This weekend I replaced the rear bushing on the driver side control arm, along with the hub and the sway bar link.

The bushing was pretty easy to replace, but you need some sort of drift(hollow pipe) to push it out with. The bushing OD is 2.37" so you want the drift to be slightly smaller (I made a 2.30"OD one) so it doesn't get stuck in the control arm bore. The metal ring on the bushing is pretty thin, so the drift can't be too much smaller than the OD of the ring otherwise it will just push out the rubber insert. A piece of pipe with an ID larger than the bushing OD was placed under the control arm to support it and elevate it so the bushing could fit inside of it as it pushes out.

When you press in the new bushing, you still need a spacer under the control arm because the bushing is thicker than the control arm and extends above and below it about 1/8".

Steve

 

I also replaced mine. They were a little loose. Ya think?

 

well had to make the handling and clunking noise better, thanks for the post!

 

That replacement made it tight and now the brakes feel better but still clungs. Maybe the sway bar bushing? Did links already.

 

with the suspension at rest, check the clearence between the sway bar and where it comes closest to the control arm. then, jack up the chassis under the front chassis cross brace and check the clearence again, i found (on my 2006 HHR) that the bar was coming in contact with the right control arm. and, after getting involved replacing the sway bar mounts(with energy suspension pieces) that the "positioning limiter bands" on the were not positioned to my liking and were allowing too much lateral bar movement. repositioned these bands to inhibit the excessive bar movement and, now....no more "clunk".

see the next post for a pic showing these rings..

 

Found my problem - It was sway bar related but not the bushings. The sway bar links bolt into a larger hole in the bar. It has to be torqued down tight or it will slide back and forth within the hole and cause a knocking/ clunk sound. It is hard to tighten because it requires an allen wrench and a 18 MM wrench. Knocking/ clunk sound is GONE!!!!!!!

 

This was the cause of the weird brake release snap feeling. When you came to a stop the wheel would move back until you released the brake and then the wheel would spring foward due to the play in the worn control arm bushing. It was also a loose front end obviously. Bad design to be worn out at 57K.

 

Not so much a bad design but cheap,crappy OEM bushings.

 

does you sway(stabilizer) bar have more than one hole at the bar's ends..??
mines a 2006 with just one hole at the end(s) of the bar....