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C6 Corvette ZR1 & Z06General info about GM’s Corvette Supercar, LS9 Corvette Technical Info, Performance Upgrades, Suspension Setup for Street or Track
Has anyone had issues with their control arm bushings particularly the front uppers after installing LG coilovers and sway bars? It seems that after running the coilovers and sway bars I was having clunking noises during hard braking even while going slow and hitting the brakes hard.
To the OP - The stock bushings wear out quickly if you are driving the car spiritedly, even on a stock suspension. It's just a compromise GM made between the people that want a proper suspension and the people that want a "sports car" that rides well.
I'm almost certain it is your sway Mark. You need to check it loaded and unloaded. And check the end links. You should be able to easily install and remove the bolts. They should be set so that they are easy to install at a normal loaded position, and make sure the bar is set (centered rotationally) in the bushings so that it can have full rotational travel in both direction. When I install a sway bar, I attach the second end link with the tires on and a full load on the car. This way I am assured there is no pre-loading on the bar and there is no bias to either side.
Also, when you are ready to move to a proper control arm bearing (spherical), just call Mark at AMT and be done. Nothing beats a monoball for our use, period.
FWIW a little bird has told me that AMT is gonna be running a big sale over Memorial Day. Just saying...
And yes, those uppers are prone to extrude themselves over time and track abuse. You can get a brand new upper for about $85 if you just wanna stick with stock for awhile.
Last edited by Mark@AMT Motorsport; 05-05-2019 at 08:33 PM.
Has anyone had issues with their control arm bushings particularly the front uppers after installing LG coilovers and sway bars? It seems that after running the coilovers and sway bars I was having clunking noises during hard braking even while going slow and hitting the brakes hard.
While chasing suspension issues, I put a camera on the suspension of my new (to me) c6z and inadvertently found the 13 year old bushings are shot. Watch how much the knuckle pivots and translates under medium-hard braking.
I'm almost certain it is your sway Mark. You need to check it loaded and unloaded. And check the end links. You should be able to easily install and remove the bolts. They should be set so that they are easy to install at a normal loaded position, and make sure the bar is set (centered rotationally) in the bushings so that it can have full rotational travel in both direction. When I install a sway bar, I attach the second end link with the tires on and a full load on the car. This way I am assured there is no pre-loading on the bar and there is no bias to either side.
Also, when you are ready to move to a proper control arm bearing (spherical), just call Mark at AMT and be done. Nothing beats a monoball for our use, period.
The endlinks aren't perfectly centered, but I installed both with weight on wheels on a drive on lift. Still has the issue, so I will try to make the endlinks perfectly centered and try again. I appreciate the advice.
While chasing suspension issues, I put a camera on the suspension of my new (to me) c6z and inadvertently found the 13 year old bushings are shot. Watch how much the knuckle pivots and translates under medium-hard braking.
05-04-2019, 12:45 AM
Control arm bushing failure
