Is it possible to drive a car 50 miles with a bad lower control arm

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jerry6

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bushing ? Coming home from the shop , about 50 miles away I noticed when I put on the brakes it felt like it was metal to metal no brake pads . Well I pulled the wheels and brakes are fine . Must be lower control bushings are gone . Can I make it another 50 miles back to the shop ? Driving is fine , up to 70 mph then get a little vibration , but apply the brakes and it grinds BADLY .
How big a job is changing lower control arm bushings ?
Always something , I'll never get the car in perfect shape to give it to my son this year !
 
Grinding brake noise does NOT sound to me like a LCA bushing.

This sounds like brakes or a wheel bearing. Better have another look.
 
as you describe it I don't believe it could be the lower control arms either. Based on what you say you hear it sounds to be something rotating. check again, 67Dart may have it correct....... and have it towed!
 
I owned a rambler once that I drove and it sounded horrible. I drove it home, jacked it up and the wheel feel completely off. The only thing that held the wheel on were the brake shoes inside the drum.

I agree, look again. Be careful.
 
I vote for wheel bearings. That can be a quick fix on the side of the road if you get someone that knows what their doing to help.
 
The brakes are perfect , no play in the wheel at all , so bearings saeem good
If it were the bearing why would it make a grinding noise only when I apply the brakes , and wouldn't it make noise all the time ? Outside the car there is almost no noise , just inside the car it vibrates when the brakes are applied feels like metal to metal brakes .
If the lower control arm bushing rubber is gone what would be the symptoms ? metal on metal while braking with the vibrations going through the car , or not ?
 
jdakota said:
I owned a rambler once that I drove and it sounded horrible. I drove it home, jacked it up and the wheel feel completely off. The only thing that held the wheel on were the brake shoes inside the drum.

I agree, look again. Be careful.
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I had a bearing go a few times , there would be play if I gripped the wheel and tried to move it while on a jack , no play at all . Again n noise just vibration that feels like metal to metal brakes , outside the car no noise
 
How old are the brakes? Sounds like you might be down to the wear indicators. They make a vibration at first and then start to squeal if you let them go longer.

Long time ago I had an idler arm go bad that started with a vibration when the brakes were applied. It was a drum brake car and one side grabbed just a bit earlier than the other and resulted in the vibration.
 
DFX 340 Duster said:
How old are the brakes? Sounds like you might be down to the wear indicators. They make a vibration at first and then start to squeal if you let them go longer.

Long time ago I had an idler arm go bad that started with a vibration when the brakes were applied. It was a drum brake car and one side grabbed just a bit earlier than the other and resulted in the vibration.
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All brakes are in perfect shape , shop looked at them , pads are 90% , shoes 98% . I thought it was the brakes so all wheels came off and pads disks and drums checked .
Car does not pull when brakes applied . Only thing is vibration and it feels like pass side brakes are metal to metal , no sound outside the car when applying brakes .
 
Are your disc brakes original, or add ons ( Mopar Parts ) or aftermarket parts! Just trying to help diagnose the problem. Have you done any wheel size changes. Does the wheel itself show any signs of scraping.
 
dovercrossing said:
Are your disc brakes original, or add ons ( Mopar Parts ) or aftermarket parts! Just trying to help diagnose the problem. Have you done any wheel size changes. Does the wheel itself show any signs of scraping.
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Wheel and brakes are mopar original , I already drove about 75 miles like this out of necessity , brakes are perfect , no noise just a vibration and from in the car it feels like pass side front brake grinding , but outside no noise . If the bushing rubber is gone , don't know if it is , but if so would the lower control arm rubbing metal to metal make this grinding vibration ?
If the wheel was scraping I'd hear it from outside the car when my friend drove it , silent , only happens putting on the brakes and they are perfect , at least 2 mechanics looking at them think so , it was late and had no time to check other things . They thought it was lower bushings , but had no time to check .
 
a bad upper ball joint and or upper bushing, will make the inside of the rim rub the upper control arm or ball joint when hitting the brakes. It would have to be really bad and I wouldn't recomend driving it. Steve
 
Oldmanmopar said:
a bad upper ball joint and or upper bushing, will make the inside of the rim rub the upper control arm or ball joint when hitting the brakes. It would have to be really bad and I wouldn't recomend driving it. Steve
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That must be it , tow truck here we come . Is there a quick way to check upper ball joint ?
 
If something like this is going on--and it might be, you should be able to SEE it, marks (gouges?) on the wheel, etc.

To check ball joints, jack up the car and support it on the lower arms so the ball joint has no weight on it, then you can jack/ lever around on them and see what you have for play.
 
I don't know what the problem, but it sounds exactly like what my GTS was doing before I parked it a few years ago, but mine did have a pull, too. Depending on how hard you hit the brakes, it would pull one way or the other. The brakes grab and sing. I've decided to go disc brakes on the car and will probably go through the suspension as the last time I did it was 1986 and about 70,000 miles ago. Basically, check EVERYTHING.
 
Jim Lusk said:
I don't know what the problem, but it sounds exactly like what my GTS was doing before I parked it a few years ago, but mine did have a pull, too. Depending on how hard you hit the brakes, it would pull one way or the other. The brakes grab and sing. I've decided to go disc brakes on the car and will probably go through the suspension as the last time I did it was 1986 and about 70,000 miles ago. Basically, check EVERYTHING.
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I think you should consider selling the GTS..... :-\"

lol
 
All this started after the shop visit? Don't tow it back there. Could be the lug nuts on one (or more) wheels are loose.
 
HemiMark said:
I think you should consider selling the GTS..... :-\"

lol
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Nah, that ain't happening........... I've had it since I was 23 and my wife was 21. Still got the wife and still got the car (she claims it's hers anyway, I just get to work on it.....BUT, that's why I have a Barracuda convertible.....).
 

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well the first question always should be...

what did you do?? LOL did you change anything? adjust, replace, swap rims??
 
magnumdart said:
All this started after the shop visit? Don't tow it back there. Could be the lug nuts on one (or more) wheels are loose.
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Happened before the shop visit , that was for exhaust , but they pulled the wheels on all 4 to check brakes , all good , they test drove it and thought it was lower control arm bushing because outside the car there was no noise when braking , only vibration from pass side front that felt like bad grinding disks , if it were wheel scrapng control arm it would be heard outside the car , no ? If there were no bushing on lower control arm metal on metal would make that vibration , or that's what they thought .
I drove 75 miles at 60 mph with no vibration , unless i hit the brakes . Even at 2 mph it give that vibration feeling if i hit the brakes .
Towing will cost a fortune , 50 miles to the shop !
 
Have you checked your UCA bushings?They might be worn/torn causing movement/vibration when brakeing.Just my 2 cents.
 
pettybludart said:
Have you checked your UCA bushings?They might be worn/torn causing movement/vibration when brakeing.Just my 2 cents.
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Will check them as well , just hate the idea of towing on a flatbed 50 miles ! going to cost big .
Wish there was noise when it happened , that would make it easy , but that bad vibration that feels like metal on rotors is strange . If it were a rotating part hitting something there would be noise , or am I wrong .
 
Jim Lusk said:
Nah, that ain't happening........... I've had it since I was 23 and my wife was 21. Still got the wife and still got the car (she claims it's hers anyway, I just get to work on it.....BUT, that's why I have a Barracuda convertible.....).
Click to expand...

Now that my friend is sweet! :thumrigh:
 
no it's on tight . If it ever stops raining I'll get it to the shop . This is driving me crazy
 
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