Just got a call from a local front end/ tire shop that I employed to press my control arm bushings and ball joints. The mechanic is trying to explain what sounds like a mis-alignment issue with the bushing, when installed , does not line up with the opposite hole in which the bushing bridges, has anybody that's installed their own bushings experienced this misalignment. It almost sounds as if the outer flange on the control arm may be bent slightly, and when the bushing is extended through the hole towards it's mating hole the projection of that hole proves to be out of plane/not parellel. This is the 3rd set of bushings ( PST )these control arms have seen, is metal fatigue from the pressing operations a factor. The car has never been wrecked, so that can't be a factor

Sounds like someone bent the arm trying to remove or insert the bushing without correctly bracing the arm. Has this shop done work for you before?

I agree with the above poster. You need to cut an 1 1/2" piece of angle iron as a spacer to keep the proper distance between the ears of each side as you press the bushings in and out. Plus on the press in operation, you may also want to make a longer spacer if the press is pressing with a wide overall space for the entire distance of the arm rather than just the one set of ears.

Does anyone have, or can they take measurements of the upper and lower arms between the bushing flanges?
This would help a lot of people determine if their arms have been bent. I've also got an arm (upper) that I know for sure is bent at one of the bushing holes and I can repair it but I don't know how far back to move it.

Can someone with known good upper and lower arms measure the inside distance between the bushing flanges (flange that the bushing sleeve seats into) and post them here? Then we'd at least have a little better idea how far off and how much to move them back. I know there will be a dozen different measurements from a dozen different people but at least we could "guess-timate" a good average distance from them and have a pretty close final figure. smile.gif

Thanks in advance! It's the only thing stopping me from putting my bushings in and bolting the arms back on.

I have some spares I can measure.

When I pressed in the GW bushings for my 'other' set, I found that the distance varied a bit from one arm to another. This came to light when I was measuring to cut some angle iron for the above mentioned spacers to use while pressing in the bushings. I'll measure a few sets.

Well ,here we go: I got my control arms back from the "shop" and once I looked at the 2 arms side by side, it was evident that one was bent. I say it was bent while removing the old bushing, as the distance between the outside edge of each flange is now greater than what I think it should be (13.25) I measured off of my other, assembled 69 , and the measurement wast taken across area from just above the web connecting the 2 flanges, which works well because I could use it as a straight edge to gauge against. I would have used the other control arm for reference but it appears they bent that as well , I can't get it to fit into the frame anymore, so I started suspecting all the work that was done . I did check to see if both bushing axis are coaxial with a long piece of stainless rod, any they did indeed line up real well, which is important. I think all I have to do is bend/dolly the outer edge of the ears on the flange , which appear to be slightly upset, to get it to slide up into the frame. To bend the bad arm back requires the blocking that Chop top referred to, that should have been there during the press operation, which is indeed 1.5 , but since the flange is bent across the bushing opening I'll need to support part of the diameter as well, so I notched a block to fit over that boss. Details, details. Oh yes, one other important detail, this shop had the nerve to charge me 4.5 hours of labor@60/hour. I guess they put hteir best guy on it!!And no, I've never used them before. If anybody in southern Maryland has any need for this type of work , or tire work, or anything related I can tell you who not to go to, but I wont slander them here in this forum. One sad note , this guy is an old Chevy enthusiats as well, too bad he lost my respect.

4.5 hours JUST to do bushings?! :eek: No way. Did they do something else to the arms also.... like blast them, powder coat, hand-rub, take to the Bahamas, and leave them at a massage parlor for a day?!?!
Holy crapola! I was quoted $80 for removal and re-install on all 4 arms by a trusted shop I always use. But I bet I can get it done by them for $50 or $60 total. It pays to schmooze with the manager whenever I'm there. ;)

i have to ask- why are you on your third set of bushings? does it get an annual overhaul or something? if they bent them, they should replace them. period. i don't really like the idea of trying to repair control arms- when metal bends, it stretches. when it stretches, it weakens. when it weakens, it breaks. when it breaks, you end up shiny side down in a ditch. when you end up shiny side down in a ditch, well, that's never a good thing.

The first set were the originals, second set I did back in 80 something, which was my first front end rebuild, 3rd set was the other day, some 18 years later.I'm putting new Hotchkis stuff under it and really couldn't justify putting the thing back together with 18 year old, dry rotted bushings.It's too bad since they really had a negligible amount of miles on them.

As far as metal fatigue, the bend was minor, but.. enough to make a misalignment an issue. After I blocked the bent area and bent it back and presssed the bushing in I wasn't really impressed with the metal fatigue issue. I did consider it though, but that's my nature.

I got screwed , no doubt , but to me there are so many other battles in life that I save my energy for. I'll run into him again, he goes to some of the same cruises I go to, I wont get money but I may deprive him of future business from my piers. It's a small town!

Hey 69pace just am ideal but I have gotten try of the high labor pricies so I just buy the tool.Nice case instructions I paid 60 dollars and now always have a bushing replacing and installation tool.Where in Southern Maryland you from? I'm in AccokeekMd.

Hey 69pace just am ideal but I have gotten try of the high labor pricies so I just buy the tool.Nice case instructions I paid 60 dollars and now always have a bushing replacing and installation tool.Where in Southern Maryland you from? I'm in AccokeekMd.

I'm in Tracys Landing, the shop in question is in Dunkirk. I hear ya on the buy the tool and do it yourself thing. Hell, I built a house like that, now I have all kinds of cool tools and tons of equity!