That's crazy!

Why does ES show shells for one of the LCA bushings but not the other?
https://teamenergysuspension.com/pro...-arm-bushings/

 

I just ordered some ES sway bar bushings and end links. My plan is to remove the sway bar from the truck, get it on a bench and inspect it closely to see if it is bent. If not, then I'm afraid my LCA is bent. Something has to be bent when one side lines up and the other doesn't, right? Maybe they're both bent. Either way, a bent LCA cannot be good and could cause the creaking and vibration (correct me if I'm wrong).

My truck was in an accident once (other than hitting deer). My wife was driving (a very rare occasion) on our way from NC to IL. We were north of Indianapolis (somewhere around 2008 Xmas 2002-verified) and it was lightly raining. Well, the rain on the road suddenly turned to ice. She had the cruise control on and the back end suddenly got a mind of its own and we spun nearly 180 degrees, off the road, and slammed into a guard rail mostly broadside. Hard to say exactly how we hit when your mind is occupied with dying but we ended up facing oncoming traffic against the rail. I'm thinking the front right wheel area hit the rail first. Had to replace the tire, rim, fender and door. Back end was fine. But I always suspected that might have bent something in that right wheel area. Perhaps, this creaking is telling me that. I cannot recall when I first heard that creaking but it has been many years and is seemingly getting more prominent.

That said, I have multiple reasons to pull that arm. The creaking foremost, the accident, and the fact I have replaced about everything else that would be a cause. It's clearly not a horrible bend if at all. I mean, I've driven it for 13 years since. But it might just be bad enuf to bark at me. So first things first. Get the sway bar off and see if it tells me a story.

 

I'd consider getting it to a frame shop and making sure it's true also.

Our Cougar had been in a previous accident. It aligned fine; but once the frame guy restraightened it (after a second accident - an Explorer turned left in front of my wife!) it drove like a whole new car.

It wasn't out that MUCH, but ENOUGH.

RwP

 

To be honest, I never noticed the truck driving any differently after that accident. I put the spare on and finished my trip to IL (and back to NC, 1200 miles) without a hitch or a whiff of trouble. And I was paying very close attention. Ran true down the road. Stopped like it always did. Turned like it always did. No noises, etc. Saw a work order from after the accident that I looked up this morning. Asked the mechanic to look over the suspension parts to be sure he did not see anything. Came back and said ball joints, tie rod all fine no apparent damage. Did a front end alignment, no issues. All the damage was relegated to the tire, rim, fender, and door. Now, did he put a laser on the control arm? Doubtful. He probably just looked at it and didn't see anything obvious so he OKd it. Having driven on it for 18+ years now I suspect any damage would be small. But perhaps as time has gone on it is finally putting up a fuss. Hell, I coulda drove over a parking stop and smacked the arm.

I think when I get that sway bar off I'm gonna run a string between the control arms and see if it is running parallel to the frame or sway bar if it's straight. Not sure if I'll have impediments but I'll try. That the left end link is straight up and down and the right link is angled with an inch difference is rather telling.

 

I may also let Frank my mechanic get it up on his lift and have him diagnose it. He’s in his mid 50s been a mechanic his entire life. Good guy. Smart. He can stand under that sucker and get a real good look at it unlike me laying on the garage floor with the undercarriage stuffed in my face while I moan n groan.

I know this goes without saying, but you can’t beat the wisdom of a guy who has been working on cars every day for 4 decades and has the vehicle in front of him.

 

Ayep.

It COULD be that it's supposed to be 1/2" both sides, and the accident made it slide sideways in the bushings. If I understand, the accident was on the right, and the right of the swaybar is 1" too far towards the center of the truck?

RwP

 

Hole center (sway bar hole) to hole center (hole on LCA) is off 1” going in the front-to-back direction. The sway bar hole is toward the front in relation to the LCA hole. Pasdenger side of truck.

Interestingly, both the snubbers I just put in suspend above on the frame only several inches from the LCAs appear they are aimed directly to the center of that landing pad that is welded on the LCAs. Both sides.

 

Huh.

That is a bit weird.

I'd check the length of that arm on the swaybar; it may be different, or the swaybar may not be straight across.

RwP

 

meaning it might not be symetrical by design?

And yes. It is weird. It doesn’t add up. The snubbers say the LCA is not bent. The seay bar says it’s possible. And if the sway bar got bent how did it bend going toward the front? Odd.

 

Went out this morning and tightened two of the four nuts on the upper control arm pivot bolts (or whatever it's called - the bolt that passes thru the bushings, no not the alignment bolts on top). I could only get to the front ones. The rear nuts are buried and beyond my tool arsenal or, at minimum, beyond my ability to reach it from the top or laying on the floor much less get any oomph behind it. The dang exhaust manifold rides up next to it. I replaced those bushings 11 years ago so I have no idea how I got to those nuts then (I did it with the arm still on the truck - somehow). I was younger. Anyway, I looked up the torque spec. Supposed to be 155 ft. lbs.. The fronts were at 50 ft. lbs. I torqued them to 150 ft. lbs (the max on my torque wrench). I suspect the rears are likely around 50 ft. lbs. Why would they be different? If anything they'd be less because they're a PITA to get a wrench on.

Bottom line is tightening the front nuts made no difference in the creaking (no surprise). Would tightening the rear nuts make a difference? No way to find out with my abilities.