Chevy HHR Network - What is an acceptable amount of play in the lower control arm?

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- - What is an acceptable amount of play in the lower control arm? (https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/general-hhr-4/what-acceptable-amount-play-lower-control-arm-61445/)

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurst2001 (Post 862299)

are they aluminum or steel I can’t tell ..

Yes these are aluminum & have bolt in grease-able ball joints...The best deal that I could find..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Two-Control...5/222792429478

Remember to double check the torque on those bolts, to be sure.

Rebuilt! Nothing wrong with that, just inspect closely.

However, they should not list on eBay as new. I would try leveraging.

Quote:

Originally Posted by donbrew (Post 862341)

Go to your local big box parts store and borrow the tools. Or use a hammer & chisel.

Remember changing old fashioned wheel bearings?

I went to advanced auto and they rent out exactly what I need to do the job. I have decided to go with the moog problem solver bushings and ball joints I was at the bone yard today and pulled a set of lower control arms off an hhr of my year for $30. I'm going to clean them up and put the new bushings and ball joints in them and just swap the rebuilt ones into my car when I get a chance. I know it's kind of a backwards way of doing it but I just assume I would work on them to get them set then throw them in like I bought new arms when I get time

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildherre (Post 862348)

Yes these are aluminum & have bolt in grease-able ball joints...The best deal that I could find..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Two-Control...5/222792429478

yea just got these it was a great price and the rear bushing look a little better then stock plus the ball joint has a grease fitting , not a bad price at all lookin at about 60$ apiece.. and fast shipping a plus ..

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...0382750c1.jpeg
I ended up just putting new moog problem solver bushings and ball joints on both sides. It cost me about $60 a side

Gee my point , all along. New ball joints ( you only drill out the rivets once) then the bushings, a ball joint press rental or a large bench vice, I have used an air chisel and a BF hammer.
Why , because nobody provides those bushings installed.
Well worth the effort, thanks for your time posting your method

At first I really wanted to just get it done quick and buy the complete arms but I really wanted it to last so I decided to go the extra step and just rebuild with decent parts that are proven to last vs. Complete arms with questionable quality parts. The only thing that I found irritating is that I had to try 2 different style presses from the parts store that did not even want to work. Even the employees could not get them to seat correctly. Luckily I found a person with a homemade job that worked out perfectly with these bushings. This was made with a heavily modified pulley puller and a cut down large socket welded to it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurst2001 (Post 863314)

Well got the one side installed drivers side by the shop well it was pulling to drivers side wtf ? Well took back to the shop and they found that the ball joint bolts were loose and tried to tight them up and these bolts Started too strip because they were too short .. the bolts are only 1 1/2 was like no way to get them tighter ... So I went and 2 inch bolt had the room to tighten up .. So be aware if you buy these control arms as far as the bolts ... They have the part number as moogs and seem good quality as far as the bushing ..
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...395869769.jpeg
One one left is two inches and the other bolt that came with the control arm is 1 1/2 ...
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...501cbd3e0.jpeg

What bolts? What happened to the originals?