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Front Susupension Repair:
(rear suspension below, scroll down)
04-01-2006:
I got a good look at my suspension to see if there was any problems. There are a
couple problems I needed to address. There was worn lower inner control arm bushing
and pins, a bad passenger side inner tie rod end, and rear spring shackles and bushings.
08-29-2006
I have finally replaced the worn parts in the front suspension (the lower control
arm pins, bushings, and the bad tie rod end) and have bought a set of rear spring
shackles and bushings. Once they get here I can get them replaced. The car is really
starting to drive nice with the steering tight, steering wheel centered, and the
toe adjusted properly. |
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(Click on the images below to see larger versions.)
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Here are the lower inner control arm pins and bushings that are wore hard.
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| Below: I found some new pins and bushings on Ebay for $79.95.
Kanter wanted 250.00 for the kit. This made quite a difference to the driving characteristics
of the car. The replacement pin kit was MOOG # K116. |
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| Below: Make sure you don't try to hurry and just insert the
new bushings. Take the extra time to install the pins as they wear down where you
can't see them. |
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Below is a shot tie rod end. I needed the passenger side inner tie
rod end. (left hand thread)
I tried a few from Ebay buys, but in the end I bought the correct tie rod end from
Kanter.
The car drives completely different with a tight suspension.
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Rear Spring Shackle Bushings:
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09-16-2006
Finally got to installing a set of rear spring shackle bushings. They were much easier
than I thought to remove and install. The bushings just pushed in and out by hand.
The ride quality drastically improved as you can see by the difference in bushings
by the pictures below. We enjoyed a nice ride to Pottsville and back to test it out.
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(Click on the images below to see larger versions.)
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Above: Pictured are the worn spring bushings and shackles.
The rubbers are worn completely through and the pins are laying directly on the spring
itself. It makes for a rougher and noisy ride.
Below: Another photo of a worn bushing set, from a different angle. (Passenger's
Side) |
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Above: Another photo of a worn bushing set, from a different
angle. (Driver's Side)
Below: First, raise the car by the frame so the rear axel just hangs with
the tires barely off the ground. Be sure to use safety stands to ensure the car doesn't
fall on you. |
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Above: Buz the nuts off both shackle sets with a impact or
sockewt and ratchet. Mine were actually very free, but you can spray them with penetrating
oil just in case.
Below: Shackle kit # F549. found this on Ebay and it matched perfectly. |
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Above: The top nuts were just as easy to get with the impact.
Below: here is a pic of the old and new kits side by side to illustrate how
the bushings wear. It's always a good idea to match parts before assembly as well,
to catch any issues early. |
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| Above & Below: The new bushings slid in slightly loose
fitting. Don't worry, they squash together a bit upon tightening to take up the slack.
Makes for a quick and easy installation, all by hand, no press necessary. |
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| Above & Below: More pictures of the process. You have to
wrangle the spring down into place to insert the shackle pins and plates, but if
you just hang you weight on them a bit, it's no problem. |
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| Above: The pic to the right shows the final product. Don't
forget to torque down the shackle nuts. They have a shouldered sleeve that they need
to bottom out on, squashing the bushings into their expanded shape. I torqued them
down to around 25 to 30 lbs. as they are only 3/8 nuts. The car rides much smoother
and quieter with these new bushings in place. |
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