OK guys, a question. I am replacing my upper and lower control arm bushings on my 59 Ranchero. Why? Because when turning tightly I hear and very loud and solid "THUMP". You can feel it in the steering wheel. It doesn't matter which way I turn. After doing some investigation I found that, when at the end of the turning radius, the control arm was slipping on the bushing about 3/16 of an inch. Yes, the arm was actually moving on the bushing. I have the entire thing dis***embled now. Now for the question. Each control arm had at least on washer on each side of the bushing. This washer is between the bushing itself and the place where the a arm touches the frame. It looks like these are spacers to ensure that no gap exists between the a arm and the frame. I am not sure of this, but that is what it seems to me to be. On both lower a arms, when you put the a arm back in place, there is a gap of about 1/16 to 3/16 of an inch. I think maybe I am missing some washers. Anyone out there have a better idea? Thanks
Well, I figured it out. Those washers are there to give the rubber on the bushing something to ride against, that's it. They are not spacers. It looks like my a arms (lower only and the left one more than the right) are slipping on the bushings due to the press in is no longer as tight as it should be. In fact, the new ones hardly take any pressure at all to press them in. Bummer. New a arms is the correct fix. LOL, try and find those. However, a local car fab shop told me that this is nothing new and there is an easy fix. Press in the bushings, install the a arm, get it centered where it needs to be, then remove the a arms again and spot weld the a arm at four equally spaced points around the a arm to the bushing using low temp on the weld. They do it all the time. Aint this old car stuff fun? Hmmmmmm
The upper and lower arms are around, lots on eBay. Mine were in good shape, I could use my upper shafts over. The lowers I just pressed new bushings in.
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