I just got my bolts for the front A arms yesterday. Thought I'd put my A arms on and be done with it. They were repainted a couple months back and had polys pressed in. I knew I was gonna have to beat on them due to the polys, to get them in. The passenger side went in with minimal cursing and swearing, and both ends went right into their respective K member ears with not too much beating on them. Maybe 15 min worth of work.

However, I stared on the driver's side first, beat the living hell out of the thing trying to get it in, tried one bolt in first, tried either end in first, I can't get this bloody thing in there. In the process the one bushing has been beat to hell. Looking at how it lines up I'm wondering if it was bent when the polys were pressed in. Considering how my stock LCAs bent like a tin can I can't help but wonder if the front A arms are that weak too. I've tried expanding the ears on the K member as well, no joy.

Because of the fact that the bushing is beat to hell, and the fact that I might never get this driver's A arm in, I'm looking at Tubulars. UMI is one option, Spohn is another, and BMR also has them. But at 400 for the pair from each of them I don't think I'm gonna be getting them any time soon. But if anyone has any laying around (for the spring setup not coil overs) I'd be interested, even if I can't do anything to get them til next month. I know the price they charge includes bushings ball joints and bushings. Considering I need ball joints it makes it more appealing just to get it all done already.

 

You sure the bushing was pressed in all the way? It is quite possible the kmember ears need to be bent outwards slightly. I like to use a big 25" adjustable wrench I have to bend them out, or anything you can lengthen with a pipe on the end to get more leverage if you can't do it by hand easily. Make sure to watch your jackstands and possibly add a jack somewhere near where you're working to the car doesn't fall on you.


safety first

 

I thought about expanding it but at this point the bushing is beat up bad enough that its become pointless. I can get one side or the other in. Can't get them both in. Like I said, the other side went in without too much trouble. I can see if I can get some angle measurements and see if it was indeed bent when it was pressed. If it was then....well we will see.

 

Ok I just measured the top distance where it pivots. Its the same on both sides. So while its probably not bent, the bushing is beat up (I'm not gonna run out and replace it as its still brand new and its only one out of 4 A arm bushings). Not to mention I still gotta somehow get this thing in. Any other ideas on how to expand the K member ears or any other methods on getting these things in?

 

I already answered how to bend the tabs outward slightly

 

you can get a piece of all thread rod, smaller than 1/2" diameter, some good washers and 2 hex nuts. Put the rod through the holes, and put both washers and nuts on the inside of ears, tighten one nut to each side, then use a wrench to tighten them more and gradually spread the ears.

its most likely possible the arms were damaged when the bushings were pressed in. Its common, and can be done very easily if the operator is not being careful.

 

noticed your in NJ, i have a set of stock a-arms im going to trash, if you need replacements, you can have them. they obviously need to be cleaned, new balljoints, bushings ect.

 

that is the best way to bend them, just tighen the jaws on the ear you want to move and bend, and the metal there is fairly weak so a small adj. wrench will work too.

another thing that helped me out was to get the least accessable side in first, then put a drift pin in one side to get the hole lined up and drive the bolt in from the other side. otherwise some crowbars and a jack can help coax it into position.

 

Yea I saw your car at the F body Nats at Island Dragway. I've got the same name on the NJFBOA boards. Awesome ride. And as I said, I measured the top pivot portion and compared to the other side. Seems like they're both fine. I'm just trying to figure out how both came out easy, and one went in as expected, while the other one is next to impossible. I'm game to your offer if the one side is indeed bent. I'm rebuilding the whole car from the ground up. Everything was shot and the donor motor lost a bearing. We tried it the cheap way by just putting in a free motor and hoping for the best. Didn't work out. Now we're doing it my way. Anyway 2 off the point questions I've been meaning to ask you. Whats the point of the Collector's Inspection sticker on your car? I've got QQs on my car and was told you don't need a sticker. Yours being an 86 the rules might be different. And who built your motor?

And xpndbl3, I was looking for other methods so I knew what my options were. Most likely I might try a variation of your method first so I'm not buying more material. It doesn't need to move much maybe a 1/8th inch or so and it will be that much easier.