I have a quick question about installing stock replacement, upper control arm bushings, in a 68-72 Skylark/GS. Is it OK to not install the bushing flange all the way into the arm? I'm thinking that when I take the upper arms off again, I would like to either push the bushings back .125-.250 inches or replace them with new ones (again) and install them .125 to .250 inches from the flange being up against the arm. When I replaced them before, I pushed them all the way in. Now I have a problem with the left rear upper control arm bushing rubbing on the upper control arm mount, and making a god awful noise at the slightest movement of the suspension. I need to correct the caster, too. It has way too much negative caster right now, so I may just try adding shims to increase the caster, as that would push the bushing shell away from the mount. I think increasing the caster will also cure my issue with the steering not wanting to return to center. I wish I would have studied up on caster adjustments and it's effects, before I got this thing aligned.
I might be wrong it j had that impression from 66' manual that you need at least 0,5" of shimms on each bolt and you go from there. It's a reference thickness and you can't remove any of that half inch. Maybe on a-body it's a little less but there has to be something there. Check with manual. Hope this help. Peace, Kacper.
Are those offset control arm shafts? They look like they might be. Try turning the shaft around, the offset will move the shaft away from the mount. From the 1969 Buick Chassis Manual,
Thanks guys! Larry - no, they are the stock control arms with new bushings installed. The shafts are the offset Moog parts, designed to decrease camber. They are marked with "Wheel Side" so you know which way to install them. I think the guy that did the alignment never checked the caster and only set the camber and toe. Looking straight down at the spindle, you can see that there is a lot of negative caster, as the upper ball joint is about 1/2-3/4" (maybe more) ahead of the lower one. After reading quite a bit about it and watching some videos, I think I can do better on my garage floor.
Ooops... misread Larry's response. Yes, they are. I'll try turning them around and see what happens. That would give me more negative camber, too. Maybe I put that one on wrong.
Looks like that's why they're rubbing. The shell is offset closer to the bracket. The way they're installed will give you 1 degree more positive camber. It's to compensate for sagging frames. I had those in the aquamist car when I got it. I swapped them out for a set of originals. Turns out they really werent needed. Are you sure they are in yours?
I'm not sure if they are really needed. They came with the upper control arm bushings, in a kit. I think the Moog number is K5250. I still have the originals that I took out when replacing the bushings. I think I'm going to try adding more shims to increase the caster, and see what happens. If I have to put too many shims in it to get -.5 degree of negative camber, I'll try turning them around. If that doesn't work and I get too much negative camber, then I'll have to put the stock shafts back in it (with new bushings).
Ok guys, so I found that I made a mistake when installing them. I was loosening the shim bolts up to add more caster the the suspension alignment and noticed that I put one of those offset shafts on wrong. the way it is now, the left side is installed for more positive camber and the right more negative. Whoops... I'm in the process of correcting it now, by rotating the left (driver's) side one around for more negative camber. That decision was based on that side being the one rubbing on the control arm mount. I got the upper control arm out and had to take a rain/storm delay.
Change of plan. Since the storm pretty much ended my day in the garage Thursday night, the car has been sitting there with the upper control arm off. Thinking about Jason's post above, while I have 1 upper control arm off now, I decided last night to just put the stock cross shafts back in it. Since control arm bushings are pretty cheap in the scheme of things, I ordered a new set of Moogs. I already have 1 new spare set and the other will be here tomorrow. I'm assuming that when I press the old new ones out, they will be garbage after. On one of them, the outer metal sleeve is pretty gouged up from rubbing on the frame mount, anyway.
Ok, the stock shafts are back in. Seems to have more clearance. There was a pretty significant portion of the bushing shell that was rubbing on the upper control arm mount. It seems to have more positive caster with the stock shafts back on it, too. I'll try to align it next, maybe tomorrow night or Monday night
