Yesterday, i learned my lower shock bushings were trash on my '05 Tahoe with 344,000 miles on the ticker. I had been noticing noises from the front when going over harsh bumps like manhole cover, railroad tracks, etc. I put it up on a lift and found the rubber was completely gone on the bottom side.
I found this thread while looking for information of doing the job. Since it didnt seem to lead to a finished product, then maybe this will help others.
I called Advance and they were able to order the Moog parts at 8:30 at night for me to pick up at 7:30 this morning. Worth noting, one box is a set to do both sides.
To get the old ones out, we removed the lower shock bolts and tied them to the upper control arm with a zip tie on each. Then we took a long round punch with "crisp" edges and folded them inward using hammer and chisel. Keep in mind the rubber that was left, we removed beforehand.
We cleaned up the holes with light emery cloth and coated the bores with anti-seize. The new bushings can be driven in using a large impact socket and sledge hammer. We had part of a rented tool set with which we drove it but still used a sledge. The rented bushing driver set was of little value aside from this since it simply would not fit with the whole chassis still intact except for the shock.
Maybe there is a press set that would yield easier results when doing the work in the vehicle.
I will call to find out on Monday what it would cost at a local shop i trust since i dont know if i would do it again and we have two more vehicles with the same ludicrous design, although those are not yet in need of replacing.
