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MELLOPT
Cruiser Newbie
Posted: Feb 12, 2008, 7:48 PM
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Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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OK SO I READ THAT A SUPER HIGH NUMBER OF US PT OWNERS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH, FOR STARTERS, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR BUSHING.
BAD NEWS ME TOO WITH ONLY 21k ON AN 02 BE PT.
BUT
CAR RIDES, HANDLES, STEERS, ETC AS GOOD AS NEW AND NO ODDBALL TIRE WEAR OR SUCH, EVEN WITH THE STOCK GOODYEARS ON 15" STEEL RIMS.
SO
WHAT ABOUT A DIY FIX?
SEAL UP THE BAD SEALS?
LIKE If we are worried about some exposed area that water/dirt/salt can
enter why not a DIY solution? In the old old days a leather "sock"
was used to enclosed suspension areas, with grease inside same.
Today we have many maxi strength, water and oil resistant products
to seal such a problem..... Where the H _ _ L are the DIYers that
dont wanna spend 24 hours on their backside banging and
hammering, or $400 plus for a dealer to do it for them?????
Need some feedback on the WHY when one has low miles on paved
roads and, big deal (?) we gotta split seal? A half inch thickness of
a Hi Density Urethane sheet 3/8 or 1/2 thick can be inserted at the
back where the bushing is, enclosing and also raising the car up
that amount?????
TIA FOR THE FEEDBACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MELLO IN MICHIGAN
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Posts: 4 | From: West Michigan, USA
| Registered: Feb 8, 2008, 10:46 AM
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rsobhian
Cruiser Expert
Posted: Feb 12, 2008, 8:42 PM
Post #2 of 13
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Re: [MELLOPT] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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The answer depends on your definition of DIY.
Those of us that have solved that problem for good have used the Energy Suspension ploy bushings, and while installing them does require some work and is not recommended for the novice among us, there are those of us who have installed them ourselves. It does take a full day (not 24 hours though - you'll have enough time for meals and your daily rest  ), and while some pressing, hammering... is involved, for most of it you're not on your back.
As for why not a simpler solution, remember that those bushings are subject to a lot of load and stress. The fix cannot be a hack job or it won't last an hour. Some real engineering and purpose-built parts are a must!
Also the reason why those back bushing wear out is not because they don't get enough grease or because sand gets inside them. The rubber pieces that rip are meant to operate dry and sand has nothing to do with their failing. The OEM rubber is just too weak for the amount of wear and tear it is subjected to.
That being the case, rather than trying to patch them up (and in doing so introduce additional points of failure), the fix is to replace the weak parts all together, which brings us back to the Energy Suspension bushings.
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2001 silver Limited-Touring (leather/suede, 4W disk, traction, heated mirrors & all :-)
Mods: Tokico HP all around / Energy Suspension Master Kit / K&N drop-in / R1 Concepts drilled & slotte disks all around / Enkei RPF1 16x7 wheels & Conti Extreme Contact rubber / Prestige APS620 remote starter
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Posts: 425 | From: MA
| Registered: Aug 2, 2007, 7:47 PM
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lacounty
Cruiser Expert
PT Cruiser Club Member
Posted: Feb 12, 2008, 9:46 PM
Post #3 of 13
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Re: [rsobhian] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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We had the same exact problem with my wifes Chrysler 300M. We took it into our mechanic and he put a set of after market bushings on it. It cost $300.00 but it was worth having him do it.
Charlie
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Posts: 353 | From: Chino Hills, California
| Registered: Jan 3, 2004, 12:34 PM
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GT Bruiser
Cruiser Expert
Posted: Feb 13, 2008, 7:46 AM
Post #4 of 13
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Re: [MELLOPT] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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Replacing the worn suspension components, especially the bushings, have the added bonus of a stiffer and more responsive suspension. It drives and handles much better as a result. Energy Suspension's HyperFlex Poly bushings are easy to install and will take a day to do the entire car (though you might lose that afternoon nap if installing all the bushings). Best of all, the poly bushings ought to outlast your PT.
"Yep... woke up this mornin' and all that was left in the driveway was them thar red urethane bushin's... rest of the ol' gal just rusted away".
Regards!
