I thought I would post this as I didn't have much luck finding any info here or on the web. I am terrible about buying parts, and leaving them on my toolbox for months. I wait till I have no choice, then tear into the job, and won't quit till I win. And even though I always start out with the intent to do a good write up with adequate pics.... I always forget to stop and take the pics..... This time was no exception.

You can get front lower control arm poly bushings made by PSB for less than 70 bucks shipped on eBay. I paid 68.

When they arrived, they were packaged for one side, and had 2 pieces in each bag. The bag had the part number on it. PSB 640. That's it. No info, no instructions.

The bushes are black and yellow. This is what you get

 

When you search the web for install instructions, you get a PDF on PSB's website.

The instructions say, remove old bushing, press in new bushing with smaller angle on end pointed into housing.

Let me just LOL here......

After hours of searching, reading and looking at the housings... I decided that my PSB bushings were exactly like the 3 piece power flex or mini madness bushings. I had to press the center yellow section out as it had been assembled at the factory with no lube.

The inner yellow bush only goes into the black outer in one direction. Install the black outer bush so the yellow inner bush slides in towards the rear of the car. Make sure you lube the entire body of the black bushing outer before installing. If you lube the inside of the stock housing, the poly will wipe it clean while you are pressing it in. Lube the inside of the black outer as well. Press the inner yellow bush back into the Assy before trying to put it on the control arm. Lube the inner of the yellow bush and it will slide onto the LCA by hand. Make sure you install the yellow spacer before you slip the LCA into the bushing. The spacer goes on the LCA with the hollow side towards the front of the car.

Make sure you use a lube that is safe for use on poly. Silicone base or synthetic marked as ok for poly. Use the wrong stuff and depending on the quality of the bush...it will fall apart sooner or later. I used a tub of lube I had left over from one of my many projects. It was from energy suspension and came with a bushing purchase.

 

Another tidbit of info about the install.....

I have been a professional mechanic since 1987. I have done it all, literally. I am always reluctant to dis-assemble half of a car to install a single part. When someone says it can't be done, I do it just to prove them wrong.

I read about this job here before attempting it. So many people said take the subframe out, and that it can't be done with it in, I had to do it. I saw that a few had done it, So with a helper, I tore into it.

My work area is as follows: 1car garage that the doors on the mini can't open fully inside. An aluminum racing style floor jack. One set small aluminum jack stands. Snap-on hand tools. Battery powered work light. Creeper.

I could not get the car high enough to slide under it on the creeper, so we put that aside

Removed tires, sprayed down all related hardware with PB blaster. Let sit overnight.

Removed rear 6 bolts in subframe, 2 bolts in LCA housing to body, 2bolts in subframe to body near strut body.

Tried to remove sway bar/LCA housing mount bolts into subframe. Using 18 mm snap on combination end wrench and double wrenching it. Not a chance. Ruined the 18 mm wrench open end with the second wrench.

Heated the bottom end of the bolts with a propane torch. Still won't move. Re-spray and wait until next day.

Try again, won't move. Re-torch. Won't move. Re-spray and wait until next day.

Won't move. Heat with torch, and the first bolt cracks loose. Take about 3swings of the wrench to stop "cracking" loudly with each movement. Slowly, the other 3 bolts follow.

My bushings were torn out completely at 112,000 miles. They came right off with the help of a 2 foot pry bar.

I took the housings to my brothers house were we have a shop press and compressor. I used the press to quickly knock out the center of the stock bush. I used a sawszall to cut a slit in the stock bushing. I used an air hammer with a sharp chisel to fold the edge over at the split and the tear the bushing all the way through the center of the outer carrier. It fell right out. Repeat on other side. Install new bushes as above.

Obviously, it went together much easier than it came apart. Took maybe 45 mins to go back.

Having said all that, this job SUCKED big time. Honestly, I don't see anyone who isn't an experienced mechanic getting through this with the subframe on the car. In my case, if I had pulled the subframe out, I could have used a half inch drive breaker bar and got the bolts out easily. A quality air gun would be even better.

As it was, I ruined the best tools you can buy, and it was all we could do to make it work. I even tried cutting a double offset 18mm box wrench in half and putting a cheater pipe on it. The angle of the 12 points was just in the wrong place for it to work. Without the repeated soaking and torching, it would never have come apart. We were bending the wrenches almost 30 degrees around when it finally broke free.

When I say I had a helper, it is not because it takes two, but because I am a disabled, multiple spinal surgery patient, and I can't currently do this stuff for myself. Good thing I have a strapping 24 year old son who takes direction well....LOL

 

2 things i left out, make sure to unplug the headlight level sensor thing on the drivers control arm as the wires may be too short to drop the subframe and have the LCA moving around loose. Also I shoved a 2x4 in between the body and subframe at the rear flat section were the 3 bolts are on each side.

Not trying to tell anyone it can't be done, just reporting my experiences in a confined, non a/c garage, in Florida, with good tools and decades of experience.

As it turned out, I only used a pry bar, a ratchet, an extension, 2 sockets, a torque wrench, 2 combination end wrenches, and a flex head combination wrench to do the entire job start to finish. A hacksaw, a vice, a chisel, and a hammer would have worked in place of the press and air hammer in a pinch, but I happen to own the more convenient tools so.....

 

I am currently attempting the same install on an 05 mcs. Have you got everything back together? I'm having an issue getting my control arms back in. The subframe is dropped to make the install easy but the control arms are sitting to far forward to get the ball joints back in. I have the hollowed part of the front spacer facing the front of the car, still no go. Do you have any pics of the bushing and the housing when it was all done?

 

no pictures sorry....

i did not take any of the ball joints loose or off, there was no need

i did have to put some forward pressure on the bushing housing to get the bolts to go down thru the holes, so i suspect you would need to pry backwards on the control arm to shove it far enough into the bushing to get the balljoints back in

 

yes its back together with no issues

post some pics of yours here and let me see if they are the same as mine or if i can see any problems......

 

After giving up for the night last night, I did some google image searching for some installs. One problem I found was that the yellow inner bushing wasn't pushed all the way in the outer bushing, the collar was still sticking out. That got me a lot close but still a lil off. The other idea I had, but didn't attempt cause it was too late, was to loosen the metal bushing housing bolts to see if there is enough play. Combine that with what you said about prying on the control arm might give me enough room. Prying is kinda hard since I dropped the subframe so I might semi-bolt it back up for more leverage. I'll post back with my results, and some pics if I can remember my flickr password, prob late-late tonight.

 

ya, that inner yellow bush needs to sit flush with the outer black part.

i had the ball joints tight when i did it. i had to pry pretty vigorously to get the bolts to drop in and start in the threads. im sure there is some tension designed in there so there will be some resistance no matter how you do it.

 

Got it! I replaced the ball joints, so I had them loose already. I did start the ball joint nut so it didn't pop out, then i just loosened the bolts to the bushing housing and everything lined up. Thanks for the help

 

not sure how much help i am....but you're welcome..... lol