>The first on this list is the suspension. From a quick look under
>the car, it's clear that at least I need to replace the A-arm
>bushings (I think that's the name) and the steering boots. At this
>point, I'm looking for advice on what to watch out for and also what
>other items I should replace as long as I'm down there.
Look carefully at the outer ends of the lower A-arms. It's
depressingly common for those ends (through lack of maintenance
on the part of the low-life scumbag dipstick previous owner of your
current pride and joy) to seize the trunnion to the bushing, which
means that all the suspension's frictional loading goes through the
A-arm and the trunnion bolt. Symptom: clunks from the front end
under braking or cornering; look for the trunnion bolt to be off-
center between the horizontal flanges on the lower A-arm sections.
If the bolt is not in the center, and particularly if you can see any
of the bolt hole from underneath or behind the bolt head or nut, do
not pass go, do not collect $200, but rebuild the front end.
As for nylon bushings, most people swear by the V8 bushings, which
are cheap, perform well, don't squeak, and last longer than stock.
I've got them on the street car and they work nicely, are easy to
install, and should last longer than the stock rubber ones I took
out. (They have an inner metal sleeve and a thinner portion of a
higher-quality rubber, so they deflect less under hard cornering.)
The V8 bushings, it's worth noting, only apply to the inboard ends
of the lower A-arms. There are various trick bushings for the
outer end of the upper A-arms as well, which give negative camber,
but they're a different story.
--Scott
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