Lower control arm shaft problem. Help

[Jeff Wilk]

I have the lower control arms off our 59 fleetwood for a complete frond end rebuild. Bought all new ball joints, shafts and bushings. Took the originals off which were somewhat tight.  Now the new or old busings for the shafts will not go back in??  These threads are not that deep, even on the new ones. Almost feels like the threads on the control arms are cross cut. Any ideas?  Should these be very tight even going back in?   Do i need to tap the control arm threads to clean them up?  Thats a large tap......

Lost without our suspension......

Jeff and Noah

[David King (kz78hy)]

The 58 is the same.  Those bushings are high torque to install.  As I recall in the service manual, it recommended putting oil or grease on the threads to help install.  Still one seemed to be 150 ft/pds and the other was higher.  So a vice to hold the part and breaker bar w/cheater pipe and a good 6 pt. socket to screw them into place

Have fun.

I went to the trouble of making a spreader as shown in the book to ensure the bushings and shaft were in compression after everything was installed.

David

[Jeff Wilk]

Thanks David.  I did need the breaker bar to get them off. Most of the way actually. It gradually got easier but only the last turn was even close to finger tight.

The manual on these does call for 205 lbs torque but i thought that was only for the last half turn or so with the majority being finger work.   So to be clear,  these are wrench tight almost all the way in. Is that correct?

Jeff and Noah

[David King (kz78hy)]

Yes,  Interference fit by design.

David

[Jeff Wilk]

Thanks so much.  Here i was thinking the control arm is shot or i need to re tap it to make it fit.  Thanks again for the hands on experience and advice!!  Now to sandblasting, repaint, then assembly with new parts.    Thanks again

Jeff and Noah

[Dave Shepherd]

Mask off the threaded areas when blasting.

[Jeff Wilk]

Well we got the control arms assembled. Tight fit dor the new bushings but only one was real tough out of the 8.  Question.....off the car as they are now how stiff should the shats be?  One rotates freely but the others are very stiff. They do move back and forth wirh some leverage.

Any issues or is this normal for new shafts and bushings and all will be fine back on the car under a few thousand pounds and with the coil springs back in place?  Thats tomorrows job!!!

[Dave Shepherd]

Remember, do not do the final tightening of the control arms until the car is on the ground.

[Jeff Wilk]

Final tightening of which bolts?  The large bushings to the shafts i assume.....

[Dave Shepherd]

Yes, that will allow free movement of the shafts and bushings at their normal ride height . Other- wise the bushings tend to bind if tightened off car then installed.