well, i don't know if i totally messed up, or if i got lucky installing the bushing and caps in the lower control arm. trying to install 126 lower control arm bushings in to a 123 control arm.
the inner bushing went in rather easily using a shop press. the caps, on the other hand, led to lots of cursing, tool modification/ingenuity, and eventually the use of my super huge bench vise after the shop press turned out to be a wasted adventure in futility.
disclaimer -i have never done this before, so i don't know what the end result should be.
the bushing kit is a Lemforder kit.
i pressed in and centered the central bushing so that it stuck out evenly on both sides of the control arm. i used napa sil-glyde as a lubricant.
i then tried numerous methods to get the caps to seat. finally, i got them to start evenly while compressing everything in my vise.
the caps seated on the central tube of the bushing, on both ends.
neither of the metal parts of the caps seated fully into the comtrol arm
the rubber of the cap compressed as the cap seated on to the inner sleeve of the bushing.
the control arm fits in the bracket of the body by hand, with minimal wiggle, less than 1mm clearance (total) between caps and bracket on body.

thoughts or comments appreciated. i am not worried about hearing bad news. if i need to buy another bushing kit and start over, that is fine. if i got lucky and that is how it is supposed to be, then great, i can get everything assembled.
thanks for any help.
jon

caps installed. one end (right in picture) sticks out a little more than the other, but both caps are seated on the sleeve of the bushing.


compressed rubber of installed cap versus rubber of uninstalled cap.


cap seated on sleeve of bushing.


fitment into bracket on body.