Write-Up: 1996-1997 Front Control Arm/Bushing Replacement

Write up: https://rivperformance.editboard.com/brakes-suspension-f6/write-up-front-control-arm-bushing-t4034.htm#51539

IS there a write up on how to replace the lower front control arm busshing, Mine is going out and I dont want to pay a shop 100 bucks an hour to replace a 15 dollar bushing

I've never done it on a riv before but I would imagine you could pull the control arm, buy the bushing, and take it to a machine shop and have them press the old one out and the new one in for $5 or $10

yeah I know its cheap to have it pressed and the bushing is only 12 bucks I just dont know how to do the control arm

removing the control arm is very easy. jack the riv up set jack stands under the riv.

1. remove the tire on the side you will be working on
2. remove the pin that goes thru the castle nut on the lower ball joint
3. remove the ball joint castle nut
4. grab a big azz hammer and a pickle fork. wedge the pickle fork in between the lower ball joint and the steering knuckle.
5. bang the hell out of the fork till the control arm drops down.
6. remove the front bolt of the control arm
7. remove the rear bolt of the control arm
8. if you have a bushing press or a ball joint press then you can remove the bushings yourself. if not take it to a machine shop.
9. follow reverse to install.



now i did not tell you socket sizes, because on my '96 its a torx bit for my front bolt. if you have an air compressor then that will help out, if not make sure you are using 1/2 inch sockets with a good breaker bar.

good luck

thank you

Ive done this on my 96'... problems you may run into... the metal sleeve the bolt goes through inside the rubber bushing,, may or may not be rusted to the bolt.. which means its going to suck!!!!!!! i would suggest dousing everything in penetrant.. I had to use a cutting torch and carefully cut down the side of the sleeve.. I hope all goes well for you!!!

TType_Riviera wrote:

Ive done this on my 96'... problems you may run into... the metal sleeve the bolt goes through inside the rubber bushing,, may or may not be rusted to the bolt.. which means its going to suck!!!!!!! i would suggest dousing everything in penetrant.. I had to use a cutting torch and carefully cut down the side of the sleeve.. I hope all goes well for you!!!

PB Blaster is great for this type of problem.

Bert

well when ever it stops fucking raining i will attempt

ibmoses wrote:

TType_Riviera wrote:

Ive done this on my 96'... problems you may run into... the metal sleeve the bolt goes through inside the rubber bushing,, may or may not be rusted to the bolt.. which means its going to suck!!!!!!! i would suggest dousing everything in penetrant.. I had to use a cutting torch and carefully cut down the side of the sleeve.. I hope all goes well for you!!!

PB Blaster is great for this type of problem.

Bert

doesnt always work my friend...

doesnt always work my friend... [/quote]

Its a very good penetrating oil, but will not work miracles or do the work of a cutting torch.


Bert

no problem. i do agree though, before you attemp this(especially if you don't have acess to air) spray the nuts and bolts of everything that you have to remove and spray them with pb blaster. if you are going to do this on a weekend then spraying the parts everyday throughout the week will help you grately.

kool thanks for the tips

What size Torx bit is required for that front bolt?
I have an assortment, but want to know ahead of time if I will have to buy one.
T-50? T-55?

T55 in my 1997

arttu80 wrote:

T55 in my 1997

Thank you! I do believe I have a T55.

Well, I dismantled lower control arms off my ’97 Riviera for front bushing replacement. They don’t make bushings for these arms, only for 1995-96 are available. . It will need bushings from another vehicle, which I will make to fit in. Will post later which bushings I choose and maybe pics of these.

The disassembly I think is the same for all 1995-99 Rivs. So here are  some pictures of the job and tools I needed in process…

Tools used:


Large hammer
Small hammer
Steel brush
Pliers
Some basic ratchet wrench with extensions
Sockets; 18mm, 21mm, 32mm
Wrenches; 13mm, 18mm, 21mm
Torx bit; T-55
Also some rust penetrator (WD-40) and brake cleaner spray (grease remover).


The Car



Stabilizer bar end link


Rear bushing


Front bushing (weakened after 155kMiles)


Lower ball joint (and there really is cotter pin!)


Used wire brush to clean cotter pin area of ball joint. Sprayed rust penetrating oil.


Wasn’t able to remove cotter pin, so I broke pin tabs with pliers and used 18mm wrench on castlenut with some “Force”.


