Check your bushings!

[Aaron65]

I just did my LCA and UCA bushings on the junkyard Dart, and these were all that was left of the LCA bushings. I can't believe it didn't clunk or make any strange suspension noises. It drives a ton better now, and with my offset UCA bushings, I can run about 2.5* positive caster.

No wonder my tires were wearing funny!

 

[72bluNblu]

That's gotta be one of the worst sets I've ever seen!

Yeah the stock suspension components, especially the bushings, were never intended to last 40+ years. Heck 50+ on some of these cars now. I doubt they were expected to last over 10 years or anywhere close to 100k miles.

I bet it handles a lot better now!

 

[Aaron65]

Yeah, when I removed the torsion bar and unbolted the strut rod, the lower control arm FELL OFF! The rubber wasn't even bonded to the inner sleeve anymore (obviously, by looking at it!).

It really drives a lot better now, but now I almost want a better steering box, and maybe disc brakes...

It's a slippery slope, and I've got a lot of cars that need constant attention.

 

[71340Duster]

Much better I'm sure, man those are toast!

 

[RedFish]

In another recent thread, a member submitted that these OEM rubber bushings were never "bonded" in the first place. Anyway... once the pivot pin hits the lower arm we get a heck of a metal to metal squeak. Yep, I've seen worse. Had to replace that pin.

 

[ScampMike]

I just did my LCA and UCA bushings on the junkyard Dart, and these were all that was left of the LCA bushings. I can't believe it didn't clunk or make any strange suspension noises. It drives a ton better now, and with my offset UCA bushings, I can run about 2.5* positive caster.

No wonder my tires were wearing funny!

View attachment 1715076642

deeeeeeamn!

 

[72bluNblu]

In another recent thread, a member submitted that these OEM rubber bushings were never "bonded" in the first place. Anyway... once the pivot pin hits the lower arm we get a heck of a metal to metal squeak. Yep, I've seen worse. Had to replace that pin.

They aren't/weren't. Just a friction fit caused by compressing the rubber between the inner and outer shells. If you're careful you can press the inner shells out and then peel the rubber right out of the outer shells. You do have to overcome the friction without ripping the bushing apart, which is why a press is the best weapon of choice. Not because it takes a lot of force, just because you need a constant, even pressure to not destroy the rubber. And there's really no good way to grip the inner shell with a tool to pull them out.

You can see what I mean here. The rubber is still in great shape, the shells are clean (no attached rubber or bonding agent).And you can see the rubber is kind of barrel shaped, pushing it into the outer shell makes the bushing more straight walled by compression, the bushing wall actually goes from bowed out to bowed in. Adding the inner shell puts the rubber completely under compression, with enough friction force that the rubber doesn't rotate in the shells without tearing usually. But that's because rubber is lousy in shear. This set could probably be reassembled if I wanted to spend the time. Of course it was disassembled to install Delrin bushings so that won't be happening. Seems a waste that tubular LCA's come with rubber bushings.