GF's cavalier, can I fix this nightmare bushing easy?

[CanuckQx4]

My gf basically got bent over by her insurance company. Someone wrecked into her car, they cut her a next to nothing check, and she went and bought a 99 cavalier. Shes trying to get it saftied/certified and they told her the rear LCA bushing were bad, I hopped under the car when she got back and this is the only bushing I see on each side. Can they be changed on the car??

The "LCA" on a cavalier is HUGE and has so many things attached to it. Im hoping you can simply unbolt it from the front and drop it down and replace the bushings... but Im unsure

from the back center, its the massive bar with holes


driver shock area


passenger shock area


front of the lca where the bushings appears to be, both sides pictured




Anyone have any advice on how to tackle this?

I personally couldnt even "see" the bushing from on my back, so I dont get why they say its bad, but maybe Ill see more when I jack the car up.

Appreciate any help!

[Razi]

It looks like if you undo those two bolts, it might droop down enough for you to be able to access the bushings, but taking them out and pushing new ones in might be difficult.

[IanS]

Stop, re-evaluate and listen.

There may have been some miscommunication here. That is not an LCA, it is a swing arm. In my experience, I have never seen the swing arm bushings fail in a way that would be noticeable.

The rear of the front LCA on the other hand has a vertical puck bushing that are NOTORIOUS for failing on the J body's, impala's, grand am's, grand prix's, and other random Buick's and Caddy's.

Grab a flashlight and take a peak at the back side of the front control arms. The bushing wears out, and the control arm slides down off the bushing. It happens to all of them, its not an if, its when. Does it clunk from the front when you go over bumps?

[CanuckQx4]

Your probably right, she probably regurgitated the mechanics info and took rear lower control arm bushing as the back wheels.

Ill call her and give you credit lol

[CanuckQx4]

The rear suspension is weird as s*** to, thanks for clarifying and noticing my mistake.

[IanS]

The rear suspension is weird as s*** to, thanks for clarifying and noticing my mistake.

Not your mistake. Someone told you rear, and bushing. You took the logical route. I do this stuff every day, and I have to explain the same things every freakin day to service writers who do that sort of thing for a living.

If in doubt, blame the women.

[gwoods]

the car is held together by rust!

If you have a press you can press in new control arm bushings. The fast (more exspensive) way is to just buy new control arms. I think MOGG makes suspension parts, you could speed things up with a air hammer and penetrating oil.

I owned many Sunbird/Cavaliers as a poor teenager, fun cars pretty dependable. 90 4 door cav, 91 2 door sunbird, 93 4 door cav, 94 4 door cav. People ran into me on 3 out of the 4 totaling them and I walked away all 3 times. The 91 Sunbird I bought for $100 with a blown head gasket and fixed in mom and dads driveway. Drove it for a year and traded on a 2001 Altima! Got $1000 for it as a trade.

[themadscientist]

I'm thinking that car has a lot of issues from the state of it in those pictures. If there was any way I could get rid of it and avoid sinking any more money into it I would.

[300ZXttZMAN]

^ exactly..

You can tell that car is from somewhere up north.. So much damn rust.