bags142

I started installing my poly bushings, and with the help of all the postings it has been going well.

However, I have 4 extra flat washers. They are not on the instructions or .gif.

They ARE NOT the D washers that go in the fronts under the retaining clips.


Oh this is for a C5

Any ideas? maybe for c6?

jlutherva

Call:

Jason Lowe
Pfadt Race Engineering
2315 South 2300 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84119
888-972-2464
jason@pfadtracing.com


Great guy! He has my UCA now looking at because of a pesky snap ring issue.

Jim

bags142

lol.. Thanks.. did that before I posted.. I left a message.. they are very helpful, just not at work now.. lol

AND NOT THEIR FAULT they are closed and have lives.. just pointing it out

travisnd

They're extras... I asked the same question. I can't remember why they're in there.

sperkins

If your kit came with the D-shaped washers you need to use them.
The regular washers were from a previous design of the upper pins, but are still included in the kit even though they're not needed. The pins have been upgraded and were designed so that the D-shaped washers do not rotate on the pin whereas the earlier design allowed the washers to rotate.

Lawdogg

D shaped washer on my Pfadt bushing but I still have the snap ring problem on the front upper control arms. Had the snap rings come off and the bushing push out about 5 times at the track and 3 times on the street. Not great for tire wear to say the least.

ASE master tech couldn't even install the snap ring and have it stay in place. Pfadt sent new parts and they did the same thing. Eventually, the bushing seem to have worn in as they haven't knocked the snap rings off for the last few track days. I still carry a dozen extra snap rings, snap ring pliers, C clamps to compress the bushing back in, and the sockets every where I go.

travisnd

You really have to make sure the snap rings are 100% seated. You have to squeeze the heck out of the bushing and washers with a clamp and really make sure the ring is in properly. It's easy to have it look in, but not be fully seated.

sperkins

One of the engineers at Pfadt recently told me that if you have to compress the bushing to get the snap ring to seat, you should remove the bushing (halves) and shave the ends. He said this eliminates preload on the snap ring.

Lawdogg

Did that too. Snap ring seating was not the problem, but preload might be. I'd like to see a larger snap ring and groove.

froggy47

It is beyond me why the groove is so shallow/narrow and the snap ring so small?

Mine is holding after the last time I fixed it. I have preload (lot of compression to get it on.

I always spin the snap ring a bit to prove it is all the way seated, If it does not spin pretty easy, it's not fully seated.

bags142

Ahh.. thought so thanks


Thanks! And I installed the D washers




I hope I don't have this issue




I only had to do that with 1 of them. Otherwise a few taps on a screwdriver with a hammer seated them just fine.



Hmmm.. I wonder if I need to do that to one of them... I will see soon I guess.



I stuck a very small flat head between bushing and and washer to see if I could move the ring with a small amount of force. If not, I called it seated


Thanks for the posts, I figured as much. I got the fronts done, waiting on hubs now, and will get the rears done this week

travisnd

Good to know... if I ever do another set I'll pay attention to that. I've had mine in for 7 or 8 TimeTrial/Race weekends with NASA and haven't had any issues. I do check them as part of my pre-event prep.

sperkins

Mine lasted a year and a half before popping out.

I think the ultimate solution would be to have the 2 halves of the pin thread together inside the bushing and have the large flange on both sides of the bushing.

BTW - I had to buy a pack of 50 snap rings just to get one. So, if anyone needs one, I can stick it in an envelope.

froggy47

I would love to have some spares, will PM you address.

sperkins

In case anyone is wondering, the repl part number is McMaster-Carr #98410A130.
I got this number directly from the great folks at Pfadt.

Pfadt Racing

Hey guys! Just to provide some concrete answers here:

1. Use the D Shaped Washers that are supplied with the kits. The traditional O washers may also be packaged in with your kits and will be extra. No need to use those!

2. Because of tolerance of the ID of the control arm bores it may be required to remove a little bit of material from the poly it's self. If you run into a pickup point with a tighter bore it will squeeze (for lack of better term) the poly out just a bit, and in some cases to the point where it doesn't allow the snap ring to easily be installed into the groove. If it requires a C Clamp, vise grips or other mechanical means to compress everything into place before the snap ring will seat in the groove you can remove some material from the inside face of the poly bushings to eliminate some of the preload on the snap ring. Removing some material should keep the 2 bushings from touching each other and forcing the snap ring out of it's groove. This is only a real issue on the Front Upper control arm bushings because they take a lot of the braking forces seen at the chassis, but the same idea can be applied at any point where a 2 piece bushing is used.

Let us know if you've got any questions, we are always here to help!

bags142

Thanks! Got the message this morning as well.

fatbillybob

Does the poly Bushings bind on the rear lower control ARM due to the angles needed to push the front of the rear lca to achieve the desire camber?

fatbillybob

I have only seen pics of.the Pfadt uca Bushings dogbone.the oem dogbone is steel. Is it possible than the reason for the small snap ring and narrow ring groove is because of strenght difference of steel vs aluminum and not wanting a stress riser in the Pfadt aluminum dogbone? Maybe a solution is to cut the non captured edge of an oem dogbone so a Bushings can slide on yet cut a deeper groove and use a bigger ring? Steel can take more abuse than aluminum. Comments?

sperkins

I thought the OEM front uppers were aluminum?