97 control arm bushings I think I'm going to try a different approach

I don't know if anybody else has tried this and I'd like to know if they did and if it worked or not but I talked to a machine shop down the street and what I'm having them do is make me a bushing for my bushing so that way I can press a 96 bushing into a 97 arm. just basically a sleeve.  I figured screw it I'm going to try a simple method.  Does anybody foresee any possible issues with this?

Man, your simple method requires a machine shop ))
The only issue I can imagine is the machining itself - the hole in the arm isn't perfectly round, in my arms, at least. As soon as you get the right fit - I can't see any reason for trouble. I'll even envy you, a little )

He took the control arm the old bushing and new bushings so he can fit them up. I ordered the 96 bushings because they looked like mine after I got sent the wrong arms and when I took it apart and realized they were different I started looking at your forums and I realized it's a hell of a lot easier to pay machine shop 75 bucks then to convert it over to a 99 style or pay three hundred bucks a control arm , and then I'm set up to where I can always switch it out. done and done.

well I got my bushing for my bushing today I think I'm going to press em in tomorrow I want to get my struts pulled apart tonight so I can blast and coat the springs tomorrow at work. Rusty springs on a new strut don't look all that hot. anyway  It was cheaper then I thought it would be for the bushings and he did them on a CNC lathe so it is possible for him to make more with just a couple pushes of a button. So no reason to be jealous there DeepFrozen

The next time I change my LCA bushings, I'll consider making such sleeves as well. But for the time being, the bushings I put some 20k miles ago still holding up. For those who don't know - I happened to find bushings that kinda fit, more or less. I found this bushing using search by dimensions and I had no idea what car it was for, originally. The brand is Masuma and part number is RU590. Some online catalogs say it is rear bushing for the front LCA of a 00-03 or 00-05 RAV4. But don't quote me on that, you know those online catalogs, even RockAuto lies to as occasionally. BTW, at the moment they are Out of stock at RockAuto: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=10907876&cc=1375275&jsn=1649&jsn=1649
Of course, they can be found elsewhere, but, again, I don't guarantee anything.
All I know is what I bought is working Ok in my LCA, so far.


P.S.  By the way! Can somebody please tell me, what those brownish plastic inserts are for? Should they be removed?

Liver lips wrote:

Wow, cool! Congratulations!

Quote :

So no reason to be jealous there DeepFrozen

There's still a reason - I'm on the opposite side of the planet ))