Greasable LCA Pivot Shafts / Poly Bushings (vs rubber)

I am rebuilding factory LCA with sway bar tabs for a street performance 66 Dodge Coronet.

I will be stiffening the LCA's with plates and installing a 1 1/8" sway bar, installing heavier torsion bars (either .96 or 1.03), and using urethane bushings most elsewhere.

My planning assumption is that front-end weight will around 1800 to 2000 lb (50:50;F:R).

My questions -

(1) what are people's experience with greasable pivot shafts / polygraphite bushings? I've heard these pivot shafts have been known to walk ..... (hearsay).

(2) with all the stiffening/tightening up of the front suspension I am doing (compliance), would rubber be a better choice in the LCA to 'soften' the feel?

I was steered away from them because drilling down the center of the shaft to make it greaseable also makes it weaker.

With all you're planning to do, why not just get a set of the QA1 LCAs? They're $500, but are lighter, stronger, and include new Pivot Pins, and have mounts for the sway bar. Just an option since you're desire is to get better performance/handling.

65RoadRacer said:

I was steered away from them because drilling down the center of the shaft to make it greaseable also makes it weaker.

With all you're planning to do, why not just get a set of the QA1 LCAs? They're $500, but are lighter, stronger, and include new Pivot Pins, and have mounts for the sway bar. Just an option since you're desire is to get better performance/handling.
View attachment 628725

Click to expand...

Short answer, I've been trying to keep the factory/stock 'look' while making enhancements.

I've convinced myself a tubular UCA makes sense to correct factory design/production issues (caster/camber). The stock LCA's I have do have factory sway bar tabs. I figured the weld on plates essentially box the LCA. I haven't convinced myself that the tubular LCA's are bringing sufficient improvements over a boxed stock LCA to warrant going that way.

Also, I was 'told' the greasable pivot shafts have/are larger diameter (at the bushing) as there is no inner sleeve that compensates for the center grease passage. I've seen installation videos where the larger (diameter), greasable pivot shaft looked like it can be pressed into the poly bushing almost completely by hand. Any insight here?

poly bushings on my upper control arm are squeaky even after I used the silicone grease to mount them. i rather rubber

I had poly bushings in my LCA’s on my barracuda. They didn’t stay put and the arms were sliding back before it was even on the ground. Put rubber ones back in.

68 HEMI GTS said:

I had poly bushings in my LCA’s on my barracuda. They didn’t stay put and the arms were sliding back before it was even on the ground. Put rubber ones back in.

Click to expand...

This is what I've heard said, more than once! Thank-you.