|
|
|
The 122 started groaning/creaking on hard braking. All of the lower A arm bushing look to be pretty shredded.
We really don't like putting a lot of extra miles on our other car. However, I don't want to trash the A arms on the 122 either. Is is okay to put another 500 miles or so on the 122 until I have a chance to get new bushings on the car?
Thanks,
Joe M
|
|
-
|
|
|
Joe,
Take it from me, don't do it. You will find that the steering will bind, in certain turning situations, or will dive, going straight, with simple changes in the road surface, and you risk damage to other parts, or worse, people around you, should your suspension fail.
Granted, the 122 crossmember is different from the 1800, but my '72 ES is sitting in the garage with a fractured crossmember, because I drove it with bad lower A arm bushings, AKA control arm bushings. Don't make the same mistake I did.
gary - '67 122S, '72 ES
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be Ted Preston
on
Mon May 30 12:53 CST 2005 [ RELATED]
|
|
Hi Joe,
I don't mean to cast Gary as a crackpot or anything, but I've had several cars that I drove with bad bushings, from which the rubber was practically gone, with no permanent damage. When the rubber goes from the bushings on a 122, the inner steel sleeve rubs on the outer steel sleeve. Those sleeves are both part of the bushing itself, so you're not going to damage the control arm by continuing to drive the car, unless you drive it for so long that you wear completely through the steel sleeves. When you replace the bushings, the new bushing will come with new sleeves, and you will throw away the old steel sleeves.
Like Gary, I don't know whether the crossmembers are similar on 122s and 1800s, or what similarities there are in the steering system. Therefore, I don't know whether there are some other parts that you might damage by driving with perished bushings. I drove my 122 for several thousand miles with perished bushings, although I did not realize I was doing it at the time. The car drove and handled just fine, but when I replaced the bushings as part of a general restoration recently, I found that there was no rubber left at all in at least two of the lower CA bushings.
Just my own experience, for what its worth.
|
|
-
|
|
|
Ted,
Smile when you say that, partner. ;^)
The metal sleeves were also cracked on my lower control arm bushings, from dropping one wheel, hard, into a gopher hole on my friends farm road.
The jerky movement and near-locking of the steering was pronounced, and progressively unsafe. Maybe just worn rubber bushings aren't as risky,
All the same, it's not wise to drive with uncertain steering, if it gets to that point, and uneconomical, to boot, unless you own a tire store.
gary - '67 122S, '72 ES
|
|
-
|
|
|
Between the two of you, experience is golden!
my 2-cents.
Your suspension is compromised, alignment will suffer (I killed a set of new tires in 200 miles with bad alignment). Steering response will become less and less predictable, especially in emergency manuver-type situations.
Braking will become "iffy." If it is strange in the dry, think about that next rainfall.
Personally, I'd drive slow and short and as little as possible until they could be replaced. I'd also do it as soon as practical!
--
Mike!
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be Ted Preston
on
Wed Jun 1 05:37 CST 2005 [ RELATED]
|
|
While I did not experience any particular problems when I was driving with perished bushings, I don't mean to suggest that you should do it for a long time, or for long distances. Replacinf the bad bushings is the best course, for safety and for peace of mind.
Joe, you'll be glad to know that replacing the bushings on an amazon is relatively easy task, much easier than it is on other cars. You could do it yourself over a weekend using only basic tools. The only special tool you need is a press, but a heavy-duty bench vise works well in place of a press. You don't even need a press to replace the upper control arm bushings. They are dead easy.
|
|
-
|
|
|
Wasn't casting aspersions!
Ja, but check the other threads regarding the process becuase you CAN mess things up badly if you don't pay attention to detail (like the a-arm).
--
Mike!
|
|
|
|
|
