Has anyone ever seen the front lower control arm bushings tach welded in?
Just came across a set where the lower rear bushing has been tach welded in. I don’t work with a lot of control arms but these are a first for me. It’s a 72 SS Chevelle built in Kansas City.
John D said
Jan 17, 2019
Nope... only thing I can think of is they got wiped out at one time, egg'd out the holes, and the only way to keep the new/replacement bushing in was to weld them
Lost in the 60s said
Jan 17, 2019
Nope, but if GM ended up with a run of oversize holes or undersized bushings and needed to keep the line rolling, I wouldn't put it past them to improvise.
Are you sure they are original ? That particular bushing doesn't look newer than the rest, etc. ?
Check the lower rear brackets to frame for signs of cracks at the weld. That has been a very common problem with the A bodies of that vintage.
dashboard said
Jan 18, 2019
There was a small crack in the frame at the lower control arm aft mount. The welds and the bushings look original, on both left and right lower control arms. I'll try to get a picture.
Derek69SS said
Jan 18, 2019
I have seen them tacked in place, but I assumed it was a fix for an oversized hole done by a hack backyard mechanic.
Bobs_Place said
Jan 18, 2019
They are tackled in on my Impala. I suspect the bushing were worn, should have been replaced and continued to drive the car, which beat them up and egg shaped the eye in the control arms. I have good replacements and will be replacing them.
Chris R said
Jan 18, 2019
When I used the PST kit in my 66. One of the bushings fit just loose enough to require a tack to secure it. Put lots of miles on it between the upgrade before I parked it & never had a problem.
dashboard said
Jan 20, 2019
Here are the welds. Not sure if one can tell for sure, we removed the bushings tonight, they looked original.
Has anyone ever seen the front lower control arm bushings tach welded in?
Just came across a set where the lower rear bushing has been tach welded in. I don’t work with a lot of control arms but these are a first for me. It’s a 72 SS Chevelle built in Kansas City.
Are you sure they are original ? That particular bushing doesn't look newer than the rest, etc. ?
Check the lower rear brackets to frame for signs of cracks at the weld. That has been a very common problem with the A bodies of that vintage.
They are tackled in on my Impala. I suspect the bushing were worn, should have been replaced and continued to drive the car, which beat them up and egg shaped the eye in the control arms. I have good replacements and will be replacing them.
When I used the PST kit in my 66. One of the bushings fit just loose enough to require a tack to secure it. Put lots of miles on it between the upgrade before I parked it & never had a problem.
Here are the welds. Not sure if one can tell for sure, we removed the bushings tonight, they looked original.