Last fall I replaced my rear yoke and trailing arm bushings . Now with 410 miles on them the large

  rear trailing arm bushings are done . I contacted Rare Parts the maker and they were defensive and

  wanted me to purchase new ones and if sent the old ones back they,  upon inspection would  reimburse the original seller  (Old Parts) a seller on ebay. Seemed like a lot of hoops to jump through so I inquired at all the

known Cadillac Suppliers and it seems the Rare Parts is the only maker of the RP15606 bushings . Further

 internet searches found this is a common problem. This has led to Dan McNarry and Russ Austin heading up making replacement arms with high tech bushings that do not distort and last. Rare Parts needs to retool and use rubber that will last .  In the mean time DO NOT  purchase trailing arm bushings from them with the

expectation they will last as I assure you they will fail quickly

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Later in the year, or perhaps 1st of next year, I might try to do take a hard look at some of my control link bushings and do some research and perhaps may be able to add to what others have found. Mother-in-Law with dementia is still upstairs next to our bedroom sharing mine and Cheryl's one and only bathroom in our 107 year old  house so the new house addition is my #1 priority thru most of this year and have to tackle only the most pressing other projects. I would like to at least be take a couple days off and address the lifter issue on my 64 so I can drive it around when I like.  The Grand National is going to be my only away splurge this year and if I were not a board member would not be attending this year ... but it will be a good break for me.

Tony,

AV sells for many applications per their web site and has data about the rubber specs which varies according to application. I’m very pressed for time in my work right now, but think it couldn’t  hurt to call these folks if you have the time to investigate.  If they could make the needed size and guarantee the quality of the rubber for a reasonable price...

Steel’s prices for revulcanizing engine mounts are in the hundreds of dollars. 

ETony

The Caddy Daddy website has these dimensions listed  for the bushing on their ordering info page:

You guys are trying to reinvent the wheel, when it has already been done.  Installing poly bushing into the stock arm has been looked into, but the front of the arm is not big enough to drill and install the new poly bushing.

The tube design of the new trailing arms is superior to the U channel of the stock trailing arm.  I have pulled a few trailing arms that were bent, and have sold a few trailing arms to folks because their trailing arm was bent.  The 64 is worse than the 63, as it was lightened up by design.

I have only noticed an increase in ride quality, with no squeaking from the ploy bushings. The results are the same from the multiple people who have opted to install the new arms.  

This should only be a problem for the purist who only wants factory parts on his/her car.  If you have disk brakes on your car, I have made my point.

Well to be honest, the control links to me look pretty bad, like something you weld up and paint in the back of your garage, so it's not a purist issue but a butt-ugly issue for me. Looks like something you would see under the car down at the drag-strip.  Just being honest.  So, someone creating an aftermarket quality control link, albeit very non-factory looking, may have been covered; however, the wheel, or high quality bushing in this case, for the stock control arm has not been invented or reinvented according to those that have posted so far. 

You're too kind Jason. Sometimes form doesn't follow function. With that said, it is currently the only option to replace the bushings with a quality product.

My 1964 CDV has control links that are 55 years old and have 164K miles on them.. and are doing OK. Of course if I remove them again I will probably want to replace if someone has found known good replacements. I would stick a lower mileage used one back in my car if the only option was the "drag racers" option.  Of course I am the 1st to admit I am a sample of one... have had zero issues with good old used control links and bushings, but understand it has been an issue for many. With that I admire that you and others have pursued other options.  No one has yet to confirm who supplies the Rubber the Right Way bushings. I would assume they are the same sourced "crappy" ones but they surprisingly have zero reviews (no negative or positive) so just not sure. I think I would go with theirs as they are a very well know middle man and I would definitely be jumping all over their site with negative reviews if they fell apart after a few hundred miles. I would STRONGLY encourage everyone to provide public feedback for anyone selling these crappy items. It may just be a case they just are note aware of the magnitude of the issue. If RTRW suddenly got a dozen negative / 1 star reviews, I bet they would be having serious discussions with their supplier ... especially with a nice turn-key add with all the rear end bushings as they have it on their page. One bad apple (i.e. the control link bushings) would be a black mark on their name, which as far as I know is a pretty commendable, middle man seller company.  Prices are good (often lower than who they source the items from) and as far as I know RTRW has a pretty decent reputation. Perhaps. even Rare Parts, is unaware they have a crappy product. The could be just doing some CMA with their request send in the bad one as Doug indicated, or it could be legit and they truly are unaware that many are having the issue. We can talk about this issue until the cows come home but until enough people contact the supplier and make it publicly known on their website and other feedback mechanisms, we might as well be blowing hot air. 

Tony, Unless I am missing something, you are not a customer of Rare Parts, and have not bought and installed their control link bushing and WOULD NEVER EVER SUGGEST ANYONE POST A REVIEW IF THEY DID NOT HAVE 1ST HAND EXPERIENCE.  Doug Scarrow and Ronnie Lay should post the reviews as they are customers with 1st hand experience.  I know when I leave reviews on Amazon it checks to see if I actually bought the product and posts my review as a validated customer. As much as I respect all of our members and their opinions I would never suggest we post a review for something we do not have 1st hand experience based on negative statements here on this site. If you buy something from Company ABC and it is crap you have every right to post a negative review, but I have zero right to tear down a company based on someone else's opinion. Surely, if this is a widespread phenomenon, then actual customers can provide sufficient feedback to alert powers that be that there is an issue at hand. 

Unless someone can confirm where RTRW gets their bushings (I KNOW THEY ARE A RESELLER.. NO REMINDERS NEEDED), later this fall or next year, I may do a restore on some 64 control links and order the front and rear control link bushings from them as their prices are reasonable. That will also give me the chance to have the local machine shop take a hard look at what is going on. Some of these good ole boys have been pressing bushings in and out for 30+ years and can probably give me some additional info and guidance.   

What I will not do is eat green eggs and ham and install the Drag Racu's LOL  The one thing I will do is take my time and patiently go through the process. I've got plenty of good used ones to throw in my car if I had a real issue, so if it takes me a couple years that's fine. I think my initial thought to rebuild my engine, ended up taking about 5 years. My thought to go thru my AC system is probably now on it's 15th years.  

As has been said... and sometimes attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson "Life is a journey, note a destination", so is ownership of these fine automobiles.

What did they say when you told them some were having quality issues with Rare Parts control link bushings and they fact they were coming apart after a few hundred miles? I looked a Rare Parts site last night and looks like they make some of their parts in house but source other parts. I wonder if they actually make the bushings or farm out to someone else?  I still may go through the process with RTRW. They proudly state their bushings are quality USA made. I will not mind being the guinea pig in this journey to see 1st hand what is going on and get involved with someone like RTRW to make it right.  

"Would it be of any value to ask fellow CLC members how they might have repaired the TA bushings on there cars while you have the chance 
Some of those guys surlely must have done this task in the past with good results". 
Excellent idea. You can go to the CLC Forum's at www.forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org and ask all the forum members. There are over 12,000 users.. over 90% are not CLC members so you should feel at home! :-)  Bring that conversation up and I can monitor it at the GN!

So... everyone get's their bushings from Rare Parts but no one knows their source.  As Fielding Mellish once said (any Woody Allen fans here?)... "It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham"!

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