81SC: Front Bushings
04-28-2006, 04:37 AM
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81SC: Front Bushings
Update: Here are some pics of my progress. The right a-arm is in now. I put in ER polybronze bushings. I heated the bushing covers with a MAPP torch until the old rubber was smoking. (photo) Here are the new bushings. (photo) I sanded the old a-arm ends with 400 grit paper (photo)
I pushed the new race on with various combinations of the shims provided, then dripped some loctite on the shims before pushing them all the way in. (2 photos) Here are the arms as well as the bushing covers ready to be installed. (2 photos) The new bearings are made of bronze on the inside, and a 2mm outer polyurethane covering. I soaped them up and pushed them in with a vise. As I said yesterday, the first one gave me a hard time, with bubbling of the poly, but I think I am ok now. I checked eash bearing on race fit, and they all spin freely.
I used a thick coat of grease and installed the rear arm and bearing into the crossmember loosely. This was enough to keep the arm up and horizontal. (photo) There are then three bolts to install into the front torsion bar covers. I put antiseize on these. (photo) The front most bolt has a spacer and I almost forgot how these all fit together until I saw the picture in Bentley p870-6. Then I torqued everything up. The a-arm doesn't freely rotate after you tighten everything up, but it rotates with very little force. Certainly enough for the wheel oscillations of driving.
Here are two photos of the a-arm completed: front and rear closeups. (2 photos) Then I put the strut in from the top. I will put in the wedge bolt into the strut/ball joint tomorrow. Looks a little like a car again. (photo)
This is a lot of fun. Hope this helps someone someday.
I pushed the new race on with various combinations of the shims provided, then dripped some loctite on the shims before pushing them all the way in. (2 photos) Here are the arms as well as the bushing covers ready to be installed. (2 photos) The new bearings are made of bronze on the inside, and a 2mm outer polyurethane covering. I soaped them up and pushed them in with a vise. As I said yesterday, the first one gave me a hard time, with bubbling of the poly, but I think I am ok now. I checked eash bearing on race fit, and they all spin freely.
I used a thick coat of grease and installed the rear arm and bearing into the crossmember loosely. This was enough to keep the arm up and horizontal. (photo) There are then three bolts to install into the front torsion bar covers. I put antiseize on these. (photo) The front most bolt has a spacer and I almost forgot how these all fit together until I saw the picture in Bentley p870-6. Then I torqued everything up. The a-arm doesn't freely rotate after you tighten everything up, but it rotates with very little force. Certainly enough for the wheel oscillations of driving.
Here are two photos of the a-arm completed: front and rear closeups. (2 photos) Then I put the strut in from the top. I will put in the wedge bolt into the strut/ball joint tomorrow. Looks a little like a car again. (photo)
This is a lot of fun. Hope this helps someone someday.
