Bushing install
Hi Eric. I would also like to do this one of these days, so am very interested in your progress.
I have personally never changed one of these bushings before, but my official Fiat factory service manual does describe the procedure. As usual -it seems - the service manual contains some confusing and conflicting instructions. But for what it is worth, they say:
1) The metal sleeve is peened in place at both ends to hold it in place. Thus they say first you must - with a drill press - drill into one end of the sleeve to remove the peening.
2) Then, from the side you drilled, push out the sleeve using a press.
3) Then press out the rubber bushing.
4) To install the new bushing (Fiat part # 4288726), they claim Fiat tool # A.74225 is required. But I think you could do it with a press or vise and some sockets/spacers/washers. They say to coat the new bushing with silicone grease first.
5) After the new bushing is in place, then you must insert the steel sleeve into it. The Fiat tool shows a bullet shaped leader to ease its entry. Makes sense. Maybe instead find an old 10mm bolt and grind the head to a taper shape ? Then press it into the rubber bushing.
At this point, the factory manual says " position washers on both ends of spacer, then peen over spacer to lock washers in place" Direct quote. BUT the accompaning diagram shows NO washers, the official parts manual shows NO washers, and I see NO signs of washers on my spare control arms, so....something is amiss here. Wouldn't be the first time the factory service manual is nonsense.
Actually I see no signs of peening at all on my spare arms, so I think I would actually try first to press the sleeves out of the old arms to see what is really going on here.
If they really are peened, and you have to drill the ends to remove the peening, then you WILL need new sleeves. The factory manual says you do. Sleeve is Fiat part # 4269111 but it looks like neither Midwest or Obert have any.
I think all this peening talk is just BS and you should be able to just press in new bushing followed by old sleeve. With a vise or press. Or maybe with just some long bolts/nuts/spacers to draw them in ?
And I think I would be hesitant to use lots of grease. Remember what you really want in the end is the sleeve and the bushing to be fixed firmly in the arm and the only movement to be the twisting of the rubber. You sure don't want so much grease that the sleeve can move in the bushing. I think maybe I would just used soapy water as an installing lube. When the water dries everything should be fixed in place ?
When re-installing in car, remember the bolts should be tightened with the wheels on the ground. But I see no reason the ball joint to knuckle nut couldn't be tightened with the car in the air.
Torque figures:
Ball joint - 58 ft/lb
Tension rod to control arm - 51 ft/lb
Control arm to body - 29 ft/lb
Hope this has been of some help to you. Good luck, and please let us know your progress.
Cheers, Doug