Hello all,

i am am currently in the process of installing my lower control arms back onto my 73 cutlass S. All I did was remove the original arms, press in new ball joints and change the bushings, but I did not change the shells.

Both control arms appear to be too wide and do not fit into the frame. I can post a picture tomorrow. If I angle the control arm one side will slide into the frame so I know the bushings are not too thick.

Has as anybody encountered something like this? Is my frame bent? Is there something I’m missing? This is a frame off restoration and the frame has been sitting disassembled on jack stands for about two years.

The control arm does not appear to be bent inward so I do not think one of the legs has been bent. These are the original OEam control arms for this car.

 

 

It's not the control arms that are different. It's your aftermarket polyurethane bushings. Also be aware that the fit is extremely tight and you MUST have the arm oriented exactly straight to fit in. You can't put one side in and then angle the other side in. With the thicker and stiffer aftermarket bushings, you'll likely need to lube them up with silicone grease and use a thin putty knife to get the flange started under the tab on the frame.