Play in strut rod bushing, should it really be like this?

[gbak]

This is the strut rod excenter bolt and the poly bushing I just bought.
The bushing fits well with no play on the shock mount, but seems to be too wide on this side.
I know there is a washer that should be mounted on the bushings both ends, but it only takes up half the play.
Is there different sizes of the excenter bolts?

 

[MYBAD79]

Wow, that doesn't look good. I don't know if there are different size excenter bolts but you should not have any play, otherwise the strut rod can move and the rear camber is going to change.

Did you check all four bushings ? I don't remember the inner bushings have smaller holes for the smaller bolt or if all four are the same size hole.

Are you going to use the stock rods with new poly bushings ? The adjustable strut rods are really nice and eliminate the excenter bolt.

You could have a local machine shop make a sleeve if you want to use what you got... just an idea....

 

[Twin_Turbo]

the stock cam bolts are 1/2", your bushing is for a much larger bolt, the bearing support side is 5/8 so that's probably what that bushing is for. You'll need to either get a reducer bushing to go on the inside or you will need to upgrade to adjsutable sleeves/ends and convert that center bracket to a 5/8 hole w/ some square plates.

Usually these come with a roll pin like reducer (a rolled cylinderical piece of steel), or the old bushings will have them (usually 2 "washers" with protrusions that go inside the bushing) and you'll need to reuse those.

Are those prothane bushings?

 

[gbak]

Yes it's Prothane bushings.
My car is a -71, but it seems like the strut rod's is some kind of upgrade as they have bigger holes on the end's, which if I'm correct was on later model cars.

A thin sleeve must be the easiest way to fix this issue.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

As I expected, their junk either doesn't fit or is incomplete... ugh

Inspect what you pulled out, the old bushings will have those washers rusted to them.

The strut rods on later cars don't have bigger holes, all have 1/2" cam bolts but the inner bushings use those reducers. The only difference is that later cars have larger bushings in OD.

I found them @ van steel:



Reducing washers, those are what you need.

 

[gbak]

I made a sleeve with perfect slip fit of the old scrapped t-arm front sleeve, OD was 5/8.
Just drilled the ID to 1/2" and then cut it.

It's nice to reuse old parts instead of buying new.

For those who are blind, the t-arm sleeve is to the left :nuts: