Real Fiero Tech

I'll probably install the upper and MAYBE lower control arm bushings in the next few days. I also got the pivot arm, paddle nut assy., and bolts.

my end links took a crap too. The bushings were totally gone. Good thing replacements aren't too expensive.

BTW, any tricks to getting things apart? Things to watch out for? The upper control arm looks like it will be super easy to get off, but I don't know about 'burning' out the old bushings. The lower control arm has the spring, shock, and swaybar link. Can I get the bushings on that out without having to totally remove all that?

When the control arm is out, use a torch of the side of the metal bushing sleeve. When it gets super hot the bushing will expand and sometimes literally blow itself out of the sleeve, otherwise it will slowly push itself out of the sleeve. If you just try to set the rubber on fire it will take all afternoon literally, people will call the fire department on you for all the black smoke blowing out of the garage.

I need to do upper control arm bushings on my 88, if anyone could share any tips on pulling out the control arms.

CincinnatiFiero wrote: I need to do upper control arm bushings on my 88, if anyone could share any tips on pulling out the control arms.

It looks like it's just the two bolts on top and the ball joint...

Be careful taking the nut off of the passthrough bolt. I broke the end off once, it wasn't easy finding another '88 locally to find the specialty bolt.

Emc209i wrote:Be careful taking the nut off of the passthrough bolt. I broke the end off once, it wasn't easy finding another '88 locally to find the specialty bolt.

The fierostore also mentions that they'll break a lot of times, so I ordered a new pivot arm, the paddle nut thing, and the bolts for them at the same time I ordered the end link kit and poly bushings. It all came in about 2 days, I just did the end links because it looked really easy (and it is, lol)

If your old pivot shafts are in decent shape I'd be interested in purchasing them.

Removing the upper control arm ( UCA ), loosen both bolts in the paddle nut in equal stages, if you remove 1 bolt then the other then the paddle nut might swing around and twist into a pretzel making removal of it from the crossmember a bitch.

You will need to remove 1 of the UCA bushings to remove the pivot shaft.

Lower control arm ( LCA ), support the car on jack stands and place your floor jack under the LCA, then remove the shock and lower the jack to relieve tension on the spring. You will get to a point where you can remove the jack and rotate the control arm down and remove the spring.

Couple thoughts- Support car on jackstands first and jack under LCA before removing either CA / releasing balljoints.

Make sure front of car is high enough that the LCA can swing straight down.
Loosen LCA bolts first so that when you go to swing the LCA down it will swing freely.

My bad, I forgot to follow up with how it went.

I got all the bushings installed. Burning the old ones out worked just like everyone said, beautifully. I used a dremel/wire wheel to clean out the metal sleeve. I don't have the means to remove the sleeves so I just cut the old pivot arm in half and slid it out. I used chain to keep the spring compressed so I could remove the LCA. Car seems to handle a lot better now, after my alignment, but there's still a big clunk every morning when I back out of my space (as I'm backing and turning the wheel all the way to the left.)

Question:
Are there supposed to be two washers in the middle? my car only had one on the inside.

Starlite528 wrote:Car seems to handle a lot better now, after my alignment, but there's still a big clunk every morning when I back out of my space (as I'm backing and turning the wheel all the way to the left.)

Sounds like a loose balljoint. Your knuckle may be cracked, so the ball joint doesn't tighten in the taper. I've had one or two 88 knuckles that had this happen.

Question:
Are there supposed to be two washers in the middle? my car only had one on the inside.

Does this picture answer your question? It looks like there is a small washer to the left, and a large one on the right. Click for a larger image.