View Single Post
  #1  
Old 11-20-2004, 10:38 PM
joshhol joshhol is offline
Regular User
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Flyover State
Posts: 1,364
Lower control arm fiasco

I think I might have done something stupid. After removing the old bushings from the LCA's of the 115 and finding rust, I proceeded to dremel and POR the eyelets of the LCA. At the point of inserting the new bushings, I came to find that they were very resistant. So, I considered that the layer of POR may have reduced the clearance for the bushing, and that it needed to go. Proceeded then to remove hours of work with the dremel again, taking it down to metal. Most of the bushings went in, but some of them would pop all the way out after releasing the all-thread. I used dish soap to lube them, and one bushing will sit overnight with the all-thread in place to see if it will dry out and stay put tomorrow.
The thing is, I managed to get right front axle half assembly back in place. That was a wild enough experience in itself I had that spring wound up tight with the Klann but it held, thank God. Manuevering the lower control arm into place to slide the bolts through was the difficult part, but it came around.
So, I'm wondering if I jacked up the LCA's with my over zealous dremel adventure. Really I tried not to take too much metal off. I suppose I could have stopped everything and got some spare LCA's out of the junk yard but the Klann has to be returned soon.
What symptom may I notice if the bushings malfunction in the LCA?

*Interesting note on using the spring comp. and the 115 chassis. You have to insert the comp. through the spring dome and suck the spring upward. I wonder if the failure of the Klann would be less catastrophic because the spring would shoot downward.
__________________
63 220S W111
76 300D W115
2013 VW JSW TDI M6

previously-
73 280 SEL 4.5
86 300E 5 speed
2010 VW Jetta TDI M6
Reply With Quote