BUSHING INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR EARLY STEEL 944 A-ARMS
Congratulations!!! You have made an excellent choice in the purchase of your bushings from Racer’s Edge. Racer’s Edge bushings are machined from the finest T6 7075 aircraft grade aluminium and incorporate Teflon lined NHBB spherical bearings, which never need lubrication. It is recommended the directions be read in their entirety before work begins. It is critical when assembling these pieces that the instructions below are followed exactly. It is recommended by Racer’s Edge that a qualified technician install these components.
Front A-Arm Bushing
The bushing itself is comprised of 4 separate pieces; the main bearing cartridge, the bushing cap, and two bushing spacer sleeves. Please note that the bushing cap is meant for installation in one direction only. One side of the cap is tapered 7 degrees. This tapered side needs to be installed facing outward with the flat side being pulled tight up against the A-arm face.
The threaded bushing is held together by Loctite 271. The bushing unit must also be oriented properly in the A-arm in order to have its maximum strength.
1. Jack up the front of the vehicle and safely support it with jack stands. Do not rely on a jack alone to support the vehicle. Remove the A-arms from the vehicle. Remove the bushing from the front of the A-arms. These may need to be pressed out.
2. Clean the bore of the control arm and then slide the bushing into the bore of the A-arm. [Note: Due to manufacturing tolerances and paint thickness of the A-arm, some honing of the bore may be necessary. Experience has shown us that an inexpensive brake hone driven by an electric drill and lubricated with WD 40 works well for this purpose]. The bushing must be inserted with the main cartridge sliding into the A-arm from the rear of the bore, with the cap screwing onto the cartridge from the front edge of the A-arm. Do not install reversed!!!
3. The two threaded bushing components must to be locked together using Loctite 271. This Loctite product is supplied with your bushings and you should follow the instructions on the label. Tighten the cap and the bearing holder to a torque of between 100-110 lb-ft
4. Insert the two spacer sleeves into the bore of the spherical bearing and reinstall the A-arm into its bracket, tightening the through bolt to the specified torque (it is recommended that any self-locking nut be replaced with a factory new nut).
NOTE: As with any moving part, a periodic inspection should be performed on your bushings in order to assure they are in proper working order.
Steel A-arm Caster Mount Installation:
These Caster mounts are machined from the finest T6 7075 aircraft grade aluminium and incorporate Teflon lined NHBB spherical bearings, which never need lubrication. They must however be oriented properly on the vehicle in order to have their maximum strength. Please make sure that the Caster block is oriented with the longest and thickest section of the adpter spacer nearest the front of the A-arm . It may be wise to test fit the entire A-arm and bushing assembly in the vehicle before using the supplied Loctite.
1. Jack up the front of the vehicle and safely support it with jack stands. Do not rely on a jack alone to support the vehicle.
2. Remove the two bolts that hold the factory Caster mount and remove the A-arm from the vehicle.
3. Remove the old rubber/steel bushing using a hydraulic press. The whole rubber bushing and steel sleeve will slide of off the rear of the A-arm as a unit. It is also possible to cut the rubber/steel bushing off of the arm but be extremely careful as not to injure yourself or damage the A-arm in any way.
4. Clean any dirt, lubricant or grease from the exposed A-arm stud. The presence of any dirt, grease or lubricant will affect the bonding of the loctite agent you will be using. After cleaning, test fit the Caster assembly over the stud. Make sure it slips smoothly over the stud, remove any burs from the stud which may impede this operation.
5. Use the supplied Loctite 680 and coat the A-arm stud with Loctite 680. Be careful not to get any Loctite onto the bearing surface.
6. Slip the fully assembled Racer’s Edge Caster mount, which consists of the main bearing block and spacer sleeve, over the exposed eccentric stud. Make sure that you push the assembly to the very front of the stud, rotating it over the stud as you go in order to insure maximum adhesion. The radius at the front of the stud should fit nicely into the Caster spacer sleeve relief radius. Let this piece set up for an hour or so before proceeding so as to make sure the Loctite is partially cured. It will be fully cured in 24 hours.
7. Reassemble using factory bolts, washers, and nuts
8. Torque all nuts and bolts to their proper factory torque specification.
9. It will be necessary to realign the car after performing this operation.
NOTE: As with any moving part, a periodic inspection should be performed on your bushings in order to assure they are in proper working order.