[DeTomaso] Chassis

Jack Donahue demongusta at gmail.com
Thu Aug 17 23:03:05 EDT 2017


Dave:
A quick & dirty way to determine the sway bar squeak - or not = release the sway bar mounts from the A-arms and see if it continues to squeak. Gut feeling - A-arm bushings. I have noticed people mention putting in/on zerk fittings - I guess for some people it works - and not for others. Maybe I’m doing something wrong - I don’t know, but I’ve had the darn suspension apart a few of times over the years and it's been a real hassle - and I’m sure its easy for others - BUT - my last bout with this stuff was just before the 2014 Rally in San Diego - about 100 miles from me - my car was squeaking pretty good (again) as I crept over speed bumps - or anything that “rocks” the car. So I went to war with the suspension and did anti-seize, silicone lube, etc. - and after the war, it was once again silent - and I enjoyed the ride to San Diego - when we arrived at the hotel, and I crept over the speed bumps  - I could once again hear the bushings, not too bad, but 100 miles? - really pissed me off as I looked at my bruised & bloodied arms from “the bushing war” - so I started asking a lot of questions - and met a guy from NY that told me he had the same problem, switched back to rubber, and hasn’t heard a noise in over 10 years. I girded up the loin, and went at it again - this time replacing them with rubber - no noise since. Now, I should mention that years ago, my car was at Pantera Motorsports in Orange, CA - on Batavia Street - Dave Alder’s place at the time (I think) - and they drilled holes in the A-arm housings and installed zerk fittings. Maybe a bad installation(?)- I don’t know, but when I went to grease them, they just wouldn’t take the grease, and upon disassembly, it appeared the fittings were embedded  into the bushings - and I couldn’t figure out HOW or WHERE the grease would go, being jammed into the bushing - anyway, I took them out, lubed everything, and once again, it was quiet - for a while - can’t remember how long - but I eventually gave up and went to rubber (after a few more "wars”) and never went back to poly - and been content ever since (about squeaky bushings). Plus, I am 20 years older - and it just ain’t worth it anymore.  
My thinking, at the time, was that the zerk “endings" should be placed in the A-arm housing so the ends wind up in that "very-small-space” between the bushing and housing - that way, when the grease comes/goes through the fitting, it would/could.should migrate around the bushing and fill that very-small-space with grease so the housing “slides” around the bushing. I have also been told that there should be NO slipping of the housing around the bushing - kinda defeats the zerk theory -  
anyway - That’s one man’s story. My first bout was on a concrete/brick surface, on my back, under the car - thank God for hoists, the best tool for Panteras - [and Harleys]. Why do things get so heavy with age? LOL 
Jack
#4348
> On Aug 17, 2017, at 6:03 PM, djenkins at vanguardtrailer.com wrote:
> 
> Sorry but now I am confused. I checked both the front and rear sway bars and unless poly fittings are black I have rubber bushings. I assume they are the originals. Something is squeaking so what is the best course of action? Add zerks or replace?
> 
> Dave
> 
> 
> Sent from my Verizon LG Smartphone
> 
> ------ Original message------
> From: Jack Donahue
> Date: Wed, Aug 16, 2017 4:42 PM
> To: Julian Kift;
> Cc: detomaso at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>;
> Subject:Re: [DeTomaso] Chassis
> 
> I HIGHLY suggest the rubber vs poly...If you drive your car 🚗 on the street like most everyone else, you'll never appreciate the difference - and it just ain't worth the effort every time she squeaks. It's embarrassing. 
> Just sayin'
> Jack
> #4348
> 
> > On Aug 15, 2017, at 4:10 PM, Julian Kift  wrote:
> > 
> >   OEM rubber bushings don't squeak, but aftermarket poly bushings do,
> >   they require an annual greasing, so not necessarily 'bad', just feeling
> >   unloved...
> > 
> >   Julian
> >     __________________________________________________________________
> > 
> >   From: DeTomaso  on behalf of
> >   djenkins at vanguardtrailer.com <mailto: djenkins at vanguardtrailer.com> 
> >   Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2017 4:06 PM
> >   To: detomaso at server.detomasolist.com <mailto: detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
> >   Subject: [DeTomaso] Chassis
> > 
> >   Hit a bump, step on the brake, turn the corner, the chassis squeaks and
> >   groans. Is this bad bushings?
> >   ThanksSent from my Verizon LG Smartphone
> > _______________________________________________
> > 
> > 
> > Detomaso Email List is not managed by POCA
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> > 
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> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
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-------------- next part --------------
   Dave:

