Lower control arm rebush or not

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74 360 dart sport

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Hi a little background on my 74 dodge dart sport 360 it sat in a garage from 1983 because po blew tranny had the dealership rebuild the transmission and he would install himself he was the original owner long story short he never got it completed he passed away and his wife put the car outside in 2015 I purchased the car in June of 2018 I ordered a complete front suspension rebuild kit I got the lca out today on the passenger side the bushing is tight no slope at all do I put the new bushings in or not thanks
 
Old rubber upper and lower control arm bushings should be replaced. They just degrade over time. 65'
 
Plymouth 65 said:
Old rubber upper and lower control arm bushings should be replaced. They just degrade over time. 65'
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Typically accelerated after sitting a long time stationary and then used regularly. Cracks... if not already formed begin to form and rapidly desinergarate. .. and after replacing everything else..having to go back and take that all apart would be a real bummer. He should definitely do them now and that should last a lifetime
 
Got a picture? Is there any obvious deterioration of the rubber bushing?

How did you determine it was tight? If all you did is push/pull on the pivot pin by hand with the LCA already out you may not have gotten an accurate idea of how much slop there really is.

If the bushings are truly in good condition then there’s no real reason to change them. But if they look like they’re deteriorating, even a little, it would be better to do it now just so you don’t have to tear it down again later.

If they’re actually the original bushings I’d be pretty surprised if they’re going to last long enough that I would leave them in place. But they may have been replaced at some point too, hard to know without knowing the full history of the car or without seeing a few pictures at least. If there was any question I would replace them now.
 
If you didn't install the bushings you have you don't know what you have. Anyone that can look at a used rubber and say its fine probably would install a used condom.

Sometimes you just have to make the decision on your own. Do you really want to take the chance over a couple dollars in ruining your accomplishments? Put the bushings in now while its apart. You'll have the piece of mind knowing what the results are. Or will you regret it in 9 months or so. LOL
 
^^Listen to this guy^^ He knows. And I agree. Just sitting around, rubber deteriorates. It is not worth the trouble. By the time you get it apart you have more than half the job done.
 
Oldmanmopar said:
If you didn't install the bushings you have you don't know what you have. Anyone that can look at a used rubber and say its fine probably would install a used condom.

Sometimes you just have to make the decision on your own. Do you really want to take the chance over a couple dollars in ruining your accomplishments? Put the bushings in now while its apart. You'll have the piece of mind knowing what the results are. Or will you regret it in 9 months or so. LOL
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So you're saying you can't tell the difference between a bushing that needs to be replaced and a good one?

That explains a lot...

67Dart273 said:
^^Listen to this guy^^ He knows. And I agree. Just sitting around, rubber deteriorates. It is not worth the trouble. By the time you get it apart you have more than half the job done.
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Rubber does oxidize just sitting around, that's true. But oxidized rubber is also something you can identify by inspection.

What's the harm in having the OP post a picture of his LCA bushings, or explain the process he used to determine they were "tight with no slop" to see if it was a reasonable process?

I mean if I had the LCA's off and didn't know the history of the bushings I'd replace them. Heck I replace brand new rubber LCA bushings because there are superior performing options out there to replace them with. But I'm not the OP, I don't know his situation, and you can in fact determine if a bushing is any good by inspection. It's the same process by which you determine that a bushing needs to be replaced, and mechanics do that all the time don't they?
 
Oldmanmopar said:
If you didn't install the bushings you have you don't know what you have. Anyone that can look at a used rubber and say its fine probably would install a used condom.

