Calling all experienced suspension experts.

Just finished installing front Eurothane bushings into the front A arms on my car and I’ve got two questions:

1, How much force should it take to actuate the arm up and down. It takes about 20 lbs to get the arm to budge. Which leads to question #2. I searched the classics and only found info on the back bushings.

2, The front bushing retainers (the ones that actually mount to the body with two bolts) have two positions that they can be bolted in. The retainer is made up of two stamped pieces that are welded together. On one side of the mounting flanges there are two small plates spot welded to the flange, the other side has none. What is the correct side to mount to the body?

Thanks, Chris

Chris

The a-arms should not take that much force. I would pull them back apart and polish the shafts some more and doa little more "hone" work on the bushings. I would add Grease fittings to the suspension arms as this will make it much nicer at the end of the month.

Depending on whether or not your chassis has been smacked or not I put the pads against the body. You need to check the alignment or the arms and make sure the bushings aren't binding.

Roller bearings Chris. You will be pissed the first time you hear the car creak and groan from the plastic bushings.


B

needle bearings on a car in England, put on only the rear kit on his car, @ Brands Hatch he knocked off 3.5 seconds

(his plastic bushings had been sticking like a mofo and causing all kinds of "strange" handleing issues)

I'd love to have a set of Mueller's bearings, but at the time I hadn't known about them and already had a set of the polygraphite bushings sitting there. So.....

Mine fit the swing arm loose, until I pressed them into the end suspension piece thingys (technical terminology ), then I couldn't get them on the swing arm without considerable force...not good. Ended up taking the vernier calipers to the bearing surface of the swing arms and hand reamed the bushings (reamer borrowed from a machinist buddy) while they were installed in the "thingys" (.003" over), grooved them with the dremel, hit all pieces with some 600 grit, loaded the channel with some tribolube grease (teflon), slid the thingys on the swing arm, and sealed the joints with some 3" heat shrink...turned out sweet. After it was installed, light pressure was required to raise the arm, and it sloooowly returned to the full down position under it's own weight with absolutely zero binding (no torsion bars installed). If the rest of the car would go that smooth, I'd be driving the SOB right now.........Already thought of a vanity plate for it: 'AGRV8R'

"Eurothane Bushings" , You running those Jereon?

I just put these on my car (twice!). When I took mine off the first time the portions with the extra plating were against the body of the car..so that is how I put them back on. Second, the first install I had the same problem...took major muscle to just get the control arms to move. An my bushings all slid in with just hand pressure. It was so bad that i bounced when driving and when I'd jack up the car they would stick until gravity finally kicked in and they would drop until the friction overtook gravity.

So, I removed them per advice on this board, cut deep grooves on the INSIDE of each bushing. Packed them with grease. Polished the control arms. Put it all back together. I did NOT put on the grease zerk (hopefully I won't have these on the car for more then a year before I put on roller bearings).

Tremendous difference. I could raise/lower the control arems with one hand. The trick is in the cutting of the grooves and applying alot of grease (grooves will hold more grease in longer).

Good luck!

Jim

p.s. I cut the grooves at angles, not straight across the bushing. And I didn't cut the groove completely through to the sides...wanted the grease to stay put and not easily ooze out.

If you come to the Fall Foliage Classic, we're supposed to have a set of Mueller bearings in our door prize booty.

WOW!

Thank you Mr. Mueller!!

I just need Seans address again

Where can you buy these fancy Eurothane bushing???

You can pick them up in a small town in Germany, I think it was called tuttlingen, they mostly produce surgical devices and suspension components.


Hey Mueller- what's the price and availability on the front needle bearing setup? And do I have to modify any of the original components?


Chris

Chris,
Click Mikes link: Mueller DesignWerks
Are you going to the breakfast?
Felix

I want to win those needle bearings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!