Front end bushings? Wrapped it up yesterday.

Looks like the same puller I used for both my LBJs and OTREs. Worked well but as said, mind the boots if you’re reusing a part.

 

Installation planned for Saturday. We have OReilly Auto, Autozone, & Advance Auto within a few blocks of each other near my home - anyone got a part # for any of those places for a rental bushing press that will work for the oem steering rack bushings? I saw something at Advance Auto when I was there the other day, but just pictured on their computer, not one sitting on the bench...

 

I'm sure there's an easier way, but I drilled holes through mine and burned it out.

 

I didn’t even need to do what he ^ did. I used a utility knife to cut off the outer lip of each horizontal and perpendicular bushing, then simply tapped them out with a smaller sized deep well socket and a regular hammer. Tap tap tap, and they’re out. Clean up, lube with super lube, install new bushing to proper torque spec.

I was also able to do this with the rack still *in* the vehicle, just unbolted everywhere required to change the bushings. Didn’t need to disconnect OTREs as I recall. I did unbolt the 12mm bracket that holds the PS lines to the frame, up on the drivers side. All hydraulic lines stayed connected. Zero issues, it was one of my easier projects.

 

Now that sounds like a great idea! (cutting off the lip and tapping out the bushing). Thanks for the tip. I suppose I still need to disconnect the OTREs, I suppose, since I am removing the lower control arms for their bushing replacements...

Best to put Super Lube on the outside & inside of the new bushing (between the metal sleeve and the bushing)?

 

Yeah you'll need to disconnect the OTREs if you're working on the LCA bushings. For the lube, I lubed up the outside surface of the poly bushings where it slides into the metal portion of the rack. I believe I lubed any portion of the poly bushing that touched any metal anywhere. I lubed the inside of the circular bushings before installing the supplied metal sleeves as well.

 

Began the project yesterday. It started out finding out that the "trusted mechanic" I have been taking my vehicles to for several years is now in the category of shops to avoid. When I took my truck in for an estimate on all this work, I got it back the next day. Over the weekend, I decided to look under the truck for some reason - no skid plate. Took it back on Monday, and waited (longer than what seemed necessary) for the skid plate to be reinstalled. Afterwards, I looked under, just to be sure it was on there, being as they left it off the first time. I noticed the bolts were new, not the oem bolts, which they apparently lost. No big deal, I thought. I found out otherwise...

When I started on my project yesterday, step one - remove the skid plate. First thing I noticed was they were not 12mm bolt heads as before. Then, after finding the right socket size, the bolts seemed really hard to turn, and there were only 4, not 5. The moron they had put my skid plate back on found SAE bolts the same size, and just impact wrenched them on, and even forgot one (thankfully). Now the threads on 3 of the 5 are messed up - I could still get the right size metric bolt in 2. I'm going to get a refund on Monday for the fee they charged for the estimate. They've screwed up twice in a row now. I don't think I trust them to work on my vehicles any more after this experience. I'll see if I can run a tap through the holes to get them fixed and find some more metric bolts - I don't trust them to do it right. It seems they are now like a lot of businesses - short on help, and hiring people off the street, just to do the minimum.

Rant over.

 

Geeeeez that’s bad. Signs of a disorganized mechanic that doesn’t care if he’s doing it right.

 

I am going to need the truck aligned when I'm done, and was going to take it there...now I'm not so sure...maybe if they do it for free since they screwed up the skid plate install...

 

I seem to have hit a wall on this installation. I cannot seem to get the Whiteline bushings pressed in all the way on the lower control arms. The removal of the oem bushings went off without a hitch, but I cannot seem to get these new bushings in all the way. Is the metal bushing sleeve supposed to press in all the way until the metal flange is up against the control arm opening?

 

You fully removed the old bushings and you are installing the whitelines from the outside of the LCAs going inwards, correct? Post photos of where you got stuck.

 

One side

The other side
Both sides

I didn't even try the other LCA. Should I have used some anti-seize on the outside of the bushing sleeve? One big issue is I don't really have the right size receiving cup to put on the other side to press the inside end of the bushing into, using my big vice.

I'm going to take both arms and the other bushings to the shop that screwed up my skid plate bolts, and see if they'll press these in as a recompense for botching up putting on the skid plate.

BTW, I used the bottle jack method and heat to remove the oem bushings. Worked as advertised.

 

They should be pretty much flush so yours are not yet in all the way. Honestly I was able to tap mine in with a rubber mallet. I protected the bushing face with one of the supplied metal washers. A few whacks and they were all flush and seated. Installed smoothly onto the truck afterwards. If you haven’t tried that I would before bringing them somewhere.

 

I'll give it a try.

 

Mallet doesn't make a difference. These are not going in any further. It seems a press is going to be needed. It's almost like they are a touch too big...

 

This is what I was trying to do, but did not have the receiving cup the guy shows in his hand:

 

Interesting. Mine did not take a ton of force. I’d say moderate force. What part number is on your kit? This is what I used.

 

Same one:

 

Did you prep the inside of the control arm where the bushing goes into? I cleaned it up, but didn't do anything else...

 

In the photos you uploaded earlier of where you got stuck, that’s exactly how far mine went in easily before the mallet got them the rest of the way in. Too bad that’s not working for you. You supported the side not being struck so all the energy of the mallet is going into the bushing? I did all this in the back of the truck for my install. The bed supported the LCA so it didn’t budge when being hit with the mallet.