Help with control arm mounting bracket.

[RefinedThinking]

Any advice on pressing a front control arm mounting bushing into its bracket? Would be much appreciated.

[tonerrrr]

Are they the OEM ones? If so get it pressed in by a professional with a hydraulic press. I tried the old vice trick but it quickly became evident it wasn't going to work for me ha. I got lucky and knew someone who knows someone who just did it for me for free (he has his own Porsche shop). Ask your friends, someone they know may own a shop with a press.

[pharow]

A big hyd. press.

[RefinedThinking]

is doing this the hardest part when replacing the control arm?

[grantlacey11]

yes it is. hydro press is the only way. press bushing into lollipop and then arm into the bushing

[tonerrrr]

I just did mine, there are a couple how to's out there but the main things you will want to note even after reading them:

-Buy a 22mm wrench for the ball joint nut, I went to autozone since I needed one in a pinch. Some say get a short one, the one I got did the trick.

-To loosen the ball joint nut compress it against the frame with a floor jack.

-Use the floor jack again to tighten the ball joint nut back up.

-Use gloves (helps give better grip for moar powa using the wrench).

That ball joint nut was the worst for me (especially the passenger side since the exhaust is in the way) and now that I've done the job once I would have no problem doing it again in a fraction of the time. Basically you can't get a socket on it and you have very little room to turn the thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t_DKaZ64MY <e36 in the video but if you've never been under the car it helps to see what you can expect(e30 control arm install pretty similar if not the same)

Small side note, if you have the $ then go ahead and buy/install the couple other wear parts down there mainly sway bar end links and sway bar mounting bushing or even the tie rod ends. The mounting bushings for the sway bar can be a bitch in itself though the sway bar end link is easy to swap out real quick.

[bernzpeed]

freeze it and metal will shrink and press with vice. use extra long pipe as handle for the vice for more leverage. worked for the m3 bushings we did last weekend.

[Fusion]

I used my dad's hydraulic wood splitter for mine.
I've heard of people doing it by putting the lollipop/cab under a jack, then jacking up the car.
Always use wood to prevent damage to various parts.

[Jaxx_]

10lb sledge hammer, wood, cinderblock and a few beers. it took quite a while, even still.

[TurboJake]

I just used my hydraulic jack, a big socket, and a chunk of iron sticking out of a hole in my garage's chimney. Slid right in.

[MR 325]

I've used a vise before but it's much easier to have somebody with a press do it. A lot of automotive shops have them, should be easy to find.

[E30_fiend]

Hydraulic press is the only real way.

It's worked for me on 5 separate sets now. Bout a 20minute job.


Taylor

[bmwguy325is]

Treehouse loli pops much simpler........
Oh wait..
Yes press is the best way
or as stated above throw bushing in freezer heat bracket with torch use vice

[Vtec?lol]

Freeze the bushing
Torch the lollipop
center bushing on the jack, hold the lolli under a trucks frame, slowly jack up and viola.

[Ceeker]

I just did a set. you can press the new one in while you are pressing the old one out. Hydraulic press. Getting on the control arm can be done two ways. control arm on the car or control arm in the vise. I used the vise.

I lubed the control arm stud and bushing sleeve with dish soap. The first try is a bitch since it will need to stretch. Even if you get it partially on. Remove it, lube again and you'll find the 2nd attempt much easier and successful.