The Broken Fiat Club

I'm rebuilding my front lower control arms and wanting to install the purple powerflex bushings. The rear bushings have a relieved area in the middle that is twice as wide as the area in the control arm. I asked the guys at Powerflex about it several days ago and hadn't heard back from them so I called them back today. They had me send them pictures and measurements today. It looks like to me you need to leave the outer sleeve from the oem bushing in the control arm for support.

That must be for the non turbos as I have never seen this for the Abarth control arms.

The Powerflex bushings have a small O.D. or a relieved area in the middle that is the area that fits in the control arm. That area is about twice as wide as the area it goes into on the control arm. The sleeve from the OEM bushing is about the same width as the relieved area of the Powerflex bushing. I bet the Powerflex bushings fit right in the heavier made Abarth control arms. I'm talking about the rear vertical bushing.

I know which one you are talking about - did you not ever find Abarth control arms? What are you doing with the DNAs?

I never found any Abarth control arms . One question I have about them is are the ball joints replaceable ? I have new ball joints for my OEM control arms but, to be able to use the OEM arms I've got to figure out a way to make the Powerflex bushings work or buy new OEM bushings. The DNA's will be up for sale as soon as I can get them off and I don't know how soon that will be. After sending pictures and measurements to Jake at Power flex ( which he sent to the engineers in the UK ) he called me back today. The Powerflex bushings PFF16-502 are for the heavy cast Abarth control arms and not the stamped steel control arms on the Pop or Sport. The Brits didn't know we had the stamped control arms on our cars in the US. This control arm up grade has been one big fubar. The DNA's were supposed to work on my car and they won't . The Powerflex bushings were supposed to work on my car and they won't. I had read on several postings that you had to replace the control arms to replace the ball joints and you don't. I have new ball joints on my work bench now. After I get this workable I've got the cost of getting the control arms powder coated before I can assemble them and install them. I've been waiting for a month for a set of shocks to be rebuilt by Fox for my 96" Land Rover so I can tear down my Fiat.

Maybe we could work a trade of control arms next year....

It will be next year before I get them off. Every auto project I'm doing right now has turned into a nightmare. Yesterday I tried changing the shocks on my Series 3 and found out my springs are so flat that the shocks won't work. I finally got the rebuilt Fox shocks back for my Discovery and they didn't change all 8 mounting points like I asked them to. They did manage to charge me twice what their webpage said it would be. They only changed the top four heim joints. After a phone call they did send me the other four so I could change them out. Then they were too cheap to include new snap rings. No wonder Fox is shutting down in Calif. and moving to Georgia . They may be looking for better help. Thing I need for my Fiat are lightened flywheel, clutch, LSD ( not the drug), bigger front brakes, black headlights, and a front splitter.

I’ve seen some splitters and and side skirts on eBay (well Bryan keeps sending them to me). Trying not to get too tempted as we’re supposed to be buying a sofa.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3938921329

https://500madness.com/2012-FIAT%20500- ... els-pid140

I finally got the bushings installed on my Frankenarms. I may start back together tomorrow. I got the bushings in by pushing them with a curved washer made from a 2" pvc end cap and a piece of 5/8" all thread with nuts.