Control Arm Bushing Replacement???

16 bushings would not fail at the same time, you have better chances to win the lottery.

Bushings are a wear item. I would inspect them myself (2 bushings per arm, 2 arms per corner). It is easier to replace the control arm than replacing the bushings, replacing the bushings adds around 2 hours per control arm plus the spare bushings (2), so you end up paying more, better off to get new control arms.

I remove and reinstall an upper control arm in 10 minutes and a lower one in 15 minutes.

The quote for $5k to replace the 8 arms + labor is right, but I doubt the 8 arms have worn out bushings. Where did you drive this car? flood damage salvage title? off-roading or rally driving? mileage? parked in the desert for month?

 

What are the symptoms of wear bushings? My Scud makes a slight knocking noise from the front when driving over drainage holes on the road (Rad, it is very similar knock to 996 GT3's front sway bar bolt lose). Wondering if my bushings need to be checked. And, how much are the control arms? Any place I should look ordering it?

 

Sounds like ball joints, the top tend to go first

 

I think we might have spoken on the phone earlier today.... I suspect they might be referring to the ball joints, not the inner bushings. The balls wear much more frequently, and there is a Hill Engineering alternative (we stock them at Ricambi America):

Upper Ball Joints: http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?products_id=349771

and

Lower Ball Joints: http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?products_id=349772

 

Daniel,

Do you guys have an in-house service, so I could ship you my Lower Control Arms or Upper Control Arms and get the ball joints replaced with the Hill Engineering versions?

I do have different bushings (Delrin) in the connection to the chassis, but I haven't replaced these ball joints ever, and eventually they must let go.

 

Lowers tend to go first.

 

Don't always assume its the arms. The grease in the front anti roll bar bushes dry out and they get noisy, drop links knock and track rod ends make the same noise. Have it checked properly before spending a fortune on ball joints and. Bushes.

 

There are many sources for the noise you describe:

1) the plastic spacers top and bottom of the springs tend to crack (I have them removed in my car as I use a different suspension).
2) bushing attaching the LCA or UCA to the chassis
3) Ball joint attaching LCA and UCA to upright
4) wheel bearings
5) worn out caliper pistons and bouncing brake pads
6) caliper attachment to uprights
7) drop links joints
8) anti-sway bar support to chassis
9) anti-sway bar bushings
10) steering rod
11) loose lug bolts

Jack it up and check it, the car should be free of noises. One thing I like about the lack of insulation in the Scuderia is to be able to detect maintenance needs sooner rather than later.

 

We do not have any in-house service capacity.

The tool for the ball joints is also available in stock here: http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?products_id=343682

 

Super !!! Thanks.

Any idea where to find the grease used on the rubber boots, and that special glue?

Thanks again.

 

The adhesive is Hysol. We have a bunch on order (like a really big quantity), but its not due to arrive until mid-July. Hysol, while you can often get it in big tubs, is a pain to get in the smaller Sempak tubes (how we'll have ordered it) make the most sense of these ball joints. Hysol, in its normal shipping quantities is for airframe construction, so the sizes can get crazy, for sure.

Hysol is a date-sensitive product, so we need to keep it refrigerated and ship with special procedures.

 

Thanks Daniel. It would be a great addition to the ball-joint replacement kit in the Ricambi website.

 

Interesting. I would double check with independent shop before going ahead with the dealer if I were you. Please post the update with which route you decide to take for fixing it. I'm taking the car on a lift this weekend and plan to diagnose on my own at least. Noise is *very* similar to sway bar lose bolt on my ex GT3 so I'm starting from there first. Also, it only happens occasionally and only when you drive over manholes.

EDIT: Did a quick search and found this, http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329479&highlight=knocking+noise

 

My 360 has some knocking sounds up front too, nothing bad and since I had never driven another 360 I almost thought it was normal. Dealer said something is wrong up front but did not research what as they were working on something else.

I have a lift at home (both a 4-post and 2-post, I got the 2-post only because I was looking at a 355 that needed its engine out, 2 days after the lift is here, I found my 360). I am mostly a mechanical kind of guy and try to do it all myself, how do I identify if the noise is from the bushings or ball joints ? I saw the Ricambi tools for swapping out the ball joints and have a press so that is no issue but how do I identify where the problem is ? I assume that it wont be that obvious as too look for slop somewhere since the car drives fine.

I have done bushings on Dino's and 308's, the 308's are a pain since you have to grind the factory weld off to get the bushings out and then tackweld the new ones but those bushings after 40 years were obvious to see what was wrong, on my 360 I assume it will look/feel fine. By the way my 360 has 54,000 miles and no records of front end work.

 

+1. Those bushes (flanblocks is the Ferrari description) just do not rattle. They creak, they have excessive deflection due to rotted rubber, but they do not rattle. Ball joints, track rod ends, drop links and anti roll bar bushes rattle......

 

Just to throw something else into the mix - I *think* there was a revised bolt produced by Ferrari that secures the front shock and drop link to the wishbone. They revised it because the old style can cause a creaking sound!

In any case, just to re-iterate Eddie's point - worn flanblocs do not cause a knocking sound. If it were my car I'd have it up on a ramp and would test each componant for play and replace as needed. Don't forget to use something like a transmission jack under the wheel to simulate a load through the suspension when testing.

 

Balljoints are actually covered by the power normal warranty, looks like the dealer is trying it on with you, my ball joints going had exactly the same symptoms you describe, all front wishbones were replaced under warranty.

John.

 

Spot on voicey. There was indeed a revised bolt. The shock lower joints also knock. It sounds like a poor analysis has been done on the op's issue.