Did I screw up my LCA bushing?

[JerseyJoe]

I popped out my driver side torsion bar tonight by backing out the nut on the pivot and tapping it back to push out the T-bar (for a header swap).
When I tried to tighten the nut back up to put weight back on the suspension the pivot shaft just spins now. Is there a trick or should I order a suspension kit now?
The headers were going too well for something to not go wrong... 

[b5blue]

 I'd pull the LCA out for a look at the bushing. It could be the bushing was shot anyway and in need of fixing so good you found it now. 

[JerseyJoe]

I'd pull the LCA out for a look at the bushing. It could be the bushing was shot anyway and in need of fixing so good you found it now. 

I'm pretty sure it's the original rubber parts. It's been a couple decades since I pulled apart a front end and I was hoping to avoid it a little longer!
Thanks for the reply b5, who's making good kits these days?

[b5blue]

I used MOOG sourced local from ADVANCED AUTO.(Cheaper and fast.)  Others say PROFORGED has nice quality parts. Do the strut rod bushings as part of that LCA service.

[JerseyJoe]

I used MOOG sourced local from ADVANCED AUTO.(Cheaper and fast.)  Others say PROFORGED has nice quality parts. Do the strut rod bushings as part of that LCA service.

Sounds like a plan 
I'm not that into turning corners so old school rubber is what I'll do.   

[kent]

Just bought my hold front end parts from Rock Auto. All Moog parts. Less than a week delivered up here to Canada. The fastest I have ever received a cross border delivery. No hidden fees. Less than half the price from local distributors. I will be a return customer.

[CDN72SE]

Same here, (hey kent) also picked up some suspension parts from Rockauto.

[kent]

That's what my pile looks like! Your boxes are in better shape

Did you go with the offset UCA bushings?

[Nacho-RT74]

Just bought my hold front end parts from Rock Auto. All Moog parts. Less than a week delivered up here to Canada. The fastest I have ever received a cross border delivery. No hidden fees. Less than half the price from local distributors. I will be a return customer.

Plus 5% discount code ( easy to find around )

[CDN72SE]

That's what my pile looks like! Your boxes are in better shape

Did you go with the offset UCA bushings?

I actually went with these.

[hemi71x]

I popped out my driver side torsion bar tonight by backing out the nut on the pivot and tapping it back to push out the T-bar (for a header swap).
When I tried to tighten the nut back up to put weight back on the suspension the pivot shaft just spins now. Is there a trick or should I order a suspension kit now?
The headers were going too well for something to not go wrong... 

Ya, your lower control arm bushing is shot, worn out.
The "shaft" is spinning in the worn out, molded rubber.
Time for a rebuild.

[JerseyJoe]

Thanks everybody for the confirmation 
This "pile" showed up today. It's a good excuse to finally buy my own press. 

[b5blue]

 

[CDN72SE]

Good stuff. 

[kent]

A press is a good investment. Nice pile!

[bakerhillpins]

Don't forget that you finger tighten the nut on the pivot shaft and set the torque on the ground under load and the T-bar goes back to the same side of the car that it came out of. They should have a different number stamped on the end but are sometimes installed backwards.  The FSM walks you through all of this.

Have fun chiseling out the old bushing and heed the warning to pull the rubber out first. It makes life a LOT easier. 

[BLK 68 R/T]

Don't forget that you finger tighten the nut on the pivot shaft and set the torque on the ground under load and the T-bar goes back to the same side of the car that it came out of. They should have a different number stamped on the end but are sometimes installed backwards.  The FSM walks you through all of this.

Have fun chiseling out the old bushing and heed the warning to pull the rubber out first. It makes life a LOT easier. 

If you get a press and have a welder. Just press the shaft out first, the inner bushing will stay on the shaft. That makes the rubber portion easy to get out. Then weld a heavy washer inside the outer bushing and just press the outer shell out. The inner bushing also needs to come off of the shaft, I use a 1/2" wide chisel and strike it length wise from top to bottom in a line. 2-3 passes and it should just about fall off in your hand, if not lightly clamp it in your vise and it should tap out with a drift punch.

If you dont have a welder then you are in for some fun as mentioned above 

[bakerhillpins]

If you get a press and have a welder. Just press the shaft out first, the inner bushing will stay on the shaft. That makes the rubber portion easy to get out. Then weld a heavy washer inside the outer bushing and just press the outer shell out. The inner bushing also needs to come off of the shaft, I use a 1/2" wide chisel and strike it length wise from top to bottom in a line. 2-3 passes and it should just about fall off in your hand, if not lightly clamp it in your vise and it should tap out with a drift punch.

If you dont have a welder then you are in for some fun as mentioned above 

Excellent tips BLK 68 R/T!  I'll have to remember them for the next go-round!

[sccachallenger]

Don't forget that you finger tighten the nut on the pivot shaft and set the torque on the ground under load and the T-bar goes back to the same side of the car that it came out of. They should have a different number stamped on the end but are sometimes installed backwards.  The FSM walks you through all of this.

Have fun chiseling out the old bushing and heed the warning to pull the rubber out first. It makes life a LOT easier. 

If you get a press and have a welder. Just press the shaft out first, the inner bushing will stay on the shaft. That makes the rubber portion easy to get out. Then weld a heavy washer inside the outer bushing and just press the outer shell out. The inner bushing also needs to come off of the shaft, I use a 1/2" wide chisel and strike it length wise from top to bottom in a line. 2-3 passes and it should just about fall off in your hand, if not lightly clamp it in your vise and it should tap out with a drift punch.

Great advise, after hacking these out many times, then using the welded trick, I'll never go back to hacking!

Pay someone if you have to, much nicer job.

And I just lay the shaft with the inner shell on my vice, and pound on it with a 3 lb hammer, it thins and stretches the metal and you can pull it off, no chisel required!
If you dont have a welder then you are in for some fun as mentioned above