Trim VB poly control arm bushings?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 309
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas NV
Trim VB poly control arm bushings?
I am putting in a set of poly bushings for the front and rear lower control arms on my C5. The poly bushing length makes it a very tight fit into the crossmember housing. I've done poly bushings on other makes of cars and had to trim the bushing to get it to fit right. My question is whether the bushing is supposed to rotate within the housing, or whether the bushing should stay put and the control arm should rotate about the bushings. If I don't trim the bushings, I think the control arm will end up rotating about the bushings. Any ideas or experience on the correct mech for this setup? 
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,384
Likes: 8
From: Southwest Virginia
You don't want the bushing turning in the control arm! Being aluminum it will wear really fast. Normally if a bushing pivots it will always be designed to pivot in the middle on steel. Are your sure they are press all the way into the control arms? Let us know what you find, I'm ready to start an install of these bushings as soon as I get done with lunch!
Good luck
Good luck
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 7,218
Likes: 1
From: Cresskill NJ
The bushings have a center metal bushing that the polyurethane rotates around. The surface where the bushing meets the control arm shouldn't spin. So, technically, the bushing will rotate in the housing, around the inner metal bushing., but not in the control arm itself. With a little grease on the sides of the bushings I don't see this as being a problem. Hopefully I explained this well enough. If not, let me know.
Chris
Chris
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Chesapeake VA
I installed a set on my 98 last month and had to remove 0.02"-0.03" from most of the sleeves inside the bushing before assembling them. They should fit snug back in the pockets but not so tight that the car cannot be aligned.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,384
Likes: 8
From: Southwest Virginia
Originally Posted by RexHarris
I had to remove 0.02"-0.03" from most of the sleeves inside the bushing before assembling them.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 309
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas NV
Originally Posted by DngrZne
The bushings have a center metal bushing that the polyurethane rotates around. The surface where the bushing meets the control arm shouldn't spin. So, technically, the bushing will rotate in the housing, around the inner metal bushing., but not in the control arm itself. With a little grease on the sides of the bushings I don't see this as being a problem. Hopefully I explained this well enough. If not, let me know.
Chris
Chris
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,502
Likes: 4
From: cincinnati ohio
I replied in the AX/RR forum about this, b ut I have something else for you. I recently installed a beta version of these bushings into an '06 Z06 and I found that the control arm to subframe clearance was significantly tighter than it should be. I removed outer washers and machined approx. .020 " off of each end of the bushing center shaft. I talked with VBP about this , they may have received a shipment of centershafts that are too long. At any rate , no big deal, just take required material off of center shaft of bushings. As I said in the other post make sure that you do use enough lubricant on bushing shells before reassembly. Control arms should not fit loosely into crossmember, there should be a snug fit , very small interference fit. If you have to POUND in (not tap) with a hammer ,something is wrong.
