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Installing bushings without crushing arms

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    Posted: 30-August-2020 at 10:54AM
I'm installing new bushings in all the suspension. On the front and rear lower control arms, how do I press the bushing into the arm (I have a hydraulic press) without crushing the arm? It will press the arms together as the bushing is pressed in.

Do I need to put some kind of support inside the arm? Any clever tricks or is it really just cutting a piece of angle iron to correct length and sticking it inside the arm near the holes? It would have to be cut out most likely.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Rockatansky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30-August-2020 at 11:39AM
no reason to remove your brace.

some guys do what is called 'boxing the arms'

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote TV 2M8O Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30-August-2020 at 11:56AM

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lizer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30-August-2020 at 3:25PM
Excellent. I cut some pieces of angle iron and welded them in today and it worked great. I will probably weld a plate along the bottom of the rear LCA as well, it's remarkably flimsy. I shored up the front LCA's too.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote californiajohnny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30-August-2020 at 6:10PM
yes angle iron will workWink
 if you are doing the poly bushing you don't need to remove the shells! if you have replacement rubber ones the usually have new shells and need pressed inConfused
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lizer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-August-2020 at 6:38AM
I did poly bushing on my Mustang and I don't like them, the car is so stiff. I'm doing stock rubber bushings on this. 

The metal sleeve is a bit of a pain, but when I found works pretty quickly and effectively is to first heat the sleeve with a torch to break the rubber bond, then press the rubber out. With the rubber out, I crimp the 'narrow' end of the sleeve with an air chisel, and then put the air chisel on the flange on the wide end of the sleeve, and the sleeve will slide right out.

Here's a question for you--the upper arms on the rear of the car that also bolt to the axle tube--what are those called? Rock Auto doesn't have any bushings listed for what should be those. The only thing they have for the rear is lower control arms.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote californiajohnny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-August-2020 at 4:09PM
hmm... upper rear control arms far as i know?
 look in the technical section... there's the poly listings i put together and another that carl and vince put together listing oem rubber bushing part #'s there should be the #'s there for reference?...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lizer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05-September-2020 at 3:51AM
Those numbers in the article are  obsolete now, but Rare Parts brand does make a set.  They are pricey though. I got them at Advance Auto.  They're normally $60/arm.

They are called rear upper control arms too,btw.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 72FordGTS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05-September-2020 at 10:16AM
Sorry I didn't see this earlier.  The stock rubber rear upper control arm bushings haven't been available OTC for sometime from most sources.  That's great that you found a source. What's the part number for those? I can update the thread.

When I did mine about 6 or 7 years ago, I couldn't find the rubber bushings.  I ended up using the black Energy Suspension poly bushings, which really tightened up the back end and eliminated any lateral movement of the rear axle under hard cornering.  The upper control arm bushing are so large they really allow for a lot of compliance.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lizer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05-September-2020 at 5:38PM
Originally posted by 72FordGTS 72FordGTS wrote:

Sorry I didn't see this earlier.  The stock rubber rear upper control arm bushings haven't been available OTC for sometime from most sources.  That's great that you found a source. What's the part number for those? I can update the thread.

When I did mine about 6 or 7 years ago, I couldn't find the rubber bushings.  I ended up using the black Energy Suspension poly bushings, which really tightened up the back end and eliminated any lateral movement of the rear axle under hard cornering.  The upper control arm bushing are so large they really allow for a lot of compliance.

Rare Parts number RP15268. I bought it online at Advance Auto.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rockatansky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-September-2020 at 4:48AM
Cross Interchange Parts
FactoryNumber
MOOGk8201
QUALISDFB361
QUALISFB361
AFFINIAFA947
McQuay...FB361
RareParts15268
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rockatansky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-September-2020 at 4:58AM
it looks like the old Moog number is K8201, or did we know that already?

i searched the entire site and K8201 came up with no hits

this is an ebay sellers pic out of Aus, shows the Moog box with a RP15268 sticker applied


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 72FordGTS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-September-2020 at 9:03AM
Thanks Rock for the other part numbers. I was only able to find the Moog parts, the others were coming up dead in searches.  

