Installing bushings without crushing arms
Printed From: The Ford Torino Page
Category: Model Specific Forum
Forum Name: 1977-1979 Ford and Mercury
Forum Description: Technical discussion for 1977-1979 Ford and Mercury
URL: https://forum.grantorinosport.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=19081
Printed Date: 23-April-2024 at 8:33PM Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.06 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Installing bushings without crushing arms
Posted By: Lizer
Subject: Installing bushings without crushing arms
Date 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.
------------- 78 LTD II sports touring package (blue), father original owner 67 Mustang (5.0) 69 Mach 1 428 SCJ Drag Pack
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Replies:
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 30-August-2020 at 11:39AM
no reason to remove your brace.
some guys do what is called 'boxing the arms'
http://forum.grantorinosport.org/boxing-rear-control-arms_topic10204.html" rel="nofollow - http://forum.grantorinosport.org/boxing-rear-control-arms_topic10204.html
------------- 72 GT Ute
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Posted By: TV 2M8O
Date Posted: 30-August-2020 at 11:56AM
Here's another thread in the HOW TO section...
http://forum.grantorinosport.org/boxing-rear-lower-control-arms_topic10527.html" rel="nofollow - http://forum.grantorinosport.org/boxing-rear-lower-control-arms_topic10527.html
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TV 2M8O OUT JOE 1976 Gran Torino S&H season 2-4 Clone Project Blog: http://tv2m8o.blogspot.com/
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Posted By: Lizer
Date 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.
------------- 78 LTD II sports touring package (blue), father original owner 67 Mustang (5.0) 69 Mach 1 428 SCJ Drag Pack
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Posted By: californiajohnny
Date Posted: 30-August-2020 at 6:10PM
yes angle iron will work 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 in
------------- JOHN 74 GRAN TORINO S&H CLONE 74 VETTE CUSTOM 90 S10 BLAZER 4X4 LIFTED 77 CELICA CUSTOM 75 V8 MONZA SUPERCHARGED 79 COURIER VERT. SLAMMED 75 VEGA V6 5 SPD 70 CHEV C10 P/U 68 MUSTANG FB CONVERSION
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Posted By: Lizer
Date 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.
------------- 78 LTD II sports touring package (blue), father original owner 67 Mustang (5.0) 69 Mach 1 428 SCJ Drag Pack
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Posted By: californiajohnny
Date 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?...
------------- JOHN 74 GRAN TORINO S&H CLONE 74 VETTE CUSTOM 90 S10 BLAZER 4X4 LIFTED 77 CELICA CUSTOM 75 V8 MONZA SUPERCHARGED 79 COURIER VERT. SLAMMED 75 VEGA V6 5 SPD 70 CHEV C10 P/U 68 MUSTANG FB CONVERSION
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Posted By: Lizer
Date 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.
------------- 78 LTD II sports touring package (blue), father original owner 67 Mustang (5.0) 69 Mach 1 428 SCJ Drag Pack
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Posted By: 72FordGTS
Date 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.
------------- Vince
1972 Ford GTS Sportsroof - Survivor, One Family car
GTS.org Admin
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Posted By: Lizer
Date Posted: 05-September-2020 at 5:38PM
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.
------------- 78 LTD II sports touring package (blue), father original owner 67 Mustang (5.0) 69 Mach 1 428 SCJ Drag Pack
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Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 06-September-2020 at 4:48AM
Cross Interchange Parts Factory | Number |
---|
MOOG | k8201 | QUALIS | DFB361 | QUALIS | FB361 | AFFINIA | FA947 | McQuay... | FB361 | RareParts | 15268 |
------------- 72 GT Ute
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Posted By: Rockatansky
Date 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
------------- 72 GT Ute
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Posted By: 72FordGTS
Date 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:
http://forum.grantorinosport.org/topic17575_post187581.html#187581" rel="nofollow - http://forum.grantorinosport.org/topic17575_post187581.html#187581
------------- Vince
1972 Ford GTS Sportsroof - Survivor, One Family car
GTS.org Admin
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Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 06-September-2020 at 11:10AM
more numbers ...
http://billavista.com/tech/PDF_Index/files/Suspension/Moog%20Domestic%20Control%20Arm%20And%20Idler%20Arm%20Rubber%20Bushing%20Cross-Reference%20And%20Size%20Listing.pdf" rel="nofollow - http://billavista.com/tech/PDF_Index/files/Suspension/Moog%20Domestic%20Control%20Arm%20And%20Idler%20Arm%20Rubber%20Bushing%20Cross-Reference%20And%20Size%20Listing.pdf
------------- 72 GT Ute
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Posted By: Lizer
Date Posted: 06-September-2020 at 4:33PM
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
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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.
------------- 78 LTD II sports touring package (blue), father original owner 67 Mustang (5.0) 69 Mach 1 428 SCJ Drag Pack
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Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 07-September-2020 at 3:18AM
scrubbed from existence
------------- 72 GT Ute
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Posted By: Lizer
Date 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.
------------- 78 LTD II sports touring package (blue), father original owner 67 Mustang (5.0) 69 Mach 1 428 SCJ Drag Pack
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Posted By: 72FordGTS
Date 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.
------------- Vince
1972 Ford GTS Sportsroof - Survivor, One Family car
GTS.org Admin
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Posted By: 72 RS 351
Date Posted: 09-September-2020 at 2:18AM
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.
------------- Don 73 Ranchero "Sport 72 front end", floor shift/console, planning EFI 7000+ rpm 351-4V &4R70W 73 Ranchero GT 351C-4V &4R70W for sale later. 92 Lincoln Mark VII SE GTC, OBDII 347/4R70W
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Posted By: Timrr69
Date 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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Posted By: Lizer
Date Posted: 10-September-2020 at 5:32AM
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.
------------- 78 LTD II sports touring package (blue), father original owner 67 Mustang (5.0) 69 Mach 1 428 SCJ Drag Pack
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Posted By: 72FordGTS
Date Posted: 12-September-2020 at 2:25AM
I made a post with the torque specs here:
http://forum.grantorinosport.org/topic19114_post206665.html#206665" rel="nofollow - http://forum.grantorinosport.org/topic19114_post206665.html#206665
------------- Vince
1972 Ford GTS Sportsroof - Survivor, One Family car
GTS.org Admin
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