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Intense Blue Pearl... Yeah, Baby! 2003 GT - 5 Speed Getrag - Factory Loaded W/Ghost Flames, Borla Cat Back Dual Exhaust. "I Suck At Electric".
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Posts: 289 | From: Twin Cities, MN
| Registered: Dec 15, 2004, 3:52 PM
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MELLOPT
Cruiser Newbie
Posted: Feb 13, 2008, 3:58 PM
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Re: [GT Bruiser] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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YOUSE ALL HAVE MISSED MY POINT ENTIRELY. THE ()*#$9*(&*(#$& CAR SHOWS NO NEGATIVE TENDENCYS. none. nada.
AND WITH 21K MILES I M SUPPOSED TO MARCH RIGHT DOWN TO MY @)(#$(*( CHRYSLER DEALER AND SAY, HEY FIX THIS.
AND THE SERVICE MGR HE SAY- yo MAN, NEEDS BUSHINGS baaaaaaad.
SO ME SAY hey BRO IT DRIVES LIKE AN ACE. WHAT CAN HAPPEN????
hE SAY fool YOU DONT TAKE MY ADVICE. SUFFER THEN.
i LEAVES WILL i BE BACK WITH Duuuuuhhhh DER MAGNUS OPUS BUSHING PROBLEM?
NOBODY KNOWS. NOBODY. NOT A ONE.
WHO CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION I ASKED RATHER THAN JUST SELL ME SOME OF THE MAGIC BUSHINGS.....
L.
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Posts: 4 | From: West Michigan, USA
| Registered: Feb 8, 2008, 10:46 AM
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GT Bruiser
Cruiser Expert
Posted: Feb 13, 2008, 4:06 PM
Post #6 of 13
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Re: [MELLOPT] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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Best way to DIY the bushing issue: get rid of the car. Then, nobody will offer you any more useless advice even when it's asked for.
Cool solution... no?
Regards.
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Intense Blue Pearl... Yeah, Baby! 2003 GT - 5 Speed Getrag - Factory Loaded W/Ghost Flames, Borla Cat Back Dual Exhaust. "I Suck At Electric".
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Posts: 289 | From: Twin Cities, MN
| Registered: Dec 15, 2004, 3:52 PM
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PTPenguin
Cruiser Expert
Posted: Feb 13, 2008, 4:52 PM
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Re: [MELLOPT] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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21,000 miles? Uh, wouldn't that be under warranty? Oh, wait, troll...
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2005 Bright Silver Convertible, 5 speed with 8 ball knob, chrome door spears, chrome gas cap door, chrome antenna bezel, chrome grill kit, chrome rear bumper pillows, chrome bumper trim, stainless antenna with flames, stainless door panel trim, chrome smoothies with baby moons, 2" wide "gangster" white walls, chrome tail light trim, K&N air filter element in a modified airbox and an oogah horn. Hmmm, what have I forgotten???
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Posts: 216 | From: Sin City
| Registered: Mar 24, 2006, 5:06 PM
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rsobhian
Cruiser Expert
Posted: Feb 13, 2008, 6:05 PM
Post #8 of 13
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Re: [MELLOPT] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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Quote:
YOUSE ALL HAVE MISSED MY POINT ENTIRELY. THE ()*#$9*(&*(#$& CAR SHOWS NO NEGATIVE TENDENCYS. none. nada.
AND WITH 21K MILES I M SUPPOSED TO MARCH RIGHT DOWN TO MY @)(#$(*( CHRYSLER DEALER AND SAY, HEY FIX THIS.
AND THE SERVICE MGR HE SAY- yo MAN, NEEDS BUSHINGS baaaaaaad.
SO ME SAY hey BRO IT DRIVES LIKE AN ACE. WHAT CAN HAPPEN????
hE SAY fool YOU DONT TAKE MY ADVICE. SUFFER THEN.
i LEAVES WILL i BE BACK WITH Duuuuuhhhh DER MAGNUS OPUS BUSHING PROBLEM?
NOBODY KNOWS. NOBODY. NOT A ONE.
WHO CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION I ASKED RATHER THAN JUST SELL ME SOME OF THE MAGIC BUSHINGS.....
L.
Dude, relax...
