I have a set of Alta rear control arms that I'm installing tomorrow morning. I took them out of the box today and I noticed that one of the spherical bushings (out of four) rotates/pivots where the other three seem fixed in place. Are the 'fixed' ones just stuck or should they all be that way?

In other words, should the spherical rod ends pivot or not?

I'm posting here because Alta is closed and maybe someone with experience can set me straight here.

Thanks.

EDIT: I put a quick clamp on each end and was able to move them all (since I was able to get some torque on them). With the one end being so much looser than the rest, it threw me off. I could move it easily with my fingers while the others took a clamp to move them. Hopefully this is OK.

Stand down - crisis averted for now.

 

As I remember my Alta arms those joints will definately move under weight and pressure - but they will definitely also squeak, crack and groan like there's no tomorrow.
Keep them greased and they may perform better for you, I got rid of mine.

 

Thanks for the purchase and for asking! Some rod ends are ever so slightly tighter than others. Take a large screwdriver or similar. Insert it into the end and rotate it around. As long as it is smooth (tight is ok) then everything is a-ok. If it binds severely, then PM me and we can work from there. I 100% think though that what you have is a-ok!

Thanks again for the purchase!

 

Depends on the vintage. If you did have that problem, we would have replaced the rod ends at no charge to you. We did have a small batch where the rod ends were out of spec and they snapped, groaned etc. New rod ends solved the problem straight away.

Also, the rod ends are non-greasable.

Please let me know if I can help in the future! Thanks again for choosing ALTA!

 

That makes me feel better...... knowing you'll stand behind them should I run into anything is key for me. Thanks for chiming in.

 

No problem!

 

Got 'em on... no issues or noises to speak of.

I know I need to get the car aligned ASAP due to my camber 'guess'. However, I just installed TSW springs at the same time and they take several hundred miles to settle.

Opinions on whether it's OK to align before springs settle?

 

I installed my KW coils and Alta control arms at the same time (about a month ago) and decided to wait a bit to let the coils settle. No issues at all and I haven't yet had the time to get the car aligned. It tracks straight as an arrow, but I WILL be taking it in at some point in the future

 

I would align it as soon as it is reasonable. No huge rush if the car is handling ok. But the tires will appreciate you the sooner you do it!

 

I'll let it run for about a week and keep an eye on tread depth with my gauge across the face of the rear tires. If I notice anything bizarre, I'll just have to bite the bullet and get it aligned before the springs settle. Assuming the springs settle uniformly, the only thing that should change is the introduction of a little more neg. camber. anyway. I can compensate for that somewhat even if I align it now. I might just have the rears set at -1.25 to -1.50 degrees of neg. camber. If the springs settle some and bring that closer to -1.75, that's not a big deal.