How can you tell your thrust arms are bad...

[byurko]

This past year I replaced my shocks, upper and lower control arms b/c of the dreaded shimmy that plagues our cars. Finally my shimmy was gone... for a while! My tires became cupped and worn around the outer edge so I figured this was the cause of my new shimmy. I went and bought new tires and it only intesified it! I had the wheels/tires balanced on a GSP9700... they are in balance and the wheels are straight.

My question is this... Is it possible my thrust arms are bad again? I put my car up on jack stands tonight to take a looksy and found a little play in the thrust arms. Should there be any wiggle to the thrust arms?

I haven't had my car aligned after all the changes... so I was thinking about installing new tie rods and getting it aligned. But not sure if I need to replace my thrust arms too...

Any advice is appreciated!

[ryan roopnarine]

braking???

[DueyT]

This past year I replaced my shocks, upper and lower control arms b/c of the dreaded shimmy that plagues our cars. Finally my shimmy was gone... for a while! My tires became cupped and worn around the outer edge so I figured this was the cause of my new shimmy. I went and bought new tires and it only intesified it! I had the wheels/tires balanced on a GSP9700... they are in balance and the wheels are straight.

My question is this... Is it possible my thrust arms are bad again? I put my car up on jack stands tonight to take a looksy and found a little play in the thrust arms. Should there be any wiggle to the thrust arms?

I haven't had my car aligned after all the changes... so I was thinking about installing new tie rods and getting it aligned. But not sure if I need to replace my thrust arms too...

Any advice is appreciated!
Byurko, you said you changed your thrust arms...did you do the final tightening of the bushing bolts with the car lowered and full weight on the front wheels?

If you didn't, that could have worn the bushings out prematurely. Final tightening of the bolt must occur when the bushing is in its resting/'deformed'/pre-loaded state, or the weight of the car will unecessarily stress the rubber bushing as the geometry spreads to its final (i.e. off the jacks/hoist) resting configuration.

Hope that's not what happened, but you may need some new thrust bushings...

Cheers,
Duey

[NoSpeedLimits]

Since I ordered my thrust arms and bushing yesterday, how tight should the bolt be before you set the car down? Hand tight? Snug? or a certain torque? TIA.

[632 Regal]

loose, then tighten under load. Although I use Winfreds technique. :D

[winfred]

awl shucks


loose, then tighten under load. Although I use Winfreds technique. :D

[Russell]

IMO, you should have aligned your car as soon as you installed the new components. For that matter, when was your previous alignment?

Every time you put new tires on you should have an alignment. Also, I keep hearing over and over that any time a suspension or steering component is changed, you need an alighnment as the geometry is altered.

You may need the front steering components replaced. Check tie rods, idler arm, drag link and Pitman arm for wear.


This past year I replaced my shocks, upper and lower control arms b/c of the dreaded shimmy that plagues our cars. Finally my shimmy was gone... for a while! My tires became cupped and worn around the outer edge so I figured this was the cause of my new shimmy. I went and bought new tires and it only intesified it! I had the wheels/tires balanced on a GSP9700... they are in balance and the wheels are straight.

My question is this... Is it possible my thrust arms are bad again? I put my car up on jack stands tonight to take a looksy and found a little play in the thrust arms. Should there be any wiggle to the thrust arms?

I haven't had my car aligned after all the changes... so I was thinking about installing new tie rods and getting it aligned. But not sure if I need to replace my thrust arms too...

Any advice is appreciated!