Consider the possibility that you may have missed our point entirely.
We're not trying to sell you anything. I doubt anyone here has any stocks in Energy Suspension.
First, I for one am having a bit of hard time reading and understanding your post. As I understood it though, you had noticed some cracks in the rear control arm bushings, but your car is driving fine. So you want a quick fix of some sort so you can avoid the trouble of changing them.
What we're trying to tell you is that those bushings are weak and go bad all the time, and while initially the car may drive OK, soon you will start to hear their clanking when you hit sharp bumps and it will go downhill from there. If your car drives fine now, then leave them alone and deal with them when they start to make noise.
This issue has been discussed so often that we were just "skipping to the chase" and letting you what the ultimate fix is so that like you say and many of us have experienced you don't end up paying someone to replace them every 21K (12K in my case) miles.
I'll speak for myself here, if you listen or not, buy ES bushings or not, glue the rubber back together, weld the control arm in place, sell the car, burn the car, none makes a difference to me.
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2001 silver Limited-Touring (leather/suede, 4W disk, traction, heated mirrors & all :-)
Mods: Tokico HP all around / Energy Suspension Master Kit / K&N drop-in / R1 Concepts drilled & slotte disks all around / Enkei RPF1 16x7 wheels & Conti Extreme Contact rubber / Prestige APS620 remote starter
(This post was edited by rsobhian on Feb 13, 2008, 6:05 PM)
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Posts: 425 | From: MA
| Registered: Aug 2, 2007, 7:47 PM
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sent1
Cruiser Expert
Posted: Feb 14, 2008, 6:41 AM
Post #9 of 13
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Re: [MELLOPT] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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Yup! seems to me your question was answered just fine. I've got over 58k on my dreamer now and still haven't replaced those bushings--and yes, it still handles fine. I am keeping an eye on them. I will replace them too but I'm not in a hurry since they are still holding together.
If you want to get all bent out of shape about it, well--its your blood pressure. I just have to say, "don't sweat the small stuff."
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DC1 #1610--5-speed. Its got some stuff.
'03 Inferno Red--Its getting some stuff too!
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Posts: 424 | From: Salem, Oregon
| Registered: Apr 14, 2007, 8:56 AM
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mean green
Cruiser Addict
Posted: Feb 14, 2008, 2:51 PM
Post #10 of 13
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Re: [sent1] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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My wife has over 92k on her '04 PT and the LCA bushings are just fine.
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2005 Stone White SRT4
2004 Graphite Auto
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Posts: 818 | From: Oregon
| Registered: Feb 19, 2002, 12:00 AM
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Cruiser RN
Cruiser Veteran
PT Cruiser Club Member
Posted: Feb 15, 2008, 3:56 PM
Post #11 of 13
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Re: [MELLOPT] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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 I think you need to change your name to NOTSOMELLOPT.If the bushings are cracked we are giving you the permanent solution.If you don't like the answers and get bent out of shape then don't waste our time asking
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Mike Casabianca
His: 2001 Black LE with Auto Transmission, BullDog Signs Flames, WeatherTec wind deflectors, cargo area mat, PT trash can, PT valve stem caps and Dart's coldair intake, chrome tail and headlight bezels, chrome bumper inserts, chrome license plate pillow, chrome fender trim, 1940's retro chrome on front and back fenders, door spears, chrome hatch door trim, chrome gas door, brushed chrome door sills, billet door pins, custom "BlueHaze" dash mat, MRK Group lugnut covers, dome light trim, etc. and the chrome goes on......
Hers: 2003 Patriot Blue Woody with Automatic Transmission, Bulldog Signs Eeyore, Cargo area mat, WeatherTec wind deflectors, PT valve stem caps, PT trash can, "BlueHaze" custom dash mat, and chrome tailpipe extension, "Old School" wood shifter knob, wood and chrome door pins, MRK Group interior knob and switch covers, door surrounds, and dome light trim, chrome door surround trim, white eeyore window decals, smoothie hub cap, wood eeyore plaques ....and the Wood goes on
http://community.webshots.com/user/mdcvmvc
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Posts: 2281 | From: Yonkers, New York
| Registered: Aug 21, 2002, 12:00 AM
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MELLOPT
Cruiser Newbie
Posted: Feb 16, 2008, 1:52 PM
Post #12 of 13
(262 views)
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Re: [Cruiser RN] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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 YO BRO's Tanks for the Memories, of Bushings torn, of words sworn, of hours of work fixing your chariot(s). And to those unfortunate few (or maybe NOT so few but many) that lissened to the Service Mgr and advisor and Mechanic at the WUnnerfun Chrysler Dealer, and had them do the job. (organ music here) only Heaven Knows in some of those supposedly dire cases, whether or not they had a snow job done on them in spite of their integrity, intelligence, etc.
