Fitting new control arms

Post Sun May 14, 2006 7:57 pm

While fitting the Cup Kit to the car today I noticed one of the ball joints was knackered and the rubber on most of the others had split.
Is it possible to just undo the two joints on each arm and then pull it hard towards the front of the car to get the rear end of it out of the bush?
If so can you then simply push the end of a new arm into that bush while its on the car and then attach the two joints?

Post Sun May 14, 2006 8:19 pm

It's a damn sight easier with the whole lot of the car, to be honest. Can;t see why you'd want to leave the bush/lollipop on.

Post Sun May 14, 2006 9:11 pm

When looking at it today I was just thinking that if the bush was still on the car then I could use all my efforts to push the end of the arm into the bush without having to hold on to the bush with something as well.

Post Sun May 14, 2006 9:39 pm

The bushes are quite a heavy press fit in the lollipops I seem to recall.

I ended up cutting the arms free by hacking away at the rubber of the bush, then carefully slitting the outer part of the bush ( the bit that's pressed into the lollipop) so that it could be collapsed and taken out that way.

Post Sun May 14, 2006 11:01 pm

I was hoping to pull the arm out of the current bush and leave the bush intact so I could then just slide the new arm into it and bolt it all back up.

Post Sun May 14, 2006 11:57 pm

Adammcf wrote:I was hoping to pull the arm out of the current bush and leave the bush intact so I could then just slide the new arm into it and bolt it all back up.

If you can do that, then it was fitted with the wrong lubricant. The bush should be such a tight fit on the arm that the rubber will be damaged pulling it out.
I did get one off in an emergency once by sawing through the pin of the arm on the arm side of the bush as tight as possible. lifting the b rubber a bit with a small screwdriver and working some lubricant in, then pressing the bush off the remains of the pin in the same direction as it was pushed on.

Post Mon May 15, 2006 2:07 pm

Fair enough, didnt realise it was on there so tight. Looks like I'll leave the car to someone with a vice or press to get the bush in and do it all at once.

Post Thu May 18, 2006 11:30 am

Replace the worn ball joints in your own arms.

Post Thu May 18, 2006 2:38 pm

Priced it all up and a new arm complete with joints was only a bit more expensive than the joints themselves so I bought the arm and bush.
Will be alot easier and quicker to fit.

Post Thu May 18, 2006 3:30 pm

I've come across two different arms

One with a staight pin through the bush and an older one with a smaller diameter indent in the middle that sits inside the bush.
What do the new ones look like ?

Post Thu May 18, 2006 9:44 pm

Both the arms that were on my car and the new one I just bought and fitted had no indent I noticed

Post Sat May 20, 2006 10:08 am

Is this something I'll be able to do without a press or is there any other way of getting the new bush in place?
Also can the arm be slid into the new bush by hand or is it a bitch of a job? I called a garage this morning and it would be a week before they could do it which is too long for me to wait.

Post Sat May 20, 2006 11:20 am

Bush can just about be pushed into the mounting eye by a decent quality vice, or a block of wood and a large hammer.
Bush can be pushed onto arm by hand, just. Use a lubricant consisting of 1/3 washing up liquid, 2/3 water, and get the arm into its normal ride height position before it dries, then wash off with hot water.

Post Sat May 20, 2006 11:42 am

Cool. I think I'll give it a go today then!

Post Sat May 20, 2006 8:56 pm

Got it all fitted today. What a nightmare that was getting the new bush into the lollipop! Pressing it up under the car with a jack didnt work as it just lifted the car! Using a hammer and some wood didnt work either as it just smashed up with wood!
In the end I had to just knock it in with a large hammer. Its was a little rough round the edges on that side when finished but will do the job.

Post Sat May 20, 2006 9:15 pm

I've got a spare pair of 'lollypops' if I need to change control arms, just take them along to the local garage, fit them up, and then take them home and swop them over, much easier!

Post Sat May 20, 2006 10:35 pm

Adammcf wrote:Pressing it up under the car with a jack didnt work as it just lifted the car!

????? You take the lolipop off the car to fit the bush in it!

Post Sat May 20, 2006 10:39 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
Adammcf wrote:Pressing it up under the car with a jack didnt work as it just lifted the car!
????? You take the lolipop off the car to fit the bush in it!

I think he means he used the car as the weight, and the jack as a press...I tried this once, and same happened, it lifted the car without pushing the bush into the bracket.

Post Sat May 20, 2006 10:45 pm

Ah, I see. A bit optimistic then. An E30 only weighs ~1100Kg, and you'd only get half of that maximum. Need something a bit heavier than an E30.

Post Sat May 20, 2006 10:49 pm

Oh yeah for sure! I think the guy who put mine in said they needed 5 tons.

Post Sat May 20, 2006 11:21 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:
Adammcf wrote:Pressing it up under the car with a jack didnt work as it just lifted the car!
????? You take the lolipop off the car to fit the bush in it!

LOL! Im not that thick.

Post Sat May 20, 2006 11:32 pm

Adammcf wrote:[

LOL! Im not that thick.

You mign't be, but there's always someone out there who is!