Tubular LCA question - 68 GTO
 

Good afternoon all,
I am installing some tubular control arms on my '68 GTO. The new lower arms have front to back slop when installed - i.e. the can move the control arm fore and aft when the two bolts holding it to the frame are tightened. I pulled the center portion of the bushing out and it measures .074" shorter than the bushing in the factory arm.

The factory arm (with energy suspension replacement poly bushings) fits tight into the frame mounting ears and has no slop/fore aft movement.

I'm assuming this slop is not good and I'll need to make up a spacer to fill the gap. I'm not sure I can eliminate it by tightening the two mounting bolts.

Anyone else run into this?

Thanks,
Ryan

Never seen this. What brand are the A-arms?

I'm not sure what brand. I purchased them as NOS at the Charlotte Auto Fair in 2022.

the look just like these:
https://swperformanceparts.com/produ...hoCclYQAvD_BwE

Ryan

Gotcha - I assume that’s your review in the link?

They are the Global West knock-offs that numerous vendors sell. My 64 Lemans has them courtesy of prior owner and the spacing issue you described is not the case with them -(see pic) - not sure what the deal is with yours. Perhaps they are defects?

I’m sure there are others on this site that have used them without fitment issues- in fact I believe Jlmounce installed a set in his wife’s Chevelle. Typically the complaint with these is the cheap ball joints and bushings. I put pro forged ball joints in mine since it didn’t require a whole lot of work.

Just noticed the review - that's not mine but a similar issue. I'll do some measurements tomorrow and turn a spacer to take up the slack. Based on the photos on the link aove I'm missing one of the delrin spacers on each ear of the mount, on both control arms.