Front lower control arm, performance oriented bushing upgrade.

[scotman]

I decided to go a slightly different route with the second large inboard bushing. I decided to try out the air chisel. Going around the upper flange edge of the bushing with little hits that dented the shell inward. It worked much more cleanly! I was able to get the old bushing out whole.
These bushings are very difficult to simply "press out". The shell is very thin and the guts are very soft. I have a 12 ton shop press and (i thought) a wide range of possible solutions to pressing these odd bushings out and in. I was mistaken. These particular pieces are a genuine bitch to deal with.

 

[scotman]

Update. Some drama has developed. The Powerflex adjustable caster bushing is a no go.
I took a measurement of the Powerflex bushing and the one intact stock bushing shell. There was enough difference between them to cause me to get the Whiteline product!
The digital calipers don't lie.
The original bushing shell.
The Powerflex bushing.
And the Whiteline bushing. One of these three does not fit into the provided hole. If you guessed Powerflex, you are correct!
Don't waste your time and money on this bushing! I will get some satisfaction knowing i helped others avoid this expensive miss-fitment.
The Whiteline parts are harder to get. But the bottom line is that they fit. I now have a couple of odd looking paper weights for my desk.
I became suspicious when i watched an install video on Youtube that showed two fairly experienced guy's damn near injuring themselves while trying to get the Powerflex adjustable caster bushing pressed into the arms of their project Fiesta. I immediately thought "Hoostin! We have a problem!"

 

[scotman]

About five minutes later of totally nonstressful work! A bushing is installed. It's a miracle! I guess dimensions do matter!

 

[econoboxrocks]

Gotta love parts that fit properly, first time, one time, no farting around. That's why I love mountune so much. They're not cheap, but the fit and finish is . Quality pays for itself.

 

[scotman]

Those Powerflex bushings "might" fit into a Fiesta ST control arm. I was impressed by their outward build quality and purported adjustability. So, i am emphatically not knocking them in that respect.
That video i watched involved the install of that exact bushing into a Fiesta ST. And i could understand the stock bushing material spec being different. But not the diameter of the bushing shell. My guess is that some clearancing may have occurred to get the bushings into the arms that they decided not to share the ordeal of doing in that video!
Just over 1mm is not going to squish aside in the shop press. The metal in these components just simply will not yield to that degree. Not even if i warmed the arm under an infra red lamp and froze the bushing in a cooler with dry ice, did it result in a successful fit. I tried it!
So, i can only recommend the Whiteline bushing in this position.

I have pissed away so much time on this outwardly perfunctory task that i have decided to double down on the pain and get the Whiteline poly bushings for the remaining position even though i already have the purple Powerflex ones. I don't know if it's just a desire to avoid a mix of bushing brands or my own soul deep bitterness over all the delays, eff ups, miss fittments and wrong parts. The one bright spot is that it's only a box of parts. There is no Fiesta sitting on a hoist waiting for a pair of control arms to be bolted in.

 

[econoboxrocks]

Some of us aren't racing cars that much, and don't have time to mess with parts that don't fit without a lot of work.

Maybe I'm lucky, but good, pre-vetted parts are easy. You're going where no one has gone before. You're doing God's work, here.

 

[scotman]

I'm just dealing with what i get. I doubt God has been looking in on this start and stop slow motion debacle! Frankly, i am used to a more linear process. Even if that involves some delays. I was surprised that the "no fit" discovery wasn't discussed somewhere in the last eight years or so! But, the basic Fiesta is not frequently changed to the degree that some of us here are doing.

 

[scotman]

I decided to install one of the small front (purple) bushings just to get this circus packed up and on the shelf!
Fig1,First take new utility knife and cut the mushroom head off one end of the old bushing. This will allow you to force the bushing out of the arm with a socket and C-clamp. I used a 32mm socket intended for drive axle nut as the one to capture the old bushing. I used two 18mm sockets to push the bushing through the eye of the arm, employed the short one first to reduce the amount of cranking on the screw and then changed to the deep one to push it through. The last image shows the new bushing poised to get pressed into the eye. The internal surfaces must be clean and greased before you go ahead and press them together onto its sleeve.

 

[scotman]

This is the end result. A rebuilt arm with polyurethane bushings. I will be swapping out the purple bushings for the Whiteline Product.these will be added to the pile of other parts that includes the Koni sport dampers and either Eibach sportline springs or H&R supersport springs, not shown. And of course the Whiteline 22mm rear anti sway bar plus this Dynomax stainless sreel muffler #17230. I also have a pair of Powergrid adjustable front asb links to go into the mix. I am trying to end up with a "wet dream" version of what i tried to create in 2010. I feel confident that I will be able to fit a 2.0 zetec and its supporting harnesses along with either a Focus ST or Fiesta ST 6 speed transaxle. (still studying the possibilties of those or a couple of Mazda cousins.) Im very concerned about what 2nd and 3rd gear ratios i might be able to choose from. All the stock fiesta harnesses, processors and canbus stuff is going away. I will use the donor cars instrument cluster as well. Beyond that, who knows. Using a ford engine should allow me into a street modified category. This is the only way i see to have a basic Fiesta with some performance potential. My budget for this is around $4,500 dollars plus blood and sweat.



I am just gathering components at this point. So, i will be ready to go when i come across a fiesta hatchback in the right condition, at the right price!

 

[FiEscort]

I ordered up those rack bushings from Alex last Friday. So, we will see what they are like! I will make a separate thread for that one.
I have received both sets of rack bushings. I will make separate threads for each at a later date.

Any update with this?

 

[scotman]

I haven't had the time to do anything with the bushings. They will be sitting on the shelf until spring. Are you going to get the aluminum or plastic ones?
All of the control arms in this thread are also chilling on the shelf. I hope to find a Manual transmission fiesta that has a blown engine by june or july.

 

[FiEscort]

I haven't had the time to do anything with the bushings. They will be sitting on the shelf until spring. Are you going to get the aluminum or plastic ones?
All of the control arms in this thread are also chilling on the shelf. I hope to find a Manual transmission fiesta that has a blown engine by june or july.

I'm leaning towards the aluminum ones, but not sure if they'll be too harsh. Good luck with that and wait it out until you get everything in order.

 

[scotman]

I think that there is some discussion of the difference between the two types regarding road feel or nvh in the ST forums. Unfortunately, the O.E. steering rack isn't in the plan for the engine swap Fiesta.
But, my blue 2011 hatchback is getting the aluminum bushings.