Lower Control Arm bushings


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By lyonroad - 13 Years Ago
I am in the middle of installing new control arm bushings on the '55 Ford Fairlane. When I removed the arms from the car both lower bushings had been pressed in from the inside of the arm - rears pressed towards the rear of the car and the fronts pressed towards the front of the car. The parts catalog illustrations show it this way and OldCarMark's manual (he has been a tremendous help to me on this) show it this way as well. My '55 shop manual says "On Thunderbirds, the front bushing is pressed in from the inside of the lower front leg. On all other cars, the front bushing is pressed in from the outside of the leg." OldCarMark says his manual says nothing about the Thunderbirds and other cars being different. Has anybody come across this?



Also I am having some difficulty determining how far to press the new bushings in. The bushings that I purchased have poorly defined shoulders and it is impossible to tell when they have been pressed in the right amount. Is there a distance i could measure as i am sur this would have a bearing on the alignment.



Thanks for your help.
By Talkwrench - 13 Years Ago
Im pretty sure Rick [Rick55] can help you with this one, Just have to wait till he replies..BigGrin
By rick55 - 13 Years Ago
You are right the 55 manual does say what you have mentioned. Surprisingly the 56 does not make mention of the bushes being different for a thunderbird.

My experience has been that cheap bushings do not have a very big lip on the sleeve to determine the correct depth and it is possible to press them in too far. I would suggest you mark or scribe the bushes where the lip is and make sure you only press them in to that depth. If you press them in too far you won't get the arms onto the car.

Regards
By rick55 - 13 Years Ago
Having read your post again, it seems a bit strange what the manual says. The parts manual shows the bushings for all being pressed in from the inside. This is is the way I have always fitted them to sedans and they have been this way from the factory. If you were to do what the book suggests, you would not probably not be able to get the arm in as the bulbous end of the bush would be against the front crossmember and you would never be able to get the front shim in if it required one. The knurled end of the inner tube of the bushing locks against the front and rear cross members and the big round washers compress the rubber ends to provide the tension.

I would fit them the way the parts manual and Macs show they fit.



Regards
By lyonroad - 13 Years Ago
Rick, Talkwrench said you would help and you did along with OldCarMark. I sent you a pretty long PM in response. Fell free to post your response to my note here as it may help others. Thanks for your help. Mark
By Jeff - 13 Years Ago
You guys are probably already hep to this but I thought I would mention it just in case, having done a recent front suspension rebuild.

Be sure not to tighten the busing bolts until the car is setting with the weight back on the front wheels.



Jeff
By lyonroad - 13 Years Ago
Thanks Jeff, its been mentioned a couple of times. I don't have the motor in the car so it will be awhile before I can tighten up the suspension and steering. Its amazing how much tension is applied to the tie rods when the car is sitting on jack stands with the wheels hanging. makes you wonder if its good for it.

Thanks.
By aussiebill - 13 Years Ago
lyonroad (5/10/2012)
Thanks Jeff, its been mentioned a couple of times. I don't have the motor in the car so it will be awhile before I can tighten up the suspension and steering. Its amazing how much tension is applied to the tie rods when the car is sitting on jack stands with the wheels hanging. makes you wonder if its good for it.
Thanks.

All the guys are right with their advice, i would add that once the lower bushes are in and arm is refitted, there usually is gap between front bush and front Xmember, this gap is then reduced bty the addition of the flat washers, about 1/8" thick, this is to  ensure arm is not over stretched to tighten.Smile

By lyonroad - 13 Years Ago
Thanks Bill, I'll look for that gap. Mark
By oldcarmark - 13 Years Ago
Something else that Mark(Lyonroad) has noted when doing this bushing replacement-the bushings supplied  by Dennis Carpenter(made in China) leave something to be desired as far as quality.I purchased the same kit myself with the mounting bolts and bushings.I had Moog bushings which I purchased prior to and they are MUCH better quality wise than the ones supplied by Carpenter.Its really worthwhile to try and find name brand bushings. 
By charliemccraney - 13 Years Ago
I got some spring bushings for my truck from Napa the other day. They were made in the USA!


