for me as well. Manufacturers of urethane parts offer several hardnesses which can be used to give the desired ride depending on usage. The issue is finding bushings that fit. The bushings are easily machined, or can be poured with liquid urethane. The setup for either of these methods can be tedious. I seem to remember a poster on here finding urethane bushings that fit his early 70s Caddy by size only. Not listed for any particular car.

[SaltLife97]

Right right I get ya. I do remember the shop manual mentioning how the bushing should be positioned in reference to the work surface. Lemme go give it a look again and I'll report back.

[SaltLife97]

An update to this issue to those who will run into this as well. You absolutely have to file down that aforesaid "step". It will not shrink enough in the freezer enough nor does it compress enough to squeeze in. So my machinist dad looked at it and said you need to hand file the step off the bushing I highlighted previously. I slabbed some grease on and pressed it in with a balljoint press kit nice and tight. Definitely a manufacturing problem.