Lower A-arm bushings. Why are they doing this...
#3
Former Vendor
It appears you have too much load going into the bushing. So it pushes out of its "groove". At this point you have three options. First replace with a stock bushing and go slower. Second, get some good aftermarket poly bushing (which I sell ) and drive as hard as you have been. Third spend some more cash and be pretty trick with monoballs (which I sell ) and go faster then before!!!
Randy
Randy
#4
Tech Contributor
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This happened on my 97. It looks like you caught it early. The control arms will continue to push back on the bushings until they come in contact with the cradle. You can prevent the metal to metal contact by putting in some large washers but your wheel alignment will be off. They found the problem on my 97 when I had the dealer do a wheel alignment and they couldn't get the caster setting. Requires new control arms or replacing the bushings with poly bushings.
Bill
Bill
#5
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
It appears you have too much load going into the bushing. So it pushes out of its "groove". At this point you have three options. First replace with a stock bushing and go slower. Second, get some good aftermarket poly bushing (which I sell ) and drive as hard as you have been. Third spend some more cash and be pretty trick with monoballs (which I sell ) and go faster then before!!!
Randy
Randy
Thanks Bill for the advice too. Think it will be OK for 4 more track days?
#7
Former Vendor
Monoball suspension are the cream of the crop. Real racecar stuff. I don't know if you are this level yet. Maybe I was trying for a late night plug
Randy
#8
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
#9
Drifting
FYI, I'm already running poly-urethane bushings and it's still happening to me. Please note that my poly urethane bushings are not DRM's brand. I'm considering moving up to the hardcore monoball stuff but I'm hesitant because although not often, I still occassionaly like to drive my car on the street on corvette gatherings. Any suggestions Randy?
#10
Le Mans Master
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That one looks like a heavy braking, bushing puller. But if it didn't happen to that bushing, it would have done a different one. Yes it is a pretty common problem.
Monoball suspension are the cream of the crop. Real racecar stuff. I don't know if you are this level yet. Maybe I was trying for a late night plug
Randy
Monoball suspension are the cream of the crop. Real racecar stuff. I don't know if you are this level yet. Maybe I was trying for a late night plug
Randy
i bet you could get away with just doing the front lower bushings to save $ or not?
#13
Melting Slicks
VBP bushings cannot do this period the way they are designed. Sperkins, this is a common stock lower bushing issue. Autocross cars seem to do this earlier than roadcourse cars.
You can run the rest of the season ike this if you would like. You may have the car realigned. When the bushings do this you are losing caster and the front toe is changing.
If your car is a mid-03 or later (12/02 production date or later) your car has the later updated bushings that will still "creep", but they will finally settle.....still not ideal, but better than previous. Previous to the 12/02 production date they will creep all the way until the lower control arm front bore galls into your subfame.
It looks like you still have some time before this happens....Fix it over the winter. Oh...your in Georgia, you dont have a winter....Fix it during your off season.
You can run the rest of the season ike this if you would like. You may have the car realigned. When the bushings do this you are losing caster and the front toe is changing.
If your car is a mid-03 or later (12/02 production date or later) your car has the later updated bushings that will still "creep", but they will finally settle.....still not ideal, but better than previous. Previous to the 12/02 production date they will creep all the way until the lower control arm front bore galls into your subfame.
It looks like you still have some time before this happens....Fix it over the winter. Oh...your in Georgia, you dont have a winter....Fix it during your off season.
#14
Le Mans Master
VBP bushings cannot do this period the way they are designed. Sperkins, this is a common stock lower bushing issue. Autocross cars seem to do this earlier than roadcourse cars.
You can run the rest of the season ike this if you would like. You may have the car realigned. When the bushings do this you are losing caster and the front toe is changing.
If your car is a mid-03 or later (12/02 production date or later) your car has the later updated bushings that will still "creep", but they will finally settle.....still not ideal, but better than previous. Previous to the 12/02 production date they will creep all the way until the lower control arm front bore galls into your subfame.
It looks like you still have some time before this happens....Fix it over the winter. Oh...your in Georgia, you dont have a winter....Fix it during your off season.
You can run the rest of the season ike this if you would like. You may have the car realigned. When the bushings do this you are losing caster and the front toe is changing.
If your car is a mid-03 or later (12/02 production date or later) your car has the later updated bushings that will still "creep", but they will finally settle.....still not ideal, but better than previous. Previous to the 12/02 production date they will creep all the way until the lower control arm front bore galls into your subfame.
It looks like you still have some time before this happens....Fix it over the winter. Oh...your in Georgia, you dont have a winter....Fix it during your off season.
we do not have an off season either - at some point my cash well does run dry though....
#15
Former Vendor
1stZ,
You can still drive them on the street, but they are kinda loud and don't give a nice ride. But a little here and there shouldn't be bad.
rustyguns, The front and rear lowers are the biggest improvements. Yes you can just do some of them for a savings. I think I heard you say about a week ago. "it's only money" We have to install them here at our shop. The stock holes are all over the place if you start measuring. We can either install them in new control arms or yours.
Thanks Danny, I didn't know when the cut off was. I knew they made a change for the better at some point.
Randy
You can still drive them on the street, but they are kinda loud and don't give a nice ride. But a little here and there shouldn't be bad.
rustyguns, The front and rear lowers are the biggest improvements. Yes you can just do some of them for a savings. I think I heard you say about a week ago. "it's only money" We have to install them here at our shop. The stock holes are all over the place if you start measuring. We can either install them in new control arms or yours.
Thanks Danny, I didn't know when the cut off was. I knew they made a change for the better at some point.
Randy
#16
Melting Slicks
Thanks Danny, I didn't know when the cut off was. I knew they made a change for the better at some point
Randy , to the best of my knowledge this is when the bushing update occurred. It was somewhere around 11-12/02 production. I use the 12/02 production as I know for sure since my '03 Z06 that I autox has that production date...
Unfortunealty this also also when they went to the FFS fuel system, which I could have done without..........
#17
Burning Brakes
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St. Jude Donor '10-'11
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Randy , to the best of my knowledge this is when the bushing update occurred. It was somewhere around 11-12/02 production. I use the 12/02 production as I know for sure since my '03 Z06 that I autox has that production date...
Unfortunealty this also also when they went to the FFS fuel system, which I could have done without..........
Randy , to the best of my knowledge this is when the bushing update occurred. It was somewhere around 11-12/02 production. I use the 12/02 production as I know for sure since my '03 Z06 that I autox has that production date...
Unfortunealty this also also when they went to the FFS fuel system, which I could have done without..........
#19
Melting Slicks
The real fix is replacing with poly or monoballs. The SCCA Super Stock guys are not allowed this mod though.
#20
Melting Slicks
This does not prevent the lower bushings from "creeping", and resultant alignment change, but it will "creep" and settle without galling into the subframe typically...
The forward bushing was not changed at all only the rears....You should still keep an eye on them..
Last edited by RAFTRACER; 08-01-2008 at 12:02 PM.