tanker

Found out why my car was shaking at higher speeds. The front driver side control arm has a bad bushing. I can rattle the wheel when I have the car jacked up. GM dealer doesn't sell bushings separatelly, and I don't need the entire lower control arm. Maybe somebody knows where I could get a front lower control arm bushing?

Tomas

Bando

I need help with this too. The boot was worn out and when I greased it, it helped the ride 100%.

Is there a part number? Is it hard to replace? Does anyone have a schematic of the lower control arm so I can identify the bushing?

Thanks!!!!

thermwood1

Do a search for Jason Cromer. He works at Sam Taylor GM Dealership in Florida. I believe he could help you with the bushings, and he will have the best prices also.

Injuneer

Energy Suspension sells poly control arm bushings for front upper and lower control arms. I installed them. Good setup.

Bando:

There is no boot or grease fitting on the control arm bushings? Are you sure you don't mean the lower ball joint? Actually, the stock ball joint doesn't have a fitting either, but it does have a boot that can damage easilly, and will require replacement of the ball joint. IF the ball joint had been replaced earlier, it would typically have a grease fitting.

Bando

thanks for the reply (they are very hard to come by lately!!! )

The bushing (could be ball joint, maybe I'm stupid) I'm talking about is near the rear of the car as far as you can go on the control arm (This is the front control arm we're talking about obviously,btw

Sorry, I mistook it for something else maybe, I thought the ball joint was near the hub assembly close to the steering knuckle.

The thing I'm talking about is near the rear of the car (relatively) and the driver side does have a rubber boot on it still. This is the lower ball joint then? I wish I could find a drawing or something, I can't find one anywhere! I hope it's just the lower ball joint.

revtime

I think you are talking about the lower control arm bushing.
It has a bolt through it right?
The lower ball joint will be under the rotor, if you reach up under the rotor you will feel the bottom of the lower ball joint.
I reccomend the Energy suspension kit as well, this will require you to disassemble the entire front suspension to install though.
Ask me how I know.
and since you have all that stuff off go ahead and put in new ball joints and outer tie rod ends and new shocks.

My94M6

Ok, I'll ask! I'm trying to replace the upper and lower control arm bushings, and I'm having a hard time (Ok, no succes at all! ) removing the bolts in the forward bushing. They're being interfered with by the steering rack.

How did you get around this one? Did you loosen the rack, or did you have to remove it?

Are there any other "gotchas" waiting for me?

Thanks, and have a good one,
Mike

thermwood1

What i did was take the tie rods off and the sway bar end link bolts. You can either do both sides or 1 side at a time. You can then turn your steering all the way to one side and loosen the horizontal bolt on the lower control arm and remove the bolt. That's it, you shouldn't have any problems doing this. If you need anything else, let me know.

1fast95Z

I might have a new set of these bushings in my garage. Never used them as I went with BMR's lower control arm.

thermwood1

quote:
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Originally posted by tanker
Found out why my car was shaking at higher speeds. The front driver side control arm has a bad bushing. I can rattle the wheel when I have the car jacked up. GM dealer doesn't sell bushings separatelly, and I don't need the entire lower control arm. Maybe somebody knows where I could get a front lower control arm bushing?

Tomas
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You can buy the stock bushings seperately from Autozone.

My94M6

I feel like an idiot! Thanks for showing me the obvious!

Have a good one,
Mike

revtime

Don,t feel too stupid, I fuxed with it for an hour before I figured it out.
Make sure you check on your lower control arm bolts after your done as they are part of the alignment procedure so its a good thing to double check them and make sure they aint loosening up on you.

My94M6

Yep, I'm just going to put them in the middle of the adjustment range so I can make it the 10 miles to my alignment guru.

Thanks for the help, and have a good one,
Mike

MentalCaseOne

Why dont you mark its current location and then put them back up the to same spot when you are done? at least till you re-align it?


**By the way I too want to do something about the front lower control arms. They have a rubber bushing up front and one more in the back almost underneath the passenger/driver area. I noticed the rear ones are part of the Control arm and they look a bit cracked already. Does anyone sell good control Arms for LT1s/ are they worth it? the bushing I am talking about does not have the bolt horizontally but its vertical. not the one by the tire but the one toward the back of the car.


Since my car seems to sit a bit lower in the front I am thinking of replacing the Springs with 1le's then the anti roll bar new bushings, Shocks and control arms. going with a 35mm sway bar upfront and I think its 25mm in the back. Anyone have any suggestions as for what brand names?


Marvin

thermwood1

Hey Mental, i looked for a while on the lower control arm issue. As far as aftermarket goes, the only ones available are from LG Motorsports, BMR, Global West, and possibly 1 or 2 other companies. The reason i didn't go with these is because they all use heim joints instead of bushings. My experience with heim joints is they are noisy and on regular streets(potholes & not so good pavement) they tend to wear out quickly. So, i chose to use Energy Suspension poly bushings (complete upper & lower control arm bushing set). I've only had them on for around 2500 miles, but so far they have been great.
Supposedly you can get a new set of 1LE lower control arms with the bushings already installed (1LE bushings-stiffer than stock), but i never found a definate part number, and supposedly they are not making them anymore.?


As for the springs, i've heard the 1LEs are nice, but they could possibly make your car sit a bit higher. Depends on what you want out of your car. Someone good to talk suspension with is Sam Strano @ http://www.stranoparts.com/index.php.

He also sells the Suspension Techniques 35mm front sway bars.

I would give him a call and talk in depth about exactly what you want out of your car, he won't steer you wrong or try to sell you something you don't need. My .02