Lower Control Arm Pivot Bushing

The LCA bushing has NEVER held the control arm on the pin. NEVER. Rubber can not withstand the forces that would be required to keep the LCA from moving backwards off the pin, the rubber would just tear. Just like it does if you tighten the pivot nuts at anything other than ride height.

Which is why there are strut rods. The strut rods keep the LCA from moving forward and backward on the pivot with acceleration and braking. They always have, that’s why the factory put them there.

With poly bushings the length of the strut rod is more critical, which is why I recommend adjustable strut rods with poly or Delrin LCA bushings. The harder material of those bushings allow less play, so the strut rod length is more important.

For A-bodies, the working length of the strut rod, as well as the pitch on the threads, changed in 1973. The reason was that the strut rod bushings were changed for that year, and the thicker bushings required the shoulders on the strut rods that located the bushings to move to account for the additional thickness. This probably had to do with problems with the earlier bushing design, but that’s just a guess.