NemesisC5

in....

wtb-z

Are there any limits on using bushings like this with old a-arms that have already walked off the OEM bushing? I am not sure if my car's old a-arms would line up well enough anymore (they're still mostly on the stock bushings, but have definitely moved...)

fatbillybob

Dead rubber is the best time to consider an upgrade

klodkrawler05

Just found this thread and am following!

I've got a set of the bushings en route to me now. For those interested in how they handle street abuse be sure to check with me in about a year. I put around 10k street miles and 5-10 Track Days + 75-100 auto-x runs on the car per year

edge04

smells like a new video froggy

808EB03Z06

In as this will be one of my next purchases.

wtb-z

But will everything line up if the arms have been bending off the bushings?

fatbillybob

Presumably yes because the rubber is all squirting out but the a-arms are straight and true. If that was not true then you need new arms anyway even if you got new rubber bushings. Rubber in any conditions does not make up for bad parts. If rubber works delrin will work. rubber is just bad on so many levels for a track car when it comes to set-up and getting predictable results. If you want a streetcar that occasionally goes on the track perhaps rubber is the best way to go.

argonaut

When I pulled off all 8 controls arms to have sphericals installed and then went to reattach the control arms I found they needed a lot of 'massaging' - after ~70+ track days (first with rubber bushings then with Pfadt poly) the control arms most definitely were not 'true'. New control arms would be the best solution but have you priced them? Ouch!. So I massaged them to fit either by removing some material from the ends of the bushings or in the worst cases by ever so slightly bending a CA in a press. That was winter of 2013-14. ~40 track days since and all is well.

fatbillybob

Maybe you bent them? Maybe that's the build tolerance because the design was spec'ed for rubber. I do not know. Talk to spherical guys like LG and ask. All I can tell you is hand fitting and custom lath cutting Delrin to stock used CA's is very easy, no tweeking, just really time consuming except as mentioned in earlier posts.

argonaut

Thats my point....some of my control arms were slightly bent and I had to bend them back. I did this rather than buying new ones due to the cost. We are not talking much here but with sphericals the control arms need to much closer to 'spec' than mine were after heavy use with sticky tires. From talking to LG and others who have installed sphericals this is not uncommon.

But this thread is about delrin, not sphericals. The only reason I added some info here is because someone asked: 'But will everything line up if the arms have been bending off the bushings?'. The answer is - maybe not. Delrin has no give to it just as sphericals dont. Thus any well used control arms may very well be slightly bent and the installation of 'off the shelf' delrin bushing will likely either need some hand cutting and fitting or some slight bending of the CAs back to original spec (or purchase of new CAs).

phxcobra

definitely on the to buy list next bonus. sphericals would be nice, but the rents too damn high!

hungryhippo

I thought i was the only one... I needed a 3' pry bar to reinstall my control arms. I have lots of experience doing suspension work and this was the most tedious job I've ever done.

fatbillybob

I agree the answer might be maybe not but I have never seen it. The CA does not bend off the bushings. The rubber bushings squirt off the CA from tracking. That's a really different thing. Can CA bend absolutely. But typically the issue is just squirting out rubber on HPDE style driving trying to be smooth and fast vs. ecking out 10ths, jumping curbs, and putting 2 wheels in the dirt when the space at the apex is 1 3/4 cars and 2 try and fit. If one can't get delrin to fit there are bigger problems and part replacement is mandatory. Even the stock 18 y/o C5 platform is capable of roadcourse speeds over 150mph. Mechanical failures are not an option.

trackboss

This is actually a pretty slick setup considering the cost. If it proves to be durable it would probably be the best bang for the buck suspension upgrade. FWIW, I have blackdog lower arm sphericals, delrin rear uppers, and DRM front upper sphericals. The front DRM stuff I had to send to them as they don't offer the parts for one to do themselves. The others I did with my hydraulic press and some fixtures. There was not much fitting necessary if I remember correctly. The blackdog lowers are a very slick design in that the housings are splined on the outside which secures them in the control arm even if the hole in the arm is slightly over size. Anyways, if I were doing this for the first time I'd take a strong look at the ridetech setup simply because it seems as though it is done well and the price is much less than the next best thing.

HC Mechanic

These seem like a really cool up grade, transmitting much more accurate stability into the chassis. Should make suspension tuning/adjustments much more noticeable; not to mention the feel from the helm.

skxf430

Bump for any updates.

trackboss

How about some info on the 3 piece swaybars?

0chase@ridetech

This is the front bar, Check it out here:
http://www.ridetech.com/store/c5-cor...musclebar.html

0chase@ridetech

This is the rear bar, check it out here:
http://www.ridetech.com/store/c5-cor...musclebar.html