Going to attempt to replace upper control arm bushings, need tips..
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Going to attempt to replace upper control arm bushings, need tips..
Ok, I had my 97 Aerostar 2WD van inspected and they failed it for bad upper control arm bushings on both sides, and quoted me about $520 for the job including alignment, got some medical procedures coming up so I need to try to do this myself. I've seen many people talking about it, some making out like it's fairly easy why others making it out to be very hard. What is the bare bones I would need to replace the bushings, I know if I have to remove the mounting brackets to replace them it's gonna be alot harder, and some people say you need a press just to get the bushings on, the ones I found at autozone are metal sleeved on the inside and outside, I have a 2 ton jack, 2 jack stands your standard assortment of craftsman sockets and wrenches, breaker bars, PB blaster, I can obtain a second jack pretty easily and get a torque wrench if needed at my local HF, is there any tips to make things a bit easier?
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Washington state
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-overhaul.html
machine shops charge very little to press suspension bushings. call around. saves lots of headaches and potential bushing damage.
yes on the torque wrench and i like to use blue non permanent Thread Locker on suspension bolts. saves that O.S. feeling 50 miles from home in the dark and something falls off.
think safety. don't go anywhere under heavy steel you won't put your kid. lots of jack stands and secure blocks. it's hard to scream loud with 2000 lbs setting on the chest.
propane torch also helps to heat and then PB Blaster quench rusted on bolts. Blaster soaked rag on bolt/nut overnight usually makes all nuts surrender to the inevitable
i like to blow off the UCA ball joint rivets with a cutting torch and finish with a punch but I'm lazy and hate slow drilling.
if the bushings are bad, the ball joints are bad also unless recently replaced.
machine shops charge very little to press suspension bushings. call around. saves lots of headaches and potential bushing damage.
yes on the torque wrench and i like to use blue non permanent Thread Locker on suspension bolts. saves that O.S. feeling 50 miles from home in the dark and something falls off.
think safety. don't go anywhere under heavy steel you won't put your kid. lots of jack stands and secure blocks. it's hard to scream loud with 2000 lbs setting on the chest.
propane torch also helps to heat and then PB Blaster quench rusted on bolts. Blaster soaked rag on bolt/nut overnight usually makes all nuts surrender to the inevitable
i like to blow off the UCA ball joint rivets with a cutting torch and finish with a punch but I'm lazy and hate slow drilling.
if the bushings are bad, the ball joints are bad also unless recently replaced.
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Thanks, I saw your overhaul tutorial, this shop only failed me for the bushings, wouldn't they say the ball joints are a issue too if they were really damaged? Shops make a lot of money failing things for inspection.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: florida
Ball joints
Since you are removing the upper arm anyway, you may as well change the ball joints. They aren't that expensive, but are pretty difficult to remove, if still rivited. If they are rivited, you have to take the upper arm off to get to them. Then you bolt the new ones on, so you could change them later without removing the upper arm again. When I did mine, both, I used a grinder to grind the rivit down to the arm, then drill them out, then hammer them out. They tend to snap drill bits if you are not careful. Check the boot on the ball joint. If the bushings are bad, chances are the joint is too. If the boot is torn, water and dirt gets in there and ruins it.
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I'll take a look at them, this inspection shop is really really **** about this stuff, if they didn't mention the ball joint I'm almost positive it's ok, just replacing the bushings looks like it's gonna be a real chore, I'm hoping I might be in luck and not have remove the mounts, I'm gonna try to find those aftermarket bushings like the other guy did with his aerostar that don't have metal sleeves.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: florida
bushings
If you find the bushings, please let me know the part numbers. It is a pretty tough job to replace them. I am amazed that the small amount of room in there allows for everything to come out and then back in again. I also don't know how you can get the old steel sleeves out while it is on the car, they are pressed in pretty tightly, and surely rusted.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: SoCal
I don't think it's possible to replace those bushings without removing the arm mounts first. There is simply no room to remove the old bushings and then install the new ones with the arm mounts in place.
You can look up the bushings at in the Rock Auto catalog.
You can look up the bushings at in the Rock Auto catalog.
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Well, there have been others that did it, another poster on here in the desert removed them without taking off the arms and putting on polys with no sleeves, making the job much easier, I want to find those, apparently autozone carries them, but I went up under the van and damn, ford placed the metal brake line and coupling right in front of the rear bushing bolt 
, it's like they don't want you to work on it, they could have move it a few inches back and out would be plenty of room for a wrench. Coated everything in PB Blaster and gonna think about it, might just take it to my mechanic friend.
, it's like they don't want you to work on it, they could have move it a few inches back and out would be plenty of room for a wrench. Coated everything in PB Blaster and gonna think about it, might just take it to my mechanic friend.
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Lead Driver
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From: SoCal
I think I left the arm on the pivot shaft, but you need to pull the assembly in order to remove the bushings:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...YmyPJy0liipFm0
As you found out, there is the brake line in the way, but besides that, there isn't enough space to work on the bushings with the mounts in place.
There are a lot of places on the Aerostar where you might get the idea that Ford did not intend for anyone to work on it. The trick is you have to remove everything around it in order to get to those parts. I'm thinking that's true for a lot of newer cars. If you've ever tried to change the spark plugs on the rear bank of a v6 engine in a FWD car, you might feel the need to remove the upper intake manifold first.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...YmyPJy0liipFm0
As you found out, there is the brake line in the way, but besides that, there isn't enough space to work on the bushings with the mounts in place.
There are a lot of places on the Aerostar where you might get the idea that Ford did not intend for anyone to work on it. The trick is you have to remove everything around it in order to get to those parts. I'm thinking that's true for a lot of newer cars. If you've ever tried to change the spark plugs on the rear bank of a v6 engine in a FWD car, you might feel the need to remove the upper intake manifold first.
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