GMT400 Front End Rebuild (Part 2)

[@sirnik84]

Watching this video in my headphone at my desk job. The 4min of nothing but scraping, scrubbing and blowing sounds reminds me of one of those meditation sounds CDs lol. Its like meditation sounds for car guys.

[@universewonders1]

Loli so relate to this, sometimes to sleep i listen to videos like this 😂

[@rogerhinman5427]

Eric, I love that you don't edit out your mistakes. I've made many of those same errors so it makes your videos a lot more relateable and honest. Keep up the good work!

[@sniper50cal2]

41:06 I’m glad I’m not the only one that does that instinctively. Great video Eric!

[@mr.suplex927]

I was just going to comment on the same thing. Lmao

[@clintwhite4372]

Oh, Man. Moments like that, when an old part is coming out. And it fights everything. Tries to steal your tools. Makes you hurt yourself. You just gotta toss that thing like a football after.

[@th0ut]

3:30 There are three things you can watch forever: fire burning, water falling, and Eric scrubbing rust 😁

[@danbrayton7031]

40 minutes of Eric getting angry at bushings...... lol

[@ericthecarguy]

That's entertainment!

[@InuKun2008]

"But I will forget all about this." Eric, you'll *never* forget all about the joy you felt in working those bearings out. Much like that time with the 2004 Ford Explorer's left rear wheel bearing which brought you such joy. Or even Barbara's fabled mini van.

[@tonny.c]

God this man loves his brake cleaner

[@daveogarf]

Tonny - Brake cleaner is the Swiss Army knife of mechanic-ing...

[@farmerjim-fat-man-do]

If it hasnt been sprayed with brake clean it aint worth keeping. Life hack...acetone in a pressurized can like Eric uses works just as well

[@iadc43]

Makes a guy want to stop buying the aerosol cans and up the ante to that super soaker he uses.

[@jeremyroman8067]

You've never watched Eric O. of @southmainauto (highly Suggest him) He has a sound effect for his Brake clean.

[@lichin11]

Watching the scraping part of this video inspires the following: I'm singing in the pain! Just singing in the pain! Oh what an inglorious feeling! I feel crappy again!

[@highlypolishedturd7947]

Ha! I love it. I'm going to steal that!

[@tunespt]

Even my lungs started to itch just watching him scraping decades of crap. :D I even wear a full mask while chaning brakes.

[@tunespt]

@Random Stuffs er... besides there aren't enough toxic fumes floating around (yet), dust of this nature goes into your lungs and never comes out, besides the crap it's made off, google silicosis to learn something today :)

[@BigSarnt]

I just took off my control arm bushings on my 89 3500. When he said, "that sucked," I felt every bit of that. It sure does Eric, it sure does.

[@kazman500]

When Eric hammers the bushings in he looks like some sort of terminator character. Emotionless just hammering away

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Always nice to see the mistakes helps people learn not to make the same mistakes also makes your video so much more honest

[@Exit_343]

ETCG1 VS Control Arm Bushing!! ROUND 1 "FIGHT!"

[@haqitman]

A decade and a half ago I rebuilt the front end of a Dodge Dart and it went something like this, minus the power tools. Glad to see it's coming together!

[@lucasthompson9257]

"I see a red door. And I'm about to paint it black" Heckin yeah Eric!!!!

[@stableyetfun]

Excellent video. No sugar coating.

[@humanoverlord6708]

Sawzall blade with a medium tooth metal blade and multiple cuts make the bushings fall out

[@michaelfunk5951]

You’re pretty funny even when frustrated. Quite a remarkable amount of experience being called upon to git er done.

[@shannonsisk]

I knew all those Shake Weight reps would come in handy for something....WIRE BRUSHING RUST!!! Love the channel, Eric 👍

[@davelaird614]

I found that a drill bit works good for loosening bushings

[@slumpnmyrump4986]

I've found that a penus is great at loosening butts ;)

[@davidadams7950]

Wire wheel on a drill man, I ain’t got time for all that scrubbing! Lol love your vids! Just found them this week because my dad and I are rebuilding the engine in my 98 and started watching this series then watch the whole Fairmont, and now watching this series in full.

