Need help with a time estimate for rebuilding control arms.

[moparnewbie]

Hows it going guys. I used this site before for this car and you guys were amazingly helpful so im hopeing someone can help me out again.
Its a 72 charger 400, and it BADLY needs all the control arm bushings. Im going to sell them the pivot shafts, lower reinforcement plates and strut bushings just to be safe because all the balljoints and tie rods are good, its got new shocks, swaybar links, and brand new idler, pitman arm, and box. Problem is you drive it and the front end moves so bad the tires lean out at the top and they squeel like a pig going down the street.

Im figureing 5 hours a side to disassemble, removal and install bushings, weld the plates and reinstall. Ive done many control arm rebuilds with poly bushings but never on a mopar. If anyone could give me a better idea on time, and any info on how much the tbars are gonna suck to remove I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance, mason.

 

[mrsnicks]

I just recently did this, in order to give a good estimate the following things help.

Tool access. Will you be using air tools? Do you have the correct ball joint socket to get the UCA ball joint out? Air chisel.. do you have one to get the UCA bushings out? Are you using rubber bushings or poly for the LCA's? This matters because for rubber you will have to remove the outer sleeve, poly I think you leave it in. Will you be stripping/painting any of the parts upon removal and before assembly? Shop press to press everything in? Roll pin punches for the roll pings on the strut rods? Torque wrenches and FSM for torque specs? I forget the size of the nut for the pitman arm but it is a large/oddball size and it's best to use a socket and air hammer.

Torsion bars could go either way. Mine slid out with light prying on the LCAs, but some people have had to use heat and a removal tool on theirs.

 

[Bruzilla]

I saw some retailer selling a special tool kit that has everything you need to rebuild the front end. I think it was about $100, and I'm guessing well worth it. I'll be buying one when I get around to rebuilding mine.

 

[The Ripper]

5.5 for the bushings plus another hour to weld in the LCA plates.

If I could get 10 hours of labor to do a job that simple, I'd go back to turning wrenches for a living.