Upper Control Arm Bushing Collars -Are they needed?

[Road Grabber]

I’m in the process of putting new bushings in the upper control arms but the collars that are pressed on one bushing have been stretched out and I was wondering are they really necessary and if they are does anybody know where I could get replacement collars for 1970 charger upper control arm bushing set?

Thank you

 

[wagonman]

I think you just need the complete bushing with the shell. Moog has a problem solver set with an offset to give more camber and caster. Can you post a pic of what you are talking about?

 

[Road Grabber]

I think you just need the complete bushing with the shell. Moog has a problem solver set with an offset to give more camber and caster. Can you post a pic of what you are talking about?

These pictures show that one bushing has a collar pressed over it once it is installed from the inside. The other does not. I heard many cars never had them installed but I am just because my front alignment shop wants to replace the ones that were removed. I don’t know what purpose the collars serve.

 

[wagonman]

Never seen that before and I had a 70 Charger. I dont think they are needed and where to find them is a question. Do a search for Ricks Parts on Ebay He is rick Eherenberg from Mopar action and has the Moog bushings listed. Now I am curious about that collar and will search it out. I guess you can put them back on but why?

 

[Road Grabber]

Never seen that before and I had a 70 Charger. I dont think they are needed and where to find them is a question. Do a search for Ricks Parts on Ebay He is rick Eherenberg from Mopar action and has the Moog bushings listed. Now I am curious about that collar and will search it out. I guess you can put them back on but why?

Only if there’s reason to. I’ve heard many Mopars didn’t have them but I have nothing to compare to. When you buy bushings they don’t come with a kit so I really don’t think they are necessary but I wanted to throw it out there because some people are pretty technical on the forum.

Push comes to shove I will not reinstall or bother looking for new ones.

 

[chtampa]

Leaving them off will move the center of balance.

 

[oldkimmer]

They are on there to keep the control arm from sliding fore and aft. If u do fast cornering use them front and rear. Kim

 

[dadsbee]

They were extra on HD fleet cars.. taxi/police, but they were on my Bee OE's. 95% of the cars never had them....

 

[Road Grabber]

Any suggestions where to get replacements?

 

[wagonman]

Never to old to learn.

 

[dadsbee]

Any suggestions where to get replacements?

@hemi71x use to have some collars listed for sale...

 

[Kern Dog]

Leaving them off will move the center of balance.

That is funny.

 

[Beekeeper]

They are a very simple sleeve that can be machined at a local machine shop. they were on my bee and i did reinstall them but only because they were reusable. If they had been damaged i would have tossed them and never thought another thing about them. there’s no issue whatsoever cornering or straight line drags without them.

 

[Road Grabber]

They are a very simple sleeve that can be machined at a local machine shop. they were on my bee and i did reinstall them but only because they were reusable. If they had been damaged i would have tossed them and never thought another thing about them. there’s no issue whatsoever cornering or straight line drags without them.

That’s what I thought. You would think if they were that important they would’ve been sold with the bushings.

I do have a lathe. Maybe a pipe I can machine once I get measurement. I did think of machining them just before I read your post. Can’t be that difficult. Thank you

 

[hemi71x]

@hemi71x use to have some collars listed for sale...

Ya, used to have those things for sale.
All of them have been sold off, a long time ago.
Never figured out if they ever did any good or not.
Just some suspension designer back in the dinosaur days with Ma Mopar trying to impress the big shots with his college degree.
Very few cars got them anyway, so it didn't last long at all, on assembly line production.

 

[Road Grabber]

Ya, used to have those things for sale.
All of them have been sold off, a long time ago.
Never figured out if they ever did any good or not.
Just some suspension designer back in the dinosaur days with Ma Mopar trying to impress the big shots with his college degree.
Very few cars got them anyway, so it didn't last long at all, on assembly line production.

View attachment 1342768

I’ve only had the occasion to work on a half dozen front ends and I did see them. I can’t remember if I put them back on. I don’t believe so because they tend to expand when you press them off with rusty bushing sleeves scraping them during removal. The extra set of upper control arms I had here had them on. The charger I just had bushings removed from had them. The alignment mechanic prefers I put them on mentioning they prevent front to back position movement on hard cornering? If that’s the case I was thinking what’s the difference if they are a bit loose. They are squished in between. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Beekeeper]

the way the a arm goes in between the brackets and shock tower there’s no way they can move front to back especially when the cam bolts are tight.

 

[oldkimmer]

the way the a arm goes in between the brackets and shock tower there’s no way they can move front to back especially when the cam bolts are tight.

U better have another look at the assambly. Kim

 

[Road Grabber]

It would certainly seem that way. A bit of engineering overkill I take it

 

[WileERobby]

They were extra on HD fleet cars.. taxi/police, but they were on my Bee OE's. 95% of the cars never had them....

This is the correct answer here. They were utilized for any HD use, such as taxi, police, as noted... some hi-perf cars had them as well... yet I had them on a 318 car of mine in the 70's, go figure. What benefit they were ? { shrugs shoulders }