Any tips on keeping the pivot shaft from turning?

[yellowghost]

I am trying to re-install my control arms, but it seams the pivot shaft nuts are a locking type. So no way I can turn them finger tight as my manual suggests. I cannot even torque them in without the pivot shaft turning in the bushing. Should I switch to a non locking nut, with a locking washer? I am using the poly bushings. I got them in a set so I figured I might as well use them. Them inner shell is tight in the bushing, but I can twist the shaft right out of that shell. Do you have that problem with regular rubber bushings? I think I do have to change that nut regardless, because tightening it finger tight only still leaves a quarter inch gap between the washer and the frame. Not sure I want to lower the vehicle like that.


Thanks
Jeff

 

[autoxcuda]

I am trying to re-install my control arms, but it seams the pivot shaft nuts are a locking type. So no way I can turn them finger tight as my manual suggests. I cannot even torque them in without the pivot shaft turning in the bushing. Should I switch to a non locking nut, with a locking washer?

Thanks
Jeff

Are you running poly lower control arm bushings?

 

[yellowghost]

Yeah , got the poly bushings but I am thinking I should install regular bushings. I still cannot see how those nuts could be torqed completely without twisting in any bushing. Perhaps I have to spot weld the shell to the pivot shaft? What a PITA these things are. I got the passenger side in by clamping the pivot shaft with some vice grips until it gripped.

 

[highflyer]

slide all the parts together ,lca ,t bar pins.lower car .tighten nuts till torque is reached,,

 

[autoxcuda]

Yeah , got the poly bushings but I am thinking I should install regular bushings. I still cannot see how those nuts could be torqed completely without twisting in any bushing. Perhaps I have to spot weld the shell to the pivot shaft? What a PITA these things are. I got the passenger side in by clamping the pivot shaft with some vice grips until it gripped.

Brake clean the hole in the k-member and the part of the shaft that goes in there so it is dry. Then hold the flange on the pivot pin with vise grip/channel locks. Will probably have to move the poly bushing back from the flange to get the vise grip/channel locks in there.

 

[yellowghost]

That sounds like a good idea, but how much should I tighten that nut when raised. I know it should be finger tight only , but what is finger tight with a self locking not? And is that good that the shaft is loose in the bushing? I notice when I pivot the control arm, the LCA and bushing want to push off the shaft. I know the torsion bar and pin, will prevent it from doing that, but that it add alot of stress to that pin, no? Well, I will try the bushings for now and hope that a decent alignment could be made.

 

[autoxcuda]

That sounds like a good idea, but how much should I tighten that nut when raised. I know it should be finger tight only , but what is finger tight with a self locking not? And is that good that the shaft is loose in the bushing? I notice when I pivot the control arm, the LCA and bushing want to push off the shaft. I know the torsion bar and pin, will prevent it from doing that, but that it add alot of stress to that pin, no? Well, I will try the bushings for now and hope that a decent alignment could be made.

Tighten up the pin all the way. Since you have poly LCA bushings, you do not have to do your final torque-ing of the LCA bolt with the car at ride height. The poly LCA bushing is a plain bearing and does not twist internally like a stock rubber one does.

You say right now the LCA is moving freely up and down "loose" on the bushing? It should do that. Hence, it doesn't prove anything to tighten the LCA bolt down at ride height.

The strut rod is suppose to pull the LCA and bushing up against the k-member to hold it there. But sometimes that thick poly strut bushings leaves a gap there. Someone here had that problem not to long ago.

I would measure the thickness of the poly bushing. For instance, I got 0.902" thick for the Prothane brand bushing in my hand right now. Then cut 3/8" of the rear bushing. Remeasure the thickness to get how much you took off. Now cut/hacksaw the strut rod pin that same amount. Actually cut is a little less, then grind it a little to get the exact measurement.

Matt G. did a write up of this here: http://www.heritech.org/cuda/bushings.html The pictures of all the bushing is my pictures (Steve Wall)

 

[yellowghost]

"Now cut/hacksaw the strut rod pin that same amount"

By pin, you are referring to the sleeve inside the bushings? If I simply take the sliced part and add it to the other side of the bushing, as that websire suggested, I can avoid this, no?
Well, anyway, I feel better knowing that I am not the only one who has been through this. I appreciate the help, although I still don't like the idea of chewing up the flange with vise grips to get that nut on.

 

[autoxcuda]

"Now cut/hacksaw the strut rod pin that same amount"

By pin, you are referring to the sleeve inside the bushings?

Yes. I should have wrote strut rod bushing sleeve.

I simply take the sliced part and add it to the other side of the bushing, as that websire suggested, I can avoid this, no?

Yes, that will work too.

Well, anyway, I feel better knowing that I am not the only one who has been through this. I appreciate the help, although I still don't like the idea of chewing up the flange with vise grips to get that nut on.

I don't think you'll chew up the flange too much. You are just trying to get the pin to bite into the K-member. Make sure it's all nice and dry in there and no grease/oil.

 

[yellowghost]

Autoxcuda, I did that like you told me too and it helped alot. The passenger side seems to stay snug against the frame. The drivers side will pop out about eighth of an inch when I jerk it up and down. Should I try to shave another eighth off? Would it be detrimental to take too much off? Also, I did not know about indexing the torsion bars until after. Could this explain anything. By my eyes, it appears that the control arm hex thing does not appear to be totally perpendicluar to the torsion bar. I photoshopped some paralell lines to show you what I mean. If there is a bow in the bar. I could turn this tonsion bar one full turn, and it should line up and least likely to bind.