[@BrianHollihan]

I had done the whole front suspension on my 93 Integra with hand tools, and I had to use a dremel to cut the bushings out, took me all day as well so I felt your pain Eric lol

[@MrWizard209]

You know you are a fan when you get excited that Eric has the same broom and dust pan as you lol

[@shemailgoondall9531]

Hey Eric, some advice, when sanding down rust, put on a face /nose mask. These rust dust can cause respiratory problems. Love your channel

[@jameshoward2738]

I changed bushes which were as hard to remove as Eric's, and the secret I found was similar too. I tried burning, but it just made such a mess and stink. In the end I used a similar technique to Eric, just replaced the air hammer with an electric drill. A sharp(ish) drill bit goes through that rubber surprisingly easily, much easier than the air hammer does. I guess most of the power of the air hammer is absorbed by the soft rubber. Easier to pull the drill back out too, as you can just pull the trigger again :-)

[@jh77sly]

Bushing removal... propane/map/something torch and cook the shell. Once the skin of the rubber starts to boil, the bushing will eject itself. I used this method for changing all the suspension bushings on 2 vehicles... 93 Crown Vic and 88 Grand Marquis.

[@russellstephan6844]

As I commented in part #1, when I did the upper and lower control arms in my 1993 C1500 last Summer (2018), both the upper and lower whole control arms new was nearly the same cost as separate ball joints and bushings. The whole arms required *zero* rubber battles. Something to think about if tackling the same job.

[@athhud]

In my experience, that is the case for most vehicles. My only concern is whether or not the new control arms are of the same quality as the originals.

[@russellstephan6844]

In the case of the C1500 control arms, they *were* OEM. The same *huge* thick-gauge stamped metal piece. On passenger cars with far smaller control arms which could easily be duplicated in China, one might give pause. In my case, the expense of the OEM factory stamping dies and required press pretty much acts as a barrier-to-entry for low-cost imitations.

[@russellstephan6844]

Also, as it relates to this particular video, the full control arm OEM replacement comes with standard rubber bushings, not the poly examples Eric used. Given my beast of a truck is a full-sized bed with an additional extended cab, I saw no need for the benefits of poly bushings. So, if one wants poly, they're going to need to do the rubber battle anyway. It just wasn't an upgrade I was willing to take on during my efforts.

[@CarriageHouseCompany]

2023 update. I can’t even get new lower control arms for my 97 Tahoe 4x4

[@SmittySmithsonite]

Nice work, Eric! Thing is gonna look and handle SWEET! 👍👍 I had a '78 Cutlass back in the day (with a built Goodwrench 350, and built TH400 trans - was a lot of fun!) that I installed Polygraphite control arm and swaybar bushings in, from a company called "PST" (Performance Suspension Technology). Used to see the ad for those bushings in the back of every hot rod magazine in the day, and it looks like they're still in business today! Anyway, first time ever tackling a job like this - did all of it outside in the woods behind my parent's shed. Was in my early 20's at the time - I'd take a bus from my apartment in the city, and walk 5 miles from the bus stop carrying my 35 lb. toolbox to their house! Had alot more motivation in those days! Anyway ... took me 2 weeks - drilling out rivets of the OE upper and lower ball joints & knocking them out with a hammer and a punch, removing the springs with just a jack under the lower control arm, pressing in bushings with no press or ball joint press, no air tools - all by hand - but I had completely overhauled the front end: new ball joints, bushings, inner and outer tie-rod ends, and swaybar end links & bushings, pitman, and idler arms. Afterwards, I could take the sharp highway off-ramps in MA at 70mph, and not even squeal the tires! Thing handled AMAZING. Best thing I ever did to that car! 😎

[@ericthecarguy]

Hats off to you sir for that level of dedication.

[@SmittySmithsonite]

@@ericthecarguy - Thanks, Eric! I wish I had 1/10th that motivation today - I'd be ALOT more productive. Feels like I don't even have 25% the energy I had in those days. I get by, though. :)

[@ericthecarguy]

Sadly, I know exactly what you mean.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

That work bench is working out great for you Eric

[@RacerJames76]

Watching the struggle bus on those bushings makes me think pre-built tubular control arms are worth every penny!

[@zx8401ztv]

Ahh Eric Lee :) It's so dam nice to have good tools, i think i would have to thread a corse hacksaw blade through the rubber bushing and attach a hacksaw frame to it. It's satisfying to see you beat the crap out of the old parts and have your evil way with them :-D. The air chisel is so effective.

