Global West Control Arm Screwed Up

[AintQik]

So I'm about to out the subframe back under the car (67 Camaro) and I'm running the hard lines and stuff. When I put the front suspension together, I could not get one of the sway bar end links on. The bolt was too short. I didn't think much of it. Last night I was jacking around with it and it just would not go. I got to looking and on the side that works the plate where the sway bar bolt goes through is welded even with the top of the leading edge of the control arm bar. Its flush with the top of the bar's radius. On the bad one, the plate starts off flush but ends up about a half inch lower. Coincidentially, the bolt is a half inch too short. It puts a pretty wierd angle on the bolt as it tries to go through an uneven lower mount then the sway bar.

So, I had some other poly bushing around and I replaced one of the ones that came with the bar with a shorter one of mine. I was able to get the nut started and get it sinched up. The angle is a little off, but it seems to be working. My dad who happened to be over suggested I swap a bushing on the other side to even it up and I did that.

I'm not bashing Global, most of the stuff from them has been ok. Welder must have been hung over or something. I've got no great desire to take this apart, but will if anybody thinks this angle will give me a problem.

So, its together, but the bushings are not setting in the mount holes anywhere close to flush even when I crank down on them. They get better, but not flush and they only way to get it together is to use one thinner bushing as described. Anybody think this is going to be an issue. I can live with premature bushing wear. Thoughts?

[silver69camaro]

Can you provide a photo?

[AintQik]

I can tonight, although it doesn't look like much when tight. You can just see the bushings are not pulled flush like on the other side. Thanks!

[John Wright]

Do I have this pictured correctly....you're saying that the end links where the sway bar hooks up to the LCA have to be different lengths to bolt up?(because of the mounting point on the LCA has a 1/2" difference from side to side.)

[AintQik]

If I were to use the supplied bushings yes. There is not enough bolt on the one side.

With the shorter bushing the bolt is long enough.

I would say its a combination of the plate being lower, and also the angle that plate was welded in. One side is where it should be, the other is .5" lower. So it thows the bolt at a goofy angle going into the sway bar itself. If they angle was less I might have been able to get a thread started on the nut. With the lower bushing flush to the welded mount plate, the bolt comes through the sway bar at such an angle the bushing sits very ****-eyed. Make the sway bar flush and the opposite on the control arm side. Bolt way too short to start even with compressing the lower arm, loosening the sway all that normal stuff. Just no way. Could have just got a longer bolt but I had the shorter bushing. None of this changes the angle.

In my experience the end links are never perfect. But never this extreme to not allow a bolt to go through. Only downside with my fix I can imagine is maybe premature bushing wear but I'm no where near where most of you guys are on suspension.

So, picture a box sitting on the floor. Now picture a bolt sitting on the top of the box pointing up. If you were to loosen the top of the box and push one corner down .5" the bolt would not longer be perpendicular to the floor. The angle would obviously be something other than 90* and the point where the end of the bolt was, would be somewhere below there. That is kinda what I'm dealing with. Hope it makes sense. I doubt I could capture that with a photo as I've got no good starting point.

[John Wright]

Without seeing a pic...I'm thinking the sway bar will be pre-loaded kinda goofy....

[MrQuick]

Without seeing a pic...I'm thinking the sway bar will be pre-loaded kinda goofy....
I agree, you never know...the sway bar maybe up side down or maybe the arm is made to use heim sway bar style mounts but we'd never know.

plus we're simple and just love pictures. :idea:
Vince

[AintQik]

Indeed :(
Question is how much "goofy" is too much?

[6'9"Witha69]

They never look right without being in sitting position under weight. I have bought the shorter link kits from Energy suspension and had an issue of the bolts being too short to start for both sides, I have GW arms as well. Thr trick is to get the suspension into it's resting position, everythiong is at the right angle and bolts up fine.

[AintQik]

Yeah I hear ya I put a bunch of weight on the nose to get it to normal load and still no dice. That is when I started looking around and noticed the one arm was welded poorly. Its real obvious.

I did check all the bone head things, and all is right. I almost had myself convinced that I had the lower controls arms on backwards lol.

[MrQuick]

Yeah I hear ya I put a bunch of weight on the nose to get it to normal load and still no dice. That is when I started looking around and noticed the one arm was welded poorly. Its real obvious.

I did check all the bone head things, and all is right. I almost had myself convinced that I had the lower controls arms on backwards lol.
LOL,

but without pictures we could not have helped you with that. LOL

Vince

[FULMNTE]

Can you return the one LCA for a replacement? I bought quite some stuff from Global West and they seemed to stand behind their products...

[AintQik]

Probably but that would be painful. I have to load up and move in a few weeks.

[Gitter Dun]

Something dont sound right to me. If Doug at Global knew of any issues I am sure he would take care of it immediately at his cost. Make sure the part numbers are correct on the boxes and be aware that the due also cary LCA's for drag racing applications and may have shipped out wrong part.

[AintQik]

I'm sure Global will take care of it. I called and they like everyone else want pictures lol. I really don't want to take the whoel front end apart if I don't have to.

[MrQuick]

gotta take the steps to address the problem.

We are here to help you.


Vince

[John Wright]

I'm sure Global will take care of it. I called and they like everyone else want pictures lol. I really don't want to take the whoel front end apart if I don't have to.Just take the wheel off and get a good pic of the offending control arm, and then turn on the macro setting and snap a close up of the mounting point. With those two pics they(GW) should be able to figure out what you need to do to get this corrected.

[JRouche]

:postpics:

Solly but true. Im sure you know what you are looking at, the welded plate for the sway bar. You compared it to the correct side. Ummm, we would love to see it also. Sounds like its a pretty obvious displacement. And I would just shoot that pic to GW in an email. If its off they will see it and no doubt have a replacement CA ready for you in the mail. JR

Oh, and one more thing. Prolly the last thing you want to do at this point is swap out a CA. You were on the home stretch. And if in fact the CA was welded incorrectly (hard to imagine, they are prolly fixture welded) its not much help that GW will replace it. That doesnt help with all the time and labor to swap it. Woulda been nicer to hear that you had the bar in upside down or that yeah, thats common and go with it. When I run into problems, and I do alot. I always look for the easier fix, even if it was my screw-up instead of going backwards to the point of having to do a major replacement. But when its determined that its all wrong I go ahead and take the proper steps and fix the real problem. Only because I know it will eat at me, knowing I have it working, but its not quite right.

[Rod]

:postpics:

[sebtarta]

uhm any updates, I am about to get my GW arms, and want to make sure I do not get a bad batch (i doubt it)

[AintQik]

Sorry guys the body shop needed to get my car off the rotisserie so the subframe went up to Denver. I will update when I get it all back.