# HELP 66 lower control arms



## HenryJ63 (Jan 11, 2010)

OK I am stumped. Have a new frame from Booher and am taking off stuff from the old and getting it on the new. Just got control arms back from powder coater and pressed new bushings in and the lower arm, and it will not go in the frame.
Bushings pressed in from outside in right? Maybe got wrong bushings or bent the **** out of arms in press. Does someone have a picture of the bushings in a lower arm so i can see how much bushing material extends inward from edge of inner side of control arm? I may have the wrong one.

Thanks
Hank


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Hank, the bushings go from "out to in" and go until the flange hits the side of the control arm. I put the bushings in the freezer for about 30 minutes and use anti-sieze to help them go in. I've never heard of a Booher Frame, so I'm a bit in the dark about what frame and arm combo you have. If you have tubular arms and a special set-up, I have no idea how the bushings go or what they should look like once installed.


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## HenryJ63 (Jan 11, 2010)

Mark Booher sells frames from Texas. Its a regular GM convertible frame. He strips frames sandblasts them and powdercoats them. The control arms are stock as well, I suspect I got the wrong bushings but need pix to verify.
Thanks to all....


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## sleepindirty (Mar 31, 2010)

hope these pics help :willy:


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## HenryJ63 (Jan 11, 2010)

Thanks for the pix, but what I need is a picture of the lower control arm off the car, specifically the bushing side or inner side. What I need to see is how far the bushing extends inward from the inner edge of the control arm.

Thanks.


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Just measure the width of the bushing and the space it has to go into. The arm has nothing to do with it as the center sleeve of the bushing is what touches the sides of the frame brackets. If the sleeve is too wide, it may be the wrong one. If it is very close, the powdercoat may be the problem, or the bracket needs to be bent a little. The center sleeve is supposed to be a snug fit in the brackets.


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## 66tempestGT (Nov 28, 2009)

probably just need the old BFH. :cool


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

66tempestGT said:


> probably just need the old BFH. :cool



:agree I used a plastic faced dead blow to convince my lowers they wanted to go back in....


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Booher has a good rep. some times things get a little bent over the years, and improper pressing techniques, powder coat ,paint, etc, can all add up. How much are you off by?:agree


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

sleepindirty said:


> hope these pics help :willy:


SWEET !:cheers


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## HenryJ63 (Jan 11, 2010)

OK seems my over active press usage bent the arms good. Needed a porta power to widen them out again to fit. I never realized you could fold a control arm but you can especially in a 20 ton press. Thanks to all for assistance, will post pictures tomarrow of my progress.

Oh yeah, Mitch they were so bent that forcing it into the frame with pry bars popped the bushing out of the rear side..never seen that before.


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

20 tons is a lot of pressure!!!!!!! Be extra care ful when you do the bushings in the rear control arms...you need to use a spacer on them or they will squash like a beer can.....mmmmmmmmmmm beer:cheers


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## HenryJ63 (Jan 11, 2010)

Thanks Eric, I was thinking that too.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I wasn't thinking about beer until I read this post. Eric always seems to be thinking the right thoughts, though.......
I tend to use hammers, air chisels, and a huge bench vise for all the bushings I do. I seem to have more "feel" and do less harm to the work. I DID recently have to press a set of rear trailing arms, and used the press. Used a C-shaped piece of pipe to keep the arms from folding in. They're thin, and they BEND!


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