AO

So I'm in the middle of replacing the upper A-Arm bushings with the poly bushing and ran into a big snag!

I got the A-arm out without any drama. You cannot believe how easy it is when the engine is out of the bay!

Anyway, I was trying to press the cross arm out, but the rubber is so attached to the A that I think I ended up bending the A! I eventually got the cross-arm out, but it ended up tearing the old bushing out.


So, here's my quandry. Do I scrap this A-Arm and get a replacement and start again? Or should I continue to push forward?

If I push forward, how do I get the rest of the rubber out of the A? I thought about burning it out, but I'm afraid it might affect the aluminum. Any suggestions?

The wife has me taking the kids somewhere now, so I'll see if I can post pictures later.

largecar379

get a new set of A arms----can't believe you bent one, so don't try to straighten it.

this is really bad......

I have several if you need one, or two....maybe three or four?


--Russ

drnick

get a pair from russ with the rubber already removed

JHowell37

You're more likely to crack the aluminum rather then bend it. You can burn out the remnants of the bushings but at a minimum you'll need a torch that uses mapp gas. Propane simply doesn't get hot enough and you'll be out there all day. Oxy-acetylene is fine as long as you're careful with it. Whatever burn method you choose, make sure you do it outside as those burning bushings produce a lot of smoke and soot.

AO

PM sent

AO

Here is the carnage. I managed to get the driver side apart, but I had to literally destroy the rubber bushings in the process. They must have changed the way they rubber mold these things becasue this rubber is not coming out. I tried burning the rubber out and while I got a lot of it out, there remains about 1/16" of rubber all the way around and it doesn't want to burn anymore. What have I done????

shmark

FWIW here's how I removed the old rubber bushings in my track 914. I installed poly bushings and I would not do it again without some additional things. After a couple years the grease was completely gone and the bushings would actually "stick" in the housings, causing some interesting suspension behavior. So if I ever did it again, poly would ONLY go in a track car and you better believe I would install zerk fittings so they could be greased regularly. Honestly I would not install them in a street car.

http://members.rennlist.com/mlitherland/bbq.jpg

jon928se

Andrew

IIRC the 1/16" you have left is the outer steel casing. a small sharp cold chisel at an angle will peel the steel casing away from the hole in the arm and crumple it so that it loosens and then can be pushed out.

Trying to press out the bushings without bending the Arm wasted about 2 hours of my time trying to support the arm in the press without much success.

dr bob

Use a fine hacksaw to cut the remaining bushing material at three or four points around the inside, then crush the remaining material away from the aluminum. Don't saw into the aluminum, obviously.

It's not clear to me how you managed to spread the arms apart. The press ram is on the control shaft, pushing the opposite bushing out. The opposite side of the arm is suopported in the press with a small bearing spreader. Flip it over and repeat to get the other bushing out. Did you try to support the same side that you were pressing on the shaft?

Bill Ball

Jeez, makes me glad I decided, with some advice from co-workers, to leave my original bushings alone even though I had the polys sitting there ready to go in.

largecar379

Here's my question:

I am aware of ball joint differences between OB and S4 (steel and aluminum), but I was thinking the A arm itself was the same for all years 928-----?

Please correct this for me if I am wrong and tell me the differences.....

Andrew is saying he specifically needs "S4" A arms.

I have plenty OB A arms to send to him, but if there is a difference, we all need to know.

???????

thanks--

--Russ

AO

Well it wasn't on a press. I was using the tool on the right to press it out, not realising that the arms would spread out. I thought the whole damn thing would press out.



Well, I'll try and cut out the remaining material (I'll practice on the ****ed up arm first) and see if I can get a good used passenger side arm from someone else or 928 Intl.

sendarius

Hi guys,

Just been through this pain. According to what I found, there IS a difference between early and late A-arms WRT the inner bushes.

I have in my parts bin a BEAUTIFUL set of Poly bushes from a company called Noltec in Sydney (Australia), BUT the outside diameter is too small for the S4 A-arms by about 2 mm (approx. .080"). The damn things will go in, but they won't do much for the handling.

Eventually got an admission from the supplier that their web-site (www.noltecsuspension.com) is wrong when it claims that they are suitable for all 928 models.

Sorry but no idea when the dimensions changed.

Steve

backnblack

Hey Andrew if you want some help your welcome to come over, I have a press and heat in the garage just let me know.

Regards
Matt

Lizard928

the arms (top and bottom) changed with the S4 suspension in 86.5 cars.

this is why you use early arms with S4 parts to achieve greater camber in the front.