I have read threads on people replacing control arm bushings with various levels of success and frustration. Noticed on both one of my cars and a friends that they are in need of replacing and not looking forward to the job figured I should at least look at if and what is available.
Both cars in question look like there are options that look to be rubber vs some performance urethane which is good. I also noticed that they have a metal inside and outside around the rubber. I didn't pay that close attention to the other threads to see if its common to have the outside metal or not and if that makes install any easier. I would think it would help since you wound not have to fight the rubber expanding as you are trying to press or pull it in?
I guess it all depends on year.
The upper control arm bushings I bought from rare parts for my 61 were a perfect fit without me even asking questions.
Years later I decided to strip my frame again and have all parts powder coated. I bought new control arm bushings from A Resto parts. They said there were two sizes of the upper bushings one more common then the other. I ordered a set from them and they were wrong. Everything else fit but upper bushings did not. I then ordered a Moog part number and they looked and felt exactly like what I had received from Rare Parts.
Did yours have the metal around the outside?
For 61 yes it did. I have photos of the two styles side by side I can share when I get home.
I mostly want to know if the metal is good when it comes to DIY install. The times I have had to deal with these issues has been stuff where it was practical to just buy a new control arm complete with bushings and ball joints.
Again this is from my 61. Here were the two styles they said were for 61. They are not the same length but more importantly they were not the same diameter. The one on the left did not fit. These were outer metal with an inner metal collar.
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This one would just fall out.
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For my 75' Eldo I bought them from "Auto Zone" in 2018 ($58 per pair) and installed both sets - fit and work great.
So on the Eldo the bushing part of the puzzle was fairly easy? What was the thread not all that long ago where someone had a lot of issues and built their own tools and it still wasn't easy?
Don't know. I had to make a spacer to go between the two sides of my AArms. But my biggest problem was the rear yoke.
What ever the thread was I seem to recall they had threaded rods and spacers and all kinds of custom stuff. I wasn't paying that close attention because I didn't have any plans to replace any at the time.