FAQ: Lower Control Arms & Bushings 1995/1996/1997/1998/1999

i was wondering if the all aluminum control arms for the series 2, would fit on the series 1? thanks

this topic is about the said subject. we all know that only one bushing is serviceable on our cars, at least on my 96. i know that some of us have had the bad news told to us that the bushing on our control is screwed and we have to get the $300 control arm from the dealer.

well i was searching on oreilys website, because i need a control arm bushing but not the one that is not serviceable. i have these moog bushing kit that comes with 2 bushings for the front and rear of the front control arm for about $40. here's the website check it out and tell me what you guys think. i have 2 sets on order and i will post pics when i start replacing the bushings.

Link

If you have high miles and might need the ball joint too, it's worth getting the control arm with all bushings and the new ball joint. It's a nice deal if you need two out of the three... and makes labor much much much easier!! Try monsterpartsonline for some good dealership pricing.

deekster_caddy wrote:

If you have high miles and might need the ball joint too, it's worth getting the control arm with all bushings and the new ball joint. It's a nice deal if you need two out of the three... and makes labor much much much easier!! Try monsterpartsonline for some good dealership pricing.

Bert

im not worried about the labor end of it, i can press them in myself as well as installing the ball joint. i was just under the assumption that one of the bushings were not serviceable. i have the bushings and will be installing them tomorrow. no more clunk clunk!

'96reese wrote:

im not worried about the labor end of it, i can press them in myself as well as installing the ball joint. i was just under the assumption that one of the bushings were not serviceable. i have the bushings and will be installing them tomorrow. no more clunk clunk!

So... did you ever get the bushings replaced?
I need to do mine, and have been confused over the manual stating the rear bushing isn't serviceable, but yet that rear bushing comes with the kit.

Is that rear one replaceable?

I was going to do some other things to the car, but the clunking & rattling is really getting to me! Especially now during pot hole season.

Thanks!

The 'kit' that I got was the whole control arm, bushings to ball joint. It's actually a pretty sweet deal, they weren't that expensive, all the bushings were installed and I got new ball joints as an added bonus!! Hunt around, several of the discount online GM dealers have them that way and it makes the job really easy to do.

I like monsterpartsonline, it's a GM dealership in the midwest somewhere and they've always been good to me.

deekster_caddy wrote:

The 'kit' that I got was the whole control arm, bushings to ball joint. It's actually a pretty sweet deal, they weren't that expensive, all the bushings were installed and I got new ball joints as an added bonus!! Hunt around, several of the discount online GM dealers have them that way and it makes the job really easy to do.

I like monsterpartsonline, it's a GM dealership in the midwest somewhere and they've always been good to me.

I''d love to be able to buy 2 complete arms and bolt them in, and their pricing does look fair to me, but $400.00 just isn't in the budget this year since my priority this summer is getting paint on the '70.

Does anyone know, if there's 1997 Riviera lower control arm bushings (front, horizontal mount)?

I just received Spicer (# 5651177) bushing form rockauto.com but they seem to be smaller diameter, so I suspect they're for 1995-96 cars with steel control arms? This sucks, because I must pass tech inspection here in funland, oh I mean Finland. Anyways this thing vibrates like hell at high speed braking, and these little rubber fellas seem to be shot... Rockauto compatibility chart shows that these bushings will fit 1995-97 cars but I think it isn't so. These just seem way too small. Anyone help?

Or I just might pick some bushing from my local partscounter and take a spin on a lathe for a proper outer diameter?

My parts list shows bushings available only for 1995 and 96.
97-99 required purchase of complete control arm with bushings and ball joint installed.
So you will have to machine something or buy complete control arm assemblies.
GM P/N's = Left #25699467 and Right #25699468

Well I think you're right. I just try to find suitable cores for bushing...Crap.

I hate to bring up an old topic, but I just want to be clear on this subject.

