ok guys i just installed all bushings on my car in the past 2 days one arm took me a whole day to do with dan c clamps while the other plus trans mount got done in about an hour with this idea. now yall may be thinking o wow good for you, but i have a different way that i thought of to complete the job without having a shop press or a bench vise. i also didnt want to go out and pay to have the bushing pressed in at a shop for something i can do myself so i came up with an idea that worked flawlessly and i think worked much faster than a bench vise. ok so after messing with dam c clamps trying to get my control arm bushings in i started to think of an easier way and then it hit me why not use the concept of a press so i went outside with a jack and lifted up my 4 door cavy that im rebuilding and placed the arm and bushing under it and then just let the car down slowly making sure the bushing went in evenly and what do you know it worked so i did all my bushings this way even the eco trans mounts. make sure to lube the bushings really good as everyone who has installed them know that they can tear on sharp edges, luckily i didnt tear any so it worked out for me. just thought id post my idea on here to help out the do it yourselfers like myself to save some time and money rather than fighting with some dam c clamps.now i know im not the first one to think or do this im sure but im just trying to help some fellow org people who might need it.
Wow man your just now putting those trans bushings I sold you in?
I would just buy a press rather than setting my car down on it. Chances of ruining 2 components are greater then doing it with correct tools.
Cool to hear you got it done though.
whats up josh? its been a while but ya the ones you sold me im just now putting them on lol put some control arm bushings on to.
to mike yes i understand what your saying about ruining the parts but i dont have money to buy a press right now and they been in the trunk of my car for about almost 2 years now so i just decided to do it that way, but i do understand your point of view.
Wouldnt it have been easier to put the bushing on the jack and press it into one of the frame rails/floor of the car?
1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by:
Kronos Performance
WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer
After dropping the control arms, won't you need an alignment? Just thinking about putting these in my control arms and wanting to know.
Taking off the control arms should not require an alignment so long as you didnt change their length when they were off the car.
1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by:
Kronos Performance
WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer
Leafy- i suppose that would work as well to but i used the tire to actually press it in, the floor board or frame rail is alot higher and would have to lift the jack up more but i didnt have to lift the car to much just centered the bushing under the tire and watched it carefully as it went into the mounts and control arms making sure it went in evenly.
Slocav- many people would argue this question and say its a must to get one but its really up to you in this case i would have to agree with leafy because im not changing the length on the arm or modifying the stock arm in any way and my stock bushing werent bad either so i would say nothing would change as far as alignment angles in this instance. i would say though if your bushing werent in good shape to start with then yes i would deff get an alignment after.
I'm going to replace the bushings and ball joints while I'm in there, car has 65k on it so should be fine without an alignment I would think.