By aussiebill - 13 Years Ago
oldcarmark (5/10/2012)
Something else that Mark(Lyonroad) has noted when doing this bushing replacement-the bushings supplied  by Dennis Carpenter(made in China) leave something to be desired as far as quality.I purchased the same kit myself with the mounting bolts and bushings.I had Moog bushings which I purchased prior to and they are MUCH better quality wise than the ones supplied by Carpenter.Its really worthwhile to try and find name brand bushings. 

Mark, i have to agree, been importing D/C parts since the 70,s and the recent bushs you mention are ordinary compared to before.Tongue

By oldcarmark - 13 Years Ago
He has stopped making a lot of his own parts because of labor costs and started contracting out to China like everyone else.I just hope the control arm bolts are made better than the bushings.Does quality control exist in China?
By charliemccraney - 13 Years Ago
oldcarmark (5/11/2012)
Does quality control exist in China?


It does. It's just that it is the exception, not the rule. I've seen a few things that are made in China that are excellent quality, easily equal and likely superior to American products.

Also, made in the USA does not guarantee quality. We can make things just as poorly.

In the past few months I've become very conscious of the origin of the products I buy. The myth that American products are more expensive is just that, a myth. When they are more expensive, it is for good reason, materials, build quality, attention to detail, etc. You can find probably 95% of the things you want made right here in the USA - though you cannot necessarily walk into a local store to buy it.
By lyonroad - 13 Years Ago
Well said Charlie. Quality is a two way street. If the importers and retailers aren't checking for quality then the manufacturer won't either. In those cases it comes down to us to refuse poor quality. Unfortunately it is usually after the part fails and we say "well I won't buy from that guy again". If the importers and retailers insist on high quality then the manufacturer, no matter where they are from, will have to follow if they want to stay in business.
By aussiebill - 13 Years Ago
lyonroad (5/11/2012)
Well said Charlie. Quality is a two way street. If the importers and retailers aren't checking for quality then the manufacturer won't either. In those cases it comes down to us to refuse poor quality. Unfortunately it is usually after the part fails and we say "well I won't buy from that guy again". If the importers and retailers insist on high quality then the manufacturer, no matter where they are from, will have to follow if they want to stay in business.

Lyon and charlie, you,re right! i see it this way, how many people nowadays can sit at home and windowshop for parts, often looking for cheapest priced parts, with cry of " their a rip off' if similar? part is dearer than the other, to me its usually a sign of quality part vs cheaper part. Buyers are more to blame than someone else. Most rubber related parts were made in India but see same part now made in China. I have said before here how i was often asked for a certain brand ball joint and then showed customer  5 same name brand, p/no boxes with 5 different countries of manufacture on them. Regardless of brand most parts are made offshore today due to the economics of it all unfortunatley. RIP Carrol Shelby.Cool

By lyonroad - 13 Years Ago
Aussie,thanks for the heads up re Carrol Shelby - Its sad he sure built great cars!
By oldcarmark - 13 Years Ago
Maybe someone will start a post about Mr. Shelby in the "this and that" topic.Pretty amazing guy over the years.
By ejstith - 13 Years Ago
I have never changed these bushings in a Ford (but mine's going to need them before long) but I used to change them in Pontiacs & I would put the bushing in the freezer overnight and heat the A-arm with a propane torch a little bit & the frozen bushings would drop right in. Will this work on a Ford?
By 5d6fairlane - 13 Years Ago
I am in the middle of completely rebuilding the front end of my 56 so here are my suggestions. First off buy quality bushings, the ones that came with my upper shafts and lower bolts lacked quality and you dont want to do this again. I recommend raybestos which can be bought from rock auto and I am pretty sure NAPA bushings are too. I originally bought the Moog kit but the lower bushings were too small for the bolt to go thru and it came with two upper rear bushings. The uppers required no measuring to install and Advance auto parts had the tool needed free to use. Simply press the bushing with the shoulder on it, put the shaft in and then press the other bushing on till it meets the shoulder on the shaft. The lowers are easier to install on the control arm but can be pressed too far, in know I did it and had to drive them back down. Knowing what I know now I would measure how far each bushing is installed before driving the old ones out but since I did not do that I installed the arm on the car with the press(looks like a c clamp)and pressed the front bushing in untill it contacted the frame. Then I loosened the clamp, pulled out the control arm bolts and lowered the control arm to remove the clamp and install the collar(looks like a piece of pipe). Hope this helps.