Lower A Arm Rubber Pushing Out
#1
Racer
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Lower A Arm Rubber Pushing Out
At Spooktacular Sunday PM, I noticed the rubber bushing on my right front lower A arm to extruding out of its proper position, allowing metal to metal contact, between the arm knuckle and the aluminum housing.
Replace with poly bushings? Will they stay put? Source...VBP? Do they squeek? Does a poly bushing need to be lubed continually? With what?
How difficult to do in the home garage? My skill level is that I've done rotors, pads, shocks, sway bars, and both front wheel bearings on my C5.
Replace with poly bushings? Will they stay put? Source...VBP? Do they squeek? Does a poly bushing need to be lubed continually? With what?
How difficult to do in the home garage? My skill level is that I've done rotors, pads, shocks, sway bars, and both front wheel bearings on my C5.
#2
Race Director
At Spooktacular Sunday PM, I noticed the rubber bushing on my right front lower A arm to extruding out of its proper position, allowing metal to metal contact, between the arm knuckle and the aluminum housing.
Replace with poly bushings? Will they stay put? Source...VBP? Do they squeek? Does a poly bushing need to be lubed continually? With what?
How difficult to do in the home garage? My skill level is that I've done rotors, pads, shocks, sway bars, and both front wheel bearings on my C5.
Replace with poly bushings? Will they stay put? Source...VBP? Do they squeek? Does a poly bushing need to be lubed continually? With what?
How difficult to do in the home garage? My skill level is that I've done rotors, pads, shocks, sway bars, and both front wheel bearings on my C5.
Usually it's the upper that goes first, but lowers also (apparently). You may go to the trouble of doing the poly replacement only to find that they shift out of position also. There is a vendor that has race type bushings, but maybe too harsh for you.
If it's primarily street with a little sport driving thrown in, I'd replace with stock & be good for another 20-30k miles. You should be able to diy.
Last edited by froggy47; 10-20-2008 at 06:50 PM.
#3
Melting Slicks
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Bushings are not an easy job to do yourself, I use a press to do them, but most people don't have access to a press so they use a torch. Personally I like to VB&P bushings they have washers at the ends of there bushings and seem like they would stay in place the best. However the Pfadt and DRM bushings have slots in them to hold more lube in place. Also if you are doing the whole car the Pfadt kit comes with a bushing for the rear lower shock mount. Of all of the bushings I have installed (about 7 sets) I haven't had one person complain about squeeking, no matter which bushings they have gone with. I would definatly recommend bushings not only will they not move on you they will also keep your alignment settings where you set them (less arm movement) they will also give you extended life of your race rubber. Besides the cost I don't really see a downside, except maybe a little stiffer ride, but that's not always a bad thing.
#4
Drifting
I have an extra set of lower a-arms with new VBP bushings installed. $400 if you want them. If you're interested you can email me at meldog21@yahoo.com
Dog
Dog
#5
Just installed the Pfadt kit in my brother Toms car. We are getting the car ready for PBOC at the 24hr course at Daytona next week. I drove the car today after installing and there are no squeaks. The car is an 08 with LG coilovers and Phadt sways. We had the stock bushings in the car and pushed the upper control arm bushing out about .5" at Road Atlanta when we ran it in TT with NASA in August. The car ran well turning a 1:34 wich is respectable. We cant wait to see what it will do at Daytona next week and will give an update about the bushings. David
PS, Part of the problem for the stock bushing might be the ST60 brakes and the 315 front and 345 rears. And If wondering how the hell did you put those sizes on a C6, the car has the Z06 body panels installed to accomodate those sizes.
PS, Part of the problem for the stock bushing might be the ST60 brakes and the 315 front and 345 rears. And If wondering how the hell did you put those sizes on a C6, the car has the Z06 body panels installed to accomodate those sizes.
#8
At Spooktacular Sunday PM, I noticed the rubber bushing on my right front lower A arm to extruding out of its proper position, allowing metal to metal contact, between the arm knuckle and the aluminum housing.
Replace with poly bushings? Will they stay put? Source...VBP? Do they squeek? Does a poly bushing need to be lubed continually? With what?
How difficult to do in the home garage? My skill level is that I've done rotors, pads, shocks, sway bars, and both front wheel bearings on my C5.
Replace with poly bushings? Will they stay put? Source...VBP? Do they squeek? Does a poly bushing need to be lubed continually? With what?
How difficult to do in the home garage? My skill level is that I've done rotors, pads, shocks, sway bars, and both front wheel bearings on my C5.
Dave G.
#10
#11
Drifting
I have the pfadt poly urethane bushing now for about 2 years and it didn't squeak at first, but now does squeak! Might be stupid question, but how do you lube them? BTW, I have an '06 C6Z. TIA
#14
Melting Slicks
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I've used silicone spray on the car before but it only works for a couple of weeks, you would almost want to put zerk fittings onto the arms so that you can lube the arms, although it would get messy it would keep them quiet, or you could just deal with the noise and enjoy the benefits.
#15
Race Director
You can ,of course, squirt/rub/smear lube all over (the outside of) it, but I think that is probably a temporary deal if it helps at all.
This why I previously suggest stock replacement, unless you have a competition need for poly. I hear the graphite impreg. are better at not squeeking.
#16
Premium Supporting Vendor
I can't run poly in SCCA T1, but will say that over the years, even with the stiffer bushings in the T1 a-arms, I've found it very common that the lower front a-arms tend to move aft. As a caution, this changes the geometry of the front suspension. Most notably, front toe goes in a lot as the lower front a-arms slide aft. Fairly easy to adjust toe and if you track the car and don't have a set of toe plates, they are fairly cheap (like under $100) from places like Longacre.
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C66 Racing #66 NASA ST2, SCCA T2
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C66 Racing #66 NASA ST2, SCCA T2
AMSOIL Dealer (Forum Vendor)
AMSOIL Ordering Information (Retail sales using reference #1206638 benefit the forum.)
AMSOIL Preferred Customer Program (Members buy at Wholesale - a savings of about 25%)
AMSOIL Catalog
#17
Team Owner
I just bought the Pfadt kit for my car and I don't have a torch. I do have a drill press. My plan is to drill a few 3/8 holes around the perimiter of the old bushing to make it easier to push out with a vice.
#18
Race Director
The trick is to use a ball joint press and press them out. It works great.
#19
Ditto, rented a ball joint removal kit from an auto parts store, to pull the ball joint, but after I tried to burn one out and saw what a PITA it was I looked for a better way. In the kit there was a large puller that fit over the end of the control arm and allowed me to push out the bushing. Very easy.