Bad front lower control arms?

[R.J.]

I think I have all of the signs of bad front lower control arm bushings but I cannot create any play in the bushing or ball joints with the car jacked up. I.e. pulling in and out on the top and bottom of the tire and putting a jack under the ball joint, to apply and relieve pressure. I can get the lower control arm bushings to move but with a pry bar and there are shiny spots on the k-member that are aligned with the bushings. If I pry the arms over the bushings will touch the k-member. Is that ok, because it has to be happening when I am driving if I have shiny spots next to the bushings?! Three other things are a shaking steering wheel at highway speeds, feathering tire wear and during slow, full one-way turns, sometimes if feels like I am sliding, but I’m not, it’s the front end shifting to one side! Does any body know what I mean?

 

[Chythar]

Well, the spring puts tension on the control arm so it's hard to say if you'll be able to move it by hand with the spring in. The spindle would move by prying on the tire, so your ball joints sound good. Shiny spots next to the bushings don't sound good. I've never tried to pry on the control arms the way you describe, so it's hard to say what you're experiencing. Have you checked the k-member bolts? Sometimes those can come a bit loose and let the k-member shift around.

 

[R.J.]

I did check the k-member bolts and there was no sign of any movement. Due to the spring pressure, I placed a jack under the (4) conrtol arm bushings and they did move up a little.

 

[HISSIN50]

There should not be a lot of discernable movement in the bushings. IIRC Ford increased the durometer rating of the stock bushings shortly into the mod-motor run because ours were too soft.

Think of the dynamics involved. If you can move anything by hand (with leverage or not), when you hit the brakes, that's a ton more force. If you find that you're wearing the insides of the tires funny (toe out during braking), that's a sign.

The steering shake could be from the LCA's - there's no way to say for sure but it can be a contributing factor.

I cant even envision the part about the one-way turns but I'd have my undies in a bunch over that.

Many folks report that the Terminator spec LCA's help but there are a few of us that noted no difference (I had 100K mile original LCAs. My bushings had some cracks but must have been doing ok).

All in all, you figure you'll need new arms at some point, so why not get them (and do so before the price goes through the roof).

Good luck and bump.

 

[R.J.]

Thanks HISSIN50, I'll be buying 03Cobra control arms soon. The tire wear description is perfect. Both front tires, inner edges, have very uneven wear. It kind of looks like the top of a castle, one block of tread is twice as tall as the one next to it and then the next one might be a little shorter or taller, all the way around the inner edge?! Thanks again