front lower control arm bushing (Page 1/2)
jim94 NOV 12, 09:00 PM
i am changing my lower bushing because the bolt was rusted in and had to cut it out. so i removed the arm to look at the bushing and all the bushing look differant. my bushing in my car the metal center tube is smooth and the new ones are ribbed. i think the front lower bushings are not the right one, i mean like someone had put bushings that where ment for the top and put them on the bottom in the factory when new. the car is still stock, i am in the process of doing ball joints. my question is are the bushings the same on the front upper and lower. i did order new bushings from the fiero store and i hope thay fit. i have an 1987 gt
Will NOV 13, 09:38 AM
All Fieros use the same front lower control arm bushings

These bushings are DIFFERENT between the forward and aft pivots on that control arm.
theogre NOV 13, 10:50 AM
Yes, lower bushing set for Fiero and some others are different from Moog and likely others. See my Cave, Suspension Parts
OE ones are same for most years/models.

Moog part gives more rubber on rear so LCA doesn't move much when braking.

Inner "Tube" on all rubber ones are rolled steel w/ open seem and "Teeth" on ends as a locking feature.
See my Cave, Bushings how to remove w/o cutting class 10.9 bolts that are hard to get and cost more.

Solid inner sleeve w/o end "Teeth" are used in Polly and Polly have many issues used in control arms. They can wear out in a few years or less depending on how/where you drive and never make "polly noise."

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

Blacktree NOV 13, 02:23 PM
To answer your question, the upper and lower control arm bushings are different. The lowers are much larger. So it would be impossible to accidentally install upper bushings in your lower control arm.

Also, as mentioned above, the front and rear bushings in the lower control arm are different. Be sure to get the right bushing in the right place. The upper control arm isn't like that. The upper bushings are all the same.
jim94 NOV 13, 03:26 PM
thanks for the information. when i get them i will fit them in place to see if thay fit. it should handle better with the right parts. i do understand how to install them.maybee my lower control arm will not hit the bump stop any more. this is m passenger side, the drivers side i bet has the right bushings because it never hits the bump stop. well back to work cleaning grease.
theogre NOV 13, 05:48 PM
If car has been "lowered" then can kill 1 or both shocks and/or hit the bump stops constantly.
Even w/o that... In North America and other that drive right can do this for P side because that side is more likely to hit curbs etc. and break the shock/strut and more.

If P side is out, Both LCA are same but mirrored. Should match if you turn P side upside down to check it for bending etc.

Warning: When you replace bushings shocks etc then should replace both side of same "axle."
Very avoiding to dangerous things can happen if you fail to do this.

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 11-13-2019).]

jim94 NOV 14, 09:50 PM
i went in the cave yesterday in the bushing section and it was right there. all the info i needed. the trailing bushing is not the same as the leading bushing. i am smarter now thanks for the info.
pmbrunelle NOV 18, 12:08 AM
Hey Will, I seem to remember you had some insights as to why the lower A-arm bushing axes aren't aligned with each other.

Can you elaborate on that?
Will NOV 18, 08:39 AM

quote
Originally posted by pmbrunelle:

Hey Will, I seem to remember you had some insights as to why the lower A-arm bushing axes aren't aligned with each other.

Can you elaborate on that?



quote
Originally posted by Will:
The thing I hate most about '84-'87 front control arms:



The other thing I hate most about '84-'87 front control arms:



The pivot axes are not aligned.

This makes using anything except sperical bearings a recipe for binding in one way or another. I wish I had known the design was that screwed up before I wasted hours on the lathe making UHMW bushings.




I don't recall that I ever had any insights as to *why*... just that that's the way it is, and it's sloppy design that GM got away with because they used rubber bushings.

Spacing the crossmember down from the body by an inch at the wheel centerline does wonders for brake dive, though.

[This message has been edited by Will (edited 11-18-2019).]

pmbrunelle NOV 18, 06:38 PM

quote
Originally posted by Will:
I don't recall that I ever had any insights as to *why*... just that that's the way it is, and it's sloppy design that GM got away with because they used rubber bushings.



I was open to the hypothesis that it was done that way on purpose, to improve some aspect of the suspension that I don't understand.

Today, I asked my work colleague about the misaligned bushing axes (the other tire/suspension wizard I know of), and he had no explanations.

In the suspension rebuild of my 84-87 Fiero, I'm going to put poly mostly everywhere, except for the front lower A-arms, where the poly is too stiff and just binds.