   A quick & dirty way to determine the sway bar squeak - or not = release
   the sway bar mounts from the A-arms and see if it continues to squeak.
   Gut feeling - A-arm bushings. I have noticed people mention putting
   in/on zerk fittings - I guess for some people it works - and not for
   others. Maybe I'm doing something wrong - I don't know, but I've had
   the darn suspension apart a few of times over the years and it's been a
   real hassle - and I'm sure its easy for others - BUT - my last bout
   with this stuff was just before the 2014 Rally in San Diego - about 100
   miles from me - my car was squeaking pretty good (again) as I crept
   over speed bumps - or anything that "rocks" the car. So I went to war
   with the suspension and did anti-seize, silicone lube, etc. - and after
   the war, it was once again silent - and I enjoyed the ride to San Diego
   - when we arrived at the hotel, and I crept over the speed bumps  - I
   could once again hear the bushings, not too bad, but 100 miles? -
   really pissed me off as I looked at my bruised & bloodied arms from
   "the bushing war" - so I started asking a lot of questions - and met a
   guy from NY that told me he had the same problem, switched back to
   rubber, and hasn't heard a noise in over 10 years. I girded up the
   loin, and went at it again - this time replacing them with rubber - no
   noise since. Now, I should mention that years ago, my car was at
   Pantera Motorsports in Orange, CA - on Batavia Street - Dave Alder's
   place at the time (I think) - and they drilled holes in the A-arm
   housings and installed zerk fittings. Maybe a bad installation(?)- I
   don't know, but when I went to grease them, they just wouldn't take the
   grease, and upon disassembly, it appeared the fittings were embedded
   into the bushings - and I couldn't figure out HOW or WHERE the grease
   would go, being jammed into the bushing - anyway, I took them out,
   lubed everything, and once again, it was quiet - for a while - can't
   remember how long - but I eventually gave up and went to rubber (after
   a few more "wars") and never went back to poly - and been content ever
   since (about squeaky bushings). Plus, I am 20 years older - and it just
   ain't worth it anymore.

   My thinking, at the time, was that the zerk "endings" should be placed
   in the A-arm housing so the ends wind up in that "very-small-space"
   between the bushing and housing - that way, when the grease comes/goes
   through the fitting, it would/could.should migrate around the bushing
   and fill that very-small-space with grease so the housing "slides"
   around the bushing. I have also been told that there should be NO
   slipping of the housing around the bushing - kinda defeats the zerk
   theory -

   anyway - That's one man's story. My first bout was on a concrete/brick
   surface, on my back, under the car - thank God for hoists, the best
   tool for Panteras - [and Harleys]. Why do things get so heavy with age?
   LOL

   Jack

   #4348

   On Aug 17, 2017, at 6:03 PM, [1]djenkins at vanguardtrailer.com wrote:

   Sorry but now I am confused. I checked both the front and rear sway
   bars and unless poly fittings are black I have rubber bushings. I
   assume they are the originals. Something is squeaking so what is the
   best course of action? Add zerks or replace?
   Dave
   Sent from my Verizon LG Smartphone
   ------ Original message------
   From: Jack Donahue
   Date: Wed, Aug 16, 2017 4:42 PM
   To: Julian Kift;
   Cc: [2]detomaso at server.detomasolist.com;
   Subject:Re: [DeTomaso] Chassis
I HIGHLY suggest the rubber vs poly...If you drive your car  on the street like
most everyone else, you'll never appreciate the difference - and it just ain't w
orth the effort every time she squeaks. It's embarrassing.
Just sayin'
Jack
#4348

> On Aug 15, 2017, at 4:10 PM, Julian Kift  wrote:
>
>   OEM rubber bushings don't squeak, but aftermarket poly bushings do,
>   they require an annual greasing, so not necessarily 'bad', just feeling
>   unloved...
>
>   Julian
>     __________________________________________________________________
>
>   From: DeTomaso  on behalf of
>  [3] djenkins at vanguardtrailer.com
>   Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2017 4:06 PM
>   To:[4] detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
>   Subject: [DeTomaso] Chassis
>
>   Hit a bump, step on the brake, turn the corner, the chassis squeaks and
>   groans. Is this bad bushings?
>   ThanksSent from my Verizon LG Smartphone
> _______________________________________________
>
>
> Detomaso Email List is not managed by POCA
> Posted emails must not exceed 1.5 Megabytes
> DeTomaso mailing list
>[5] DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
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>
> To manage your subscription (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.) use the
links above.
>
> Members who post to this list grant license to the list to forward any message
 posted here to all past, current, or future members of the list. They also gran
t the list owner permission to maintain an archive or approve the archiving of l
ist messages.
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References

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