Re: 5kt subframe/control arm bushings replacement?

["Frank J. Bauer" <frankbauer@thevine.net>]

At 01:56 PM 11/19/98 -0500, Andrew Duane USG wrote:
>Hairy green toads from Mars made Eugene Sokolovski say:
>>  I've seen this question on before, but couldn't find any answers in my
>> "personal" archives for last few months. I am going to need new subframe 
>> and control arm bushings n my 5kt, and I want to see what the list has 
>> to say first.  Is it possible to do it yourself without press or I'd
>> better pay somebody to do it?
>Pay somebody.
>When I did my '89 100Q a coupld of years back, he had a HELL of
>a time getting some of them out and back in. Money well spent.

make damn sure you have a shop who is:
a - capable of doing the job
b - willing to take the press work

when i rebuilt my suspension last year, i replaced all the bushings.
my suspension parts bounced around between shops for six weeks before they
were finished.
most shops won't take the work because they want the hours for R&R'ing
parts and don't want the risk of trashing a subframe/housing/whatever.
actually, at the end of six weeks, there was still a pair they wouldn't do.
they ended up giving me the labor for free in exchange for me keeping quiet
about the affair.
i did have to pay for a shop to do the last pair.
$10/hole is typical.
i would have gladly paid twice that to get same-week service.
the whole episode renewed my resolve to minimize outsourcing of my
automotive maintenance and repair projects.
if i were doing it again, i would have baught my own press from
harbor-freight tools and spent a week or two finding/fabricating tools to
do the press work.
i probably could have done that for about $15/hole.

frank