Why does this keep happening?

[dn010]

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[Michael]

Just a thought but if it keeps walking out on one side, is it maybe supposed to go on the other way?

[dn010]

The sides seem to be the same height. The other side of the car is fine but has more room between the poly and the raised part of the bar. Maybe my bar is bad?

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[DMC-81]

Do you have stock LCAs and setup? I wonder if the brakes grab more on one side than the other, thus pulling the bar out of place slightly? Just a theory..

[81dmc]

That sway bar looks tweaked towards the drivers side, but first swap the bushings and see if the issue persists.

To add, my car had some flex issues on the drivers side, but it only destroyed my poly bushings on the LCA, not the poly on the frame...

[DMC-Ron]

Are the bracket shims too thick?
Ron

[dn010]

I've noticed no adverse effects from this, my braking is good-doesn't pull, steering seems fine, etc. I try to get under the car once in a while to make sure everything is where it should be and here we are with this. I'm running stainless LCAs with new bushings all around. I think that I may have a known good bar still, I have to dig to see - I may have tossed it but hopefully I did not; I will swap it out today and see if there is any difference in order to rule out the bar itself being warped.

[dn010]

I ended up finding my original, known to be good ARB. Naturally, I had to restore it from rusty and ugly to clean and painted which took most of the day. I was unable to install it, I ran out of time. I will order new bushings for the bar to LCA and see what happens, likely this coming weekend. As far as the old bar is concerned, I was able to pull/push it back and forth to close/open the gap shown above. Very concerning...

[dn010]

I remember there may have been some damage to the suspension and I was able to confirm my memory in post 4 here: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?9162-On-my-way-to-pick-up-another-D-to-restore. There was damage to the radiator/condenser on the driver side, I wonder if the bar had been tweaked?

I will compare the current and my replacement bar to see if the current is warped in some way.

[dn010]

Previous message deleted due to photo error.

I decided to swap the ARB tonight. There were a few subtle difference between the two while they were placed on top of each other, but one major difference was the distance between the enlarged part of the bar that pushed the bushing out to begin with. I wonder if there was a production change between early and later ARBs?? The one going in (silver) is the one original to my 5003 vin. The black one was from vin 712, from which I am running the frame. Anyway, swap complete, gap is closed. I will take the D out tomorrow and run it over some speed bumps, make some turns at speed, etc and see what the results are. Unfortunately the above, original pictured poly bushing was damaged, I'll need to replace it at some point.

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[Delorean Industries]

Can you measure the diameter of the early vin car? I have seen the bushing walk like this on another early car and am curious if the bar size is different.

[dn010]

Can you measure the diameter of the early vin car? I have seen the bushing walk like this on another early car and am curious if the bar size is different.

I will take a measurement after work and post it, it did seem like the bush fit the later bar better but who knows. I did notice, but did not measure, the distance between the raised humps right where the bushes are were closer together on the early vin than on the later vin; I did not have any gap on either side like you can see pictured in post 3. I will have to measure that as well. I'd imagine if there is more room for the bar to float left to right, that would knock the bush loose.

[Ron]

Looks like A LOT of grease where it don't belong in the post 1 pic to me. I wouldn't say it was THE problem, but a contributor...

[dn010]

It is the gloss black paint with some imperfections on the bar that makes it appear this way. There was some lube on the bar/bush but it wasn't all over the place.


Looks like A LOT of grease where it don't belong in the post 1 pic to me. I wouldn't say it was THE problem, but a contributor...

[Ron]

Got ya.
(I wouldn't think there should be any between the clamp and bushing.)

[dn010]

This photo should clear up where the gap is that I am trying to explain. There are no gaps between the clamp, bush, clamp and frame, etc. This is the only gap, and I was able to pull the bar side to side while installed! My stock bar from 5003 does not have these gaps, that is why I think the early vin bar is a little different.

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[Ron]

I just put a set of stainless lower links, radiator brackets, and related bushing sets in an early VIN.
No gaps like those in your pic. Maybe this will help:

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Are you using the Bracket Spacer Plates with the upgrade (not clear in the pics)?

[dn010]

Awesome Ron, thanks for the picture and measurements. I will measure it for kicks tonight and see. Unfortunately, I drove the car last night and after maybe a ten mile trip with harsh turns and speed bumps, the bushing is already beginning to push out, even with the replacement ARB installed. I have these installed as follows: bushing on the ARB, the bracket that goes over the bush and then the plate that goes between the bracket and frame. I don't think I have any frame issues, I measured it and didn't find any issues or alignment issues. At this point, I think the next step is to try a stock bushing and retainer setup and see what happens. :(

Josh, I mic'd the early bar @ 0.7355IN.
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[Ron]

I don't think I have any frame issues...
I should of measured center to center on the bracket mounting holes in the frame.... fwiw, I'll do so today sometime.

[dn010]

That would be great actually, I can then double check and make sure I have the correct distance.

[Ron]

25. 625"

[dn010]

Thank you for the measurement. I will take it apart and measure it in the next few days, PITA since out of the four of them, I have one welded nut that is stripped out for the bracket, means I have to remove the entire radiator bracket to get it apart.

[Dangermouse]

I should of measured center to center on the bracket mounting holes in the frame.... fwiw, I'll do so today sometime.

You have a car again?

[Ron]

Thank you for the measurement. I will take it apart and measure it in the next few days, PITA since out of the four of them, I have one welded nut that is stripped out for the bracket, means I have to remove the entire radiator bracket to get it apart.Maybe you could just turn one of the bolts heads the same way as one on the other side then measure from edge of head to edge of head?? Accurate enough to see if it's off enough to explain the problem, I guess.

[Ron]

You have a car again?Not yet. Working on one for a buddy...

[dn010]

Finally had a minute to revisit this. The measurements Ron gave me (Thank you again!) checked out - frame is where it should be along with the bar. I did receive a PM advising me to install a washer on the bar with poly bushings which I just spent the last hour doing, the washer is placed between the "hump" and the bushing to take up the space.

I just took the D on a fairly spirited drive. Upon my return the bushings haven't moved at all. I will definitely keep an eye on this, but it would seem like my troubles are finally over.