A-arm bushings

[Craig 94 TA GT]

Is there a way to tell what kind of condition your a-arm mounts are in?

I had been pressed for time recently, so had a front bearing changed at a shop. They also told me that my a-arm bushings are completely shot. I did believe this because the car does pull hard to the right (even after an alignment, and being within spec), and I notice a clicking/popping when steering at low speeds. Well, I was finally able to crawl under there and visually inspect the mounts - they all look fine I mean, all were in there, looked in very good condition, and weren't warped, cracked, or stressed. They felt ok, pressing with a screw driver - not hardened or anything. I also have a Spohn k-member when I had the new engine put in January 2008, so I would assume the installer wouldn't re-use bad bushings on the a-arms.

I was about to purchase Spohn a-arms, but considering the condition of my current bushings, I'm not sure what to do. Is there a way to check on this, upper and lower a-arms? Thanks in advance.

[Joe 1320]

Disassembly and/or placing a load on the bushings will show whether they are deflecting or not.

Is there a way to tell what kind of condition your a-arm mounts are in?

I had been pressed for time recently, so had a front bearing changed at a shop. They also told me that my a-arm bushings are completely shot. I did believe this because the car does pull hard to the right (even after an alignment, and being within spec), and I notice a clicking/popping when steering at low speeds. Well, I was finally able to crawl under there and visually inspect the mounts - they all look fine I mean, all were in there, looked in very good condition, and weren't warped, cracked, or stressed. They felt ok, pressing with a screw driver - not hardened or anything. I also have a Spohn k-member when I had the new engine put in January 2008, so I would assume the installer wouldn't re-use bad bushings on the a-arms.

I was about to purchase Spohn a-arms, but considering the condition of my current bushings, I'm not sure what to do. Is there a way to check on this, upper and lower a-arms? Thanks in advance.

[Craig 94 TA GT]

Thanks Joe. I guess using a crow bar in critical areas and seeing how much the arms move will do? How much should it move - should the bushings be super stiff and not give way to a crow bar?

[ConElite]

Shouldnt move hardly anything. If they are the original ones replace them with some Polys

[raroZ28]

Good luck getting the arm off. Mine would not come off, and if I ever had to replace them, I don't know how I would do it. The nut that's facing the ground on the A-Arm would come off, but I couldn't get the bolt out. Impact just screwed up the threads. It was ridiculously tough, and if anybody has ever had this problem and got it off, post up how you did it.

[formula_gramps]

Raro'......

I know exactly what you're talking about. I had to replace the lower ball joints in my Formula almost a year ago. Had tools to press them out, but I couldn't get them to budge.

So, I decided to pull the a-arms out, and have a shop press the ball joints out.

Easier said than done.......

Those long bolts that you are talking about fit so tightly in the steel sleeve they run through, that after a number of years it is like they are welded in there.

The solution for me was to take an old air-hammer point that I had, and cut off the point leaving just a blunt end approximately the size of the bolt diameter. (Man, that's some tough steel to cut through.....).

Then I got under there, lined it up, and after a few seconds the thing backed out. I avoided damage by making sure the tip of the air hammer hit only the tip of the bolt.

I think I also saturated the thing with PB Blaster the day before. Not sure that did any good, but it gives you something to do while your trying to figure out how you're really going to get the bolts out.....

[BrdWAtti2d]

but it gives you something to do while your trying to figure out how you're really going to get the bolts out.....

Lol, that usually means mustering up super human strength.

[raroZ28]

Raro'......

I know exactly what you're talking about. I had to replace the lower ball joints in my Formula almost a year ago. Had tools to press them out, but I couldn't get them to budge.

So, I decided to pull the a-arms out, and have a shop press the ball joints out.

Easier said than done.......

Those long bolts that you are talking about fit so tightly in the steel sleeve they run through, that after a number of years it is like they are welded in there.

The solution for me was to take an old air-hammer point that I had, and cut off the point leaving just a blunt end approximately the size of the bolt diameter. (Man, that's some tough steel to cut through.....).

Then I got under there, lined it up, and after a few seconds the thing backed out. I avoided damage by making sure the tip of the air hammer hit only the tip of the bolt.

I think I also saturated the thing with PB Blaster the day before. Not sure that did any good, but it gives you something to do while your trying to figure out how you're really going to get the bolts out.....

That's EXACTLY what I went through in doing my lower ball joints. I knew there was no way I was going to get them off, plus I needed the car ASAP. I saturated the thing a few times, but I don't think it did any good because it would have had to saturate through the bushing, which would be impossible. I went through the same thing with my shocks. The shock was stuck in the shock mount! That was so "welded" in there, that I just said screw it and bought new mounts.

To get my lower ball joints in, I placed a jack on the ball joint underneath the a-arm, and pounded it on with a sledge hammer. Kinda risky, but after 3 blows it went in.

[Craig 94 TA GT]

Thanks, I think I'm just going to have them replace the bushings and align it then. I don't feel like going through heck to do all those things. I really wanted the lighter Spohn ones, but that will cost more, and if the uppers are bad too, that will cost a lot more. I have also seen bending in the mouts for the Spohn (and other) aftermarket a-arms due to the jackhammering effect of a light spring and heavy duty shock. I wouldn't go with a radical combo to do this though.

My arms were installed recently on a Spohn K-member so de-installation may not be as bad as a stock k-member. I'm not sure on that though.