Pelican Parts Forums - Trouble installing new control arm

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Trouble installing new control arm

After reading everything I could about replacing my control arm (a-arm) and ball joint, I'm running into an issue that another Pelican had mentioned, but now I can't find the post.

Basically, I have the balljoint installed, and the rear end of the control arm installed and bolted thru the crossmemember, but the new control arm is "longer" than the one I removed.

Not the arm itself, but rather the position of the front mount is not aligning with the mounting holes in the tub.

Hopefully the guy(s) who ran into this and posted it will read this post, but does anyone have any suggestions on how I should get it to align?

The angle of the front mount is also rotated about 20 degrees clockwise (from the front) compared to the control arm I am removing. I assume I can just put a jack under the rear of the control arm to rotate it into position (pre-load the bushing), but I don't see how I can do that AND shorten it.
This is a NOS control arm with factory bushings.

Of course, after posting, here it is (on page 2 of the nearly infamous Island vs. Chuck rubber bushing thread)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/266716-rubber-arm-bushing-question.html

Quote:

Originally posted by GMR911
Third, putting the new a-arms in was a b--ch! The first side I did I could not get the a-arm far enough in to properly sit in the crossmember to put the bolt through. I had to take it back out and see where it was binding and file a little metal away. Finally i got it to slide in enough so I could intall the bolt through the crossmember into the floor pan. Then I went to intall the front bolts and they were a solid 1/4 inch off if not more. After fighting to compress tha a-arm enough to install the bolts with no luck I gave up and tried to figure out was wrong. I took the new and old a-arm from the other side and measures them side by side. Thew new a-arm was a good 1/4 to 3/8 inch longer then the old due to the fact the bushing/mounts were expanded by that much over the old. Had to get some big c-clamps and compress the bushing/mount an the cross member in order to get the front holes to allign. Just some food for thought for those doing this job with new a-arms.
Jerry

Thrasher, I hope you have success in getting them to fit. Like I said I had a friend of mine under the car at the cross member with 2 large c-clamps compressing the bushing at the cross member. I was at the front mount pushing the a-arm inward toward the crossmember and trying to start one of the front mount bolts. Quite a project. When measuring the new and old a-rmes you will notice that the bushings on the new a-arms are actually expanding the length of the a-arms. If you have any questions feel free to ask, Jerry

Thanks Jerry. Is your friend available on Saturday?

Just kidding - I suppose I'll just have to keep going from one spot to the other to see when things align. Luckily I'm only doing one side, as the PO had the passenger side done recently as part of a repair. The asymmetry of it all was too much for me to bear any longer!

Very interesting. My new Porsche a-arms just slid right in. No problems at all.

Rob, Thrasher- as far as I know there is only one manufacturer for these a- arms, no aftermarket. I would think they are all pretty standard? Wonder if anyone else had this problem or if they slid right in? Jerry