183 replies to this topic

[DrDomm]

This is good info...I'll check the ones I have coming before installing them.

[DrDomm]

Hey, what are you guys torquing the long bolt to?  The Mazda spec seems too high with these bushings.

[Steve Scheifler]

The bushing should never see high load, you are pinching the sleeve.

[DrDomm]

The bushing should never see high load, you are pinching the sleeve.

 

So pinch it to the factory spec?  

[Steve Scheifler]

Honestly, I've never used a torque wrench on those and don't know the spec. One of those things I figure need to be extra right, but don't go by my bad example. Better choice is probably to use the high end of whatever range the book says.

[DrDomm]

Honestly, I've never used a torque wrench on those and don't know the spec. One of those things I figure need to be extra right, but don't go by my bad example. Better choice is probably to use the high end of whatever range the book says.

 

Off the top of my head, it's like 120-140 ftlbs!

[Ron Alan]

2 LONG  21mm box wrenches as hard as you can pull 

[Eric Orton]

Off the top of my head, it's like 120-140 ftlbs!

 

118-137 Nm / 87-101 ft-lbs

[steveracer]

Those are 3 grunt  bolts.

[38bfast]

Fart tight

[dfuser]

We stock these, and have used them wit no issues.  The key is to make sure you get lubed and installed correctly.

http://www.raceoutfi...oducts_id=34837

[dfuser]

btw these can be easily installed with the upper control arm still in the car.  Once you remove the long bolt and the shock assembly out of the way pivot the control arm out and use a ball joint removal tool from harborfreight to press the old ones out.

 

Link to the tool I keep in my trailer:  http://www.harborfre...cles-60827.html

 

As Jim mentioned before the key is to allign them in max camber setup.

[Steve Scheifler]

Reviving this again because we seem to have run into a new problem. While checking front wheel bearings at the track I thought one was going bad. It wasn't real bad yet but without giving it much thought I swapped the hub to be done with it for the weekend. Turned out that wasn't the problem so I swapped the ball joint. That wasn't it either. We did a couple more sessions before I had time to work on it again and then it didn't seem to have gotten any worse.

Taking the time to look more closely I found that the slop was in the long inner bolt of the upper arm, it seemed that the nut was loose. I tightened that but it didn't feel quite right. I found one loose on Tom's car as well. I suspected that over tightening had stretched the bolts and threads so they would no longer toque properly. I ordered new parts.

Back at the shop I pulled them apart and found that the inner sleeves had cut into the giant washers enough that the sleeves were no longer pinched tightly between the washer and SF tube, producing the slop/play.

This was with the ISC bushings but the Whiteline sleeves are nearly identical. I needed a quick turnaround so I dressed down the washers and reassembled with new bolts & nuts, but it seems likely to happen again. What I did not do in my haste was take a very close look at the ends of the sleeves to see if perhaps some have a sharper edge or taper, and I did not closely inspect the SF tube for similar damage. I will probably do both this weekend as I have the front of one car torn down anyway.

Has anyone else had a similar experience or been unable to locate the source of slight play in a front wheel?

[Bench Racer]

Steve, you had me in the garage looking at 6:15 am. In my mind there are 3 potential issues to cause looseness in the upper control arm long bolt. Stretched long bolt, the axial length of new inner tube pieces is less than the OEM pieces and the long bolt nut is bottoming out on the long bolt threads or was never axial tight from the get-go which is doubtful under your watch. 

[Steve Scheifler]

You left out the one I described, sleeve cuts into washer and/or SF, reducing the "pinch". Granted, it would seem that happens only if things start loose enough for some rotation, but if the sleeve is a lot harder than the washer then maybe not. The big problem is that if the sleeve cuts deep enough you then start binding up the bushing and therefore the entire arm.

[ChrisA]

Bearings make much better pivot points than any bushings/sleeve combination. Sadly, we can't have those.

[Jim Drago]

I will be prepping cars this week for Mid Ohio and June Sprints, Craig and Erik have had the upper bushings in for over a season and a half and have not had any play yet? I will check closely this week and report back. I run the White line, I thought and still feel it is the best option

 

Jim

[Bench Racer]

Totally agree with Jim.

[speedengineer]

Just another data point, I ran the ISC delrin bushings for 3 seasons on my PTE car.  No issues with any parts wearing out, developing play, or with the bolt loosening.

[Sphinx]

Finally got around to doing mine.  Is it bad that the UCA is not "flopping down" when disconnected from everything except the "big bolt"?  Springs right back to its position on one side. Guess these should fix that - my guess is that whoever previously tightened them went crazy with the torque.

 

The little grease packet that comes with the whiteline kit - where does that go?  Between the sleeve and the bushing or inside the sleeve or both?

 

Other than that, will quickly chase the sleeves with a die grinder first - per my earlier post, I feel some ridges, but the bolt goes through with no problem - I'm guessing that's a waste of time..