AFCO control arm bushings?

SmallBlockNova · 01-16-2009, 11:22 PM

I just bought a set of AFCO control arm bushings from Jeg's. I got the steel ones, not the lightweight aluminum. In the description, it said that they were a 2 piece bushing with an inner sleeve so you can tighten it all you want without binding. My upper control arm bolts tend to back out quite often, hence why I bought these. Well, I got them and they are 1 piece; it's just a solid steel bushing. I called AFCO and they said that they are correct, so..

Anybody using these? I have a '71 Nova, and it's the type that has bolts that thread into the upper control arm shafts. My main concern is making these tight enough to not back out and somehow not bind. I thought about a teflon washer between the bushing and a flat steel washer, but I'm not sure how well it will work out. I bought these to replace my binding poly bushings, but I'm really not sure if I'll even gain anything. There's also no grease fitting so I guess I'll just grease them up real good before I press them in. Any thoughts?

Joe Toller · 01-16-2009, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmallBlockNova

I just bought a set of AFCO control arm bushings from Jeg's. I got the steel ones, not the lightweight aluminum. In the description, it said that they were a 2 piece bushing with an inner sleeve so you can tighten it all you want without binding. My upper control arm bolts tend to back out quite often, hence why I bought these. Well, I got them and they are 1 piece; it's just a solid steel bushing. I called AFCO and they said that they are correct, so..

Anybody using these? I have a '71 Nova, and it's the type that has bolts that thread into the upper control arm shafts. My main concern is making these tight enough to not back out and somehow not bind. I thought about a teflon washer between the bushing and a flat steel washer, but I'm not sure how well it will work out. I bought these to replace my binding poly bushings, but I'm really not sure if I'll even gain anything. There's also no grease fitting so I guess I'll just grease them up real good before I press them in. Any thoughts?

Teflon washer, graphite lube, and blue loctite on the bolts would be my suggestion...they won't flex, so they shouldn't bind...

chris ok · 01-17-2009, 12:40 PM

make a stud and lock tite it and thread it into the cross shaft. let it set and make it long enough so you can double nut it to hold bushing/sleeves.. lock the two nuts together to the preload you desire. . this will not come out of the cross shaft then. done it on a few cars and works every time. don't forget to lube stgewel bushings liberally and wipe clean after assembly.

B Aceves · 01-17-2009, 04:32 PM

I bought the same set you did and was also surprised to find the uppers were solid, So what we ended
up doing was drilling a small hole from the center down through the bushing and making it a greaseable
bushing. Once its drilled make sure you debur the inside and when its installed make sure the grease
zerk hole is in a position you can reach with a grease gun before you press them in. Once the bushing is installed simply install your zerk. We grease them lightly
before every race, adding a washer to the outside with a lock nut not tightened all the way helps keep
everything loose. Good Luck

Bob Aceves
# 764 E/SA
A&M motorsports

01-16-2009, 11:22 PM	#1
SmallBlockNova Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Long Island Posts: 47 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	AFCO control arm bushings? I just bought a set of AFCO control arm bushings from Jeg's. I got the steel ones, not the lightweight aluminum. In the description, it said that they were a 2 piece bushing with an inner sleeve so you can tighten it all you want without binding. My upper control arm bolts tend to back out quite often, hence why I bought these. Well, I got them and they are 1 piece; it's just a solid steel bushing. I called AFCO and they said that they are correct, so.. Anybody using these? I have a '71 Nova, and it's the type that has bolts that thread into the upper control arm shafts. My main concern is making these tight enough to not back out and somehow not bind. I thought about a teflon washer between the bushing and a flat steel washer, but I'm not sure how well it will work out. I bought these to replace my binding poly bushings, but I'm really not sure if I'll even gain anything. There's also no grease fitting so I guess I'll just grease them up real good before I press them in. Any thoughts?

01-17-2009, 12:40 PM	#3
chris ok Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Long Island, New york Posts: 592 Likes: 131 Liked 46 Times in 29 Posts	Re: AFCO control arm bushings? make a stud and lock tite it and thread it into the cross shaft. let it set and make it long enough so you can double nut it to hold bushing/sleeves.. lock the two nuts together to the preload you desire. . this will not come out of the cross shaft then. done it on a few cars and works every time. don't forget to lube stgewel bushings liberally and wipe clean after assembly.

01-17-2009, 04:32 PM	#4
B Aceves Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 457 Likes: 1 Liked 7 Times in 4 Posts	Re: AFCO control arm bushings? I bought the same set you did and was also surprised to find the uppers were solid, So what we ended up doing was drilling a small hole from the center down through the bushing and making it a greaseable bushing. Once its drilled make sure you debur the inside and when its installed make sure the grease zerk hole is in a position you can reach with a grease gun before you press them in. Once the bushing is installed simply install your zerk. We grease them lightly before every race, adding a washer to the outside with a lock nut not tightened all the way helps keep everything loose. Good Luck Bob Aceves # 764 E/SA A&M motorsports Last edited by B Aceves; 01-17-2009 at 04:35 PM.