[@ericthecarguy]

I love my air chisel.

[@graymodeler]

On the old 50's Buicks, the spindle was held to the A arm with a large threaded pin instead of a ball joint. It was used for caster alignment . When it wore out, the car would make an embarrassing clunk when backing up as it shifted. Nice job on the truck.

[@ericthecarguy]

King pins! Yea, I've dealt with those. They make a cool press for getting those out on the car now.

[@30kendel]

See the frustration in Eric's eyes! He murdered the hell out of those bushings! Hahaha! Great work eric!

[@Ulford]

Just love the Dad`s truck series.

[@bigdaddy741098]

I don't know why but that was oddly satisfying watching the wire brushing montage lo.

[@whatif3387]

Poly bushings and new bilsteins made an incredible difference on my c1500. I'm sure you will be very happy with them after all the struggles of changing the bushings on these trucks.

[@ericthecarguy]

I am. It rides awesome now. Thanks for the comment.

[@natedub1]

When i did the poly bushing replacement on the rear UCA, i found a thread somewhere that said to use a hole saw just smaller than the hole to cut the rubber out and then follow up with a wire wheel to clean the bore the rest of the way. Worked great.

[@TJDukit1]

Really enjoying dads truck rebuild

[@yokel_honda]

I admire your patience Eric, good job. Have a look at the ‘Torrent 500 parts washer’ We have one @ work and it’s epic. You need one!

[@JoshTolbertUrbana]

A trick I've always used with rubber bushings is run a big drill bit parallel to the bore down one side of the bushing...It'll either tear chunks out or grab the entire bushing and rip or twist it out.

[@tysonchris]

I have same style truck’88 that I’m doing pretty much all the same things to. I’m glad I just bought new control arms and not screw around with all those bushings/cleaning/painting

[@adamswindle28]

Eric, at 30:14.. before knocking center pins out, try taking a drill and drill bit and drill the crap out of the rubber bushing untill it just disintegrates and the pin falls out along with the bushing. That's how I did mine, works like a charm.

[@raymond8875]

It's almost worth all that effort Eric. But because it's for a performance truck with sentimental value. It is worth it.

[@Jerkwad152]

What a coincidence. Thursday is my hole-scrubbing day, too.

[@Deadly_DoRight]

That wire brushing sound is oddly soothing when you aren't doing the work yourself😆

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Great video as always Eric

[@silasmarner7586]

I, as part of the peanut gallery, humbly suggest a medium-sized blast cabinet for a lot of them thar parts. Great video, Eric! You're getting into brass tacks, if not at least steel rivets... heh heh.... uh......

[@ericthecarguy]

I'd love one, but I don't have the room ATM.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Ahhhh rust 😍

[@ericthecarguy]

You and I both know it could have been sooo much worse.

[@SouthMainAuto]

@@ericthecarguy Oh I know it all to well my friend!

[@rickgaine3476]

Your willingness to do all the manual labor to clean the frame shows your dedication to this truck. I know your Dad is proud. You could have stripped the truck and had the frame blasted as you said, but the way you are doing this shows that you want to preserve the truck as best you can for now.

[@miguelare3]

Two Eric's oh sh!t

[@johnturner8829]

All of a sudden I don't want to replace my bushings anymore. I'm sure the old ones are just fine...

[@robs1852]

Haha yes they are

[@Shimmy_J]

Can’t wait to see your reaction after driving it after all this work. It’ll be interesting to see if the new bushings result in lots of road noise.

[@ericthecarguy]

2 more episodes and we're there.

[@wobblysauce]

I love my polys... but in some vehicles, some make the NVH noticeably bad for some people, others go with a mix of Poly and stock.

[@nos1000100]

I remember doing that to my dakota. I had trouble getting a few of the bushings out so... I put those parts in the fire pit just long enough to soften the bushings like you said at 33:15

[@mds2465]

Yeah those bushings can be a royal PITA to swap out. Another fun task to do is changing brakes out on a 20 year old Audi TT with almost 70k. Did that a couple weeks ago. We didn’t have any problem changing the front brakes out but the rear ones really fought us. Man those rear caliper pistons were a bear to compress and it took my friend and I about 8 hours before we got the job done.

