Lower Control Arm Doesnt go back in????

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SGBARRACUDA said:
I'm wondering if something is bent on the DS. I used the poly lower bushing that just slipped into the LCA arm while utilizing the original bushing shell and tho I douted that it would work it has been fine for a year now. Since you had no issues on the PS? One more thing, I think from now on I'm going to use the factory type lower bushing in the future, it just seems like a better way.
Click to expand...

Yea, these just slipped in too. I didn't even remove the original shell from
the lca or kingpin. Would the T bar keep this aligned? I am thinking even an
original type busing would be getting way too much offset on one side.

Maybe a bent strut rod? but it does not look that way.

I'm not really sure where to go from here. I am running out of funds
real quick on this project!
 
idrift said:
Yea, these just slipped in too. I didn't even remove the original shell from
the lca or kingpin. Would the T bar keep this aligned? I am thinking even an
original type busing would be getting way too much offset on one side.

Maybe a bent strut rod? but it does not look that way.

I'm not really sure where to go from here. I am running out of funds
real quick on this project!
Click to expand...

The way these are designed, the torsion bar after being torqued by tightening the adjustment bolt is really the only thing that does hold the lower control arm from slipping off! The little clip in the rear can't be expected to hold all that togetheron its own. Unless the K-member where the stut rod goes thru is bent to the rear? This is the only way I can see one side working and the other not? If i remember when I put mine together the lower arm did want to slip backwards, I installed the torsion bar and pryed everything to the front as I tightened the torsion bar. Like I said I relly don't like this bushing design.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
The way these are designed, the torsion bar after being torqued by tightening the adjustment bolt is really the only thing that does hold the lower control arm from slipping off! The little clip in the rear can't be expected to hold all that togetheron its own. Unless the K-member where the stut rod goes thru is bent to the rear? This is the only way I can see one side working and the other not? If i remember when I put mine together the lower arm did want to slip backwards, I installed the torsion bar and pryed everything to the front as I tightened the torsion bar. Like I said I relly don't like this bushing design.
Click to expand...

Well I know once that the T bar is under tension it will hold things in place
somewhat but how much I guess I dont know. I am thinking years ago, I
banged my E body in some but it's hard to remember as it's been over 10
years!

The strut rods did turn some in the lca until I put a wrench on the nut on
the lca side then the front nut came off. Maybe that spinning changed the
angle some? Nothing up front looks as if it's ever been smashed up, and all
the last owners confirmed that. Maybe I will have to buy adjustable struts?
Oh yea, "um honey, forget that disney trip with our daughter I need new
strut rods" lol that would go over like a lead balloon.

Seriously though even at that, if I did use shorter rods, something must
be amiss for it to be like that right?
 
Oh I did get your uca's today and already have the bushings in and ready to
go as soon as I get the lowers figured out. Thanks.
 
Here we go again...

I'm back to working on my lower control arms and
bushings etc again.

So I have the new T bars banged into place, the
strut rod bushing torqued down and I have a gap
of about 3/16 between the shoulder of the bushing
and the shoulder of the king pin. I took a wood block
and beat the hell out of the lca hex where the T bar
goes in and it closed up the gap, however if I move
the lca down and back up (no tension on the T bar
yet) the damn thing will move back to the gap
again. I took 3/8" off the poly strut bushings,
shouldn't that have been enough? If I put tension
on the T bar will it keep it in place? The small lock
ring on the back of the T bar does not give much
lock I would imagine. This was the good side, I
haven't even started on the side with the bigger
gap yet....

I checked the strut rods and they are not bent at all. Any ideas????
 
If this thing beats you down, just use rubber strut rod bushings and it'll go right together.

Energy told me [in 2004] they were discontinuing there poly lowers because of complaints about the lower arm/bushing not seating right.
If anything it's their strut bushing that makes it hard , not the lower poly bushing ....

They say poly struts for drag racing so that the front wheels don't plow as much, but with road debris,oil, engine cleaners and everything else out there I say in the future go with rubber strut rod bushings and poly for everything else, thats what I did. JMO
 
Where can you get the one piece bushing like the factory had for the
strut rods?
 
One piece strut rod bushings were available a few years back from ESPO (Springs and Things).

Also Spicer Pro and Moog Professional series had an improved rubber strut rod bushing that is supposed to really last.

