Lower Control Arm Bushing Change

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spookie721

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Good day,
this is my first post in this forum. It's always been a great help to me, so this time I will try to return the favor. My Vehicle 2005 LR3, SE, V8, 85.000 miles.
Symptoms: Loud clonky banging noise from front when tapping brakes or hitting smallest curb.

Yesterday I managed to change my Front Lower Control Arm Bushings. I replaced them with Atlantic British “Polybush Front Lower Suspension for the Front and Rear of Arm (Pair)”. I also replaced the main bolts and nuts that hold these in place.

Just before I start to go into further detail. The only screws I removed where the one long screw that hold in place the suspension to the control arm and the two screws that hold in place the bushings. Nothing else!
I did not remove the lower Ball Joint screw or the Nut Front Hub Axle Nut.

The main problems completing this task are the two main screws in the bushings.
I soaked all of them in Anti-Rust spray in the days before the job. Both front screws came out pretty fast. Had to use a six foot steel pole on the wrench and finally got the two front ones to move. Both rear once are hopeless. Seeing a couple of professional YouTube videos, I decided to be brave and just cut them out with a grinder, using a 7” metal cutting blade. I then used an air hammer and pushed the remaining part out.

Now comes the part that surprised me. After the front and rear bushings were free of the housing, I was able to just swivel the entire arm to the left and right to work out the old bushings. No need whatsoever to remove the Ball Joint or the CV Joint.

I used a wood drill bit to cut out all the rubber around the steel centerpiece of the bushing and eventually popped it out. I did this to all four bushings.
After that I used a reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade and cut the outer aluminum can of the bushing. This needs to be done with care, not to cut in the control arm itself. Then I just popped in the new Polybushs and inserted the metal core.

I put it all back in reverse and viola, done! Today I brought the vehicle to a local garage to have the toe and camber readjusted. We will see how that works. The alignment was perfect before the job, so I hope that they can get it working without all the magic bells and whistle at the LR dealership.

I will post some pictures as well. Let me know, if you have any questions. I’ll keep you posted how the alignment went.

Cheers
 

spookie721

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Here are some pictures
 

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spookie721

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More
 

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waspjr123

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I have a bit of a rear clunk and the only thing i could figure was the muffler internals got loose what was the visual indication? Cause i dont see the usuall smashed out rubber bushings
 

Houm_WA

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Might not be much of a visual indication. The worst offender is the hydrobush in the front lower control arm. If that sucker has leaked fluid it might be compromised even if it looks fine. The "thunk" of the bad LR3 bushings is an easy thing to replicate and identify. Idle along at 5 mph and then snap the brake pedal. If it thunks it's the bushings.

Now, Spookie: great work. Thanks for posting....I am curious how the orange polybushes do off-road. Any issues with the suspension such as errant faults, DSC or 4ETC being unhappy? How about the feel/handling?

Please do report back. As far as I know you are the first person that has posted that they put on the orange polys.
 

Codename Duchess

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Just wanted to add to this, I did almost the exact same thing.

I removed the long bolts (Used a saw because I couldn't budge them)

And didn't remove the ball joint either. There was enough play that I could cut into the old bushing and swap the new bushing in.

After putting it all back together, the alignment was ridiculously off. Car would drive for 1km, and then lower to bumb stops and start complaining. I just had it aligned at a dealer, and it's been wonderful ever since. No squeaks.

My only complaint would be that the poly bushings seem much, much stiffer than the previous ones. Previously I could drive over gravel roads and it felt like pavement. Now it just feels like a regular car does.
 

Houm_WA

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What color did you get? If it's red, that's why!
 

spookie721

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Results are in !!

I just picked up the LR3 from the shop. The results are amazing. To answer all the questions:

1. The alignment was completely out after I was done with the bushing swop. I actually managed to end up with a reversed camber, which made the car funny to drive. I only had to cover 2km to the garage though. So no that big of a problem.

2. I told the shop that I was worried about them doing the alignment because they couldn’t set the vehicle into “Magic Mode”. He laughed and said that they have brand new system that would have all the alignment specifications in it. The print out of the alignment result also states my vehicle and the fact, that it has a Dynamic Air Suspension. So no that big of a problem.

3. The bushings I put into the vehicle are bright ORANGE. The RED version promised a stiffer ride, which according to Atlantic British are discontinued with their shop due to the too stiff of a ride and customer complaints. Orange is the medium comfort version.
So no that big of a problem.

4. There is absolutely no noise or squeaking coming from the bushings. The ride seems like a new suspension. I forgot how nice it was to ride the vehicle. I will start hunting in Canada in about 1 week than I can also talk about the off road handling characteristics.
So no that big of a problem.

Overall I can only recommend the procedure and the product. Taking out three screws, cutting out the old bushings, reinserting the new ones and putting it all back together to me about 2 hours each side. The biggest issue was cutting out the rear bushing screws which were completely rusted in. Once you find good eye, arm and hearing protection it was almost fun. In my mind, this is an easy DIY job.

So no that big of a problem.  Let me know, if you have any questions.

Cheers.
 

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