> When I
> looked at the bore that holds the bush, I noticed that a groove with the
> same circumference profile as the bolt has been wore into the
> "shoulder" of
> the arm. My question is: while I am concerned about the wear, does the arm
> NEED to be replaced? I am rebuilding the suspension with nylatron bushings
> and am wondering if, because of the description of how the
> bushing operates
> (that I have read here, thank you!), will this groove prove to be
> unimportant?
James, if I understand you correctly, there is now a groove running the
width of the arm, where it has been rubbing on the bolt. Since even the
Nylatron is soft compared to the forces involved, it will deform under load
into this groove, effectively increasing the clearance and making your front
end still be sloppy. If the groove is less than .010" or so deep, it's
probably not enough to worry about (I'd guess that the normal 'crush' of the
bushing will take up this much slop), but any more than that and I would
repair or replace the arm.
Not because it is fatally weakened, but because it seems pointless to go to
all the trouble and discomfort of installing Nylatron, without reaping the
benefits.
Shouldn't be hard to locate a good used arm for cheap. Or, TRF has new ones
listed for $60/ea.
Randall
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