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Taking apart my suspension for a refresh I found the passenger side front upper control arm dog bone which is closest to the front of the car has two spacers between the dog bone and the frame where all the other locations only have one per fastener, including the rear fasteners of the same upper arm. Is this normal or the result of vehicle specific tolerances being addressed? Thank you!
Taking apart my suspension for a refresh I found the passenger side front upper control arm dog bone which is closest to the front of the car has two spacers between the dog bone and the frame where all the other locations only have one per fastener, including the rear fasteners of the same upper arm. Is this normal or the result of vehicle specific tolerances being addressed? Thank you!
I can only assume you are working on a C5. There is no dogbone, just control arm bushings. If that is the case, they are shims, and are typically of equal thickness on both bushing mounts. Is the most forward location with two shims double the thickness of the others, or did they use two smaller shims in that location that are of equal thickness as the others? Caliper tells the story.
I can only assume you are working on a C5. There is no dogbone, just control arm bushings. If that is the case, they are shims, and are typically of equal thickness on both bushing mounts. Is the most forward location with two shims double the thickness of the others, or did they use two smaller shims in that location that are of equal thickness as the others? Caliper tells the story.
If this is not a dog bone what is it called? The dude at Borg Motorsports called them dogbones in his installation video, talk to him.
Here are the 2 bolts as they came out. These are the 2 that mount in the forward dogbone mount. Same rubber in the middle spacer as the rest of the fasteners. And yes, the red lettering was the gist of my original question and also confirmed my thought they were doubled up on that corner to accommodate build variations.
Here are the 2 bolts as they came out. These are the 2 that mount in the forward dogbone mount. Same rubber in the middle spacer as the rest of the fasteners. And yes, the red lettering was the gist of my original question and also confirmed my thought they were doubled up on that corner to accommodate build variations.
I have only replaced upper control arms a half-dozen times, and cannot recall doubled up washers. That means there would have to be an 1/8" variation in ~ 6" from center to center. I suppose anything is possible, just surprising given how the frames are made compared to 50 years ago.
I just pulled the control arms on my car this past weekend for the first time. One side had double spacers to single spacers on the other side. That may have been what was needed to get the caster where it should be. I don’t think it’s really indicative of some failure in frame building.
I just pulled the control arms on my car this past weekend for the first time. One side had double spacers to single spacers on the other side. That may have been what was needed to get the caster where it should be. I don’t think it’s really indicative of some failure in frame building.
For example, you are saying one whole control arm on one side (all four bolts) had double shims?
That is what I am wondering as well as mine were doubled up only on the forwardmost mount of one arm. They are decently thick, all mic in the range of .095" to .097" on that side of the car. Pretty large deviation IMO from one mounting point to the other on the same arm.
My dad was the original owner from new, never has been in a wreck, it was aligned once 14 years ago when he had the rear end links replaced under dealer advisement. I'll put it back together as it came apart letting the alignment shop know about the double shims at that mounting point.
For example, you are saying one whole control arm on one side (all four bolts) had double shims?
I’d have to look at it again, but no, I don’t think so. The forward bolts on the passenger side had 2 each and the forward bolts on the driver side had 1 I think. I don’t think the rears had any on either side. Again, these are how caster is adjusted. The eccentric bolts in the lower control camber and caster and obviously the tie rods change toe.
If you’re taking it apart to change bushings (that’s what I’m doing) just put it back the same way it came apart.
Front upr C/A spacers
