Lower control arm bushings

[Barry Wolk]

The Mark II uses lower control arm bushings that are barbed to create torsion, designed to bring the Mark II to ride height as quickly as possible.

Every Mark II that I've worked on has lower control arms that act like swing arms. They are supposed to have torsion bushings. Here's what happens. The most important thing about the Mark II ride is the ability to the car to return to ride, or curb, height as quickly as possible. The only movement in the a-arm bushing is supposed to be in the rubber, itself. The center core is fixed, by its barbed ends, to the frame of the car, while the outside of the bonded bushing attaches to the a-arm.

What always seems to be done wrong is tightening the barbed fitting to the frame while wheels are at full extension. If you do that the car will ride high when you put hit on the ground. I've heard mechanics say, "It'll settle down." They are right, it will, but just the weight of the car will rip the rubber guts of the bushings.

If it takes a lot of lifting to get your front tire off the ground with a jack, or you can see shreds of rubber coming out of the bushing, they are wasted. Leaving your car on a rack for extended periods with the tires hanging will shorten the bushing life as it will always be in tension.

What needs to be done is to install new parts loosely fitting. Park on level ground and climb underneath and tighten the 4 bolts with every ounce of weight on the car. That sets a ride height that the rubber bushings will return it to.

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[Milsteads Garage]

Actually this method of leaving your control arm bushings loose until you put the car on the ground is needed with all vehicles. A tight bushing will often hold the weight of the car as you said and if the control arms are not loosened, it will cause an incorrect alignment.

[Barry Wolk]

Most people know nothing of this. Is there a specified torque for the bolts on a Mark II? It would take a bit to dig into the frame metal. People use hardened washers to fill the specified space. They don't work as the teeth cannot dig into them. They end up acting as bearings, defeating the torque fitting. If you have no washers because you have no gap, your a-arms are bent.