StealthB4C2002

Rides nice.. i recommend doing ball joints as part of this process, any question i will answer,,, i did the following.. ALL OF THEM! i would say worst is lower control arm front, rear bolt area! the install tools of choice.. a must have torch.. an air hammer.. large pry bars. large huge rubber mallet.. :-) an lots of drinks.. i went with the red kit..
pics to come..

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Watch that bushing at the back of the front lower arm..... It will fail, and probably sooner than later. The record is 4 days on my Camaro before the ring on the inside failed and extruded itself. It's a bad design, and the reason I do not run those bushings in that location. Just keep an eye on it---and honestly be ready to put a stock type bushing back in that particular spot because it will always give you trouble.

CranMaro99

iTrader: (10)

This. (Is what I was thinking.)

Engine_HP

iTrader: (1)

:pic:

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

thanks for the heads up sam.......after a year on my DD......my control arm polys are good.......mine are prothanes not ES

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Most of the trouble was with Energy Suspension, but some have busted the Prothane as well. They just aren't happy working on more than one axis.

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

i will keep an eye on them.....they are just a stop gap til i get tubular lower arms

White.Lightning

iTrader: (53)

I want rebuild my whole front end over winter. The plan is:
Strano lowering springs
Koni shocks (4/3 setup)
New strut mount plates up top (KYB)
New inner/outer tie rods ends (Moog)
New upper/lower ball joints (Moog)
New control arm bushings (Moog)

I already have poly motor mounts. I'm curious to see how much better the car feels after this rebuild. I thought about poly but think that the new stock rubber bushings would be a tremendous improvement for a 100k mile 12 year old car

I hope those poly bushings in your car last more that 4 days!!!
Best of luck

StealthB4C2002

feels really amazing.. specially in the corners. the issue with the lower front control arm.. i have seen people that misread install instructions.. an there are a few years in our fbody range that you need to use the sleeve that was in the old, some you need to remove.. the way it fits to a factory control arm.. is nice.. snug.. an with the proper setup.. not even able to blow out.. using the stock sleeve.. when rebuilt per instruction shows this an notes it in the pictures... which i could have took a pic.. there is no way if using that properly for that piece to come out..

StealthB4C2002

also... before anyone does inner an outer tie-rods.. aprox 50 each. PLEASE just look at the price for a REBUILT Rack.. is alot cheaper.. depending on the depth you want to go.. worth the change.. thatz what i did.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

The ones I failed in 4 days were Energy's not Prothane--though I don't see much to differentiate between them. Also I was autoxing on them using 315 Hoosier's which loads them with a lot more force than a street car would see. But over time it'll still happen.

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

on mine i did not use the crappy grease it came with......used mobil 1 syn and PLENTY of it.....especially on the rear lower bushing.....seems like a big cavity that i just filled up with grease

StealthB4C2002

had the alignment done today.. for 85 bucks.. there like.. all is new? :-)

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

Are you talking about the little whitish clear grease that sticks to your hands like sap that comes in the little tube of frosting package? You don't think that's good enough stuff?

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

i would not call that stuff grease.....more like glue....could not get my bushings to go into the shells because that crap would not provide any lubrication......after spending MUCH time getting that crap off and using the mobil 1 syn......went in like a greased pig

StealthB4C2002

i used the clear stuff, an i used a product by PJ1 called supercharger lube.. stuffs Awsome.. works better then silicone spray

lees02WS6

iTrader: (5)

straight from Global West's website. It's about rear arms, but the same applies for any suspension which requires movement where the bushing must twist against the bolt, instead of only rotating around it.

Polyurethane bushings used on both ends of the control arm. This type of a control arm is best used for drag racing. The bushings however, limit the rear end from articulating. Many drag cars can get away with this because of the way the car is set up. If this type of arm is used on the street or road race applications the rear suspension will be placed in bind when the car goes over bumps and around corners. This is because the control arm bushings will not allow the rear end to have proper movement.

However polyurethane is the weak link in this equation and longevity is an issue. No warranty is implied using polyurethane.

Consequences: Polyurethane cold flows and has a tendency to squeak. Cold flow is when the bushing distorts and takes the shape of the load. Clearances are opened up and some suspension control will be lost as the bushing distorts.

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

i would never pick poly for use on rear LCAs