How To: Upper Control Arm Bushings

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How To: Upper Control Arm Bushings

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Blazer Forums >> Mechanical & Maintenance >> Steering, Suspension & Drivetrain >> How To: Upper Control Arm Bushings

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How To: Upper Control Arm Bushings - 11/15/2007 6:52:36 PM

RCars2

Posts: 898
Joined: 4/22/2007
From: Wisconsin originally but now im in Phx, AZ
Status: offline

Just yesterday myself and thegr81 tore into the front end of Dale and changed the upper control arm bushings. As this is somewhat of an involved process and probably something that some of you might want to tackle on your own i figure i might share some words of wisdom and give a general guideline of what to do.

A quick note before i get into the nitty gritty, this isnt for the faint hearted or beginner mechanic. You have to be willing to beat on, pry, and chisel some items out and possibly might have to lightly sand or grind a mounting surface to get the bushings to fit. Also, get a buddy to help you. Even if they arent as mechanically inclined they can still help you hold and beat on things to get stuff into place.

Also this process is for a Second Gen S-Series Blazer with 4x4. Though it might vary slightly this process should apply to 1st and 2nd Gens in both 2x4 and 4x4 configurations, including ZR2 and highrider packages.

Tool Needed:

Floor Jack
Jack Stands
Spanner Wrench or Air Wrench with 3/4" Socket
Flat Blade Screw Driver
Sledge Hammer
18mm Wrench
18mm Socket
13mm Wrench
Air Hammer with Chissel Tip
U-Joint/Ball Joint Press (looks like a c-clamp with attachments for the ends, get one at harbor freight or rent one from "Vato"Zone.....Autozone for the rest of you all.....or you can get one from your local parts house)
Grinder with a sanding wheel (sometimes called a flapper wheel)

Steps:
1. Get the front of the truck in the air supported on jack stands. Dont leave it supported by the floor jack as this is dangerous and you should never get under a vehicle supported only by a jack and also you will need the jack later. Take off the tire as well.

2. Remove the upper and lower shock bolts with an 18mm wrench and 18mm socket. Take the shock out.

3. Remove the bolt holding the brake line bracket just forward of the upper control arm with an 13mm wrench.

4. Support the lower control arm with the floor jack to take pressure off the control arms and remove the upper control arm bolts with an 18mm wrench and 18mm socket. Do make sure you keep the discs with the offset holes in them, these are used to adjust your camber.

5. Leaving the ball joint attached pull the control arm out towards you and allow the knuckle to rock back. The cv boot may appear the stretch a little but this should be fine. You might need the sledge hammer or possibly even a pry bar to get the control arm out if its stuck.

6. If you can remove the inner rubber to the bushing with a screwdriver and the air chissel. This will help in allowing the bushing to come out easier.

7. Take the air hammer and chissel between the outer bushing flange and the control arm working both sides. Keep at this until the sleeve pops out.

8. Line up the new bushing and using the u-joint press and an appropriate cup from the press's kit, press the new bushing in place.

9. Repeat steps 6-8 for the other bushing on the control arm.

10. Insert the control arm back into its appropriate mount. You might find that its a little tight or that the outer flange of the bushing may have warped. If thats the case you can take a grinder with a sanding wheel (sometimes called a flapper wheel because it looks like its a disc covered in flaps of sand paper) to the inner mounting surface and the outer flange of the bushing to take just a slight bit off to help assist it back in. Either way you will most likely need the sledge hammer to "pursuade" it back in.

11. Insert the control arm bolts with their adjustment discs and tighten them down. I didnt have a haynes manual with me but i used kyle's method that he learned from the Germans "Gewd en tight"

12. Re-install the shock.

13. Put the tire back on and put the truck back on the ground.

14. Repeat steps 1-13 for the other side of the truck.

Now this is as best as i remember the procedure. There might be slig

< Message edited by RCars2 -- 11/15/2007 7:01:32 PM >

_____________________________

-Rob
"what fell off of where!?!?!"