Rebuilding front end (2wd)

[recian]

So I've got a horrible squeak from my lower control arm bushings and since I plan to install drop spindles soon I figure i'd just rebuild the whole front end of the truck. At that point i've got a whole new truck almost. Does anyone know of a source for upper control arm bushings? They look easier than the bottoms to change (besides all the removal of the springs and such) but there's no source on rockauto or at local stores for a upper control arm bushing. Also does anyone have a source for lowering shocks on the front end? What brand vehicle I can get them from and such or p/n's

[pennyman1]

you buy them as upper control arm shafts - they come with the bushings - about 40 -60 a side unless you find them on ebay for less.

[Fordubishi]

This is what you're needing http://www.rockauto.com/getimage/getimage.php?imageurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rockauto.co m%2Finfo%2FBeckArnley%2FBA1014209-1.jpg&imagekey=493663-0&width=450

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=493663&cc=1096073

[pennyman1]

yup thats it

[recian]

That's not bad. 70 bucks for both. That is correct for the 2nd gen 2wd right? Looks correct. It's got a grease fitting so that's probably a reason mine is making a little noise, it's dried out.

[Fordubishi]

Yeah that the ones for the 2WD from 79-96

[recian]

I can assume with these I won't need lowering shocks since the knuckle spindle just sits up higher, the suspension itself remains the same as it was.

[pennyman1]

with stock coils, yes, stock length shocks

[recian]

For my noise I'm curious if I should just get new lower control arms at $60 ea (x2) or bushings at $5-10 ea (x4) Has anyone put in lower bushings? The ones for sale look nothing like what come in the arms and how hard would it be getting the old out and new in?

[pennyman1]

the lca bushing as so easy to change its silly, especially if they are the original rubber ones. The bushings wear eggshape due to the soft rubber - put in the urethane ones and change the strut rod bushings too - both about 25- 40 a set.

[meandmit]

I just rebuilt my front end...here's why it squeaks

[recian]

That's exactly what my lower arm bushings looked like, at least what I could see from underneath. So do they come in sets of 2 or do I need 4? Because the 2wd images only show one of the bushings you have to the right

[meandmit]

I purchased mine from Rock Auto, and got the Moog brand, 2 bushings in one box (front and rear), so you need a quantity of 2

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=203816&cc=1207022 there only $5 and change

[Lon Moer]

Glad that I stumbled on this thread. I just did Energy Suspensions poly bushings on front sway bar and torsion bars, along with some Rancho 5000 off-road shocks and now my left front is squeaking like crazy.:(
Now I know why and I already have the poly bushings, so I guess that's next weekends project. :)

[Lon Moer]

the lca bushing as so easy to change its silly, especially if they are the original rubber ones. The bushings wear eggshape due to the soft rubber - put in the urethane ones and change the strut rod bushings too - both about 25- 40 a set.

Got any tricks/tips on doing this project? Can it be done without removing the whole LCR?

[recian]

It took me awhile to get the guts to try this. My advice is don't do it lol It took me over 2 hours to do them with a lift and air power. I had to remove the driver side LCA just to get it all to line back up and when I did, the spring didn't fit to re-compress it. I had to hammer out the frame to pull the LCA low enough to fit the spring back in and the springs don't compress straight, theyre curved kinda like putting a spring between your 2 fingers, what happens? :p Just imagine enough force to take your head off if it slips and does that. my passenger side, i took it loose, swapped em out and slid the bolt back in no problem just a bit of effort. The driver was impossible to do without disassembling the suspension. I couldn't lift it back up to the right angles to line it all up. The trans jack lifted the truck of the rack trying to do this.

[Lon Moer]

It took me awhile to get the guts to try this. My advice is don't do it lol It took me over 2 hours to do them with a lift and air power. I had to remove the driver side LCA just to get it all to line back up and when I did, the spring didn't fit to re-compress it. I had to hammer out the frame to pull the LCA low enough to fit the spring back in and the springs don't compress straight, theyre curved kinda like putting a spring between your 2 fingers, what happens? :p Just imagine enough force to take your head off if it slips and does that. my passenger side, i took it loose, swapped em out and slid the bolt back in no problem just a bit of effort. The driver was impossible to do without disassembling the suspension. I couldn't lift it back up to the right angles to line it all up. The trans jack lifted the truck of the rack trying to do this.
While I don't have a lift, I do have the air tools, spring compressor, ect to do the job.
But pennyman1 said it was "so easy to change its silly", so I'm hoping he has another procedure. ;)

[recian]

I think a spring compressor would have helped. You need one you can install on the vehicle

[BradMph]

Along with bushings, remember idler arm too. Check the bushing, if wobbly it can be replaced as a bushing kit. Though, if you tow anything like a boat or trailer, etc, get the Moog Problem Solver idler arm with Zerk or Alemite fitting. This is a bullet proof part and works great on lowered trucks if you decide to tow anything behind your truck. Before the Moog idler arm, I was dropping bushings out on the road from the stress placed on the factory part. Replaced 3 idler arms before I installed the Moog, ever since I have not had a single problem with idler arms again while towing. FYI

[pennyman1]

I see that not all bushing changes are the same - It sounds like recian had the bushings gall to the shaft on the lca. I did have that problem with the first set of urathane bushings I put in Geronimo - ended up ruining the shafts on the lcas and scrapped the frame, although it turned out that the frame had rotted out from the inside. If it had just been the bushings, I would have burnt them out with a torch.

[miked50]

555 is the preferred brand for OEM style suspension and steering parts in this side of the world...just a year ago, i changed the balljoints, bushings and steering arms and rods of my truck too. beware of fake 555. they do exist (in this side of world). you could get better parts there. the original 555 are packed in orange cartons while the lower quality 555s come in gold packs.

[trkdesigner]

Funny story about Geronimo all the work on the suspension was done with the body off the frame and we had to position the truck under the garage door header of my house to jack the control arms up to meet the spindle. One hell of a spring compressor if you ask me.....

[recian]

That was my problem. One of the bushings was totally gone on one side so the shaft grooved the frame but nothing extreme. I may do my diesel build with the body off the frame doing everything.

[pennyman1]

I actually forgot about that part - the springs were John Baker lowering coils with higher PSI ratings than stock. Even though they were shorter than stock, we couldn't compress them into place on a bare frame. You really need the motor in the frame for weight when putting in the springs.

[recian]

If the stock springs were about 3" shorter that would have made the job alot easier.