Know nothing about suspension and steering, should I attempt?

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Bl1zzard

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I keep reading about how replacing the rubber bushings with poly in the front end makes a world of difference in handling and steering. My 1974 Dart is running great now, been driving it daily for a week with no issues, but looking at the 46 year old rubber bushings makes me think it's time for a replacement. I've never done anything to the steering or suspension in all my years of driving other than replace shocks when they wear out. How hard is it to change the bushings? I don't have a press or any special tools other than wrenches and screwdrivers. Should I attempt it myself or take it to a shop and have them replace and align everything?
 
If I can do it anyone can. You can do it. I just replaced mine with factory replacement proforge ones on the lowers and moog on the uppers. The lowers are a ***** I'm not gonna lie. A hydraulic press or a ball joint press is a must! If you have a ball joint press and want to use it I can walk you thru it I just finished mine not long ago it's still fresh. I effed up the first time and had to start over so I can help you not make that mistake lol
 
So easy a girl can do it.

As mentioned, the lowers can be challenging and give you a good workout.

Gotta be careful to not bend the upper control arms if you put a huge cheater bar on the upper ball joint (might want to verify someone didn't previously put a tack weld on it)
 
So easy a dumbass redneck chimp can do it. Go for it man.
 
If you don’t have a press or any kind or impact tools then replacing the LCA bushings will be pretty difficult. I’m not saying impossible, but rebuilding the front suspension is a job that typically uses a decent amount of specialty tools. The upper and lower control arm bushings especially can be difficult. There are several threads on home made tools that can work if you want to tackle it yourself. Even just getting the LCA pivot bolts loose can be quite a chore, as those are torqued to 145 ft/lbs.

Once the suspension is rebuilt you will also need an alignment, which again can be done at home but does require some specialized tools. If you haven’t done anything like that before it will also require some trial and error and lots of patience.

Poly bushings are not something that should just be slapped in and called good. They don’t work the same as the rubber bushings, the design and function is a little different, and they need to be lubricated. They also must be checked for proper fit, because the tolerances on the stock part sometimes means they don’t fit correctly. Personally, I recommend that poly bushings should be used with greaseable LCA pins and adjustable strut rods. If you look at who uses them successfully and who whines about them not working right, you find that people that slap and in and try to use them with 45+ year old stock parts usually are the ones that complain about their function. Folks that use them with LCA pins designed for poly bushings tend to have no issues at all. Mixing and matching stock and aftermarket parts doesn’t always work, even when both are perfectly functional on their own.

Unfortunately, taking you car to a shop can have pretty mixed results too. Lots of shops do not have experience with older cars like these. If you don’t have a shop you already use and trust just hauling it to an alignment shop and turning the kids loose might not only be expensive, but it might not give you the results you want.

I do encourage people to do their own work, but, keep in mind you may spend just as much or even possibly more money as taking it to a shop by the time you get everything you need to finish the job. If you’re willing to buy some tools, read the FSM, do some reading here, and put in some time then by all means it’s something you can do.
 
So easy a girl can do it.

As mentioned, the lowers can be challenging and give you a good workout.

Gotta be careful to not bend the upper control arms if you put a huge cheater bar on the upper ball joint (might want to verify someone didn't previously put a tack weld on it)
Oh yea I forgot what a pita the upper ball joints are. Remember they are threaded not pressed! I got the old ones out with lots of kroil and an impact the new ones where harder to get in then the old ones where to get out. Idk if the threads on the aftermarket one are bigger but they are tight!
 
Do it. There is SO much information here, for every step, every component. And if you have an issue, the people here are a great resource.

You will need a few tools. The LCA bushes can get pressed by a machine shop.

You can loads of advice for what to put in. It all depends on intended use and budget. Time in reconnaissance is never wasted they say.

I did mine on my own in my garage.

All the best.

Andy from oz
 
If you don’t have a press or any kind or impact tools then replacing the LCA bushings will be pretty difficult. I’m not saying impossible,
.
From my experience I'm gonna say improbable lol. I don't see any way of doing it without some sort of press. I know a hammer dont work I tried and I effed up the end of the pin and it only when in about a 1/4 inch.
 
Do it. There is SO much information here, for every step, every component. And if you have an issue, the people here are a great resource.

You will need a few tools. The LCA bushes can get pressed by a machine shop.

You can loads of advice for what to put in. It all depends on intended use and budget. Time in reconnaissance is never wasted they say.

I did mine on my own in my garage.

All the best.

Andy from oz
That is an excellent option.
 
The LCA bushings are by far the hardest. I actually took them in to a shop to get done and the shop quoted me more than the cost of a 12ton harbor freight press.... so I am now the proud owner of a press that was able to do the bushings in 20 minutes or so...
 
The LCA bushings are by far the hardest. I actually took them in to a shop to get done and the shop quoted me more than the cost of a 12ton harbor freight press.... so I am now the proud owner of a press that was able to do the bushings in 20 minutes or so...
Someday when I have a shop or garage with some room I'm gonna have a hydraulic press. And a tire changer and a big ole air compressor, and a.... you get the point lol
 
First off im a fan off do it yourself. The big question is do you wanna learn? If its yes go for it. When i first got into the collision industry one of the old timers looked at me cause i was nervous chopping off my 1st quarter panel. He said put your big boy pants on and stop being afraid. Everything is fixable. It comes down to time and money. So start cutting. I say go for it!!!
 