“Old school” method to release ball joint from spindle. Hit hard and sharp with large hammer couple of times on small hammer holding it against spindle all the time at shown spot.


Next removed stabilizator bar end link using rust penetrator on thread, then 32mm socket on upper nut holding lower bolt with 13mm wrench.


On rear bushing I used 21mm socket with extensions on the nut, holded bolt with 18mm wrench. Ofcourse used WD-40 on threads before wrenching.




Front bushing required 21mm wrench for upper nut and special “torx” T-55 tool. Remember to release nut torque with wrench, do not use torx tool first. Only when bolt starts to rotate, hold it with torx. If you try to release torque with this small torx, it will certainly strip bolt head, and then one is in trouble.


Slightly twist strut assembly upward and sideways grabbing brake rotor and calliper to release lower ball joint from spindle hole. Then remove bolts from bushings. Twist, shake and shout,  out and away…

Originally installed Audi 100 / A6 rear axle bushings (OEM P/N: 4A0 511 247), which my friend turned down on a lathe approx.0,5mm O.D. (they were 62mm). Pressed in control arms on hydraulic press, used about 5 ton/square inch pressure, so it must be a tight fit. I also cut excess metal around the edges (about 8mm per side). Note that slots in rubber bushing are of the same type as in original bushing and must be positioned same way as factory bushing to correctly negotiate control arm movement.

Few years later these bushings went out, so I replaced them with Fiat P/N:50700797, which requiered only height trimming. These are still going strong after many years of use.

Wow, nice photo documentary. Thanks for sharing!

Hi,

You can get the bushings, they come as part of the complete lower control arm assembly, which gives you all new bushings and ball joints. Don't know if you can get them from a GM dealer in Finland, they are pretty easy to get in the US and although they are a little more expensive than buying the bushings/ball joint separately, they are easy to put in since the assembly is already done.

I know, I can get these control arms from,say http://www.buygmpartsworldwide.com/,

these were about $300 a piece plus shipping, but I need only front bushings, so no deal there.

I am definitely replacing my ball joints at the same time I do my bushings.
Especially after I passed a late 90's Regal yesterday that had one let go.

I took it as a bad omen since I had been thinking not long before I came across it, that it could happen with mine after 195,000 miles.

wow, the 97+ LCA is a lot different than the 96's. ours is heavy framed steel, where yours is cast aluminum.
anyone know if i can swap them out? my lower ball joint is bad, and the bushing could probably use replacing.
also, i see zzp sells poly bushings for the w-bodys. any chance they use the same bushings?

arttu80 wrote:

[Next removed stabilizator bar end link using rust penetrator on thread, then 32mm socket on upper nut holding lower bolt with 13mm wrench.

Me again.
Just curious.
I gather along with the control arms, the stabilizer links are different on the '97 up cars, than on the '95 -'96 cars?
I'm just surprised it takes a 32mm socket! That's huge for such a part!

The links I have seen listed for my '96 look like the same type GM used for 40+ years.

I am just going to cut my links in 1/2 to remove them.
I have found over the years it just isn't worth the hassle to fight and cuss removing these links with wrenches when they are so inexpensive to replace with new.
At least on rust belt cars like mine.

I finally got around to replacing the front, vertical bushings in my '96 this past weekend. The rear horizontal ones were still in great shape.
By far the easiest control arm bushings I have ever replaced!

No press necessary.
Just place the arm in a vice, and with a punch and a hammer collapse the sleeve around the bushing some, and they will come right out.

I have used this technique on all the bushings I have replaced on cars the past 30 years, but these put up the least amount of resistance of any car I've done them on.
It sure improved the tracking of the car down the road. It used to hunt some.

I was shocked to find the left ball joint did not have a cotter pin through it.

Hey guys, I've got a 98 riviera with shot bushings in the rear control arms. I have read the info in this section and they seem to say that 97-99 rivs with bad bushings have to buy entire new control arms. I would like to know if this is true and if so why?

I understand the control arms are different and the 97-99 ones are aluminum.

Thanks.

here are some pics from my LCA install i did this morning.

broken vertical mount:


hammer and pry that bitch out. took a lot of work.


new one is in and the car ride smoother at speed, turns easier in parking lots and doesnt make near as much noise when cornering at low speeds. (was clicking a bunch)