Pressing in lower control arm bushings

KLStringer

Original poster
Member
Aug 4, 2021
4
FL
I've pulled the lower control arm support bracket off my 05 Trailblazer and am pressing in new bushings and I cannot get the larger one to seat fully. Looking at brackets with the bushing in them is hit and miss to see if they also have a similar gap. I think I need to keep going until the outer flange is fully seated but it just doesn't want to go any further.








IMG_20210906_104425933.jpgIMG_20210906_104354337_HDR.jpgIMG_20210906_104420890.jpg
 

mrrsm

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Oct 22, 2015
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Welcome to GMT Nation...

Take the Views offered from around 13:10 into THIS Video for confirmation of what the LCA Bushings should look like when observing a Brand New Lower Control Arm... Right Out Of The Box and compare them against your present Bushing Insertion "Stopping Point":


TRAILBLAZERNEWLCA.jpg
 
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KLStringer

Original poster
Member
Aug 4, 2021
4
FL
Those are flush if you slow the video down I watched it a few times before to get a sense of what I needed to do. I put everything back together and did the other side the same way and it drove around the block ok. Will take it for an alignment and see how it goes.
 
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mrrsm

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You've probably already attended to this issue, but it is worth mentioning... Just In Case:

Bear in mind the "Special High Torques" expected on those LCA Fasteners as some folks experienced some problems after their repairs by just 'guessing' how much to apply. IIANM... there are two different Torque Settings demanding proper attention. Good Luck with this...
 

KLStringer

Original poster
Member
Aug 4, 2021
4
FL
Short of putting them in a press I had no way of getting them in any further. There's a lip on the inside of the bracket so the new bushings will only press in so far before stopping. I think we got them in all the way; we had a good bit of pressure on it and could see it pressing in before it just stopped moving and wouldn't go any further on matter how much more pressure we put on it. I thought the catch cup was in the way when it stopped moving in but it wasn't. Hopefully I don't run into any issues with it later on.
 
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mrrsm

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NP... The issue I was addressing in Post #4 concerns the Bolts holding the LCAs into the Body-Frame of the SUV. Hopefully, other Member(s) will chime in with what those actual Torque Levels are for putting the LCA Fasteners in correctly ...and tightening them down to a Fair Thee Well.
 
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KLStringer

Original poster
Member
Aug 4, 2021
4
FL
Oh ok.
I know the max I can hit is about 150 ft lbs of torque with a 2ft breaker bar. Only bolts I know that need more are the 3 control arm bracket bolts that need around 175 ft lbs. The book I have probably has the specs in it but I need to get a torque wrench and to go over everything upfront as I've done upper/lower ball joints, struts, inner/outer tie rods, upper/lower control arm bushings, brakes (F/R), sway bar links(F/R).

The front end was all sorts of sloppy when I first bought this Trailblazer. My new tires are wearing badly along the inner edge and LCR bushings were the last thing that needed to be done.
 

mrrsm

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Oct 22, 2015
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The essential information can be found in a "colorful" and very instructive Post #14 found in the Linked Thread below:

With the Vehicle lowered back down to the Ground... Tighten these as follows:

Lower Control Arm Bracket Front Mounting Bolt 265 N.m - 195 lb ft
Lower Control Arm Bracket Rear Mounting Bolt 240 N.m - 177 lb ft
Lower Control Arm to the Lower Control Arm Bracket Mounting Nuts 130 N.m - 96 lb ft



Avoid any 'guess work' when Tightening these Fasteners down by adding additional length to a Breaker Bar or similar inexact set up. Invest instead in a Reliable Torque Wrench that will sort this job out ...and be Correct. Otherwise... all of this Hard Labor will become wasted if they come loose.


"If You're NEARLY Correct... You're Precisely WRONG..."
 
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