How to Replace Upper Control Arm Bushings

Confirm the part and repair scope

Start by proving the bushings are the problem. Support the vehicle safely, with the suspension loaded or unloaded as the service manual directs. Put a pry bar between the arm and its mounting points while a helper watches the bushing. These signs point to worn bushings: rubber pulling away from the sleeve, deep cracks, an inner sleeve sitting off-center, or movement you can see and hear. Ball joints, sway bar links, tie rod ends and strut mounts can also cause clunks and pulling, so check those parts for joint play before you buy anything. A worn upper ball joint can feel much like a tired bushing when you shake the wheel.

Match replacement bushings to the exact year, model, drivetrain and suspension package. Front and rear parts often differ, left and right can differ, and one arm may use two bushing sizes. Then decide whether to replace only the bushings or the complete arm. Many arms come with bushings and ball joint already installed. That removes the pressing step, and it is often the better choice when the ball joint is also worn or the arm is corroded. The cost to replace upper control arm bushings depends mostly on four things: this choice, the labor time for your vehicle, whether you need to rent or buy a press, and the wheel alignment that should follow. Get quotes for both bushings alone and a complete arm so you can compare them.

Prepare tools and safe access

Get the factory service procedure for your vehicle before you begin. It tells you whether the spring or a coilover acts on the upper arm and which fasteners must be replaced rather than reused. It also gives the fastener specification for every bolt and says whether the bushings can be changed with the arm still on the vehicle. Leave this job to a suspension shop if the spring loads the upper arm, if the procedure calls for spring compressors, or if you have no way to press bushings in squarely. For the job itself you will need: • a floor jack; • rated jack stands and wheel chocks; • a torque wrench; • a ball joint separator; • a bushing press kit or shop press with correctly sized receiving cups; • penetrating oil; • paint or a marker for reference marks

Work on a level, solid surface. Chock the wheels that stay on the ground. Lift only at the jacking points shown in the owner's manual or service information. Place jack stands under the specified support points, and never work under a vehicle held only by a jack. Keep the floor jack under the lower control arm, because you will need it to control the suspension position once the upper ball joint is separated.

Remove without avoidable damage

Remove the wheel. Unclip any brake hose, ABS sensor wire or harness bracket attached to the upper arm so nothing gets stretched when the knuckle moves. Raise the jack under the lower control arm to take the load off the upper ball joint, then loosen the ball joint nut. Separate the joint with a proper separator. A pickle fork can tear the boot, which matters if you plan to reuse the joint. Let the knuckle rest on the supported lower arm so it does not hang from the brake hose or axle.

Before removing the arm's pivot bolts, mark or photograph how they sit. Many designs set camber and caster with eccentric cams, slotted holes or shims at the upper arm mounting points. If you record their position and the number and location of the shims, you can return close to the original wheel alignment. Keep the shims grouped by location. Then remove the pivot bolts or cross shaft and lift the arm out. If a bolt is seized in a bushing sleeve, soak it with penetrating oil and work it free. Keep open flame away from brake lines, fuel lines, wiring and rubber parts.

With the arm on a bench, note which way each bushing faces and how far any flange or sleeve sticks out. Press the old bushing out with a receiving cup that supports the arm around the bore. Do not hammer the arm or clamp it in a way that could bend it. Clean the bore and inspect it for cracks, distortion or heavy corrosion. If the arm is damaged, replace the arm instead of fitting new bushings.

Install and restore the system

Press each new bushing in squarely by its outer shell, not by the rubber or inner sleeve. Use only the lubricant the bushing maker specifies. Petroleum products can damage rubber bushings, while polyurethane bushings usually come with their own grease. Match the orientation you recorded, because voided bushings, offset sleeves and flanged designs only work correctly one way. The installation instructions may also give a required depth or position. If the press force rises suddenly or the shell starts going in crooked, stop and recheck how the tool is lined up.

Refit the arm. Reinstall the shims or set the cams to your reference marks, and start the pivot bolts by hand. Connect the upper ball joint, fit a new nut or cotter pin if the procedure requires one, and tighten it to specification. On most designs the pivot bolts for rubber bushings should stay snug but not fully tightened until the suspension sits at normal ride height. Check the service information for your vehicle. A rubber bushing clamped while the suspension hangs gets twisted every time the vehicle sits at normal height, which shortens its life. Raise the lower arm with the jack to simulate ride height, or lower the vehicle as the manual describes. Then torque the pivot bolts to the published value and reattach every hose, wire and bracket.

Check the completed work

Before driving, confirm that every fastener you loosened is tightened to its specification. Turn the steering to full lock both ways and check that the brake hose and ABS wiring still have slack and nothing touches the tire or wheel. Reinstall the wheel and tighten the lug nuts to the vehicle's specification once the tire is on the ground. Check that no ABS or stability warning light comes on. Any change at the upper arm mounting points affects geometry, even if you returned the cams and shims to their marks. Schedule a wheel alignment soon after the repair, and drive cautiously until it is done.

Take a short, careful test drive. Listen for clunks over bumps, feel for pulling under braking, and check whether the steering wheel is centered. After the first drive, recheck the pivot and ball joint fasteners if the service procedure calls for it. Some signs mean something is still wrong: a clunk that persists, uneven tire wear, a pull that remains after alignment, or a bushing working its way out of its bore. The likely causes are a missed worn part, wrong bushing orientation or a damaged arm. Get it diagnosed before you use the vehicle normally.