Hi guys - took the coaching from the other thread and my control arm bushings are gone. The arm flops around so the bushings need to be replaced.

Can I undo what looks to be the single bolt that locates the arm and articulate it down far enough to replace it?

OR, do I need to disassemble the whole front suspension to change the bushings?

Thanks for the help!

 

You can remove the lower ball joint, sway bar, tension rod, and remove the LCA without disassembling the front end. You'll need to take the LCA off to push (or rather burn) the old bushings out.

I believe that new LCA's aren't that expensive and readily available. Why not just replace the whole thing. it will come with a new ball joint too.

 

OK - so that answers the question, so the lower ball joint does have to come off.

I have new bushings in hand from Racing Beat, let me pull the LCA off and see how it looks.

Thanks for the tip on the new LCAs being available, didn't know that.

Thanks!

 

Not only new, but RB has the adjustable LCA which can some in handy to get you some extra
camber without going coilover or customer top plates on the shock tops.

 

Good morning - just checked the price of those adjustable LCA. $650! Yikes, although they do look good and I am sure the adjustment is handy.

Quingdao got me thinking, if the rest of my bushings etc are bad then changes are the ball joint is also past it. That makes new arms a better, as suggested, idea as an approach. Think I will go that route.

Thanks for the coaching, much appreciated.

 

The new arms will be about $400, which you will need to replace the ball joints. You can press
out the old ball joints and install aftermarket but you need to tac weld them in to make sure they
stay on the arms. So $250 extra for adjustability isn't too bad IMHO.

Did you go with poly bushings? It makes it really nice and tight feeling.

 

Good morning.

Was looking at Mazdatrix arms @ $175 +/- a side including ball joints, and agree that $250 isn't a big up-tick but geez that is approaching 1/3 of what I bought the car for!

I am using poly bushings from Racing Beat, nice folks BTW, and their 1.125 sway bar.

Thanks again.

 

You have choices still, thats the important thing. Have we seen pictures of your car yet? We like pictures.

Nm, you bought the bringatrailer SA recently. Sweet ride.

 

The tip on buying a whole LCA with ball joint was excellent advice.

 

I replaced my LCA its was worth it man. I would have gotten the T3 ones if I would have noticed they were cheaper than OEM. https://technotoytuning.com/mazda/fb...-sa-and-fb-rx7

 

Oooh - those are tasty. Too late, but tasty none the less.

Next time!

Castle nut threads are stripped on the drive side, ugh. Mazda couldn't find the part #. Off to a FLAPS tonight I supposed.

 

If your LCA ball joints are bad, you need to look at your steering end links, Pittman arm of the steering box, and the idler arm (go Moog, one and done, forever), as they will all be in about the same condition. It may not be cheap, but once you replace them all, the steering is like driving a new car.

 

Thanks, and agree. Looks all original to me. All Moog bits or specific to the idler arm?

Thanks!

 

Moog idler arm is the best - it will be the last one you ever buy. I went with Black Dragon tie-rod ends, lock nuts, and adjuster links, but just about anybody's parts would work. Moog idler arm at Mazdatrix: ($111.94 - which is expensive, but it's worth it)

Other steering components (page): 79 - 85 Front Suspension and Steering Parts

I left the LCA's stock factory Mazda, as I don't need any adjustability and the rubber inner mount will be much more pliable than high-durometer urethane. In fact, I have a set of red urethane inner mounts that I bought with the intention to install and never did. Don't forget your radius arm bushings while you're in there, as they locate the front-to back movement of the arm.

 

I got all Moog bits at rockauto a year or so ago, well worth it. Much cheaper than mazdatrix for
the idler arm as well.

 

Thanks for the info, will wrap this part of the front end up and then get ordering.

A couple of the car per request - this is the one that was up on Bring A Trailer:

No Reserve: 1979 Mazda RX-7 5-Speed | Bring a Trailer

 

FANTASITIC SA.

But it needs high back seats. :P


EDIT: baby oil that dash and it'll stay nice. and get a pair of door seals from Rock Auto; that'll seal up the interior. A pair of storage bins would be a nice replacement for the factory "trunkspace reducers". Other than that looks like a beauty.

 

Thanks - better in pictures than in person but good honest car worthy of the love.

I've been sort of looking for seats, figure when they pop up will grab a pair.

Rock Auto for door seals eh? Never tried that with them. Good material?

Thanks.

 

Any high backs from 79 thru 82 will work just make sure they have good foam. I redid mine using
RB upholstery and they turned out great. I have a thread about it in this section.

 

Thanks, will keep an eye out.

So I just got her back together and this was totally worth the effort. Between the new uprated sway bar and the new LCAs she feels great. Buttoned down but light on her feet at the same time.

Wow these are fun! What a car.

Thanks for the tips and coaching guys.

 

the Mazda number is 9993-01-201

in Mazda's finite wisdom, their new parts catalog only goes back to 1986, so they have ended up with warehouses of parts that they sell that aren't in a parts catalog. we've yelled at them for that for almost a decade, as its not just the pre 86 cars, and they don't seem to see why that is a problem.