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The new Whiteline bushing installs by hand. Take care and read the directions to ensure you have the bushing installed correctly. The larger part of the bushings installs to the inside, the smaller to the outside of the car. Install is reverse of removal and a fairly painless process.
Finished with the rear, we moved on to the front. You can see tears in the rubber starting to form on our Outback’s front control arm bushing.
The entire arm has to be removed for this bushing and Grant had pressing matters so he put me in charge of pulling the arms out. This turned out to be a mistake, which we will get to later. First the sway bar end link has to be disconnected from the control arm.
Next you are given two options in life on how to proceed. One is right, one is wrong. REMOVE THE CASTLE NUT. The internet will tell you to remove the pinch bolt connecting the ball joint. This is wrong. Maybe it works in places without rust, but in the Midwest, you will snap a bolt and leave it stuck in the knuckle. This will cause your best friend to hate you while he tries, and fails, to remove it. Then a drill gets involved with multiple broken bits and long story short, dealing with the castle nut takes about 5 minutes vs. the multiple hours Grant wasted on the pinch bolt.
After your friend stops cursing your name. The front bolt holding on the control arm comes out with relative ease.
Three more bolts at the back of the control arm and you’re ready to pull it off.
This is a good time to inspect everything.
