Control Arm Squeek

ron69912t · 06-04-2002, 06:03 AM

The left side control arm on my 69 912 is squeeking on up & down body movement. Is there any way to lubricate the bushings while they are in place? Maybe spray them with WD40? Or even drill a small hole into the bushing and squirt WD40 into the bushing.

I have seen a picture somewhere where someone installed a grease zerk fitting in the bushings so they could be lubricated.

What problems will I run into if I try to remove the control arm? What about the torsion bar, how do I re torque it and to what level? My shop manual is very vague on the R & R of the Control Arm. I have never dealt with torsion bars before.

Thanks for you help.

Ron

ron69912t · 06-06-2002, 07:50 AM

I have isolated the squeek to the rear end of the control arm where the torsion adjusting bolt is. Has any one removed this bolt and control arm? Maybe to install new bushings.

How do you retighten it the bolt back to the same setting?? Do I measure the bolt protusion or what?

What am I in store for if I try to remove the control arm. It's a 69 will I need a tie rod seperator tool??

Thanks,

Ron

Jones Low · 06-06-2002, 12:17 PM

Ron,

I wouldn't think those two sets of bolts would be loose at all, but if they are they should be tighten. The squarking noise could be the torsion bar bushings are so deformed that when you have the weight of the car resting on all four wheels the top part of the torsion bar cover is rubbing the the top of the torsion bar cap? If you look at the cap it should be in the middle of the cover (cover has four bolts on it) kind of floating in the middle. The 2 bushings (inner and outer) act like donuts and keeps it in the middle. When the donuts wear out (bushings) the cover can come in contact with the cap and cut into the cap as the control arm moves up and down. That squarking sound is the sound of metal on metal. If your bushings have not been change, you may want to check them. After 30 years, my bushings were soft, mushy, and deformed. My 912 was transformed after changing both the front and rear torsion bar bushings. It was one of the best repairs I've done on the car.

Jones Low
69-912

ron69912t · 06-06-2002, 01:15 PM

Jones:
What you are saying is about my rear trailing arm bushings is true and yes the top part of the cap is touching the torsion bar caps. Need to replace these too, they are not squeeking yet.

But the squeek I am trying to fix right now is coming from the left FRONT control arms rear bushing. I can feel the squeek if I hold the bolt that ajusts the twist on the torsion bar as the cars left fender is pushed up & down. The bolt is tight and not at all loose.

I think you are right about the bushing collapsing. What am I in store for if I try to remove and rebush the control arm. How hard a job was it. Any special tools needed?

Looking forward to you experienced comments and suggestions since you have done this on your car.

Thanks,
Ron

Jones Low · 06-06-2002, 02:19 PM

Okay, got it. Squeeking is in the front suspension.

From what I can remember, the front A-arms are mounted to the car's frame (body) with two brackets and to the bottom of the strut via the ball joint. The front has a cap like cover that you remove to expose the bracket. The rear bracket is part of the adjust bolt setup. I think the adjustment bolt has a lock nut also. You back off the adjustment bolt completely and the level/cap can be removed. Under the level/cap is a felt pad cover. Mine was disintegrating and I removed it but did not have a replacement (I will find one or make one later). It keeps out dirty from entering the torsion tube. Inside the tube is the torsion bar. The ball joint has a pin that the bottom of the strut sits on. There is a bolt that you remove and the strut and ball joint pin separates. I went ahead and changed the pair of bushings (2 on each A-arm) and the ball joint. I took both A-arms to a shop and had them remove the old ball joints and installed the new ones since I didn't have the tools to do it myself. Half a day later and less $50 labor for ball joint removal and install, they were ready to be re-installed. Removing and installing the bushings was easy, the old ones slipped right off and the new ones slipped right on, just like socks. Put grease in them, on them. After the install and approx. adjustments for ride height (make notes or take pictures of how things were before removing helps) I drove carefully to the alignment shop and had the 912 front and back end alignment.

Check these 2 tech articles on this board under 911 for these procedures:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_suspension_bushings/911_suspension_bushings_front2.htm

and

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_suspension_bushings/911_suspension_bushings.htm

The rear bushings are a little easier to do since there are no ball joints. But both jobs can be done by a DIY.

Jones Low
69-912

ron69912t · 06-06-2002, 03:54 PM

Jones:
Thanks for the info. Do you think I can change the Control Arm Bushings without removing the ball joint? If I had the front wheels up on ramps for more room under the car? In other words leave the ball joint connected during the control arm bushingsreplacement?

Many Thanks
Ron

Jones Low · 06-06-2002, 04:19 PM

I don't see why you can't. I would put the front end on jack stands, block the rear wheels, and remove the front wheels to give me more room. The hard part might be to remove the bracket and/or old bushings off the A-arm while it's hanging there to the strut. I did the ball joints due to one of the rubber boots was torn and cracked. There is a cover panel held in by 4 bolts that covers the steering rank. You can remove that too for more room. While you are at it, check the gas hose from the tank to the steel gas line leading thru the tunnel. Good time to change it while you are there. Be careful if you do. No open flames since you may have a tank full of gas. You have to be a quick change artist to change the line. I first disconnected from the steel line end first, jammed a pencil into the old rubber hose, put on the new hose to the steel line end, and then cut/remove the hose at the tank fitting, very quickly, put in the other open end of the new hose. If you are swift you might lose a cup of gasoline in the switch over. If you lose it just put back the old hose as a plug and try again. Again, no open flames since you may have a tank full of gas. I did this with a very nearly empty gas tank, just in case. Lots of old toels and rags for security.

I hope this helps.

Jones