Control Arm Question?
 

I have a 90' RX7 Convt I'm putting new control arms on. I have the pivot bolt and ball joint in but the rear bushing (the one with 2 bolts) is cocked and not flush to where it bolts to the frame, i.e., I can't get the mounting bracket flush because the bushing is cocked.

I looked at the old arm removed and the bushing is like, for lack of better words, cocked at about 20-degress. The new bushing omn the control arm is level and when installed does not seat flush. Hard to explain.

What am I doing wrong?

you sohuld just buy the energy supesion bushings while you have it out, or try hold the control arm at an angle until it flush and thentighten it up

I tried holding the bushing flush, bolted up hand tight, but the ball joint was too high to go in.

Well I give up. It aint going on. Some reason the rear bushing is not positioned or oriented like the original.

Oh, the round one with one flat side? That one should turn by hand. Rather easily, in fact. It seems that you need new bushings. (I would also suggest cleaning the surfaces very carefully when installing the new bushing.)

If you insist on installing it as it is, unbolt the shock from the hub and move it out of the way then roll the arm up around until you can get the bolts in the back and then grab the arm and move it down.

I seriously recommend new bushings, why replace the lower control arms and not the bushings?

The new arms have bushings already installed. Thats my problem. I tried using a strap wrench to turn the bushing and it wont budge.

I guess you will have to remove the hub and put it on, then horse it down and bolt it together.

You will probably have to burn or cut the old bushings off if you decide to replace them. The car will handle strangely with seized bushings on the lower control arm.

Out of curiosity, why did you replace the lower control arm, anyway?

No DOHC,
this may not be something you know... The stock bushings had a tendancy to bind, in fact they don't move freely to begin with. Only aftermarket bushings move and let the arm turn freely. Taking the stock rear (of the control arm) bushing off is a pain and you must be careful. However, the benefit is that the arm will be much more user friendly and you will have a more responsive front end because of it.

I appreciate the input, I have done lower control arms on two cars (four bushings) and both bushings turned (maybe not freely), they must have been aftermarket. I appreciate you correcting me.

Yeah, they basically only turn with the give in the rubber with the stock bushings. You get a little, but not a whole lot. Plus it causes minor camber and toe changes in the suspension due to the rubber giving and compressing.
Beautiful cast aluminum pieces from the factory with shit-for-bushings.
Meh, thats the 80's

So, what you're saying is the reaction from the factory bushings may bind at first? I noticed my old control arm bushing I could turn either.

Looks like I'll have to take the strut off to install the arm. I was hoping to avoid that but I tried a 1-1/2 days with no luck. I thought it should've of been a simple swap out.

You are right, it *should* have been. Sorry about the misinformation, I had faulty experience.

Finally got the control arms installed. Had to remove the struts to install. But they are in.

Boogered a Tie-rod castle nut. Best I can tell they are M12X1.25 thread pitch. No one seems to have this size- I guess because its fine thread? Where can I find one??????

Sorry to kinda hijack the thread, but anyone got tips for removing those bushings? I tried cutting it off but, i gave up and slapped it back in, so i got a half cut bushing on top of cracked and worn in my car - lol

Fire.


Or a machine shop.


BC

Still, as mentioned before, that's probably not a good idea. Generally when those bushings bind to the metal they're surrounding, they don't move again. Ever. Using a bolt and a 4-foot breaker bar, I sheered the the rubber bushing into two concentric cylinders without it ever slipping at all. So if they came off a car with a different ride height, it's going to be like to be like that strut has a different spring rate from the others. Unless, of course, you installed them in pairs, but even then they'd always be under stress since your car expects to rest differently and they'll likely fall apart in time.

You can get the Energy Suspension kit for the front for about $40, and take off the old bushings with a butane plumber's torch from Home Depot for like $20.


For the second part, Ace Hardware.