Control Arm Issues

[brothapig]

I took my car in yesterday to get aligned, but after two hours the guy said he could not move my left lower control arm. After looking at it, this would control both the camber and the caster, correct? He said he had three guys on it trying to break it loose. Apparently, it's just stuck, and won't move in the slot.
Is there anything I can do to break this loose, so that I can get a correct alignment? I just replaced struts (I thought they were shocks, but the parts guy said struts...so which is it???), wheel bearings, and outer tie rod ends, and I didn't find anything that I couldn't get loose (and I don't have air tools). I should say it's not the fact they couldn't get the bolts loose; they did. The control arm just won't move in the slot.
If I have to ruin the bushings getting them out, should I change over to poly, or stay with rubber? It's a daily driver.

[ConElite]

If they are stock control arms there is no adjustment. The control arms do not adjust the Camber in any way if im not mistaken. I have Adjustable controls but all you can do is adjust the distance of the axle front and back, but the amount it very little (under 1/4"). There is a chance that they were trying to pull down the control arms, but I cant figure what they would do that. The control arms are like this.



This is how it looking where it connects to the Axle. Keep in mind that this car has Re-Location Brackets thats why it has multiple holes to move up or down.

Control arm Axle Point

[brothapig]

Sorry, this is on the front suspension. I think I'm using the right term...control arm. They are the arms that the spindle attaches to with an upper and lower ball joint.

(*I* know what part I am talking about.... )

EDIT:
OK, so I did a little searching and came up with "Front A-Arms" - it would help if I used the correct names I guess...

[ConElite]

Sorry, this is on the front suspension. I think I'm using the right term...control arm. They are the arms that the spindle attaches to with an upper and lower ball joint.

(*I* know what part I am talking about.... )

HA HA HA. Oh okay. Your talking about the A-arms. That is were the Camber is adjusted. I believe they have to adjust the front mount point where the Arm connects to the K-Member (on the lower a-arm). That will give you the Camber adjustment. (Man I hope I dont run into problems, Im getting mine aligned Saterday)

[Injuneer]

Front lower control arm or A-arms... seemed clear to me. There is a vertical bushing at the rear of the control arm, with a slot in the K-member for the bolt and a horizontal bushing at the front of the control arm with a slot in the K-member for the bolt. That adjusts caster and camber. They are the only adjustments - on the upper A-arms.

See Shoebox's diagram:

http://shbox.com/1/front_suspension.jpg

What he appears to be saying is that the sleeve in the bushing is rusted fast to the K-member, preventing the A-arm from moving in the slot. I guess its possible. In that case, you would need to find a way to get a chisel into the joint andd break the rust loose. Maybe a little heat. I took my 94 apart when it was about 4 years old, and it came apart fine, but the car was never driven anywhere that they used salt.

If you have to destroy the bushings, you can consider polyurethane, but you need the Energy Suspension set that includes a new design, spherical vertical bushing to prevent binding of the lower A-arm. Just replacing both bushings with stiff poly of the same design as the originals will not produce good results. I have the complete ES front suspension kit, and its a nice, firm feel to it.

You have "coil-over" shocks and springs in the front of a 4th Gen. They are NOT struts. I'd be a little bit wary of a suspension shop who said anything different.

[brothapig]

Injuneer, thanks for the detailed response! I'll just have to dig into it this weekend - the car still really pulls to the left, and the alignment shop told me it was due to the caster that they couldn't correct.
For the record, it was not the alignment shop that told me I had struts; it was the parts store. They sold me the correct parts; they just called them struts. In fact, come to think of it, the box even said "struts"...weird.

After I thought about it, the alignment shop was trying to move the control arm while the full weight of the car was still on it. Perhaps when I take the wheel off and the weight of the car off I'll have better luck....let's hope anyway

P.S. - seeing how this is still just a daily driver, and the fact that I would need a complete new setup to use poly, I'll stick with rubber if I need to replace.

Thanks again!

[ConElite]

P.S. - seeing how this is still just a daily driver, and the fact that I would need a complete new setup to use poly, I'll stick with rubber if I need to replace.

Thanks again!

My car is A daily driver. 35+ miles a day. Nothing major and Im still working on getting the Poly Bushing kit for the front. Why? It will make it ride a bit better and I dont have to worry about replacing them for a while.

[ConElite]

If you have to destroy the bushings, you can consider polyurethane, but you need the Energy Suspension set that includes a new design, spherical vertical bushing to prevent binding of the lower A-arm. Just replacing both bushings with stiff poly of the same design as the originals will not produce good results. I have the complete ES front suspension kit, and its a nice, firm feel to it.

Hey Fred, Where Did you get the bushing kit? I know a couple sites, just curious to see where they sell the new designed spherical vertical bushing.

[brothapig]

I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice to do, and I still may. Just not at this point. I thinking in terms of money right now.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

[ConElite]

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

I feel Ya. I always use the "If there is better, make it better."
Everyone is different you know.

[Injuneer]

I bought an Energy Suspension "Master Kit" that included every bushing in the entire suspension, plus the tranny mount. I think it was around $160 many years ago.