I removed both of my rear lower control arms, thinking I would press out the old bushings and press in the new ones I bought through eBay. However, the control arm bushing kit I got on loan from a parts store ended up not fitting. So now my car is up on jacks with the control arms out.

My next best option is to take them to my local mechanic shop to do the bushing presses next work day. Anyone have any DIY advice on how to get these bushings out and in without having to take them to a shop?

I also noticed a lot of wear on the sway bar links, so I've got a couple on order to swap them out too. Any advice on doing those?

Thanks!

 

It is a 20 minute job to replace the links. Check the front links and the rear toe adjusters for tightness.
A press is needed to replace bushings. Someone has a Harbor Freight press. Very reasonable price.
If the eBay bushings work out post the brand and product name. This should be a lot cheaper than changing the arms.
The rear lower arms seem to be the most failure prone arm. A reliable bushing than does not squeak should save 300 - 400 dollars in repair cost.

 

It took a more specialized machine shop to press out the bushing on one side of the control arm because it didn't fit in a standard press. It cost me $50 altogether to have the bushings pressed. It wasn't as hard to get the control arms bolted back in as it was to get them out, though it was a little challenging to get the bushings lined up between the brackets on the frame. I also replaced the sway bar links while I was at it. Attached are pics of the old and new bushings and sway bar links.

There are three bushings in each control arm--one of one kind and two of another. One kind is a rubber bushing that is much less likely to wear out. I didn't need to replace that one.

You can buy all four bushings that are alike in a set here. You can also buy the rubber bushings in a set with the other type bushings shown here. This last link gives a nice picture of the control arm and where the two different types of bushings are located.

Time will tell how good the replacement bushings are. On my test drive the rear end seemed to be stiffer. I didn't feel the bumps as much and didn't notice the little bit of rattle-bounce I used to have when hitting some bumps. I came away quite satisfied! I spent $156 as opposed to $688 plus s/h (Jaguar Merriam Parts) for new Jaguar control arms. I noticed that since I bought my bushings last week the price went up from $107 to $120!

 

The photo makes the bushes for the arm look like they old one is wider.
Also is there is not a boot on the links. Rock Auto has the links from many sources.. Some brands are cheap. I think I used Raybestus. They were half the price of Lemforder. And maybe the rubber will hold up.

 

With the bushings, the middle section is wider on the original bushing. At first I thought the new bushings were a sixteenth to an eighth inch shorter too, but they fit very snugly into the frame mounts, so I don't think so. The fit seems to be adequate.

I usually buy Moog suspension parts. About two years and 50k miles ago I bought Mevotech front outer tie rod ends, but they are already worn out. They have a ltd lifetime warranty, but when I went to follow up I found out they want the original receipt of the professional installer. Well that knocked this DIYer out of the picture. So when I needed the sway bar links, I bought Duralast from AutoZone because I needed them without waiting on shipping and claiming a ltd lifetime warranty there is as easy as taking in the old part. The links are so easy to swap out, I figure I'd rather be able to easily claim the warranty than buy a better brand and get locked out of the warranty. That's one thing I don't like about buying from RockAuto--returns and warranty claims.

 

The Duralast links actually do have a boot. They're just shaped different from the originals, but when the link is contorted in place the boot takes shape.

 

The rubber boots on the originals is the weak link. I have an Audi that is one year older than my Jag and the boots look like new. All of them. Replaced the links and front upper control arm bushings at 10 years and 70,000 miles on the Audi. Only one bushing was defective. The rear links were still good, the front a little loose.
These are Lemforder just like the Jaguar parts.
Enough rave about the rubber used on these parts.

 

After replacing the bushings and the links, I'm amazed at the difference in the ride. The rear end feels so firm and smooth. What a difference.