QUESTION FOR UCA BALL JOINT SEPARATION

Putting the fattest possible rod through those bushings will absolutely prove the arm is straight or not. The idea is to have one bushing steer the rod over to the other one, enter the tube and come out the other side, all-the-while NOT increasing the effort to do so. This does not work unless the rod is a tight-fit to the bushing. If it passes this test then the arm cannot be bent. It can still be spread, but that would be highly unlikely. That would point to a factory defective arm. And since I believe (my opinion) that the arm was dressed after it left the stamping machine, this would be incredibly (to me,at least),unusual. It is by far, easier for me to believe that those bushings are defective. And I still say without the locator cleats on those washers, I would not use them.I would have ZERO faith in the alignment staying put. Without the cleats, the location of the bushings is fully dependant on the cams and the clamping pressure of the nuts. And those are some pretty small nuts, and some pretty baggy cam locators.And if the washers fit OVER the tubes, there is nothing to prevent the spacer tubes from slipping into the adjuster slots, and POOF! away goes the clamp-pressure, along with the alignment........and maybe the whole project gets written off in a possibly ensuing accident, cuz with the caster and camber off in the wild blue yonder, so is the toe-in and then the car pretty much steers where ever it wants to.And even at just 30mph, the car is moving at 44 feet per second. That could be over 3 lanes in one second. And when you finally find the brake pedal, nothing does what you were expecting it to.......
So, now you are thinking that AJ has such an imagination! While I won't deny that,lol, I have been in a car that self-steered itself right into the ditch at 40/45mph. I had no time to re-act. It was up and over the curb, POOF went the tire, and the car dug huge ruts as it skidded to a stop. I never even got my foot to the brake pedal.
No I must clarify that the issue on this car was not a loose UCA, but rather a rusted out frame rail. But the results are the same; a change in camber leading to a change in toe, leading to a self-steering car.
Whatever you do, make sure that arm will stay where you put it;cuz finding out it didn't, can kill you.