For anyone looking for the part numbers, everything on our cars suspensions parts is in this thread here:

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rockatansky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-September-2020 at 11:10AM
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lizer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-September-2020 at 4:33PM
Originally posted by Rockatansky Rockatansky wrote:

it looks like the old Moog number is K8201, or did we know that already?

i searched the entire site and K8201 came up with no hits

this is an ebay sellers pic out of Aus, shows the Moog box with a RP15268 sticker applied



I'm guessing Rare Parts probably bought the tooling from Moog to make them. As mentioned before, I got no hits on Moog's site with that as well.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rockatansky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-September-2020 at 3:18AM
scrubbed from existence

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lizer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-September-2020 at 3:00PM
Two more questions, see if they can get enough visibility here as opposed to starting a new thread...

I started installing bushings today (I need to get my build thread started, this is a complete, frame off, nut and bolt ground up restoration) and had a question on the UCA bushings. First of all those little devils are a bit tricky to get in there just because of the contour of the UCA and makes it hard to set on edge on something.

The inner bushing sleeve has the jagged edge that is to mate with the jagged edge on the shaft. When I have the UCA bolted down to the frame, I can still move the UCA up and down and those jagged teeth aren't locking on each other. If I tighten the nuts on each side of the bushing then they seem to lock together.

Is this the way it should be? I can't get the bushings any tighter otherwise they will be pressed in too far. I already ruined one bushing pressing it in too far and actually bend the flange on the sleeve back. Luckily  I had an NOS control arm shaft and bushings (extra to the two sets of AC Delco bushings I already had) so I still have extras to work with. The bushing that was in too far could then easily be pushed back out and wouldn't stay pressed in, so I ruined it. Therefore, didn't want to go overboard on these, but they are pressed into the line on the sleeve and the jagged teeth of the inner sleeve meet up with the teeth on the shaft. The teeth just aren't locked together unless the bushing nuts are tightened.

Second question--front coil spring insulator. Is there supposed to be an insulator on the front coils? One of mine had one, the other did not. No parts for front coil spring insulators come up anywhere.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 72FordGTS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09-September-2020 at 12:20AM
It sounds like you are doing everything correctly for the front upper control arm bushings.  With rubber bushings, the teeth lock in place and it twists the bushing with a spring like action as the arm moves, unlike a poly bushing which aren't fused to the metal shell.  That is why you should torque them at ride height so the bushings aren't twisted when the suspension is at rest.

My car had coil spring insulators, but I am sure many didn't or have gone missing over the years.  They don't make one specific to our cars, but if you search you may be able to find a generic pair, as many makes and models used a 4" diameter coil spring.  You could make up your own from some heavy rubber.  Installing without should be okay too, they weren't mainly they to help reduce noise.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 72 RS 351 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09-September-2020 at 2:18AM
Originally posted by 72FordGTS 72FordGTS wrote:

It sounds like you are doing everything correctly for the front upper control arm bushings.  With rubber bushings, the teeth lock in place and it twists the bushing with a spring like action as the arm moves, unlike a poly bushing which aren't fused to the metal shell.  That is why you should torque them at ride height so the bushings aren't twisted when the suspension is at rest.

My car had coil spring insulators, but I am sure many didn't or have gone missing over the years.  They don't make one specific to our cars, but if you search you may be able to find a generic pair, as many makes and models used a 4" diameter coil spring.  You could make up your own from some heavy rubber.  Installing without should be okay too, they weren't mainly they to help reduce noise.


Say Vince, do you know if anyone has mentioned Delrin bushings? Back in the late 80's Global West had made a bushing kit for the front UCA's of the 70's Fords. I bought the kit and it wasn't hard to install as I recall. I had spent a ton of time smoothing the edges of the UCA's before painting them and putting the Delrin bushings in. The cheap spray paint didn't last that long, but it was a learning experience to put that much time into the parts.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Timrr69 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09-September-2020 at 3:54AM
I am also in the process of replacing my rear control arm bushing. I can’t find the torque specs for the bolts. Also, I had seen somewhere on the forum the bolt sizes for the control arms, but now I can’t find them either. Does anyone have this information? My car is a ‘76 Torino. Thanks. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lizer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10-September-2020 at 5:32AM
Originally posted by Timrr69 Timrr69 wrote:

I am also in the process of replacing my rear control arm bushing. I can’t find the torque specs for the bolts. Also, I had seen somewhere on the forum the bolt sizes for the control arms, but now I can’t find them either. Does anyone have this information? My car is a ‘76 Torino. Thanks. 

My Haynes or Chiltons for LTDII says 100-130 for upper arm to frame. I'm sure it's probably the same for Torino since they have the same chassis. The book doesn't say what it is for upper arm to axle. In those cases I just go 'tight' for critical areas like that. About 90-100.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 72FordGTS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-September-2020 at 2:25AM
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