Sometimes you just have to make the decision on your own. Do you really want to take the chance over a couple dollars in ruining your accomplishments? Put the bushings in now while its apart. You'll have the piece of mind knowing what the results are. Or will you regret it in 9 months or so. LOL
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Now thatis funny I almost spit my coffee out and my wife busted a guy too I will absolutely be changing them thank you for your opinion and advice I truly appreciate it
 
74 360 dart sport said:
Hi a little background on my 74 dodge dart sport 360 it sat in a garage from 1983 because po blew tranny had the dealership rebuild the transmission and he would install himself he was the original owner long story short he never got it completed he passed away and his wife put the car outside in 2015 I purchased the car in June of 2018 I ordered a complete front suspension rebuild kit I got the lca out today on the passenger side the bushing is tight no slope at all do I put the new bushings in or not thanks
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Replace them with quality aftermarket ones then forget about them. You will need to get a front end alignment anyway, so why pay for it twice when you must replace the OE ones after using the car for awhile?
 
72bluNblu said:
So you're saying you can't tell the difference between a bushing that needs to be replaced and a good one?

That explains a lot...



Rubber does oxidize just sitting around, that's true. But oxidized rubber is also something you can identify by inspection.

What's the harm in having the OP post a picture of his LCA bushings, or explain the process he used to determine they were "tight with no slop" to see if it was a reasonable process?

I mean if I had the LCA's off and didn't know the history of the bushings I'd replace them. Heck I replace brand new rubber LCA bushings because there are superior performing options out there to replace them with. But I'm not the OP, I don't know his situation, and you can in fact determine if a bushing is any good by inspection. It's the same process by which you determine that a bushing needs to be replaced, and mechanics do that all the time don't they?
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And now your a scientific engineer too. The "rubber doctor" Check-em for leaks and roll them back up for re-use.
I wouldn't believe a fucken thing you say. You contra-Dick yourself constantly. First rubber is good then its no good then poly is the way to go then poly is not the way to go. You amaze the **** out of me. LMFAO
 
A guy I work with says you can shake the **** out of a rubber and put it on inside out to get another use outta it.
 
I want to see pics of the car . How many miles ? Options ? Are you in MN ?
 
Oldmanmopar said:
And now your a scientific engineer too. The "rubber doctor" Check-em for leaks and roll them back up for re-use.
I wouldn't believe a fucken thing you say. You contra-Dick yourself constantly. First rubber is good then its no good then poly is the way to go then poly is not the way to go. You amaze the **** out of me. LMFAO
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A "scientific engineer"? Wow. All engineering is science bud. And yeah, I do have an engineering degree and learning and understanding the physical properties of materials is part of that.

There's no contradiction in what I said. Rubber LCA bushings do work, never said they didn't. Poly LCA bushings work too, and when properly maintained will have less slop and last longer than rubber LCA bushings will. Delrin LCA bushings will have even less play than poly bushings, and will last even longer with lower maintenance requirements than poly bushings.

Like I said, I've torn out brand new rubber bushings and replaced them with Delrin, and I'd do it again. That doesn't mean the rubber bushings wouldn't have worked. It just means the Delrin ones work better and match the other modifications I've made to my car better.

As for the OP, like I said earlier, I don't know his situation- what tools he has available, how he intends to use the car, what his experience level in suspension rebuilds is, none of it. The LCA bushings are the only part of the front suspension that really requires a press or specialized tools to R&R, so, if the OP doesn't have one and his LCA bushings are in good working order he could save a lot of time and headache leaving them in place. If he's got a full shop, replace away.

I just asked to see a picture of the bushings so I could give legitimate advice, instead of just blindly saying "replace them" when they could in fact be perfectly functional. That's also why I asked what he did to check the play, because if they're not good they do need to be replaced. But I can't tell that just from a guy saying "there's no slop" with no other explanation.

But maybe I'm asking you to understand too much here, since you apparently don't even have a procedure for inspecting a bushing to see if it's any good. Which is interesting, because any mechanic worth his salt should be able to inspect a bushing and tell if it's in working order.
 
72bluNblu said:
A "scientific engineer"? Wow. All engineering is science bud. And yeah, I do have an engineering degree and learning and understanding the physical properties of materials is part of that.

