mkriete

I have been fighting a clicking and popping sound on the right front of my 1980 US A/T. Here are the facts:
1. The sway bar bushings are new
2. The right sway bar bushing bracket was replace last year (old one was warped).
3. My struts are one year old (Sachs). Springs were not replaced.
4. I replaced the A-Arms with rebuilt A-Arms a couple weeks ago.
5. The diagonal support from the engine support cross member and the A-Arm, inside the engine bay, was disconnected when I purchased the car. I replaced the missing bolt and the bracket went into place with out any trouble.

I replaced the A-Arms expecting the failing bushings were the source of the clicking and popping. But it did not help. I then removed the engine struts. No change. I then disconnected the sway bar links, and the noise remained after a trip around the block. I pulled the wheel and again and found something that did look right. The lower spring plate and springs are rubbing on the inside of the A-Arm. I could not see this wear pattern on the old A-Arms (which are on their way back for the core charge refund), but on the nice, new powder coated Arm, it is quite obvious. This kind of contact would match the clicking and popping I have been hearing. Here are a couple pictures.

What is the proper clearance between the A-Arm and the Spring?
Why would the A-Arm and Spring make contact?

Thanks again for sharing your wealth of knowledge.

dr bob

Check the lower bracket that holds the shock eye. Offset out? Should be in, shock closer to the engine? Guessing here...

ammonman

Post up a couple of pictures that show the overall suspension from a couple of different angles. The close-ups are great to show the contact areas you are talking about but we need to see the whole suspension assembly to catch things like the lower bracket for the shock mentioned by dr bob.

Mike

mkriete

Here are overall pictures of the suspension.

I have to zoom out to see the whole picture (the pictures are not close ups).

Thanks you again for looking at this.

Ducman82

can the arms be on the wrong sides?

mkriete

I must admit, all I know is my car. I have not seen what is right. I really need to start making some events.

I used my micrometer and measured the bracket. It looks like a 40 mm offset from the inner bolt to the eye in the bracket. The bracket has the 2 indentions noted in the WSM. The bolts measured at approx. 83 mm long (I don't understand what the 730 dimension in the WSM). The inner eccentric is 45 mm and the outer eccentric is 39 mm. I do have steel lower ball joints.

I believe the A-Arms are on the correct side. The longer side of the arm is to the front. Does it look right?

Am I correct that the spring should not contact the A-Arm? It looks like the spring should compress and the lower concave washer should stay above the A-Arm. The rust mark on the inside of the A-Arm could be left from installation, but the gouge on top is not.

dr bob

So put a block of wood under the lower balljoint, and use your floor jack to slowly compress the spring by lifting the block. You should be able to compress it enough to eventually pick the car up off the safety stand, giving you close to full suspension travel. Watch to see if there's interference between the upper arm and the lower spring perch. You'll see quickly if there is.

There's a urethane bumper that fits on top of the shock body and the rod, installed prior to putting the dust cover on and assembling the shock and springs.

There's a nut at the top of the shock rod that secures the top of the shock via the top support. There's no good easy way to hold the shock rod to get the nut torqued, so I end up using a small impact wrench to get it "tight 'nuff" The three nuts on the studs at the top spring perch need to be torwued correctly so they don't bump and rattle.

You can remove the front anti-rollbar completely to eliminate it and the links from the possibilities set.

Verify the torque you used on the balljoint nuts.

Verify the torque you used on the bolts that pass through the fender wall towards the engine for the upper inner control shaft.

Verify that the rack mounting bushings are still good. The original rubber bushings suffer with age, heat, and dirt and oil exposure. Mine were OK, but were replaced later with Delrinbushings from Roger. Tired bushings allow the rack to go up and down, banging into the crossmember and the lower cover when your suspension moves.

mkriete

I lifted the suspension at the ball joint with a block and the floor jack. The A-Arm and lower washer are not in contact.

I think the struts are correct, though the urethane does not feel soft. I took a picture of the left side, since it looks the same as the right, but I don't have a wire bundle and coolant hose in the way. I have a mirror next to it for a better picture of the side.

I tried to tighten the top nut, but it would not budge. The three nuts on top are tightened to torque spec.

I disconnected the sway bar links and the noise is still there.

I verified the ball joint torque. Everything was to spec.

My rack bushing look OK, not great. I need to have someone turn the wheel while I watch.

I also attached a picture of my lower front Control Arm bushing. It doesn't look great, but could it be the issue?

ammonman

The bushing on that lower control arm is shot. It should be bonded to the arm pivot and to the mount on that end. The pivot point is clearly torn away from the bushing inside the mount housing.

Mike

mkriete

Thank you for your help. My novice eye did not see how it was torn away.



After reviewing other posts, it looks like the only option is a new or rebuilt lower arm. Are the bushing NLA?

My original question originated when I saw the gouge on the A-Arm and after reading the WSM chapter 40. I have Sachs dampers, but I have no idea what I had originally or the color code on the spring (which looks kinda gold). Are spacers needed when switching between Boge and Bilstein? Are the dampers interchangeable between springs?

ammonman

The bushings have never been available separate from the arm as they are cast in place and adhered to both the arm and the mount. Be sure to leave the two rear mounting bolts a few turns loose when installing. Once you put the car back down on it's wheels the rear mounting bolts are tightened to the correct torque.

Mike

1979928

The rubber bushing is bonded only at the rear of the lower control arm not the front pivot point. The front bushing is bonded to the mounting bracket only.

mkriete

The noise was due to a loose lower ball joint. I finished replacing the joints today and the noise is gone.

I have the LCA added to my ever growing budget for my 5, no 6, no 7 year project.

Thanks again for the help!

dr bob

Note that Mark Anderson has arranged with the original manufacturers of the suspension pieces to rebuild/remanufacture those lower control arms with all new vulcanized (to original spock) rubber pieces. Call 928 International for availability and pricing. The pieces look and perform like new, for a whole lot less cost than new replacements. They are available on an exchange basis.

pinballplanet

Good to know!
Thanks