[@jakegackle7398]

Sometimes, if you have trouble cutting it with the cutting bit of an air hammer, using one of those removable blade hacksaws is actually faster. If you get the "good" blade from like a Home Depot or Lowes and slide the blade in and then attach it to the saw, you can cut through those like butter. It's not faster every time, but I have found that it works for the stubborn ones. ;)

[@anthonyc417]

A dull drill bit between the control arm and bushing will wiggle a stuck bushing loose. Insert drill and it will spin around the outside of the bushing walking it out.

[@ericthecarguy]

Thanks! I'll have to try that next time.

[@wobblysauce]

@@ericthecarguy Just one more tool in the Chest to use.

[@athhud]

What size bit are we talking about here? That’s a nifty idea that sounds good on paper.

[@Hacraa]

Was thinking of torching the bushings, but found out; drilling 10-20 small holes to the rubber part made it so easy (not very popular style). You can basically then push the whole thing out with the center part.

[@1231234abcab]

I love watching this series!

[@da-ry7nu]

Eric, the frame cleaning could have been done much easier and faster with a good pressure washer. I discovered the amazing capabilities of pressure washers cleaning my cars after hurricane Katrina. If you have a relatively powerful unit it will remove rust and grease if you get very close up with the nozzle. It leaves a perfectly prepped surface for painting and is faster, easier, and cleaner than scraping, brushing, and blowing. It also gets dirt/rust/grease out of many spots that can not be accessed with "traditional" methods. I know your motto is "stay dirty" but I actually pressure wash all engines, transmissions, and suspensions before beginning repairs and it makes the job so much cleaner. This is better for the car, your tools, your shop, and your clothes and gloves. I have been practicing this method since 2005 and have never had an issue with water causing any problems. If the vehicle runs i pressure wash it with it running. This significantly speeds the drying process. Stay LESS dirty, Ray

[@ericthecarguy]

I have no doubt that's true, but I don't have a pressure washer OR a drain in my shop for all that stuff to go to after it comes off. Come to think of it, to legally do that I would need to put traps in the drain to capture contaminants before they went into the sewer system. Good idea in principal, but not in practice. At least for me. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@da-ry7nu]

@@ericthecarguy Understood...thank you for taking the time to reply with your feedback, Ray

[@johnsmith-qz4bv]

great video eric cheers

[@couch74]

Totally worth it but you will feel every crack and peeble in the road lol.. Did these on my old se-r autocross car and it handled amazing felt like a different car.. Cheers 🍺👍

[@ericthecarguy]

Not really. The tires take up a lot of it. It rides fantastic after all of this. Also, the truck is pretty heavy which likely comes into play. Thanks for the comment.

[@christianguzman8228]

If you have to replace the control arm bushing on your truck... buy the control arms. That way you can get the lower and ball joints on the control arm as well. Save time, health, and reduce your risk of fire all at once. Replacing the bushings wasn't easy. I was lucky having the inner rubber material intact enough to use bushing tool to pop the whole bushing out after grinding off the spot welds, from the inside. I'm sure you've already done it or looked at it, setting the load on the power steering (or replacing it altogether) and other steering column shaft rubber parts will help you get rid of play in your steering wheel, and make your steering feel sharper. That's definetly something I haven't seen a bigger KZbin channel explain. I have super wide tires on 15in rims so even though I properly adjusted my junk, the tires flex a tiny bit before they change direction. I'm sure if I had larger rims, skinnier tires, or a better angle with the tie rod (1" drop spindle which I can't find) the steering wheel would feel super sharp to me. At the end of the day, I just accept it's a truck, not a corvette. They just share a heart.

[@4dirt2racer0]

3 our of the 4 ball joints on my 93 suburban still have the factory rivets in its mindblowing, they still feel pretty dam good to, i cant notice anything

[@scottd345]

I never knew guy's with internet channels made mistakes or had to work through problems. It was quite the revelation to see I wasn't the only one that screwed up now and then.

[@manglermalachi]

After wire brushing and brake cleaning, as an extra measure, try applying some Ospho for rust protection before painting. Works good, lasts a long time.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Love the spray cans you can pressurize yourself

[@frostfirei]

Thanks for show me to the Haynes Manuals, website. I immediately subscribed to the online Books.

