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Upper outer A arm bushing Install

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  • Upper outer A arm bushing Install

    Hey Biggs or somebody on West Coast (as in still awake) !
    Have you ever tried installing new outer bushings into the upper arms and had them not want to go in? They feel like they are crossthreading, Is that normal? Will it damage the upper arm if we force them in?

    Rich.

    StudeRich
    Studebakers Northwest
    Ferndale, WA
    StudeRich
    Second Generation Stude Driver,
    Proud '54 Starliner Owner
    SDC Member Since 1967

  • #2

    The outer side of the trunnion bushings are threaded, but to a very shallow depth. These outside threads bite into the control arm as you tighten the bushings onto the pins. The pin and bushings are made of a much harder steel than the control arms and a new control arm has NO thread marks on the inside of the ear. The pin bushing actually galls the thread marks into the ear as you tighten them onto the pin.

    When you removed the old bushings, you may have noticed the impression left from the old bushing threads. These are not threads that were cut into the arm before it was used, the first time.
    Although you can reuse the control arms a couple times, when you install a new pin, it's unlikely that you will align the new pin threads and the old ear markings. So, this resistance you are encountering is actually the new bushing tearing into the ear and probably cross threading the old marks. This is a good thing, since once you have little or no resistance, you can't use the arm any longer.
    If bushings aren't installed using the spreader tool, they will be torqued tight onto the pin and when the suspension moves, the entire assembly will rotate inside the control arm ear, wearing it out.


    64 GT Hawk (K7)
    1970 Avanti (R3)

    Comment


    • #3
      I concur with what 55 Prez says. It's not a case of following the "threads" from before. NEW arms have no "threads" whatsoever.

      Miscreant at large.

      1957 Transtar 1/2ton
      1960 Larkvertible V8
      1958 Provincial wagon
      1953 Commander coupe
      1957 President 2-dr
      1955 President State
      1951 Champion Biz cpe
      1963 Daytona project FS
      No deceptive flags to prove I'm patriotic - no biblical BS to impress - just ME and Studebakers - as it should be.

      Comment


      • #4
        Thanks to 55 Prez and Mr.Biggs for the info. Now, does anybody know how far apart the upper outer control arms are supposed to be? I have one thats farther apart than the other. I need to know if I should spread one or pinch the other.

        StudeRich
        Studebakers Northwest
        Ferndale, WA
        StudeRich
        Second Generation Stude Driver,
        Proud '54 Starliner Owner
        SDC Member Since 1967

        Comment


        • #5
          So, you're saying you want me to go out and measure an NOS one, eh?[:I]

          Miscreant at large.

          1957 Transtar 1/2ton
          1960 Larkvertible V8
          1958 Provincial wagon
          1953 Commander coupe
          1957 President 2-dr
          1955 President State
          1951 Champion Biz cpe
          1963 Daytona project FS
          No deceptive flags to prove I'm patriotic - no biblical BS to impress - just ME and Studebakers - as it should be.

          Comment


          • #6
            Well, if ya hafta go out in the 100 degree sun for over 10 min., maybe not !!


            quote:Originally posted by Mr.Biggs

            So, you're saying you want me to go out and measure an NOS one, eh?[:I]

            Miscreant at large.

            1957 Transtar 1/2ton
            1960 Larkvertible V8
            1958 Provincial wagon
            1953 Commander coupe
            1957 President 2-dr
            1955 President State
            1951 Champion Biz cpe
            1963 Daytona project FS
            StudeRich
            Studebakers Northwest
            Ferndale, WA
            StudeRich
            Second Generation Stude Driver,
            Proud '54 Starliner Owner
            SDC Member Since 1967

            Comment


            • #7
              2.750" or 2 3/4"

              Comment


              • #8
                I'm glad Alan came up with that. I'd gone out to where I was confident those new A-arms were and they weren't. I know's I gots 'em. Somewhere............

                Miscreant at large.

                1957 Transtar 1/2ton
                1960 Larkvertible V8
                1958 Provincial wagon
                1953 Commander coupe
                1957 President 2-dr
                1955 President State
                1951 Champion Biz cpe
                1963 Daytona project FS
                No deceptive flags to prove I'm patriotic - no biblical BS to impress - just ME and Studebakers - as it should be.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I have a lot of parts like that, usualy find them when looking for something else.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks much, 55prez and Alan for all your help. -See continuation on new post: "Todays episode of the Great Outer Pin Repair".
                    Thanks, Rich.
                    StudeRich
                    Second Generation Stude Driver,
                    Proud '54 Starliner Owner
                    SDC Member Since 1967

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Wow, what a pain. I havent inspected my Avanti yet, but so far I have
                      been lucky in not needing to get into that area. My Hawks suspension
                      was in pretty good tight shape. I guess with the ease of aligning the
                      front on a Stude, there has to be a downside. We dont have to deal
                      with shims, but we have extra to deal with on a rebuild.[V]

                      Tom
                      '63 Avanti R1, '03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves.
                      Check out my disc brake adapters to install 1994-2004 Mustang disc brakes on your Studebaker!!
                      http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...bracket-update
                      I have also written many TECH how to articles, do a search for my Forum name to find them

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        A LOT extra to deal with. Has anyone but me given thought to the cost of two ball joints compared to the expense of producing a king pin front suspension--the comparsion is mind boogling, at the least. No wonder Stude went under trying to compete with Detroit. I can only hope the guy that invented the ball joint front suspension died a rich man. Course the likely result was that all the Detroit shareholders each got a little richer! And the engineer responsible was left thinking that he should have been an independent afterall. Course if he had been on his own Detroit would have found a way to screw him out of his idea--that's life!

                        wagone

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          quote:Originally posted by wagone

                          A LOT extra to deal with. Has anyone but me given thought to the cost of two ball joints compared to the expense of producing a king pin front suspension--the comparsion is mind boogling, at the least. No wonder Stude went under trying to compete with Detroit.
                          What car had the first "modern" ball joint suspension and when? (Not a quiz...I don't know)



                          Dick Steinkamp
                          Bellingham, WA

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Good question, Dick. I can't answer it either!

                            wagone

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                            • #15
                              Chevy was 1955, Ican't recall if anyone had balljoints suspension before then.

                              GARY H 2DR.SEDAN 48 STUDEBAKER CHAMPION NORTHEAST MD.

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