3 replies to this topic

[dklawson]

I am replacing the worn bushings in my car's front lower suspension arms. This is a 1964 car so it uses the straight, flanged bushings in arms with straight holes. The urethane bushings I removed were only about 4 years old and were totally shot. The flange on one was blown off so the arm was rubbing on the washer welded to the pivot shaft. The holes through the bushings were no longer in the center but were eccentric and angled.

When I put the new bushings in everything just fell into place. It's not like things are bent or distorted. There's no evidence of accident damage. So, I opened Haynes to look at exploded diagrams and read up on troubleshooting. I noticed something in the drawings.

Haynes shows the pivot bolt passing through the bushings and arm... then through another washer and some form of bushing spacer before passing out the subframe and into the lock-nut. I don't remember my car ever having the additional washer and bushing spacer. Are those components unique to the later lower arms and bushings?

[dklawson]

Anyone, anyone... Buheler?

Haynes shows one thing, the factory manual another, AutoBook shows nothing at all. I really would like to know what components are supposed to be "with" the bushings on the front lower arms. From front to back I've got: the subframe, pivot shaft with washer welded on, bushing, arm, bushing, subframe, washer, nut. Can anyone say if I'm missing any other components or not?

[GraemeC]

Sounds exactly the same as what I have Doug, and on every car I've previously dismantled in that area.

My copy of Haynes shows i t like this too (ie no spacers/washers).

[dklawson]

Though it's been about 4 years since I last changed the bushings... I certainly would have put back everything that was there at the start. Perhaps the drawing in Haynes is simply wrong this time.

Thanks for your reply.