Rebuilding Front End; need help with control arm bushing

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NC, USA
#1
I have replace the inner and outer tie rods and changed the struts. All I have left to do is put on the new control arm but I don't know how to get the old bushing out of the bracket or how to mount the new one [idea] . Any suggestions?
 
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#2
You'll have to use a gear puller to get the old bushing/bracket assembly off of the control arm. Then you'll have to have the old bushings pressed out of the bracket (also commonly called the "lollipop") and the new ones pressed back in. I took mine to a little automotive shop down the road that did the press work for me for a few bucks. After you get the new bushings pressed into the brackets, lube up the bushing and control arm end with some dish soap, push the bushings back on the control arms, bolt the lollipops back up to the frame quickly, and let the car down off of the jackstands quickly. Push the front of the car up and down several times to work the bushings into their resting loaded positions on the control arms, and let the car sit for several hours before taking it for a drive to let the dish soap dry out. It's pretty easy.
 
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#3
DIsh soap? I went to the dealer and they told me to use turpentine. [80?] I was hoping I could knock the bushing in myself b/c all the shops are closed today. Thanks though.
 
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#4
I used dish soap when I did mine, and it worked fine. I guess turpentine would work, but I'd personally be kind of afraid of lathering turpentine on a rubber suspension component.
 
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#5
1985_318i said:
DIsh soap? I went to the dealer and they told me to use turpentine. [80?] I was hoping I could knock the bushing in myself b/c all the shops are closed today. Thanks though.
what i did was get wd40 a hammer and some dish soap. i put the lolypop on a vise and opened the vise just enough so that the bushing could fit through but no the lollipop it sat on top and i just poundeed and it came out real easy.(accually nto real easy but i came out)
 

rolandmw

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#6
Hey Justin,

Did you have the control arms already put on the car when you attached the lollipop and new bushing?

Just trying to get a feel for the timing of the whole deal.

Thanks!
Roland
 
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#7
Yeah, I had the balljoints bolted to the strut and subframe when I attached the bushing/lollipop assembly.

There's enough play in the balljoints to pull down the back of the control arm to get room to put the bushings back on. I just lubed the end of the control arm and the bushing with dish soap, and pushed the bushings on with a twisting motion. It takes some force, but I didn't have any problems. I actually made a tool to press them on, but it turned out that they were much easier to push on by hand than I had thought, so I didn't even use the tool.
 


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