5KCSTQ control arm bushings / subframe bushings

["Graydon D. Stuckey" <graydon@apollo.gmi.edu>]

All,

	I looked inside the inner front control arm bushing last week 
when I got the bent one off the car (wife's story - she doesn't like me 
telling it:-) and found something rather interesting.

	The bushing has a large steel ball inside that pivots in a bed of 
rubber.  It's like a "heim" joint (rod end to you racers) with a rubber 
sleeve between the ball and the outer race.  This is probably why the car 
has such nice steering feel, it has race car - like suspension location.

	I might try to fit a real rod end in there, and see if it really 
screws up the NVH.

	BTW, I have driven the car for a few hundred miles now with the
epoxied subframe and rear motor mount bushings.  It definitely has more
precise steering feel, and is just a little bit louder when it hits the
expansion joints.  It's just loud enough that I can almost zero in on the
frequency when the tires hit the expansion joints, but then that's my job,
and I may be a little more sensitive to that sort of thing than most. 

	There are certainly no adverse handling side affects such as 
dartiness or anything like that.  In all, I would highly recommend 
epoxying the subframe bushings if you want the car to be a little more 
direct.  You could even go one step (maybe two or three steps) further, 
and get Eric's Delrin subframe bushings.

Email me if you have specific questions.

Later,								
Graydon D. Stuckey								
graydon@apollo.gmi.edu								
Flint, Michigan   USA
'86 Audi 5000 CS Turbo Quattro, GDS Racing Stage II				
'85 Mazda RX7 GS 12A-leaning-towards-a-13B-soon