Control Arm Bushing Stuck
 

So I know there are tons of threads on control arm bushing install. I am not a smart man and did not really pay attention to a key point in all of these installs and even the ER instructions: use dish soap.

I was installing my new sway bar bushing using some silicone rubber spray and it seemed to work really well. I figured this would be fine for the large control arm bushings too. Also may have hit a lazy streak in not wanting to go get dish soap... Fast forward a few hours and I have one control arm with two bushings half on. I was bending a 3/4" pipe like an archer's bow and they weren't budging.

A few Pelican searches later, I found all the warnings about using a grease instead of glycerin as a lubricant for rubber.

So my main question is: are the bushings stuck on the arm salvageable at all? My gut tells me I need to heat them up, take them off and order a new set, but I figured I'd ask in case someone had a solution.

May be one of those do it wrong once moments...

PS: I was able to use dish soap on the other arm and had it installed in less than 5 minutes following the instructions. Live and learn.

Post a picture.

I used a typical 3/4” pipe clamp on the front bushing. These have very shallow throats, so I thought maybe the last little bit would be closed up using a deeper throat clamp (it did not). There was a ~0.125” gap that would not close up.

https://i.ibb.co/z4d8Y5v/7820-C61-A-...-EA48-A142.jpg

I then thought that maybe putting on the rear bushing, things would some how compress and be OK. Again, it did not. I stopped here because the aluminum stop was starting to tilt in the fixture. I couldn’t get the rear bushing to move much further.

https://i.ibb.co/NjWgp22/7776-B1-E3-...-B0-E769-D.jpg

Are these toast and I need to remove and order new ones? Can they be salvaged with some gentle heat?

Did someone sand blast the ends there? Looks like it.

If you can get it off in one piece from there(and I think you can), it will be fine to put back on.

Problem having a one track mind sometimes is I was too focused on getting them on. As @Eastbay said, removing them was pretty easy. I have two jaw long reach gear puller that fit really well over the flange portion. Gave it a few spins and they came right off.

Soaped them up and got everything done in under 30 minutes. Super easy with the ER tools and instructions.

@gomezoneill, yes the ends did get a light blasting. I had the arms fully blasted and powder coated along with everything else. Hindsight, I should have probably just had the ends powder coated as well, but I was worried about clearance for the bushing. They look rougher than they feel, it's pretty mild. The soap smoothed over any bumps and they went on easy.

The ends of the control arm should should be polished not rough texture.