So, I am needing to replace the rear bushing, but with the issues that seem to arise, I am figuring on just doing the whole arm. Car has almost 200k and I am sure the ball joints are also shot, along with the tie rod ends.
One question though:
Apparently, I should get forged arms, not stamped as the stamped do not actually fit the hhr properly?

New bolts for the rear control arm as they are likely seized in the bushing and will need to be cut. Lots of salt and beet juice on the roads here in the winter. Yes, beet juice. It lowers the temp at which salt can work, and is supposedly even better at making salt corrosive.

Aside from an alignment and various tools, that should be all.

 

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...ol-arms-44378/

 

DO NOT get the stamped steel ones

 

x2 what they said - also spray some penetrating oil on the rear bolts ahead of time to help with their removal

 

I keep the arms replaced the rear bushings and the ball joints, easy peasy.
The Moog part numbers are in our part number guide....

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/comm...-thread-48833/

I’ve never replaced the front lca swing bushings.

 

Aren't the ball joints riveted on? I'm guessing you ground them off? Did you get a press to drive the bushings out/in? Or did you remove the middle and cut them out? Reading a different thread, looks like the rivets were drilled out. I wonder if a vice with smooth sides would work for pressing the bushings in?

 

Drill or grind the rivets, new parts come with nuts and bolts. You can borrow tools to R&R the bushings from Advance/Zone etc.

 

Oh tool rental, never thought of that. I've never had to do it before.

I've been looking around and saw it once, but now I can't find the part # for the rear bolt for the lca. I'll have to keep looking around for it.

 

Lower Control Arm rear bolt ALL HHRs GM P/N 11589009
(from out Parts list posting - https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/comm...-thread-48833/ )

 

Nice, thanks!