Imperial lower control arm bushing hunt.

[Boydsdodge]

I had a little time to sit and look through the bushing spec list for a close bushing that might work for 73 Imperials.
On the spec sheet I found that the BR67/ K7007 is very close in spec to the Imperial BR107/ K7043.
I did a search for the bushing and found that it is for 65 to 73 Chrysler C-bodies. Great, I thought. But on the Rock Auto part information it list the specs of bushing different than the specs on the Moog spec sheet. Would any of you have any experience or bushings on hand to measure? I have just started getting into the C body suspension work in the last few years, so not much inventory for comparing parts here. I have plenty of A, B, and E Body suspension parts and bushings, but no C Body. Getting parts for C bodies and Imperials is much harder to do, but I am into it now with My Imperial and now some clients are buying Cs and Imperials. Plus all the cars that are in the online forums like my Favourite FCBO site. It would be great to find a source for these bushings, as I bet 75% of the cars we own need bushings. Almost every Mopar that I have worked on needed lower control arm bushings.
Thanks.
Here are the specs from Moog page.

73 Imperial:
BR107
K7043
A. 2.234
B. 0.875
C/D. 1.766
E. 2.234

67-73 C-Body bushing.
BR67
K7007
A. 2.297
B. 0.844
C/D. 1.734
E. 2.297

Rock Auto spec sheet.

MOOG K7007 Specifications Inside Diameter (IN) 0.840 Material Steel Clad Rubber Outside Diameter (IN) 1.510

Link to complete Moog bushing specs. https://www.pirate4x4.com/d1/tech/billavista/PDFs/Moog_rubber_bushing_cross_reference.pdf

Jackson Boyd from Jackson's

 

[HOT FURY]

you might check with rareparts.com

 

[Boydsdodge]

you might check with rareparts.com

They have stopped doing them. Not much more info, other than "Not in stock" I will give another call see if moods have changed from last July.

 

[HOT FURY]

That sucks, I just picked up some for my 66 fury about 6 months ago when I rebuilt my front end

 

[HOT FURY]

you might contact some of the urethane bushing companies, they may be able to set you up with a bushing where you reuse your outer shell and inner bolt sleeve if still in decent shape. Firm feel may even have ideas if you havent checked

 

[Boydsdodge]

you might contact some of the urethane bushing companies, they may be able to set you up with a bushing where you reuse your outer shell and inner bolt sleeve if still in decent shape. Firm feel may even have ideas if you havent checked

My thoughts are the same, I sent the spec sheet to Firm Feel. He was grateful to get it and said that he is going to look into it. My issue was the discrepancies with spec info from the Moog spec sheet and the Rock Auto specs on same bushing. Why I was asking if anyone had a C-body bushing or Imperial bushing to measure before having a shop make based on wrong specs.

 

[mrfury68]

Have you tried Craig @mobileparts ? He knows his old parts and their correct applications. Good luck.

 

[Imperial Pete]

Imperial bush is different from other C Bodies.
All of the front end parts are Imperial only.
I can only speak of 1969-1973, the other years I will let others on this forum who know answer that.
Spec from a NOS bush:
A 2.305"
B 0.865"
C 1.535"
E 2.230"

 

[mobileparts]

Thanks for the shoutout mrfury68 !!!

Unfortunately, absolutely no one or no outfit has any of these N.O.S.....

I tried to have 2 different outfits make these for me, including Rare Parts, and I was willing to make 16 --- 8 pairs, and I might DIE with most of them, but neither outfit was interested, unless I was willing to make at least 100 of them , and I don't think I am going to live to be 320 years of age......

If there are any out there --- no one knows where on a shelf they are sitting.....

Craig.....

 

[Boydsdodge]

Imperial bush is different from other C Bodies.
All of the front end parts are Imperial only.
I can only speak of 1969-1973, the other years I will let others on this forum who know answer that.
Spec from a NOS bush:
A 2.305"
B 0.865"
C 1.535"
E 2.230"

You have a bushing on hand that was measured? Thanks if so.

