Any suggestions on bushing replacement?
I was going to do the MOOG blue ones for front
Also, Should I change the bolts?
There is no need to change bolts if they are not damaged. I use stock bolts on my Caliber race car and have never had an issue.
If you are attempting this work yourself, the most important thing is to get a high quality calibrated torque wrench, and make sure that you torque each bolt to the exact specs called for in the factory service manual. I suggest going through the factory service manual and writing down the torque specs for each suspension bolt on a cheat sheet and then using that during assembly.
Do not attempt this job without a good torque wrench.
Also on tools, this next tool while not critical, will cut several hours off the job. My race team declared this tool to be the MVP tool of the decade:
Milwaukee M12 FUEL 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 3/8 in. Right Angle Impact Wrench (Tool-Only) 2564-20
Here is what I did on bushings for my car. Warning: my car is a dedicated race car, you may not need or want some of this for a daily driver:
New front control arms with spherical/polyurethane bushings already pressed in (it says SRT4, but they fit all Calibers):
Caliber Performance Control Arms 2008-2009 Caliber SRT-4 / 07-12 Compass / 07-12 Patriot
Moog blue polyurethane front and rear swaybar bushings. These come in several sizes to match the different swaybars that come with the various editions of the caliber. Make sure to order the correct size. These fit my car perfectly, work well, and have survived over 1,000 miles on track with no issues or noise. These are a great and cheap upgrade for a slight handling boost.
Rear camber arms with spherical bushings (It says Lancer, but it fits Caliber perfectly):
Spherical Bearing Adjustable Rear Camber Arm Kit For Mitsubishi Lancer Sliver
Rear toe arms with spherical bushings (It says Lancer, but it fits Caliber perfectly):
Mitsubishi Lancer (CY4A) 2008-16 Adjustable Rear Toe Arms With Spherical Bearings
Nolothane rear trailing arm polyurethane bushings:
Nolathane REV102.0006 Nolathane Trailing Arm Bushings | Summit Racing
Siberian rear lower control arm polyurethane bushings:
https://siberianbushing.com/catalog/DODGE/USA/CALIBER/PM/2008
You should also replace at least the front and rear engine mounts. If your car is for street use with occasional track use, I would use the stock engine mounts and plan on replacing them every 15-20k miles.
New Caliber owner - a few technical questions
I used a front camber bolt kit to dial in more camber. Again, my car is a dedicated race car, you may not need or want this on a daily driver:
https://www.amazon.com/Moog-K90474-Cam-Bolt-Kit/dp/B000HPQ1EW/
While I had the entire suspension torn apart, I took the front knuckle to a machine shop and had new wheel bearings pressed in, and I replaced the rear wheel bearings. Front bearings are press in, so you need a machine shop (unless you have a press in your garage). Rear bearings are an assembly that you can bolt in easily while you have the suspension disassembled.
I replaced my struts and springs with the SRT4 struts and springs. This was very easy to do compared to putting in coilovers and trying to get them adjusted correctly, but then, I was not trying to get to a particular "perfect lowered/dropped look" that I had mind, I just wanted to get the car somewhat lower and somewhat stiffer, and this is the easy button:
Standard Caliber vs SRT4 Caliber suspension springs...
I also put in an SRT4 strut tower brace:
DC Sports Front Upper Strut Tower Bar 07-10 Dodge Caliber 2.0L 2.4L Non-Turbo | eBay
After all of the above changes, the handling was transformed. My drivers have much more confidence pushing the car deep into the corners and we gained 6-8 seconds a lap (on a 2.5 mile circuit) compared to our stock suspension.
Our next step is to go with lightweight Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X MR BBS 18x8.5 wheels. They will bolt right in, look great and are more than 7 pounds lighter for each wheel vs Caliber SXT wheels. This will save 28 pounds of unsprung weight and will significantly improve handling and acceleration.