tanker

have a bad front upper control arm bushing, don't know where to get it. Do i need to by an upper control armbushing, or the entire front upper control arm? have my engine dropped through the bottom, it would be very easy to change it. thanks any advice

Tomas

Injuneer

ES sells poly a-arm bushings.... there are two in the upper a-arm. I've done the entire front end, and the upper ones are easy. The old bushings can be melted out by heating them with a propane torch. Take the sleeves out of the old bushings, clean the sleeve and the inside of the a-arm mounting area, and insert the new bushings with the bronze sleeves.

If you want the ES part #'s, let me know.

revtime

I reccomend doing these also.
I rebuilt the whole front suspension recently and put in poly bushings, yours would be a cake walk with the subframe off.

tanker

Hi Fred,

Part number and where I could get it would help a lot. Also, did you use a machine shop to put the bushings in?

Thanks,
Tomas

Injuneer

I'll get the part #'s from the ES instruction sheets when I get home.

No... did the complete removal/install in my driveway. I didn't even remove the top a-arm from the steering knuckle, just flopped it out of the wheel well, torched the existing bushings until they melted out. VERY messy.... they will start to boil at the edges and catch on fire..... lots of smoke, and very gooey black tar-like residue. Best done in the driveway, not inside.

When the old bushing falls out, there is a "sleeve" that the bolt goes through. You clean up the sleeve, the inside of the a-arm, lube up the bushings with as much of the "ES Poly" lube that you can put on them, and push the bushings into the a-arms..... maybe I used a c-clamp to help... can't remember. It was 4 years ago.

The lower a-arm is more of a challenge. I took the arm completely out. Melt the horizontal and the vertical bushings out. Hammer the "can" that hold the vertical bushing out of the a-arm (lots of rust). Similar to the upper a-arm, but the vertical bushing from ES is a totally different design than stock, consisting of 3 pieces. That's why you remove the can, it isn't used any more. I do remember compressing the 3-piece vertical bushing with a big c-clamp, because its hard to get all 3 pieces to "mesh" together.

I suppose you could just take the upper and lower a-arms to a shop and let them press the bushings in and out..... but I like to get covered with tar and reek of burnt rubber

stereomandan

Just curious, how do you know that it's bad. Is it noise related?


Dan

tanker

the way you find out that bushing is wrong is by lifting the car up so that wheel is off the ground and try to move the front wheel with your hands. if the wheel is loose and moving, then look up at the upper control arm and see if it is moving by the bushing.

Injuneer

I got the complete ES "Master Set" #3-18114. Includes the tranny mount, TA bushing, font upper and lower a-arm bushings, LCA bushings, panhard rod bushings, front and rear swaybar bushings and end links, and boots for the tie rods. $165 at Summit.

The part #s for the a-arm bushings:

-Lower a-arm pivot bushing, horizontal position thrust washer - PN 3261 (2 required)

-Lower a-arm pivot bushing, horizontal position - PN 3262 (2 required)

-Lower a-arm pivot bushing, vertical position center - PN 3263 (2 required)

-Lower a-arm pivot bushing, vertical position upper - PN 3264 (2 required)

-Lower a-arm pivot bushing, vertical position lower - PN 3265 (2 required)

-Upper a-arm pivot bushing - PN 3266 (4 required)

-PN 15.137 (3/4"OD x 0.480" ID x 1.570 sleeve) - (4 required) NOTE: I don't have this item checked off on the parts list. I think maybe they are not included and you need to re-use the stock sleeves.

-PN 9.11101, Grease, tub (1 or 2 required)

Highlander

Is it worth going with the poly bushings over stock??

Will they have an adverse effect on the suspension???

Thanks