Hey guys and gals! I received the Front Lower Control Arm Rear bushing from powerflex a couple of weeks ago from you and finally had the opportunity to install it today. I'm lucky enough to work at a submarine refit facility so I have access to a 50 ton hydraulic press.

I removed the entire mounting bracket and brought it to work with me and attempted to install the bushings. Needless to say there was nothing I could do to get them to fit. I would start applying pressure and the bushings would never enter the bracket evenly. Eventually the entry lip would catch around 1.5 tons of force and the entire machine would shake. The chamfer of the bushing will not fit into the bracket.

I decided it best to stop. I've checked that I'm installing everything in the correct manner three different times and that the part number on the bushing was correct. Is there a chance that the bushing that goes into bracket is too large or there was a factory error? I measures the ID of the bracket and the OD of the bushing and the bushing is greater than .002 larger which is way more than just an interference fit.

Can anyone provide some assistance? Thanks!

 

They are just a tight fit, for someone who hasn't done them before you may think something is wrong, but that is how they fit.

 

So a 50 ton industrial press should be made to shake? I feel like I'm going to tear the bushing. There is just no way to get them to go in evenly.

 

We do have a control arm bushing replacement DIY here that might be helpful.

This is from our DIY, image #13 at that article.

You have to get it started just right. Freezing the bushing before you try to install it might help as it helps contract the rubber of the bushing. Once you start pressing it the amount of heat getting it to press in is pretty substantial. Hope some of this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

We use a 20 ton press to install them, we install on average 2-3 sets a month.

A little lubrication helps, but you need to be conservative, as too much will actually coax the bushing to pop out of the bracket instead of into it.

As I said, it is a very tight fit and may worry some who haven't done the job before.

If you don't want to risk it you can send the brackets and bushings to us and we will press them in for you. We charge $20 to press bushings in.

 

Did you maybe put a gen 2 PF bushing in a gen 1 ?

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...gen2-mini.html

 

They are black so they appear to be the Gen 1.

 

Thanks I'll have to keep it in mind. Do you have any tricks to make the bushing not want to lean over to one side or if it does lean over should I just keep going?

 

It requires some finesse. You need to hold the bushing and bracket from the back while applying press force, basically counter the direction it wants to lean to. Once you get it to a certain point it will just "pop" in, then bottom it out and you're done.

 

Just making sure, yes they fit tight and sometimes its a battle. Working it is the key. And glad you have that press. Would love to see that 50 ton press in action. Have you seen the locomotive hoist , thats awesome.

 

Mine kept going in kind of crooked so finally I just said screw it, and kept pushing. They eventually straitened out and went in fine.

 

I feel like an idiot!!!

So I used the reciprocating saw method to remove the old, OEM, ones. What I failed to realize was that the metal sleeve that stayed behind after I did that was not part of the bracket but was in fact part of the old bushing. That explains why I had so much damn trouble. I feel like an idiot!

After I sawed out the metal piece the bushing went in like a glove....almost too easy

Thanks guys!

 

Lol, glad you figured it out

We've all been there!

 

It wouldn't matter they fit the same. We use the Gen 1 in all the time as I prefer the black outers for durability.

 

Happy you figured it out. You're going to love them.

 

Glad you have it fixed , yea that stuck metal sleeve from the old one will hold you back.