Hi Everyone,

Ok, here's the deal. I've tore apart my suspension this weekend to install new struts as well as new prothane bushings. Started at the front, no real issues, had a brake hanging up so replaced the passenger caliper as well as the hose, new pads and rotors on both sides as well as replaced bearings. Good stuff. Then I hit the back, passenger side no problem. Already had the struts replaced in the past so the big bolts came out fairly easy and overall pretty simple. Then hit the drivers side and suprise! Looks like the car had been hit in the driver side rear before and the frame was push in a little bit pinching the lower control arm. It moves up and down, but just wouldn't come out (I didnt try TOO hard, cause i figured if I couldnt get it out, there was no way it was going back in. Hopefully the picture shows below.

So, my questions are-

A) Will it hurt to drive the car with 3 corners done in the prothane and one with factory rubber? (All struts are new)

B) What's my best bet to fix this? I'm thinking the only real way is to replace the cradle, which i'm not opposed to, but I dont want to do it right now.

Anyone have any opinions?




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2006 GTO
2005 Polaris 700 EFI
2004 Sierra Denali
2004 Jeep GC Overland
1999 Isuzu Amigo
1986 Fiero GT

[This message has been edited by 06GTO (edited 06-16-2008).]

It's hard to tell from those pics what is really bent but the control arms won't necessarily just fall out of the cradle (nor will the bolts just slide out.) Some take some work to pull out. It almost looks like the control was hit but that might just be the pic too.

It could also be that the bushing is complete shot and the arm is just out of position. Is the arm actually hitting the cradle? The more I look the more it appears the cradle is pushed in but it's hard to see.

I don't think it's impending doom to leave the rubber in one corner but you obviously need to finish the job.

Can you pull the arm? Can you take a pic that is a inline with the bushing and cradle (more to the left) so we can see the clearance between the arm and the cradle?

04 GTO

[This message has been edited by TK (edited 06-15-2008).]

Yea, sorry the pictures are not the best. I've updated it with a circled portion, you can see where the frame is bending towards the control arm. The arm itself dosent look bet at all.

The arm pretty much isnt coming out, and if it did, i'm pretty sure it wouldnt go back in especially with the new bushings, unless i bent the cradle back (which I'm not sure i should be doing)

Now that you circled it, it looks like the cradle is bent at the bottom. It is flat front to back under where the control arm goes in?

You could swap in a new cradle fairly easy.

[This message has been edited by TK (edited 06-16-2008).]