If you decide to do it yourself look at Mancini Racing front end tools.
At minimum I would buy the torsion bar removal tool, upper ball joint socket, and the lower control arm pivot removal tool.
The lower pivot removal tool is slick, you can remove the bushing and pivot in under a minute each. You will need a press to put them back together, no big deal for me, I just used one at work.
 
I keep reading about how replacing the rubber bushings with poly in the front end makes a world of difference in handling and steering. My 1974 Dart is running great now, been driving it daily for a week with no issues, but looking at the 46 year old rubber bushings makes me think it's time for a replacement. I've never done anything to the steering or suspension in all my years of driving other than replace shocks when they wear out. How hard is it to change the bushings? I don't have a press or any special tools other than wrenches and screwdrivers. Should I attempt it myself or take it to a shop and have them replace and align everything?

I was hoping someone would mention that you don't need a press for poly bushings.:D

So easy a dumbass redneck chimp can do it. Go for it man.

I gotta ask, do you personally know a dumbass redneck chimp?
Highly doubt it, but you never know.:D
 
I redid mine with a Kanter OEM kit 20 years ago. New rubber was fine for me, no squeaks or harsh ride. IIRC I took a hacksaw and chissel to my lowers and cut them out FSM style. Remove the upper ball joint on the car, it holds the UCA better than a vice can and the 24" breaker bar was still straining on those ball joints! I was thinking "this can't be right" but it finally broke free.
 
If I can do it anyone can. You can do it. I just replaced mine with factory replacement proforge ones on the lowers and moog on the uppers. The lowers are a ***** I'm not gonna lie. A hydraulic press or a ball joint press is a must! If you have a ball joint press and want to use it I can walk you thru it I just finished mine not long ago it's still fresh. I effed up the first time and had to start over so I can help you not make that mistake lol
Thanks, I read your thread. That's what had me second guessing my abilities.
 
If you don’t have a press or any kind or impact tools then replacing the LCA bushings will be pretty difficult. I’m not saying impossible, but rebuilding the front suspension is a job that typically uses a decent amount of specialty tools. The upper and lower control arm bushings especially can be difficult. There are several threads on home made tools that can work if you want to tackle it yourself. Even just getting the LCA pivot bolts loose can be quite a chore, as those are torqued to 145 ft/lbs.

Once the suspension is rebuilt you will also need an alignment, which again can be done at home but does require some specialized tools. If you haven’t done anything like that before it will also require some trial and error and lots of patience.

Poly bushings are not something that should just be slapped in and called good. They don’t work the same as the rubber bushings, the design and function is a little different, and they need to be lubricated. They also must be checked for proper fit, because the tolerances on the stock part sometimes means they don’t fit correctly. Personally, I recommend that poly bushings should be used with greaseable LCA pins and adjustable strut rods. If you look at who uses them successfully and who whines about them not working right, you find that people that slap and in and try to use them with 45+ year old stock parts usually are the ones that complain about their function. Folks that use them with LCA pins designed for poly bushings tend to have no issues at all. Mixing and matching stock and aftermarket parts doesn’t always work, even when both are perfectly functional on their own.

Unfortunately, taking you car to a shop can have pretty mixed results too. Lots of shops do not have experience with older cars like these. If you don’t have a shop you already use and trust just hauling it to an alignment shop and turning the kids loose might not only be expensive, but it might not give you the results you want.

I do encourage people to do their own work, but, keep in mind you may spend just as much or even possibly more money as taking it to a shop by the time you get everything you need to finish the job. If you’re willing to buy some tools, read the FSM, do some reading here, and put in some time then by all means it’s something you can do.
Thanks, I read your advice on the other threads too. Makes a lot of sense to me, and buying tools isn't so bad. Whoever dies with most tools wins!
 
Someday when I have a shop or garage with some room I'm gonna have a hydraulic press. And a tire changer and a big ole air compressor, and a.... you get the point lol
Someday I hope to have an actual shop too. My garage is so cramped I can't even walk around the front of the car. I dream of having all the tools I need to do these kind of jobs.
 
Or if you don't have a clue, don't have much for tools, really don't care that much to learn how to do it, and may only do it this one time in your life, then have someone else do it for you. Nothing wrong with realizing your limitations.
 
90% of the people here are going to tell you to go for it. Read everything you can beforehand, but nothing teaches you better than just digging in and doing it. That's really how we all got started. Tools are an investment that will pay dividends for years to come, and generally don't cost any more than farming the job out. What do you gain? A fresh front end, of course; but the biggest gain is between your ears: knowledge, man! And with knowledge comes confidence, and with confidence comes ability. I'm all for someone wanting to try, even if you have to get rescued before the end of the job. Go for it, learn, and you won't hesitate to dig in when the next phase of the project comes along. You've got a great group of people here if you need to pick someone's brain, and none of us want to see you fail.
Do it! Learn!
 
Someday I hope to have an actual shop too. My garage is so cramped I can't even walk around the front of the car. I dream of having all the tools I need to do these kind of jobs.
Dream on, but don't let that slow you down- I've seen some truly amazing cars come out of dinky one car garages.
 
Do it yourself and you will need to take it somewhere and have it properly aligned anyway.
 
All good advice here, but I want to comment on safety. If you plunge ahead by yourself, you can be seriously hurt. Follow advice from here step-by-step, then you can do it safely. Good luck.
 
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