[DeTomaso] Rear Suspension

[Tomas Gunnarsson]

Trevor,

When wear is at the point where you can wiggle the whole upright, expect to replace at a minimum all seals, bushings (radial and axial), and the associated shaft against which the radial bushings turn. I would personally do both at once as the difference in downtime is minimal compared to doing only one side. Once you've done the first side the second is done in a fraction of the time it took to do the first. Getting the old bushings out isn't too bad but remember that scarring the holes they sit in is a big no-no. I made an oval washer that I could fit inboard of the bushing and then pulled it out using a long screw. Getting the new bushings in is another matter. They're rather soft and distort easily. Pushing them in slowly with (again) a long screw is probably more gentle than pounding them in. I recently heard of what sounded like a rather gruesome experience in this area but I'm sure Charlie'll chime in soon. :-) If possible I'd go for replacement parts that work and fit like the factory parts. That way you can assemble most of the parts with finger force. Charlie had parts that required hand-fitting as I understood it.

Tomas

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Trevor Fougere" <trevor at fougere.com>
To: <detomaso at realbig.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 7:27 PM
Subject: [DeTomaso] Rear Suspension


> In Teching my car for Vegas, it was discovered that my right rear Carrier
> was moving with respect to the lower A-arm allowing the wheel to rotate
> slightly when pressure was applied at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions.
> 
> 12 and 6 o'clock pressure showed no movement.
> 
> In looking at the parts assembly, if appears that there are two (2)
> bushings, along with a 2 Pins (Hub to Carrier) along with, 2 Washers (Inner,
> Lower Support Shaft), 2 Seals (Lower Support Shaft), and 2 Washers (Outer,
> Lower Support Shaft). Since #3797 is a Pre-L...I assume the 2 Shields are
> not present as they are designated for the GT-5.
> 
> My questions are three fold.
> 
> 1 - Aside from checking all the other parts for unusual wear, is it normal
> to just replace the two bushings?
> 
> 2 - What is the procedure for getting the old ones out?
> 
> 3 - Is it normal to do both sides (no detectable movement on the left side)
> to ensure comparable "wear" to the bushings on both sides?
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Also, Vegas was great, kudos to all the organizers.
> 
> I have a few hundred pics...and will post the decent ones sometime soon.
> Taking pictures of moving cars from a moving car is harder than I thought
> :-)
> 
> Trevor
> #3797
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