Lower Control Arm Bushing Replacement

[Joe Johnston]

Have you replaced the rubber flex hoses to each front wheel?

[GeoffInCarlsbad]

Preparation and Nut Removal

Here are some opening shots. As you can see, the start is relatively simple, but the damage done to the Stabilizer (Sway) Bar Link Bushing and the lack of a Lower Ball Joint Dust Boot is ominous.









Now, I am sorry that I don't have an actual picture of separating the control arm from the spindle. Why? Because using a 3# sledge, my co-worker tapped it right off. Didn't need the new pickle fork nor the separator tool that Randy lent to me. BUT, since I will be replacing the ball joint apparently I will be doing this again.....so I will make sure I get a picture of that, but you can imaging the sledge tapping out the lower ball joint from the spindle. Pretty Straight Forward.

Here I am taking/banging out the "old" bushing.

[GeoffInCarlsbad]

Removal of Arm and Pressing the Bushing



Not the best shots, but the arm is gone from the suspension:





Cleaning Up the Arm





Pressing in the Bushing:

[GeoffInCarlsbad]

Yes....

Have you replaced the rubber flex hoses to each front wheel?

Yes sir. Everything is new on the brakes (shoes, wheel cylinders, hoses, flushed and filled fluids).

Also, suspension has (had) all new bushings and ball joints.....

[GeoffInCarlsbad]

Front Right & Left Strut Bushings

Right Bushings are on the Right of the Pic.



Note the LEFT Sway Bar Bushing in the Upper Left. I replaced those as well.

[GeoffInCarlsbad]

Front Strut Rod Bushings - 1961 v. '62-later

I wore out my 61 front strut rod bushings. I installed them in 2016, and now they are shot (again). From this thread, it looks like I can replace those bushings with 62-63 bushings. Before I do that, I'd like to hear how well those are wearing? I tried finding urethane material bushings, but none that will fit this year. The earliest years I can find for those is 72 T-Bird.

So my asks are:

1) For those of you using 62 or later bushings, how have they held up for you?
2) Has anyone found and tried urethane front strut rod bushings? If so, how are those holding up?
3) Why are these not lasting?

I asked some mechanic friends of mine, and they are scratching their heads. So there is nothing wrong with the front end and brakes (as you know that was a struggle). So two have suggested that the rubber materials used today just don't hold up well. I have seen some threads and conversations that those '61 bushings were not great to start with, and were modified for '62 and beyond. Obviously this was a problem. Any counsel is always appreciated.

~g

Regards,

~g

[simplyconnected]

Geoff, I seriously considered merging this with the last Lower Control Arm thread you generated. The last one had many pictures but your photo hosting dropped them all so it's a checkered mess.

You answer your own question in your post:

Couple of comments:

My theory is back to this being a braking issues. The Control Arm Bushing was in OK shape before all this started after I had the brakes worked. The Left side is perfectly fine, but ALL the new and old bushings on the right side, including the dust boot on the ball joint, have been destroyed, roughed up, or slightly damaged, including spring rub marks on the right hand shock absorber.

I have replaced ALL the bushings and both ball joints on the Right side. So, this tells me that the movement "jerking" to the right at braking is most likely causing the damage.

So, at the very least, I am going to have to replace that lower ball joint or at least find a dust boot to put back on there. So there will be some disassembly once I find out what I can get locally or have to order.

Secondly, the results of my test drive yesterday were as follows:

1) Upon backing out of the driveway, and beginning our drive, there was NO drift as long as the wheels were cold. As the wheels heated up, after about 2 miles of stop & go, top speeds of 45mpg, I began to feel the "pull" to the right. This is ok, since before it was a severe jerking to the right but now feels more like a drift or pull to the right.

2) As the wheels go more heat in them, the car would pull more. But there were a few times where there was little or NO pull at all.

So, this could be wheel cylinder, drum linings, shoe mis-alignment? All of the above?

One last comment, I had to tighten the nuts beneath the car before lowering. This car is so low, that there is no way for me to get my arm beneath the front chassis to do any work. I am too big and the car sits too low. I tried. I suppose I could lower the car's front wheel (sans the rim/tire) and keep it high enough, but I don't really feel safe doing that. Or I could go buy a set of ramps! Shoot, I just figured that out! Ok.....Need to figure this out, as I don't want to do all this work all over again & again. it was fun, but it was a lot of work.

I have 32 pics to edit and post, so I do apologize that it is taking me so long to post those. I am working on them.

So, in conclusion, my mission was accomplished, but the root cause of the issue has yet to be solved.

Today I will take another drive, do a lot of driving in reverse somewhere to adjust those brakes, heat them up, raise it up, and have some more fun today. The hardest part MAY be taking HOT drums off, but I would like to avoid that if possible.

I suggest you use the proper parts and you follow the Shop Manual procedures for your car. You mentioned, your 1961 bushings were ok before you worked on brakes. They lasted FIFTY+ years. Bushings normally last decades not two years. Obviously, something wasn't done right.
Your car is nearly identical to many thousands, all built on the same assembly line using the same parts, by the same assemblers. Your brakes were not different and neither are your bushings.

When you mismatch parts that are intended for cars of a different year you are asking for more problems.
Your last bout was straightened out by a brake mechanic who brought the car back to stock condition and operation. That is the goal you need to adhere to. The '61 Thunderbird is not very technical. - Dave

[GeoffInCarlsbad]

No parts mismatched and everything in manual

There are no mismatched parts installed and everything has been done in accordance to the 1961 Shop Manual and with parts specific to the year/make/model of this vehicle. If you read the article I posted here, it indicates that everything checks out to be right.

I did nothing to cause any pictures to drop. I used the mechanism as described by this site at the time of postings. If something has changed it was from nothing I did to change anything. If my postings are all a mess, feel free to delete my postings.

[YellowRose]

Front Strut Rod Bushings - 1961 v. '62-later

Geoff, a check of your picture posts indicate a problem with Photobucket, and Post Image or whatever that other service you were using. Your pictures are not longer available for us to see on those two servers. That is why are missing or broken.

[GeoffInCarlsbad]

photobucket

I think I was using PostImage. I didn't change anything since posting, so I am unsure why those would go away.

Sorry, but those pics are long gone now.

[YellowRose]

Lower Control Arm Bushing Replacement

Yes, you were using Photobucket and failed to update your Photbucket account. Then PostImage dropped you also. You can no longer get those pix when you click on the box for them. Here is the warning from Photobucket that comes up.

[GeoffInCarlsbad]

Not much I can do then.

Since I do not frequent this forum often any longer, I missed this upgrade opportunity. Nothing I can do then. If it's problematic, then delete any messy posts.