Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Suspension lower control arm bushings/BAT Heavy Duty Urethane

i have had some ruff handeling as of late and i took my csvt to get it checked out and they said my lower control arm bushings are worn out and need to replace them asap. they are trying to charge me 545.00 for the whole thing. 100.00 being the bushings and the rest labor. i didn't want to do anyhting until i looked it up. so are the lower arm control bushings the same as the BAT Heavy Duty Urethane Anti-Sway Bar Clamp Bushings - ? thanks for any help

are you talking about the front or rear?

There are specific control arm bushings for the rear; they are different than the sway bar kit. As for the front, it's a totally different setup, and from what I've heard, it's expensive. But $500 sounds like a bit much.

If it's the front, you can't replace the bushings. You have to replace the lower control arms. Usually about $75 each (for the later type), plus labor, and an alignment. Bushings in the rear are cheap, like $20 max, but still require labor.

Front bushings can wear out as soon as 60k on the odo.

What he said. Although if they are only charging you $100/parts I doubt it's the front as those are more expensive.

Find out exactly what parts you need, and get a friend with a garage and air tools to help you do it yourself. Save the $445 and spend it on something else!

bushings or ball joints?
you can replace just the ball joints but have to drill out some rivets holding the existing on. the ball joints are only $20 from spmotorsports.

this is a common problem,stupid design
the lower control arm attach to the chassis via two horizontally acting rubber bushes that take the weight of the car.there is no supporting metalwork to help the rubber
fyi its normally the rear one that wears first,and the suspension geometry goes bad.one bolt is obscured by the gearbox,and this could be why your labour charge is so high.normally this bolt is cut off and the replacement is put in upside down.if the nut comes off,the bolt drops out and your wheel hits the bodywork
refit using thread locking compound
oh,use genuine ford arms too...they last the longest.

thanks ill take care of that soon but should it be my main priority right now?

you may find your tyres wear out quicker as the suspension geometry is out of whack.so,i do think it should be the next job on your list