There's no contradiction in what I said. Rubber LCA bushings do work, never said they didn't. Poly LCA bushings work too, and when properly maintained will have less slop and last longer than rubber LCA bushings will. Delrin LCA bushings will have even less play than poly bushings, and will last even longer with lower maintenance requirements than poly bushings.

Like I said, I've torn out brand new rubber bushings and replaced them with Delrin, and I'd do it again. That doesn't mean the rubber bushings wouldn't have worked. It just means the Delrin ones work better and match the other modifications I've made to my car better.

As for the OP, like I said earlier, I don't know his situation- what tools he has available, how he intends to use the car, what his experience level in suspension rebuilds is, none of it. The LCA bushings are the only part of the front suspension that really requires a press or specialized tools to R&R, so, if the OP doesn't have one and his LCA bushings are in good working order he could save a lot of time and headache leaving them in place. If he's got a full shop, replace away.

I just asked to see a picture of the bushings so I could give legitimate advice, instead of just blindly saying "replace them" when they could in fact be perfectly functional. That's also why I asked what he did to check the play, because if they're not good they do need to be replaced. But I can't tell that just from a guy saying "there's no slop" with no other explanation.

But maybe I'm asking you to understand too much here, since you apparently don't even have a procedure for inspecting a bushing to see if it's any good. Which is interesting, because any mechanic worth his salt should be able to inspect a bushing and tell if it's in working order.
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From what I was told the only degree you have is selling paraphernalia at the local Cannabis shop. Didn't know they sell rubber pipes.

You cannot look at rubber and tell its age or life it has left. Stop leading guy on. If he has the arms out and he doesn't know the age of the bushings . REPLACE THEM.
 
Replace them with something other than rubber and junk the OE strut rods. Use a Poly or delrin bushing and use adjustable strut rods.

Buy once, cry once. Rubber bushings and OE strut rods were obsolete many, many years ago.

Edit: even if you decide to stay with obsolete rubber bushings, invest in adjustable strut rods. They are worth the investment.
 
Definitely go poly on the lowers.
Poly in struts is great if you road race or what better/stiffer handling ime it's a rougher ride with poly struts and poly lowers n uppers. Bumps are jarring and let the hood break from the deadener/sealant and rattle everytime.
 
Oldmanmopar said:
From what I was told the only degree you have is selling paraphernalia at the local Cannabis shop. Didn't know they sell rubber pipes.

You cannot look at rubber and tell its age or life it has left. Stop leading guy on. If he has the arms out and he doesn't know the age of the bushings . REPLACE THEM.
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As I have pointed out MANY times before, you have been told wrong. I have an engineering degree from one of the top public schools in the country, and I've been a firefighter by trade for over twenty years. And I'm not posting more than that on the open web, because I don't have a thing to prove to you.

You and the member that "told you" have lowered yourself to attacking my character because you can't make an argument on the facts. But you two had to make up a character to do that, because I'm not that guy. The guy that "told you" just did a search on facebook and picked the first guy he found in my general geographic area with a similar name that had a job he didn't like that happened to belong to some kind of mopar facebook group (for a year and model of truck I don't even own!). The guy he picked doesn't live in the same city as me, doesn't own the same cars as me, and doesn't even have the same damn name as me. It's pathetic you still drag that out every time you can't make your point with facts. There's a reason why all of the posts where you and that other guy try to slander me with that nonsense keep getting deleted, it's because they're 100% bullshit and I proved it to a mod.

You can absolutely inspect a bushing and determine if it's good or not. It actually kinda surprises me that someone that's been working on cars as long as you claim to have been can't even do a simple bushing inspection that is done at every single Les Schwab in the country probably dozens of times a day, and gets a warranty afterwards. I wouldn't tell the guy the bushing would last for years, and if he wants to replace it while the LCA's are out that's not a bad idea because pulling the LCA's is a bunch of work. But the idea that you can't inspect a bushing and tell if it's any good or not is just flat out wrong.
 
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