Cobra4B

After 4 years and lots of HPDEs it's slowly migrating back When is it time to buy a new control arm or just put VB&P polys in?

varkwso

It is time to put in the V&BP polys in....it was not a bad job at all (using my 20 ton shop press and sawzall). They are a great product. I will ops test my set at VIR next week...

Cobra4B

****... can I get another 2 events done and do them this winter... after the synergy event in october?

varkwso

you will be amazed at how much better the car will drive - look and see if you are getting metal to metal contact - if so I would swap them sooner rather than later.

Cobra4B

Eh... issue is cost and time. I don't have a fancy press

varkwso

Get the $20 ball joint tool from Harbor freight (looks kind of like a large c-clamp) and only do the front a-arms till you get more time...

wallyman424

i used that to press my new studs into the hubs. not looking forward to doing that again.

get yourself a 4 foot length of pvc to get easy leverage.

Bill Dearborn

When the dealer tech found actual contact on my 97 there wasn't enough time to get parts shipped before my next event. The tech squeezed a big washer between the control arm and the cradle to stop the metal to metal wear. This worked until the parts were available.

If you care about your caster settings they are probably shot with the control arm sliding back that much. That is what tipped the tech to check the 97. He was doing an alignment to my specs and couldn't get any more than 1.5 degrees of + caster.

Bill

tchapma1

Just curious, can someone post a pic of what the normal bushings look like?

Cobra4B

^ Good call... anyone have a pic of a fresh one?

freefall

Advanced Auto has a loaner ball joint press kit - makes the job very easy.

Cobra4B

^ Is this for getting the ball joints out? Or is it for pressing the bushings out?

NoOne

Not cheap but you can get a HB 20 ton that will do the job for about 150 on sale.

Shrek

Brian, I have a press. You're welcome to come by and use it. I'm about 13 miles south of the state line, near the Currituck ferry landing.

Jeff

Cobra4B

^ Hey Jeff... I may just take you up on this. We'll see... my next event is September 1/2.

I was talkin to Greg about this... and w/ parts, his labor, and re-alligning the car I'm looknig at $1000!

Might just put the car up on stands and tackle it...


BTW... even w/ poly bushings, what stops this from happening again? The car is sliding forward on the bushings.

freefall

Bushings.

Cobra4B

^ Cool... so it's not a bad job then... I need to get that tool for seperating the ball joint anyway right? I got lucky w/ a pickle fork once, but won't try that again.

freefall

This is the balljoint press - http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

For the actual ball joints, mine just came out...but I have used one of these:
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

C66 Racing

Brian,
As you probably know, I have to use stock or T1 a-arms (they have stiffer rubber, but still rubber) in SCCA T1. When I was running full seasons, I'd swap out my whole front lower a-arms for the reasons shown in your photo.

As the lower front a-arm slides aft, your alignment becomes whacked. As the a-arms slide back, caster will go down and toe will go in (lots). I checked mine often so it wasn't an issue for me. But for all you HPDE guys, this is a good reason to have your alignment checked fairly often if you track the car.

Cobra4B

^ Yep... I guess I'll go w/ poly... how much are new lower arms? I guess it's better to just spend the money on the poly and be done w/ it.

I don't care about squeeking.