BETTY RUMBLE - '87 Cutlass

[GP403]

so, looking at this stuff, this is probably going to sound like a stupid question, but.... On the upper a arm bushings, its clear they don't go all the way through/flush, but stop somewhere in the middle. where exactly is that spot and how do I know when I get there? I'm guessing I will have to measure as exact as I can before I take the old ones out and just take it easy with the press/new ones until they're there. Unless I'm missing something obvious. It looks like if they're not exactly in the right place it'll screw with the alignment, moving the location of the upper ball joint front or back.... Can you tell I've never done this before?

 

[Texas82GP]

The bushings have a shoulder that they bottom out on. You do need to be careful pressing in the bushings because you can bend the control arm.

 

[GP403]

yeah I suppose I should have just opened the box and looked at the new ones. derp.

 

[GP403]

much bashing, hammering, grunting,head scratching, and creative applications of vices, impact sockets, and ball-joint-tools later, I finally got all the bushings out and have the uca bushings done. The lowers I'm still trying to get the last 1/4" or so of the long ones to go in. I may have to carefully hammer them back out and take a hair of material out of the hole with a dremel or emery cloth or something. I dunno what the deal is. Both sides are acting the same. I don't have the correct spacers anyway to keep the arms from collapsing if I did have the press power I needed. Managed to make do with the vice and some chunks of 2x4 so far. Cripes my back and lats and arms are dead. You'd think I was on a chain gang bashing rocks or something. ++ I can only get a couple hours in in the morning before that damn shop heats up and my specs get full of sweat.

The press I got has proved nearly useless, the opening is too small to get the entire arm in, and the way it sits on the bench you can't just swing it underneath. And when I can get stuff in there, it doesn't seem to have enough leverage to get the job done. I may end up selling it when I'm done and getting a hydraulic one just because its pissing me off with its uselessness. Then I get to touch up all the new paint I've messed up thinking it wouldn't be this tough a job.

Have to have this drivable by the 26th since I pre-reg'd for a local show. argh.

 

[GP403]

got the uppers finished w/ ball joints/greased and new Energy poly bumpers (silicone those puppies or you'll never get them pulled thru!!) - and installed them in the car, and hung the spindles off them. Had the spindles literally hanging from the frame with baling wire and zipties lol just enough to keep the tension off the brake lines. Put the shims back where they were, hopefully the alignment will be close to what it was...

Finished painting the front sway bar and hardware. I wasn't going to but it had turned a funky pale dirty tan/dust color, and if its going to stick out its going to stick out for looking right.

Got to at least feel like I'm moving forward. Still can't get those last two LCA bushings in the remaining 1/4". 😡

Tomorrow I think I'll measure the tie rods and try and get the steering rack at least put together, maybe even mounted on the frame+box, and hammer on those LCA's some more. Slowly but surely. Not rushing or working thru getting mad, because that's how I break stuff.

 

[liquidh8]

Progress, awesome! The control arm bushing can be a pain, I usually use an air chisel to get them out. It makes quick work or those rusty things.

 

[GP403]

here's how my morning went:

9am - do a little sanding on the last bushing holes and finally after using a little additional persuasion (cough) those bastards are in. HOT DAMN ABOUT TIME. I wonder if these Energy poly sleeves are a bit larger, and have more of a shoulder than the "stock" ones....

9:30am - YAY DONE now onto the ball joints, this shouldn't take long

11:45am - 😡 Several more new words invented. Damn ball joints will not go in straight for anything. Finally had to walk away before I threw something through the wall. Press didn't work, mainly because I don't have 5 hands and couldn't get a stable combination of sleeves/etc. to work in there. Ball joint tool kept starting it crooked no matter how many times. Figured why not and went after it with the hammer but it just bounces around. 😡 x50

Is there something obvious I'm missing here?

 

[motorheadmike]

If it is the lower BJs, and if they are knurled, open the holes up a bit with a grinder/flap wheel. New BJs are typically oversized to compensate for wear.

 

[bbarbulo]

lol this concerns me, I bought all new bushings and ball joints for when the air ride/drop spindles go in. not entirely looking forward to it, but I've done enough bushings in my time hopefully it goes well.

 

[GP403]

fought with the ball joint tool for another hour this morning before I said F it, threw the lot in the back of the 4 runner and took it to the local tire shop. Person who does that stuff isn't in today. no problem, I can wait til tomorrow.

Came back and loosely assembled the steering rack. Yeah its not much but pretending like I'm moving forward... will keep it out of the way until the springs are in. Center link came with a pair of extra nuts I have no idea what they're supposed to be for. Not castle nuts, just plain old nuts that didn't fit anything related that I could see. *shrug* Got the tie rods as close as I think I can to what came out. We'll find out. I think the differently shaped inner tie rod ends will do just fine. Seems to fit the config of the old rack.

Sprayed a coat of corp. blue on the 403 just to see if it would stick. IDGAF at this point, after the Cutlass is done that thing is going back together and it'll run good enough to move it around the yard under its own power at least.

and the cotter pins are just there so I don't lose them, before someone freaks out omg you bent them already.