Take some pics while your doing the job, so you can update thread with your progress...

 

Argh, the strut place on Ebay sent me the wrong ones. I think they sent me the rear struts instead of front. The piece that connects to my lower end is closed instead of open. I believe the rear has a closed(just for a bolt to go thru).

After looking at everything my lower control arm bushings don't look bad. I'm going to replace them anyway because I have the bushings but I did see that my tie rod ends or outer tie rod is bad. I'm ordering new ones now and then just have to figure out how to get it off. I don't want to do any damage to the tie rod in the process.

 

Well that sucks. Yeh, the lower end of the fronts are open, like an upside down 'U'.
I know the top of the bearing shaft has a hex slot for an allen wrench, to hold the shaft from turning while you loosen the nut on the shaft. Would have thought these things would have a castle nut and cotter-pin to secure them, but they don't, just friction fit.
Never removed the tie rod end from the inner tie rod, so no advice there, other than what I've read about marking the shaft so you can install the new one at approximately the same position, so as to not screw up the alignment.

 

If I remember correctly, the tie rods are pretty simple to remove. Once you loosen the nut the whole thing just screws off I think. If you mark the position with tape beforehand, you'll hopefully get the alignment close but chances are you'll still need it done.

 

Yeah the tie rods were easy to remove. I'm doing my first bushing on the lower control arm. WOW, I've completed butchered this thing. I rented the bushing tool set from Autozone and it hasn't gone well. lol, really wish I had a press.

 

Yeah, that's why I don't bother with that. It's just easier to replace the entire arm. Plus they're not as expensive as they used to be.

 

I would buy it but for me I seem to be on a journey to see how many different things I can do on my own. Yesterday I installed all new pool equipment including a pool heater I bought but I had to change it from propane to natural gas. I connected the gas and electrical. Something I've never done, could have paid for but wanted to see if I could do it myself. It's been the same way with my cars for the past 10 years. I just like seeing how far I can go with these things. I just can't believe a bushing may be my point. LOL

I pushed out the insides of the bushing but the outer shell is still in the arm. I can't even hardly tell what's the arm and what's the bushing. Also, the arm looks like it has a lip on both sides so at this point I really don't know which way to push.

 

If you have a torch, heat it up and then try pressing again.

 

Still curious how anyone is using 2nd gen struts (which have full variable settings) in a 1st gen car which only has two settings? How do you not get a CAT error?

Vince

 

 

So I decided to try the other side. I'm not sure if it was easy or I'm not getting the whole bushing out. I'm going to take a pic and post it of the 2nd arm. If it's correct then I completely screwed up my first one. On the first one I thought the metal inside of the arm was part of the bushing so I tried to press it out. Thus the reason for me saying how difficult it was. On the second one I didn't try to push it out and the bushing came out rather easily. If anyone has a pic of an arm without the bushing in it I would love to see it.

 

Does the replacement bushing have a metal sleeve on it and if so the old bushing with sleeve needs to come out. Another method is take a hacksaw blade and cut through the sleeve and that should make removal much easier. I have also left the sleeve in and press the new bushing out of it's sleeve and then press it into the old sleeve.

 

So here is my 2nd control arm. As you can see there is a difference between the outer part of the control arm and the inner(which is more shiny) but they look like once piece on the edge where they meet. I've pressed on it as hard as I can with a long breaker bar for force and it hasn't budge. But I had an extra bushing so I thought I would try to push it in and it wouldn't fit. Either I have the wrong bushings or this is still part of the bushing.

 

 

It still is a little hard to tell but by seeing the scratches inside it looks like this is all one piece. Usually if the new bushing has a sleeve on it , it would be steel and not aluminum. What does the new bushing look like. Does it have a steel sleeve on it. A magnet would tell the difference .

 

The new bushing has a steel sleeve. I don't have a magnet that fits inside of the hole to check if the metal inside of the arm is steel or aluminum. Saying that, there is no way the new bushing fits in. That piece has to come out but you can't even see a line between the old sleeve and the arm. It looks like it's one solid piece.

 

I chipped out a little piece of the arm I've screwed up. It's in the inner piece that I can't tell if it's part of the arm or bushing. It stuck to a magnet so I guess it's part of the metal from the bushing.

I don't know what to do. I've pressed on these as hard as I can and I've pounded on the bad one with a hammer and very heavy duty chisel.

 

 

+1
I've not had exprience with these arms but, if it is a steel inner, some heat on the aluminum outer will expand it quicker than the steel bushing which should help pressing. You can also chill the inner bushing in addition to heating the outer to increase clearance. As you are aware, even pressure on the circumference of the bushing to avoid galding the mating wall is a must.

 

OK so if it is steel then you can do as others said and using a small propane torch (plumbers torch) then heat the outside of the area around the bushing. Take a socket a a little smaller then the bushing (use the new bushing sleeve as the size required). Once hot take the socket and a hammer and give it a good shot. If you want center a larger socket on the back. Once it moves it shouldn't be a problem. To install the new bushing just put it in the freezer for several hours and heat up the arm again. Insert the new bushing and press it in. If you have a large enough vice you can press it in with that. Good luck.