Flex improver?

[apache]

Probably nothing new but I had in idea that might improve articulation a bit. After R&R`ing one rear spring on the 84 I got thinking about the fact the ends of the spring bushings are serated and when the bolts are tight the shackle cannot move for diddly as there locked in place and it takes the rubber flexing or spinning in the spring to move things.
Now take a aftermarket setup where you have smooth urethane bushings with nylock nuts torqued lightly and a hanging shackle can rotate easily. So suppose the serations or stock bushings were shaved smooth and a nylock with maybe 271 on the bolt was used so things could move easier. After installing ORD`s greasable bushings and shackles it sure loosened up the front end from the dry,squeeky O/E rancho urethane bushings and stock shackles.

 

[colbystephens]

i like the idea... but you lost me a bit there in your second paragraph. what does "271 on the bolt" mean? so, does the nylock nut actually touch the surface of anything, or just get real close to allow for alot of rotation around the bolt?

 

[mnstrburbon]

I think 271 means locktite.
Poly bushings to replace the stock metal lined ones is a better bet.I noticed on my stock bushings that where new are thrashed now from the flex and twist of the shackle flip.And they have only 5 or so trips on them.
Ord carries the bushings

 

[BILTIT]

Drag cars do this all the time on the front a-arm bushings.

 

[apache]

Drag cars do this all the time on the front a-arm bushings.

Elaborate on this? why on a drag car and arent the A arms free to swing or is the bushing setup the same?

 

[dyeager535]

The "problem" is that A-arms are not a leaf sprung suspension. A single suspended wheel will travel in an ellipse (shape of these parenthesis) through it's full range of motion. The spring, bushing, shackle and frame MUST absorb the angular load as leaf spring suspension travels in any other than a straight up and down motion. Adding weight in the bed is nothing like lifting one tire up higher than the other. Soft springs will twist easier, which means less resistance to wheel travel that is independent of the other side of the axle. Shackles are designed to move fore and aft, not side to side.

You will always have a side load on the leaf sprung suspension components in any situation where one side of the axle must be higher or lower than the other, as far as I can tell there is no way around this. A-arms pivot on a bushing (imagine a door hinge) so there is nothing to restrict it's movement, except deflection of the bushing causing binding of the a-arm in relation to the car frame, and the spring and shock, both of which are located to act directly on the arc of the wheel travel, unlike leaf springs.

Smoothing/lubing things out would of course help, anything that decreases the binding of components. They make greasable a-arm bushings, even solid.

 

[BILTIT]

The A-arm bushings have serated washers which dig into the bushing and use it as a torsion bushing. Ever wonder why you are not supposed to tighten up a-arm bushing bolts in the air with no weight on them? The serations dig in and do not allow the arm to swivel back to its normal state, the bushing gets all wound up.

Getting rid of the serations frees up alot of travel, it should work just aswell on leafs if not better.