[@giantPOS]

"Tuesdays are my hole scrubbing days" more info then I needed big hoss Also i would replace that Pittman arm, I didnt love chevys design to put the ball joint on the Pittman instead of the drag link making it a throw away part

[@ericthecarguy]

Good call. The series isn't over. 👍

[@BucketList22]

Hey, when you mentioned NASCAR it reminded me. They posted on the Power Tour Sign Up site that you have to buy separate tickets ($35) if you want to do laps at Bristol in your truck. I only found it by accident. Just making sure you know.

[@kiroshkanna2887]

I'm able to understand about suspension episode good but very hard work,👌

[@MrSonordrumr]

Good lord! So many cool references on this video. Got my first speeding ticket to the Deep Purple song, Higway Star! Also, the mularkey statement made me think of another word nobody uses anymore, Tomfoolery! Ha ha! Keep up the great work Eric, always a viewer!

[@citrusfarmer]

super interesting thanks Eric.

[@walterhubicki5207]

Eric! Love the truck videos!

[@rusurextion]

i like, the driving into a lake and then go fishing

[@malcolmyoung7866]

This is what I was doing to my daughter Land Rover today...don't have the time to do the whole car at the moment...but have decided to set aside 2 days so my son and I can smash it out. Needs new shock absorbers and springs and will do the brake lines too...then, whilst they are out...do what needs to be doing regards getting rid of the surface rust, treat, prime and paint....then re assemble...Thank goodness I have a small workshop...20 Tonne press, sandblasting cabinet, 200 litre compressor...Don't have any of that but its on my Christmas list...

[@ericthecarguy]

Sounds like fun. Good luck!

[@warmowed]

Two very cool chemicals for restoring rusty car parts are Naval Jelly and MC-51 Rust Remover. Both are super good and a ton less work and expense than sanding or blasting.

[@fila1445]

Salty Eric is best Eric xD

[@daveogarf]

fila1445 - See: "Malarkey". Enough salt for the rim of your Margarita.

[@christianbenavente6202]

10:48 yeah, you could say its quite imPRESSive

[@rcrites]

I helped a friend do the bushings in his 87 supra. We burned them out then had to use a reciprocating saw to cut the sleeve so we could get them out. It was a nightmare.

[@phillipchoi2504]

40 minutes of ASMR for car guys

[@mr.suplex927]

Great video

[@stephenlounds1385]

Burning out rubber bushing can release Hydrofluoric acid, depending on the material being used. Gloves absolutely vital (nitrile) as getting even trace amounts of this on your skin is a medical emergency and can cause loss of limbs in the worst cases. When we replaced some bushings on the Mini we cut the bushings with a sabre saw using a wood blade before cutting the outer steel casings with a metal blade, quick and easy but a bit messy.

[@robs1852]

Damn those old bushings really wanted to stay where they were

[@rubenske091]

dang Eric your a freak-en Legend

[@MrJayWillis1]

Favorite video.

[@jcurran8860]

I gotta give you a thumbs , for the workout.

[@EdwardAlcala]

That Rolling Stones reference! lol

[@888johnmac]

I see a red door and I want it painted black .. I lol'd at that too

[@WhoThisGuy515]

yeah the ball joint press you can rent at the parts store is to small to do these trucks too. Ran into that when i did my 92. Had to rent an axle socket and beat the old ball joint out and use the big socket to beat the new one in. However since then i've realized RockAuto had whole control arms with new bushings in for pretty cheap.

[@ericthecarguy]

I've beat many a Honda ball joint in and out. In fact, it was my preferred method. Less tools, less time. It was a flat rate thing. Thanks for the comment.

[@UmbraFaux]

I like how Eric's press thought it would win against Brian's hub assembly. Brian's hub assembly: No, you won't.

[@brianhansen6906]

Great series be safe and stay dirty.

