Mark iii "loose" rear axle

[1Bad55Chevy]

When driving the Mark iii under hard acceleration the rear axle felt to be loose under the car almost like it was fish tailing a bit. Being that the car is 51 years old I had already decided to replace all suspension bushings because I assumed they were trash. Upon removing the rear control arms this is what I found.

Looking from underneath the vehicle these bushings all look fine but as you can see they are definitely not.

This is the old bushings compared to the new.

Using a punch I pinched (dented) the factory bushing to make pressing out with a ball joint press easier. Note the socket laid in the control arm, this will keep the control arm from crushing. DO NOT use a impact on this unless you want to find new control arms. This is a rust free Pheonix car but if it were from a heavy rust state this will be much more difficult.

Using a ball joint press re install the new bushings

The upper is a much larger bushing that would not fit inside my ball joint press. I ended up pinching the bushing in three locations then using a long pry bar popped it right out with minimal effort. To reinstall I used the ball joint press.

It is important to mark the alignment washers on the upper control arm before removing. These alignment washers are what is used to set the pinion angle on the car.

This is a very simple job that took me 3 hours to complete and made a huge difference. Hopefully this helps someone.

[TonyC]

Ah, this is visual evidence of what Ron Baker once referred to as "Lincoln's unscheduled foray into rear-wheel steering." At the time I didn't know what he meant; but at the time I was still a Padawan where vintage Lincolns were concerned. It has been known, but with Baker long-since out of the picture and all his tech tips gone with him, it'll be new to many. Rediscovering issues and making them permanent guidance on the Forum is a good thing.

---Tony

[LithiumCobalt]

Wow. Those were definitely toast. Makes me wonder what my rear bushings look like. I guess I don't drive the car hard enough to notice.

Did you have any trouble sourcing the replacements?

[1Bad55Chevy]

Wow. Those were definitely toast. Makes me wonder what my rear bushings look like. I guess I don't drive the car hard enough to notice.

Did you have any trouble sourcing the replacements?

All suspension bushings for these cars are available through Rockauto.com.

My experience working on classic cars is mostly limited to vehicles that have lived in and around Texas their whole lives. That being said the suspensions are worn out on all of them because of the heat and the fact Texas cars all have insane miles. I don't know how well rubber holds up on northern vehicles where they sit in garages during the winter but I would assume they would be dry rotted.

[puddlepirate]

That socket idea to keep the arm from bending/crushing is a great idea. That will definitely come in handy in the near future when we do ours!

[papawayne]

I can give you a hint: in Maine, they are all rotted. A tire shop did mine when I was just in my 30's, They used that c-clamp thing, but not the socket. I wish they had, but that's the next owner's problem. I actually don't remember it bending. I do remember much rust. Wayne

[1Bad55Chevy]

That socket idea to keep the arm from bending/crushing is a great idea. That will definitely come in handy in the near future when we do ours!

If you do it with a socket the outside still tries to collapse. When I was tightening up the press I would use a hammer and lightly tap the side of the control arm back out. The ultimate method would be to cut a U shaped piece of wood to slide in there around the bushing. Whatever you do it's a really easy job if you have access to a ball joint press.