Installing Control Arm Bushings: Tips?
 

Anyone have any special tips for this?

I am struggling mightily with this for my front lower
driver's side control arm on my 91 Civic LX, 176k miles.

I heated the whole arm in the oven for about half an hour at
150 degrees F. I applied soap and then PB Blaster. I did not
clean the control arm bushing holes hardly at all, though. I
have to get some emery cloth.

Out of stupidity, while trying to install the new bushings,
I already somewhat mushroomed the bolt holes but I think I
recovered from that. I got the large one in but then, while
recovering from the mushrooming, it slipped out again.

I got the arm off easily this morning (all except the radius
rod bolts had been previously freed). I had problems all day
getting the outer sleeve of the bushings free. I cut out the
inner sleeve and rubber pretty easily, per my earlier thread
on this. But the outer sleeves seemed much tighter compared
to my practice control arm of a few weeks ago. Exhausting...

I see cautions in various auto newsgroup archives about
banging too much on the control arms. I am prepared to buy
one second hand from a junkyard, if need be. Also, it has
been so laborious today that I may very well take the
passenger side's control arm to my local Napa, which does
have bushing press service.

At this point I am thinking that, certainly for older cars,
replacing the bushings one's self is a huge roll of the dice
without industrial equipment. My experiment is largely a
failure.