Dogbones install

[632 Regal]

there is a difference in which way you install these things. One side is closer to the bolting surface, other brands have a slight U shape to them. The Bently makes no regard and the other places I read says install same as it came out... That sucks. what if the last guy had no clue and did it wrong?

Certainly there is a proper install, I just cant figure it out yet. I got the cheapies again as the last set made it about 6 years and 80K... so I'll get a new set every year if I have to. Lemforder, man that stuff is really king of the game but I can also kill one of them in a month on my roads.

So what say thee on the dogbone install?

[mikell]

Don't know, but . . . How much difference can it make?

The part is just two holes connected by a piece of steel with bushings. The distance between the holes is the same, no matter how the curve (if there is one on your parts) goes. As long as nothing is rubbing, it should be okay, right? And, If I was choosing, I'd install them the way the bolt heads are on the side with the greatest distance to the body of the part - assuming there's a difference. It's been a lonmg time since I did mine, so I don't recall the specifics.

Now that you bring this up, I need to do mine again.

[shogun]

Dogbone / Rear axle pitman arm replacement
How to replace the rear Pitman arms (torque rods)

[Tiger]

It still doesn't say which side is which... flat and curved... my mistake for not torquing the bolts while the car is on the ground... maybe that's why the boot ripped...

[shogun]

it does not matter, I tried both sides, and after 1 year the cheap ones make noise, no matter how you install them ;-)

But I found that they last longer when you add some good grease into the dogbones before you install new ones, looks like they even save on grease on cheap ones.
Just remove the clip from rubber boot, remove boot and add some grease. Assemble again and install.

[Tiger]

Oh! Yeah, the cheap one I installed clicked in no time... ripped boot in no time too... Once I sprayed waterproof grease in.... noise disappear but it occasianally clicked. I got Lemforders to go in.

[632 Regal]

My cheapie dogbones last time were FCP, now Karlisle (SP?) they have pretty violet spring clips on them. The FCP boots were trashed in a week but took until this year to self steer on the highways. Also scored the aluminum front control arms from FCP. I did manage a decent deal on KYB struts for the front, my Boge/sachs has finally taken all the abuse it could, I would rate them 9/10. The Bilsteins only made it a couple weeks till they puked internally. Hopefully the Lemforder thrust arms with the M5 bushings have held together because I hate to do this again, those are a couple years and 20K old.

[ss2115]

Can anyone make a list of what brands are crap, which are okay and which are brilliant for us all?

I have a thud over bumps from the rear left-hand wheel (only). The RH doesn't do it.
Would this be these dog bones or something else. It sounds like a shock mount but I cannot see anything wrong with it.

To replace these dog bones at the normal wheel height, I'd do the job on wheel ramps.

[BigKriss]

Did you take the rear parcel shelf off to see the shock mount?

Can anyone make a list of what brands are crap, which are okay and which are brilliant for us all?

I have a thud over bumps from the rear left-hand wheel (only). The RH doesn't do it.
Would this be these dog bones or something else. It sounds like a shock mount but I cannot see anything wrong with it.

To replace these dog bones at the normal wheel height, I'd do the job on wheel ramps.

[ss2115]

Did you take the rear parcel shelf off to see the shock mount?

Hi BigKriss.

Its a Touring (s/wagon) and I have had the trim over the rear wheel off to inspect the top of the shock. Its pretty easy on the touring.
Its more a thud from underneath the car - not "through" the car if you know what I mean.

I've also done the obvious things like check the spare is locked down, no tools or anything moving around etc.