Rear Control Arm bushings

[Scanman88GT]

I've been told by my local GM service mgr. that my rear control arm bushings are the cause of the thumping coming from the rear of my car when I go over bumps.

I recently replaced the rear shocks, shock mounts and upper and lower coil spring insulators in my 88GT, and my Z-51 swaybar bushings are in good shape.

They quoted me around $335 to replace the control arm bushings. I priced a Moog replacement set today from O'Reilly's and it was $25.98 + tax. I'm obviously NOT going to get the GM dealer to do the job....#@%& them.

Has anyone else ever had theirs replaced by a local shop? What did it cost you? I just wanted to see what the going rate was for a repair like this. I don't have access to any of the GM tools that they call out for this in my official Shop Manual, either.

Scanman88GT

[cahilj]

You dont have rear control arms. You have a trailing beam axle. Replacing them is actually quite a time consuming job if they've never been done before, thats why it costs so much. Its not the dealer trying to screw you.

All you really need to do it is-
basic tool set
torch (even a cheap propane torch will work)
punch set (to drive out the old steel sleeve)

[Chris88CL]

Dont need a press to reinstall them?

[88GTRacer]

Just use assembly lube.  88GTRacer

[Scanman88GT]

Well, I got my car back from the garage today after getting both of the rear control arm (axle support) bushings replaced. The bill came to $270. The bushings were $25 of that cost.

The guy I took it to is competent, and had the right tools but he said these bushings were the worst he's ever had to deal with. He said the outer part of the bushings were like fused to the axle. The flat rate book lists this job at approx. 4.4 hrs, but it took him  longer than that. He only charged me for 5 hr of labor. Anyway, it rides great and that annoying thunking noise is gone.
I'm just glad that I won't have to deal with these damned things again.

[bonecrrusher]

I would have used a torch.....

[cahilj]

The easiest way to install them is to throw them in the freezer over night, and drive them in with a seal driver the next day.

The first time I changed mine, I had the same problem, the sleeve was rusted to the axle. I used a torch and a chisel. It took about 45 mins to get them both out. That doesn't include removing the axle from the car.

And, you still don't have control arms in the rear  

[smitty286]

Does anyone have a good sense of how much "give" these bushings should have?  With both rear wheels off the ground, I can get a good 1/4" of rearward deflection on each side with a pry bar and not a whole lot of effort (looking at the replacement part, I figure that's probably way too much).  I'm thinking this may be causing a "wandering" problem on uneven roads that I can't seem to shake (despite having gone through the FRONT end 3-4 times now).

Also, to those who've done this job before - do you think a balljoint press would do the trick?  I have a nice heavy-duty one (think one-ton trucks), but something tells me that if this job is a bear even for the pros, the answer can't be that simple.

[JeffD]

Is there a poly version of these bushings? My car'a been bugging me with the rear thumping and during quick lane changes you can feel a side to side deflection in back. it's irritating.
I looked at the above links and couldn't find em.

[heavywoody]

You don't want poly in those bushings... since the rear end is a "live axle" sort of setup, you need to have some flex... which the normal stock bushings provide.

[JeffD]

that makes sense, will the new bushings decrease the sideways deflection?

[samuel adams]

Are these rear bushing just like the front control arms?
It is a steel jacket around the rubber bushing with alittle hollow steel shaft.
So what I am tring to say, it is like the front arm (1992).
Anyone have a pic