Rocker Arm Bushing Replacement

Difficulty 3/53–6 hrs$60–2801997-2006

Worn control arm bushings cause vague steering, clunks over bumps, and uneven tire wear; replacement requires pressing the old sleeves out — most TJ owners replace the whole arm instead of fighting the press job.

The TJ has eight control arm bushings — two per arm at each end, four arms total. They wear by 80,000-150,000 miles depending on use, and a lifted TJ that's seen mud or saltwater destroys them faster. Symptoms: clunking on direction changes, steering wander, premature inner-edge tire wear, and a "loose" feel that doesn't track straight on the highway. Grab each arm and try to twist it — significant rotational play at the bushing eye means it's done.

Three real options:

Replace the bushings in your existing arms. Cheapest at $60-$80 in parts, but the labor is the catch. The bushing sleeves are pressed into the arm eye and bonded with rubber. Burning the rubber out with a torch, drilling the sleeve, and cutting it with a sawzall is the proven method — a 12-ton shop press will handle the new bushing install. Plan four to six hours total. Poly bushings (Prothane 1-204, Energy 2.3106) transmit more road noise than rubber but last twice as long.

Replace the whole arms with new OE-spec ones. Replacement arms with fresh bushings run $35-$50 each in stamped steel from MOOG or Dorman. Total: $140-200 for all four, no press work needed. This is the right call for most owners.

Upgrade to tubular arms with rebuildable joints. Currie, Clayton, and JKS make tubular arms with Johnny Joints or similar — $280-$500 per pair. Rebuildable for life, much stronger than stock stamped arms, and necessary above a 3" lift to correct geometry.

Whatever you choose: torque to spec with the suspension at ride height, not with the wheels hanging. Torquing at full droop preloads the bushings and tears them apart within a year.

Steps

Park on level ground. Loosen the lug nuts before jacking.
Lift the front, set on jack stands under the frame. Support the axle with a floor jack so it stays at ride height.
Soak control arm bolts with penetrating oil. These are 18mm and notoriously rusty.
Remove the lower arm first — one bolt at the frame, one at the axle bracket. Repeat for the upper.
If pressing bushings: burn out rubber with a torch (in open air, away from fuel lines), drill the sleeve, slot it with a sawzall, collapse it inward, drive out. Press new bushings in with a shop press.
If swapping whole arms: install new arm, hand-thread both bolts.
Repeat for remaining arms. Switch to the rear and repeat — same process, different arm geometry.
Lower the vehicle so the suspension is at ride height. Torque all control arm bolts to 130 ft-lb.
Test drive at low speed checking for clunks. Get an alignment within 100 miles.

Why it works

Restores tight steering and bump feel
Stops premature tire wear
Replacing whole arms avoids the press job entirely
Poly bushings last twice as long as rubber

Trade-offs

Pressing bushings is genuinely difficult — most owners pay a shop $100-150 per arm
Poly bushings transmit road noise
Must torque at ride height or you'll destroy the new bushings
Alignment required after

Tools required

floor jack
jack stands
bushing press or shop press
ball joint press kit
metric sockets
torque wrench
penetrating oil

Parts

Part	Vendor	Est. price
Prothane front control arm bushing kit (poly)	Prothane	~$65
Energy Suspension front control arm bushing kit (poly)	Energy Suspension	~$80
MOOG lower control arm bushing (rubber, OE-style)	MOOG	~$42
Currie / Clayton Johnny Joint replacement arms (full set)	Currie/Clayton	~$280

Sources

Written and maintained by an AZ wheeler and driveway wrencher. Always cross-reference your factory service manual — modifications affect vehicle safety and warranty. Work at your own risk.

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