Paul Waterloo

My control arms had a lot of play and the car did not handle worth a ****. Last fall it started making noise on braking and then again when you accelerated, found play in the control arm to strut mount, got the Rennbay repair kit.

Tonight I pulled the control arms off the car, the outer joint seems to be loose, as I can easily move it around with my hand......but the forward inner joint seems to be trashed....but I would like a second opinion.

The rear joint with the offset washer is new and very tight.

Here are some pictures of one side:

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0735.JPG>

Half of the joint just basically fell out:

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0737.JPG>

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0738.JPG>

It's all smashed and not concentric:

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0739.JPG>

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0740.JPG>

Almost looks like they tried to tack weld the washer portion on, you can see the little weld piece:

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0742.JPG>

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0743.JPG>

After doing a quick search, I can't seem to find replacement pieces easily....on Pelican they have "Trailing Arm Bushings" which I take it is for the rear and not the front?

Can anybody shed light on what I might need? Thanks!

Paul Waterloo

After looking on ebay....I'm thinking of getting a set of these rebuilt control arms, $400 after you return the cores. Thoughts?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-944-...RVVNpi&vxp=mtr

V2Rocket

http://www.elephantracing.com/suspen...erbushings.htm
http://rennbay.com/Ball-Joints/944-B...d-Bushing.html

Wonder if the ebay arms have new bushings?
Weltmeister poly bushings are super cheap.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Inf...41&SVSVSI=1023

gruhsy

The replacement parts are at elephant as stated above. It would be better to go that route rather than buying new arms

951and944S

Somebody has definitely buggered those up before.

Usually this piece....on any car really, will make a noise when you stab the brake and release quick and firm.....a knock sound.

Anyway....if I understand correctly, you already have the ball joint kit.

And the way they fell apart....most of the hard work is already done for you on the front bushing. If the split sleeve is still inside...press that out and just go with a weather sealed spherical and be done with it.

Paragon Products sells Racer's edge, you can get them directly from RE and the link Spencer already posted, Elephant Racing has them. There's a guy on Ebay that sells a sealed one but I don't think it's any cheaper than the ER version.

So....the new ball joints go in and for $250 you have a long life spherical bearing in place of that worn front.

http://www.elephantracing.com/suspen...dmonoballs.htm

Saving $150 related to the ebay arms.....you could spend the $150 on Elephant's 968 caster block copy of the 968 one, be all in for the same money and have a much better front arm.

http://www.elephantracing.com/suspen...erbushings.htm

T

Jason @ Paragon Products

Lots of choices available:

http://www.paragon-products.com/Fron...341.041.00.htm

https://www.paragon-products.com/Sea...Search=pb-1030

http://www.paragon-products.com/Pors...p/mc-8000d.htm

http://www.paragon-products.com/Sphe...-p/mc-8000.htm

Paul Waterloo

Thanks everyone! I will take the bushings out of the control arms (they are both two piece bushings), inspection and maybe post up some more pictures if I see anything wrong.

Paul Waterloo

I rebuilt the control arm ball joints last night, the good news was that the OEM plastic parts inside of it was cracked and the new Rennbay pieces are very tight.

Ordered some new bushings for the arms, just got the stock setting rubber bushing kit, as I will not track my car and comfort is more important to me, hopefully they will fit in nicely, I will wait to clean out the bore until I have them in my hands.

Paul Waterloo

So I bought a set of bushings from Elephant Racing....just the stock hardness. The fit in the control arms vs. the ones that were in there is night and day.

Cleaned the control arm holes out with 150 grit sandpaper:

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0738.JPG>

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0761.JPG>

Here's the old vs. new.....don't know what design the old ones are....but I'm sure they were basically flexing and wobbling under any load:

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0773.JPG>

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0769.JPG>

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0768.JPG>

The Rennbay joint kit is excellent....I basically couldn't move them by hand when I got it back together, with the old joints I could easily move them around, as mentioned, the plastic bushing inside was trashed.

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0757.JPG>

<img src=http://audipages.com/944/tn_DSC_0754.JPG>

I have to say that I did not heed to the directions on the bushing installation, the washer that is welded on came off when I put the first one in the vise, which was a good thing, because I could easily press in the second one and not deflect the washer, I just put the washer in place during installation. Fit up in the sub frame pretty easily.

On the second one, the washer did not fall off on the first half, and when I went to use the vise for the second half (and part of an old wheel bearing), I mushroomed the washer....got it back into shape.....however, it would not slide into the sub frame.

I measured the sub frame opening - 2.325" as I recall.

I measured the outside of the two bushings - 3.410", about 0.090" difference.

Of course it wasn't going in. I tried to spread the sub frame opening with a stud/washer/nut system, opened it up to about 2.340".

I ended up grinding inside sleeve on the bushing down and the washer faces so they were about the same size. Wow, I was impressed that I actually thought to measure instead of using a bigger hammer! I got everything in, so all is good.

For those in the future, this is how I got the control arm back in as it is tricky to get the front sub frame bolt back in with the steering rack in place:

1. Slide the control arm back in at the front sub-frame bushing.

2. Using another sub frame bolt, or a bolt of the same diameter (I used a shorter one that I had sitting around that almost came all the way through), put the bolt in from the BACK side of the sub frame, so it aligns the control arm to the hole.

3. Pivot the control arm up at the outer joint, get the correct angle, and put it in upright/shock assembly. Put the bolt through the joint and start the nut.

4. Assemble the eccentric assembly on the back on the control arm, start all the hardware and put the body bolts back into the car, do not tighten.

5. If working on the left side, turn the steering wheel hard right. If working on the right side, turn the wheel hard left. This clears the steering boot out of the way of the sub frame mounting bolt, however, the steering rods are still in the way.

6. With the control arm in place, you can now compress the suspension spring by putting a jack/block of wood under the brake rotor. This lifts the steering rack rod out of the way of the hole.....be careful here not for the jack to slip.

7. Take the control arm bolt and tap it in from the front, displacing the bolt that is already in there. Put the nut on it.

8. Go through the rest of the procedure to put a load on the suspension with a jack, tighten everything up per Clark's Garage procedure.

I went out and drove the car, OMG is the steering tight! I am really happy I did this myself instead of buying rebuilt units. I know exactly what I did, the washers I had to grind, that the Rennbay joint is awesome, and the satisfaction of doing it myself.

My car runs SOOOOO good, it's very, very quick, I have even figured out how to do donuts in it! I laugh when I do that, have not done donuts in 30 years!

;-)

beamishnz

Nice work!

PorscheG96

I imagined you'd be very excited after driving with fresh control arm bushings. I was blown away by the steering feel for an entire year after doing mine. Everyone should do this repair so that their car drives like a Porsche again.