New Front End Problem

The suspension must be exercised at ride height before any upper or lower control arms are tightened. Can't tighten them while in the air and wheels hanging, it will bind up then rip them out then settle to normal ride height.

 

Still nothing, going to bring car home Saturday unless something gives. Had new springs tested at local spring shop for integrity but tested fine as suspected

 

Cars back home after a week still no closer to solving my alignment "issue " Anybody in Buickland who has or knows anybody with front end skills on Long Island ,contact me for a second(or third ) opinion. Thanks in advance

 

Maybe some may have missed the point here. Control arm bushings do not rotate, nor do the shafts rotate inside them once the nuts/bolts are tightened. The rubber is bonded to the inner and outer steel components. The control arm shafts are locked to the inner steel member when the bolts or nuts are tightened. When the control arm swings with suspension travel, the shafts rotate against the bonded rubber like a clockspring. The bushings will only allow a limited amount of travel before the rubber rips out. Therefore, if the control arms are tightened with suspension in the air and wheels at full extension, the shafts and bushings are locked down at that point. Once the car is dropped to ride height, the bushings are already twisted and loaded to maximum. Once the car is driven and suspension bottoms out from a big dip, the bushings will rip out the rubber and alignment is quickly out spec due to accelerated failure of the bushing's rubber core.

I feel most already know this but I thought it might be useful for some who hadn't really considered how they work.

 

Just following up on this thread; brought car to a different shop ( thanks Jason ! ) and pointed out a few things that might have been overlooked. Suspension seems to have settled to 1" higher on driver side (down from 2 ) and have to do rear suspension before we can do more measuments on lift to see if any frame damage is present.

 

Have them recheck the control arm bushings, sounds like the rubber may have finally ripped out and allowed the suspension to settle closer to ride height.