I have a '95 and the front bushing on my passenger control arm is the one that's bad. Is this bushing servicable? Between pictures and the bit of information on her, I would assume it IS a servicable bushing, and just needs pressed in. Thanks everyone!

-Z

I believe you are correct.
1995 and 96 Front GM Bushing P/N is 22112889 and is serviceable.
And from the first post in this thread it appears they are available in the aftermarket.
You are lucky, the later models get more expensive.

Thanks Rick! Yeah I'll take this one as a win, compared to the later year Riv's. I can't wait to get this noise to be quiet again....

Thanks for clearing that up!

so i have installed both bushings on the left and right side of my car. its fairly easy except for the vertical bushing. the vertical bushing requires it to be pressed out. i was able to get the horizontal bushing out and in with my ball joint press.

i forgot the socket sizes you will need to remove the control arm, but i do remember using a torx socket to unbolt the vertical side.

i will tell you that i want to get new springs, strut mount kit, and bearing plates to get my front suspension back to new.

the control arm bushings are well worth the headache.

Thanks Reese that helps. It's a good sign that I might be able to do it myself.

-Andrew Z

So after replacing my struts and strut mounts, I still have a lot of clunking in the front. I've inspected the tie rod ends and the lower ball joints and they're all in good shape. No movement when prying on them etc.

So tonight I took a closer look at the front lower control-arm bushings, and they have a lot of movement in them. Here's a pic.

Anything look off? It appears that it is not a full contact bushing,..but even the part to the left in the pic ahead of the vertical ridge that looks like it SHOULD be connected is torn. Time for some new ones.

So I ordered up a replacement set of bushings from Rockauto. They were $18.94 each. RAYBESTOS Part # 5651177 {Professional Grade}. The Prof Grade stuff I've come to find out is a bit firmer than stock,...so a great way to upgrade the horribly sloppy Riv suspension. I'll post pics of the replacement process in a couple days when they arrive.

Reserved for future use.

I didn't think there were bushing replacements for the 97.
I thought you had to get complete Control Arms from a GM distributor.?
As always, I could be wrong.

Rickw wrote:

I didn't think there were bushing replacements for the 97.
I thought you had to get complete Control Arms from a GM distributor.?

Rockauto and others list replacement for the front and rear. The bushings have an outer steel sleeve that is flared at the top to dictate how far into the control arm they go. They press in.

My rears don't show any movement,...and I also presume the front were failure prone (being as GM revised the design).

I think that traditionally Rick is right. The FSMs are a little sketchy. The '98 says the vertical is serviceable but not the horizontal, and Rock stocks them both. Problem is, the photo in the book is still a '96 control arm...

The '99 FSM shows no bushing replacement procedure at all, only control arm replacement for bushings and ball joint failures...

Perhaps by now someone came up with the new parts, but unless you had exact pressing tools, I think you'd play hell trying to replace them without breaking the cast aluminum arm.

I wish you luck, and can't wait to hear the results!

You're right,...and RockAuto is wrong. The vertical bushing they list for the '95 - '97 DOES NOT FIT the '97. It is 8.6 mm too small in diameter (and the center shaft is a mm or so too short,..although that would be easilly fixed with a washer).

The '95 & '96 vertical bushing (front one on the front lower control arms, measures 52.08mm OD.

The one on the '97 measures 60.68mm OD.
the center shaft bore is....... 14.30 mm
and the center shaft length is 56.90 mm
and I forgt to measure the outer ring height. Oops! It's just a hair shorter than the thickness of the control arm itself,...so it would be easy to measure next time I'm under there (which will be soon I'm sure).

duckstu wrote:

You're right,...and RockAuto is wrong.

I never get tired of hearing that... .

duckstu wrote:

The '95 & '96 vertical bushing (front one on the front lower control arms, measures 52.08mm OD. The one on the '97 measures 60.68mm OD.
the center shaft bore is....... 14.30 mm

I think SOMEone got himself a digital, metric caliper to play with!

Or a Mitutoyo, that goes both ways.

or Brown & Sharpe
Or Starrett.