about changing the front "wishbones" -

[fairchild]

Just for my own FYI---- under what conditions would you want to replace the front suspension wishbones ? ( as opposed to just
replacing the 3 rubber/steel attach points ) Does it fatigue over time ? or is it that some people just order the whole new part
so they don't have to press on the runner parts ?

Thanks-
Tim

[danomite]

Tim, are you referring to the control arms? They can get bent sometimes, but even if they aren't damaged, the ball joints do wear out on them....so, you can either replace the ball joint, or swap in a complete new arm. They're not really that pricey, so lots of people just swap the complete arm.

If you're planning on replacing them, make sure you get new solid-rubber style or poly lower control arm bushings. The OE ones get extremely worn relatively quickly, and they aren't particularly stiff to start with. The stiffer ones will help with uneven tire wear, tramlining, and overall provide better control and predictability.

Cheers

[fairchild]

Thanks Dano-

That's kind of what I guessed.... They appear to be about 50-60$ per side not counting the big rear bushing. Was thinking of the solid purple rear
bushings. I got under it with a dental mirror and looked at the ones on it--- what a poorly designed product ! The solid ones look like they
will work WAY better.

I would think a good hard curb bump with the wheels turned might tweak it. I guess I could lay them down and draw around them on a big piece of paper
and then lay the other one on the paper to see if they match or if one is bent. But then- at 116K miles maybe Ill just replace them as the whole front
suspension depends on them not breaking. Im going to need new tires before it goes on the road.... so that stuff really ought to be all good and tight !

Man- that coupe is one unusual looking car----- would have liked to see a fastback like a v-12 jag !

Thanks for the information- looking forward to ordering wishbones and struts next week.
Tim

[328 Power 04]

Well that was the whole point of the softer Lower Control Arm Bushing... to allow some give in a bump to save the control arm from bending. Poorly designed?

[fairchild]

soft but also kind of fragile ? (the bushing design) Maybe a rubber drum shaped bushing with 3 different durometers of rubber in it.
like concentric sleeves..... softest one in center and gets firmer as you go out. maybe make the whole rig bigger too to dissipate the energy better
without disintegrating. Maybe even a hybrid -- 2 cone shaped springs back to back like an hourglass.... then encapsulate it with rubber.
Rubber could be sorbothane to work as a damper ! a complete spring /damper system in one package !

Tim

[khammack]

soft but also kind of fragile ?

This is really not an adjective I would use for it.

[fairchild]

I think I would..... I removed the passenger side tonight.... tapped the ring with a hammer and it just fell off on the floor. The part left
on the control arm was about as big as a piece of water hose. Completely ripped to shreds...... Looks like too little rubber doing too much work.
( If you ask me....)

T

[pine1000]

I read on the Turner Motorsports site that they recommend replacing control arms every 4 years. I assume the biggest reason behind this is because they sell them.

Mine are original (17 years old and 80k miles). I've felt for play in the ball joints and I can't find any. They do move very freely though, like no resistance at all. Is that normal?

I'm tempted to replace them just due to age. I also have numb steering on center that get's worse with speed. So, maybe that is associated with the control arms. The FCABs were replaced within the past 2 years.

[khammack]

They do move very freely though, like no resistance at all. Is that normal?

They should not move freely. Looks like its time to replace them.

[CMM3]

You'll most likely want to get an alignment after replacing the control arms and bushing so now would be a good time to replace other front suspension wear items as well. And it can actually make the job easier to do it all at once. Obviously if your front struts haven't already been done at over 100k miles they are due along with the upper strut mounts. If you do these get new upper and lower spring pads as well. The tie rods also have ball joints that wear and are inexpensive so you may as well install new ones and often neglected are the sway bar bushing and links, these are also inexpensive. By doing it all at once the car will feel and perform / handle much better and you'll have the piece of mind that you won't need to do anything again for a long time to come. I tend to use BMW replacement parts for suspension, but Turner sells Lemforder which is a good brand as well. Just stay away from Ebay and cheap parts store brands, they can be trouble and junk.

[LannVouivre]

Meyle makes HD versions of a few parts with changes that are claimed to be improvements. Their control arms are supposed to have ball joints you can more easily replace, and they say the outer ball joints get steel in some new place.

The main reason to replace the entire arms usually (besides bent arms) is just for easier replacement rather than pressing joints in and out. I have done ball joints on a few Ford Super Duty trucks and that stuff is a nightmare if you have the wrong adapters. At least the Z3 parts are smaller, lighter, and don't require you replace the joints in a special order.

[fairchild]

I got my new struts today-
new strut mounts and Meyle control arms are due to arrive Monday. Sway bar rubber looks good. Still undecided on which control arm
bushing to use. I was thinking the 75 durometer PU ones ...... would that be too hard for a sunday driver car ?

[danomite]

I got my new struts today-
new strut mounts and Meyle control arms are due to arrive Monday. Sway bar rubber looks good. Still undecided on which control arm
bushing to use. I was thinking the 75 durometer PU ones ...... would that be too hard for a sunday driver car ?

Get the 80A Powerflex centered ones!!! Part number: PFF5-301

...and be sure to use plenty of copper lubricant (I bought a tube of Liqui-Moly copper lube, since Poweflex didn't supply enough for my liking).

I think I have an extra set, if you're interested.

[pine1000]

Get the 80A Powerflex centered ones!!! Part number: PFF5-301

What do you like about the urethane FCAB?