YHOS here has retaken images of his nasty bushings (on the PT) to see if dealer et al were truthful. How many I wonder, took the servce mgr answer and said DO IT. or how many I wonder did more analysis other than Uh Oh thats a Boo Boo and my wheels are nearly shot...
Torn here torn there, torn everywhere, but its still driving steering braking and no rattles. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But the service manager He Say They Bad.
I cant care if Chrysler or Joes Tire and Alinement or Sears does the job, or Bobs Speed and Kustom shop. But I wanna be D _ _ N sure I gotta spend the money. Anything else is pure Stupid. And I done threw all my stupid pills away after I learned.
Two bums walking along the RR track, Bum A has a bag and keeps juggling it and it makes sort of a crispy rattle like maybe peanuts or candy!!!! Bum B, wise in the ways of the world, asks- What chew got in dat dare bag, A???? A answers, Ah got Smart Pills.
Bum B, knowing he can be even wiser, says Kin I have some uv dem???? I be pretty smart already, and I gotta be even smarter.
Bum A replied Shore, you kin even have the WHOLE BAG!!!!! B is joyful, his problems will be solved. He grabs the bag, reaches in, and starts chomping the bite sized morsels.
After a handful or so, B stops, and says- A, those are NASTY, and they look like Rabbit Raisins. A replies- NOW U R gettin' smart!!!!!
I rest my case. IMHO plenty of B folks out there have helped Chryslers service and parts departments when they didnt need to.
Ah takes mah time. Ah B smart already!!!!
MELLO
ps THAT BE MY LISC PLATE.... MELLOPT before that it was MELLO56 for my 56 Sport Suburban, AZ car, stick with OD, power pac 277 v8 highway cruiser. And afore that SLOW 41 for mah 41 Plymouth 2dr spec dlx. and before that SLOW 38 for the workhrse a 38 Plymouth Pickup with 56 6 engine and 4x box with granny low. Double shift both up AND down. and so on.......
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Posts: 4 | From: West Michigan, USA
| Registered: Feb 8, 2008, 10:46 AM
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Cruiser RN
Cruiser Veteran
PT Cruiser Club Member
Posted: Feb 17, 2008, 11:14 AM
Post #13 of 13
(239 views)
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Re: [MELLOPT] Diy seal for bad lower ctrl arm split??
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A class in remedial english might help too.....
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Mike Casabianca
His: 2001 Black LE with Auto Transmission, BullDog Signs Flames, WeatherTec wind deflectors, cargo area mat, PT trash can, PT valve stem caps and Dart's coldair intake, chrome tail and headlight bezels, chrome bumper inserts, chrome license plate pillow, chrome fender trim, 1940's retro chrome on front and back fenders, door spears, chrome hatch door trim, chrome gas door, brushed chrome door sills, billet door pins, custom "BlueHaze" dash mat, MRK Group lugnut covers, dome light trim, etc. and the chrome goes on......
Hers: 2003 Patriot Blue Woody with Automatic Transmission, Bulldog Signs Eeyore, Cargo area mat, WeatherTec wind deflectors, PT valve stem caps, PT trash can, "BlueHaze" custom dash mat, and chrome tailpipe extension, "Old School" wood shifter knob, wood and chrome door pins, MRK Group interior knob and switch covers, door surrounds, and dome light trim, chrome door surround trim, white eeyore window decals, smoothie hub cap, wood eeyore plaques ....and the Wood goes on
http://community.webshots.com/user/mdcvmvc
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Posts: 2281 | From: Yonkers, New York
| Registered: Aug 21, 2002, 12:00 AM
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