[@vedranlatin1386]

Eric, would you mind showing us inside your parts cleaner pump compartment? I have what looks like the exact same one and it's running an aquarium pump and it's marked NO SOLVENTS, only water based detergents. I also prefer mineral spirits but wouldn't like to end up with a melted pump. Also, doesn't mineral spirits evaporate and stink up the whole shop? I know mine stunk when I used minerals spirits even on small parts without the parts cleaner. Thanks

[@nikadim3972]

Eric, watta h are you doing? :) You have a plenty of washers and huge puller. Just take a washer near diameter you have, and just press out that rubber. I`ve done it a huge amount of times (sorry, i`m not a native but lovin` your videos) Always pushing wins of cutting and struggling. Anyway, huge Like from me as always. Great soundtrack "Eric vs bushings"

[@athhud]

I can’t even count how many bolts I broke out of the bolt-in upper ball joints on my GMT400 4wd 2dr Tahoe back in the day. I even opened up the bolt holes one size and used larger grade 8 bolts and the results were the same. My fix was a High Pinion Dana 60. :D It was hard to watch you struggle with that air chisel and bushings knowing that you have a press just a few feet away....

[@ericthecarguy]

I didn't have an attachment that would fit the press to press this stuff out, or I would have. Meh, I figured it out in the end. Thanks for the comment.

[@athhud]

Adapter? That’s what a sketchy stack of sockets and scrap metal is for...

[@Rock-Forehead]

31:00 I have had good luck taking a drill bits around the inner sleeve. Drill multiple times and then lube the sleeve. Good luck, highway stars!

[@fire7765]

Good job.

[@HustleTunes]

It's a pressing matter 😂

[@murdockusmvmc8051]

just a thought...what if you squirt some lubricant (wd-40) around the rubber bushing and then press out with the "H" press? I am about the replace the bushings in the rear suspension of my 75 caprice and plan on using a press instead of cutting the rubber bushings out. just have to find a sturdy washer that is the same size as the bushing opening... any ideas would be greatly appreciated.... Thanks man...

[@EricErnst]

I've been wondering, where do you get your brake cleaner? I'm tired of spending 50 bucks buying a couple cases of aerosol cans at a time. Tie rod adjusting sleeves are like 6 bucks each. Wherever I change the rods I just change them out. It's better than fighting them off and fighting them back on the new tie rod ends. I also note that I'm used to working on crap that was not as well-maintained as your dad's truck. Control arm bushings are a pain in the ass. I usually don't burn the entire thing, I run a torch on the inner metal sleeve to melt the surrounding rubber then heat up the outer sleeve to melt the bond. Last time I wound up using a sawzall blade and cut the rubber. Still had to fight it. Next time, I'll try just lighting it and drinking a few as I watch it burn. That gooey poly grease brings back memories. I could hear your gloves sticking to everything. I did mine without gloves. I'm glad I don't deal with that crap every day. I got new poly bumpstops on my little S10. I actually boxed the lower control arms for less flex. I installed lift spindles to lift the front end 3" on my 2wd s10. My plan is to run 38.5" tires out back and maybe skinny 33s up front. No lift in the rear... ride height is adjusted from sheer tire size. I cant find any gears lower than 4.56s for my rear axle. I have 4.10s and a lunchbox locker in it now. At my power level, the 10 bolt should be fine with 38.5" tires. I've got 33x12.50s on the rear now. It's a fun truck.

[@BillyReed68]

PLEASE: Tell me that THIS front end assembly is close enough to the 1995 Chevy C2500 Suburban (7.4L, 454) front end that I can use these videos to rebuild my front suspension? I was just going to order complete Upper and Lower control arm assemblies and forgo the bushing/ball joint replacements. I also have a complete caliper + rotor upgrade for the truck.

[@thestig8768]

I use varsol in my parts washer; wire wheel on a grinder would of sped you up A little for the frame; those bushing looked in quite good shape no cracks or anything to bad were already committed to urethane... after all said and done with your dads truck you will literally will have sweat, blood and tears in this build, I'm really enjoying the series, thanks the helpful tips, also what's better short or long throw air hammer?

[@thestig8768]

Also i think its 65° and higher and you want to do lots of light coats to cover bare steel

[@ericthecarguy]

Many have suggested the wire wheel, but I would have spent too much time trying to remove all the rust doing that. Also, it would have filled the shop with dust. All I was going for with this was 'photo ready'. Thank you for the suggestion though.

[@Panhead49EL]

38:55 Thought I was watching a new Steel Panther video.

[@jamespn]

Heavy suspension work, dirty, dangerous and definitely no gravy. Eric is old school as he tackles this job and shows those control arms who’s boss.