etcts-v

The bolt trick worked like a charm!! Way easier than the C-Clamp, sucked that metal sleeve right in.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Quite judicious with your lube application, I see.

Glad to know that the bolt idea worked. I'm hoping to use that idea on the subframe bushings, since it's unlikely that I'll be able to push them completely together by hand.

etcts-v

Haha, yeah that was the last of my packet so I slathered her up!

Dmax/04V

Just did these today and doing it without dropping the subframe is not fun. Took about 2 hours to pull the first control arm, essentially dissasmbled the whole suspension short removing the knuckle from the axle. Second one took 30 minutes after figuring out what the best way to do it was. If you know someone with a press enlist their services to get the old bushings out, my buddys shop took all of 10 minutes to get em out. Reinstalling is a little more interesting but I will finish that in the AM, as I am poopered. Final note's: A 16lb sledge is your friend on this one, turn the bolts in case these need to come out in the future and you will have easy access.

Onefast V

iTrader: (3)

The most difficult part I thought was removing the upper ball joint without damaging it as they are not replaceable =/. After that its just two bolts.

Dmax/04V

I have one side that will fight me till the death and one that pops out on command(ball joints). Outside of removing the rearward bolts this was my biggest problem; if you have air tools no problem, I'm still trying to convince myself to buy a compressor.

etcts-v

Amen to that, serious PITA to remove the ball joint with the cradle on the ground!

etcts-v

Props for doing it without dropping the cradle, don't think I would have the patience on that!

Dmax/04V

After looking at it for 15 minutes before starting and wondering how to get that rear bolt out of there I was very close sir. If I had cradle bushings to do I would have dropped her, those back bolts and my spare tire tub took some convincing to separate. Good luck with the rest of your project.

Edit: For anyone considering this, a table vice is perfect for pressing the new bushings in to the UCA. Patience, and making sure you don't trap air in there is paramount; and as in most situations life may throw at you.... lube it up generously.

AAIIIC

iTrader: (19)

I'm impressed Dmax was able to get the upper control arms out without dropping the cradle. I tried a couple years ago and had zero luck.

As for the bushing sleeves being so tight, I don't know that I would be comfortable with that - sounds like a recipe for binding. The bushing is supposed to be able to rotate around that center sleeve, if the sleeve is that tight in there I have to wonder how smoothly that's going to happen, particularly once the lube starts to age/wear away.

Gus_Mahn

iTrader: (1)

Anybody driving on these yet? I'm wondering about noise and if these help with wheel hop.

Dmax/04V

Getting them out was the easy part, trying to snake those things back in there without destroying a brake line and forcing a larger bushing in was trickey. Binding may be mute to an extent due to the size of the ears that the bushings seat in, as you can see in the picture attached the bushings aren't going to catch on any of the lips/ears of the mount during the relatively minimal travely they see on a regular basis.

Wheel hop I doubt it, then again I'm already suited and booted on rear end parts and pieces. Road noise, nothing new to report. Feels a tad more planted in turns.

etcts-v

Finished up my install last night, getting the larger bushings in between both collars was fun to say the least... Raised the cradle back up to pound up and in from the bottom then dropped it back down to get bolts in.

But finally back in business for that part of my project, now onto cradle bushings and axles!

Dmax/04V

Glad to hear you got them together again, pita to get em in the mounts eh.

Fuzzy_Wuzzy

iTrader: (8)

While it may work a vice is not a press... it can be a good way to break an otherwise useful vice, and is a bad habit to get in. A small press is not all that expensive and a good addition to the garage.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Question: the outer rings of the OEM control arm bushings has me stymied. I can't get them out. How did you guys do it?

I can't see you being able to use the old "two socket and a C-clamp" method on this one, because the flanged ring on one side leaves you with only a thin sliver of aluminum to center a very large (30mm?) socket over. I imagine you could cut it, but the margin for error on this one is awfully small.

Onefast V

iTrader: (3)

When I drilled out the old rubber the hole metal sleeve came out with it. However you could get a small metal saw and cut it and then pull it out.

Also if you had a good way to get under the outer lip of the metal sleeve with say a screw driver you could try and leverage it out or bang it in a little and then pull it out.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Hey, I'm putting everything back together tonight in preparation for work tomorrow. One thing that I noticed (as a couple of people already noted) was that the control arm bushings were extremely hard to force into the subframe--requiring a couple of hits and some prying with a dead-blow hammer to align the assembly and send the bolts through.

That said, I'm worried about how hard it is to rotate the control arm now. It takes quite a bit of force to move it, even with only about 50 ft-lbs of torque on it. Apparently, I'm not the only one:

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...trol-arms.html

Have any of you guys re-thought the binding concern?

Onefast V

iTrader: (3)

Mine did not seem anymore difficult to rotate than stock from my recollection. That being said it did not rotate easily either.

DACTARI

iTrader: (1)

I hope Fuzzy does a write-up.