 

[Boydsdodge]

Have you tried Craig @mobileparts ? He knows his old parts and their correct applications. Good luck.

Yes, I spoke to Craig at Carlisle about it.

 

[Imperial Pete]

You have a bushing on hand that was measured? Thanks if so.

Yes I measured a bush that I have.

 

[mobileparts]

^^^ And that was only about the results... ^^^
I had spent more than 80 hours over time in attempting to procure / make some ......
Craig.....

 

[Boydsdodge]

My idea is to try and have some one piece bushing made up, the ones where you keep original sleeve in place. I would be first to say go original style, but with the option out there this may get done and keep the cars drivable. I have asked Firm feel to look into it. I may start talking with other bushing makers out there if I have the correct measurements, or even an old one to use as a template.

 

[Boydsdodge]

Yes I measured a bush that I have.

That bushing you have is from a 68-73 Imperial?
Is there a part number ?

 

[70bigblockdodge]

How are A and E the same measurement?
How are C/D the same measurement
I call bullshit on that list

 

[Boydsdodge]

The inner sleeve is the same length as the outer sleeve. C/D is combined as there is no step on the bushing we need.

 

[Imperial Pete]

That bushing you have is from a 68-73 Imperial?
Is there a part number ?

Part # 2071506
I have installed a pair in my 71 Imperial Coupe.
Fit and work spot on.

 

[fury fan]

It's been prolly 20 years since I pressed a LCA bushing in place.
But lookin at it now, I wonder if the lip was originally there as an assembly aid - press it in until it won't go any further.
Then, production equipment can use that to cause a pressure spike in the hydraulics, and the controls will retract the machine for end-of-cycle.

It's a press-fit assembly, and the installation of the LCA into the frame likely prevent the outer shell from walking out?

If so, perhaps appropriately-sized steel tubing can be used for the inner and outer shells, with polygraphite material for annulus area.
Aftermarket companies are familiar with making thin-wall poly for this, so it might then be a matter of 'catalog-shopping' to make a home-brewed bushing.
Might need some lathe-polishing of the tubing diameters to make it all work, though.

neither outfit was interested, unless I was willing to make at least 100 of them...


Craig.....

@mobileparts
100 is only 50 cars, and some owners will surely buy an extra set or 2, esp if they know it might be a 1-time offering.
You might sell some to guys like Murray Park too, for him to resell.
And perhaps you'd need to do some ebay selling to reach everybody.
Or maybe some other resto house that specializes in Mopar stuff.

If you did 100 of them, what would you need to sell them for to make it worthwhile? (assume that they are all sold within 2-3 years)

 

[Boydsdodge]

It's been prolly 20 years since I pressed a LCA bushing in place.
But lookin at it now, I wonder if the lip was originally there as an assembly aid - press it in until it won't go any further.
Then, production equipment can use that to cause a pressure spike in the hydraulics, and the controls will retract the machine for end-of-cycle.

It's a press-fit assembly, and the installation of the LCA into the frame likely prevent the outer shell from walking out?

If so, perhaps appropriately-sized steel tubing can be used for the inner and outer shells, with polygraphite material for annulus area.
Aftermarket companies are familiar with making thin-wall poly for this, so it might then be a matter of 'catalog-shopping' to make a home-brewed bushing.
Might need some lathe-polishing of the tubing diameters to make it all work, though.

@mobileparts
100 is only 50 cars, and some owners will surely buy an extra set or 2, esp if they know it might be a 1-time offering.
You might sell some to guys like Murray Park too, for him to resell.
And perhaps you'd need to do some ebay selling to reach everybody.
Or maybe some other resto house that specializes in Mopar stuff.

If you did 100 of them, what would you need to sell them for to make it worthwhile? (assume that they are all sold within 2-3 years)

I had same thoughts, a much so to maybe pay for the 100. Every car I have worked on needs lower bushings, like you stated, it wont take long to unload. I would need 6 off the bat.