When I rebuilt my 1969 340 Swinger in 2000, I used all rubber Moog Pro bushings, with poly only used on the factory sway bar. Everything went together the first time with no issues.

Sorry to hear about the issues with your front end build.

Over on Moparts, there was a thread a few years ago about this very issue with the poly bushings in the LCA and the strut rods. The final verdict was stick with the improved rubber bushings from either Spicer or Moog, but use poly bushings on the factory sway bar.
 
So here's where I am on the passengers side.

T bar is in but not under load, strut rod is torqued, kingpin is torqued.
I muscle the lca up and down and the arm moves back to what you can see.
I think it would probably stay put at that point but appears like I need to cut
another 1/8-3/16" off the inner strut bushing. Does that sound about right

SNC00102.jpg
 
The drivers side won't stay put. I took the strut bushings back off and
installed the lca up tight against the kingpin shoulder. The shoulder of the
strut rod is about dead even with the inside of the K member, that leaves
nothing for a bushing. Does this mean somewhere along the way something
got bent up. the strut rod also is tight against the outside of the hole.

So, where do I go on this side? Adjustable strut rod?
 
Man I don't know what to tell you except your going to have to take some measurements off of another car at the K- member to see if maybe your is bent from an accident in the past maybe?
 
Ok,

Lets assume something is bent up, I don't see it but hey I need glasses so
lets go with that. I don't see how I could fix it so given that, would it be
easiest to go with a slightly shorter strut rod? I know the alignment guy might
hate me, but if it would keep the lower arm from sliding for and aft on the
pin it should at least be somewhat better right? I don't see how I could
fix a tweaked frame.

I don't see a bend in the arm but it would be weird because it would be
too far forward like someone bent it smashing something in reverse right?
Suppose that's possible.

What do you guys think?
 
I spun out 180* in my valiant one time, came around backwards and smacked a curb with the drivers front wheel and bent it forward pretty much pigeon toed front end.

It's possible.

But I think I would pull the king pin out of the bushing, wipe the grease of of it and stick it back together with no grease and try it again.
 
I can try that.
Any particular thing to look at on the lca? i dont see anything
but an idea would help.

Would it be feasible for me to slightly bend the strut rod so it ends up in
the center of the hole in the frame to help hold it centered as well?

I can get carried away with grease sometimes...

Thanks guys, this thing is beating me down.
 
Torsion socket? you mean where the bar goes into it and its rotation
in relationship to the frame?
 
I wish you were close to me,I'd like to take a look at the whole thing. Could the LCA be bent forward, out towards the ball joint end? This would make sense about your problem and keep the arm from going far enough forward.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
I wish you were close to me,I'd like to take a look at the whole thing. Could the LCA be bent forward, out towards the ball joint end? This would make sense about your problem and keep the arm from going far enough forward.
Click to expand...

This has been crazy.

So today at work I sliced down the passengers side strut bushing .150 more
to close up the gap I had between the lca bushing and kingpin shoulder.
Installed that tonight and it mates up for the most part flush and stays
there sweeping the lca up and down with the T bar under slight tension.

The drivers side ( the bad one) I cut the bushing down another 1/4" so now
it is only between 1/4 and 3/8" thick (which is about the same as the rubber one that was on it). I have the strut rod torqued down, kingpin
torqued down and T bar under slight tension. When I sweep the lca up and
down it will move back between 1/8" to at the most 3/16" and seems to
stay put. It looks to be slightly askewed but I think that's ok. Given it's all
poly parts don't you think this should be ok to run? I figure if they can
align it ok it should be good enough right? I guess I can drive it some and
recheck to see if anything is shifting.

Thanks again for all your help. It's 11:30 PM and I'm finishing up, it's definitely beer time....
 
1wild&crazyguy said:
I hope they can align it.

askewed? like the lowers forward too much?
Click to expand...

No still like the strut is a little long. I am starting to think maybe it was
that way originally. The strut bushings were only 1/4" thick and smashed
down a lot.

Well I look at it like this, the steering box was shot bad, I changed that,
the idler arm had no center sleeve left.....I changed that, pittman arm I
changed, all the ball joints had about 1/2" play in them......oh and the
studs in the lowers were loose, tie rod ends...just about not even there.

If they can even align it somewhat close it has to be way better than it
was before, hell it wasn't even safe to drive!
 
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