How To Change Front Sway Bar Bushings And Control Arm Bushings

How To Change Front Sway Bar Bushings And Control Arm Bushings Hammer

Some might wonder why, with all the beautiful modern billet wheels available, did we go with heavy OE-style steel pieces and 15-inch tires. Two reasons: 1. We've rarely seen another wheel that looks as good on a Mako Shark-era Stingray as the factory Rallys, and 2. If we ever decide to upgrade to a more modern g-machine-style suspension and rolling stock combo, we want to be able to baseline test the car in near OE-trim. For now, we'll be able to bask in the glow of what it's like to drive a vintage Vette.

How To Change Front Sway Bar Bushings And Control Arm Bushings Lower Control Arm

After removing the three fasteners remaining, the lower control arm was removed from the vehicle. Next Tom worked on removing the upper control arm. After removing the nuts from the crossbar, the splined bolts need to be removed with a punch in order for removal. (Don't remove them by twisting them out, otherwise front-end alignment adjustments will be more difficult.)

After removing the three fasteners remaining, the lower control arm was removed from the v

Where vintage has no place in a car that sees street duty is the tire department. Old bias plies look great on trailer queens, but we wanted the benefits of a modern radial tire. Once upon a time, high-performance 15-inch tires were the industry norm; now your choices are severely limited in this department. But there is one trusted name that you can still call on: Firestone. We opted for a set of Firehawk 255/60/R15 Indy 500 tires. This is wider than the factory fit back in 1972, but it was the standard size starting in 1978. We've used Firestone Firehawks on two other vintage vehicles over the years and they offer excellent grip, ride, and wear. We also like the fact that Firestone Wide Ovals were the OE tire back in '72, and that we can still use the brand today.

Now that we had a box full of goodies to install, we needed to employ the help of experienced professionals to give our classic the care it deserves. We took a trip down to see Joe and Mike Bontempo of Bontempo Brothers Competition (BBC) in Linden, New Jersey. BBC is not your run-of-the-mill repair facility, but it may possibly be one of the only remaining "REAL" speed shops in the country. Walking through the front door of BBC is a true trip back to the good old days. Imagine a place where you can actually purchase what you need without having to wait a couple of days for shipping. They even have a shop area where they install what they sell. And after taking a tour through the showroom, machine shop area, and repair shop area, we were speechless-these guys have muscle car parts stashed everywhere, some new-old stock, and some used. If you're in need of a Muncie rebuild, BBC is definitely an authority; the guys there rebuild many units throughout the year. Most everything BBC repairs, machines or restores is done in-house. Outsourcing is kept to a minimum in order to ensure quality. We were in good hands.

After scheduling an appointment with BBC, we called upon All Tow in Harrison, New Jersey, to carefully transport Homewrecker from Motor City to BBC.

Soon, we'll fire this baby up and take her down the road for her maiden flight.

Since the old ball joints are held in with factory rivets, Tom must drill them out to properly remove them without damage to the control arm itself. The new ball joints come with nuts and bolts for easy bolt-in installation. Once the ball joints are removed, Tom uses this special bushing removal tool in order to remove the bushings from both the upper and lower control arms.
Since the old ball joints are held in with factory rivets, Tom must drill them out to prop
Extreme wear is evident when comparing the old bushings to the new. The new bushings are installed via the aid of some assembly lube and a bearing/bushing driver. (Due to various sized bushings, it's always good to save some old bearing races and/or casings as they do come in handy during these situations.)
Extreme wear is evident when comparing the old bushings to the new. The new bushings are i
Beyond all of the new bushings and ball joints being installed, all the removed front-end components were reinstalled in the reverse procedure. Since Homewrecker will receive a new powerplant over the winter, we reinstalled the old springs for now, as a different rate/length may be required later. We did, however, install new KYB shocks at all four corners, which were obtained through Mid America Motorworks.
Beyond all of the new bushings and ball joints being installed, all the removed front-end