When I switched my buggy from a beam-car to an A-arm car many, many years ago (probably 8 years ago) I bought a stick of Delrin and machined my own A-arm bushings and steering shaft bushings. My Delrin A-arm bushings are still as tight as the first day I installed them. ZERO play at all. Yet the Delrin steering shaft bushings I made have a TON of play in them. All bushings had correct tollerances when first installed. The steering shaft bushings have an aluminum collar covering them, which would keep most sand out. The A-arm bushings have no-such protection and get sand blasted all the time.

I just don't get it. I would think the A-arms would take more load and abuse than the steering shaft, even though I turn a LOT. Any ideas why the steering shaft bushings would completely wear out while the A-arm bushings have zero play after all these years?

Quite simple to answer this one...the steering gets used year round while the suspension is only for the desert season.

Come on Doug, you know this.

I built my own delrin a-arm bushings also. 3 years and working great. My steering uses a bearing but I would think the main difference is trhat your steering shaft goes through multiple complete rotations while the suspensions only travels a limited number of degrees. I don't really know ,just throwin something out there. White knuckle driving may also add to the steering wear

are you sure its the bearing thats worn? maybe the shaft itself is worn

You could have a point there. The steering shaft is powder coated and maybe the play I am feeling is where the powder coat got rubbed off? Maybe. But it seems like more play than that would cause. I haven't removed the shaft because to remove the collars would likely cause many scratches on the frame (long story, poor design done at the last minute).

My buddies Elite car will have to replace 32 rear arm bushings (rear a-arm car) and a couple in the front this off season. Last year they started getting big gaps in the flanges. It took 4 years.

The way you drive, it's the bushings..

so are u going to be needing to teach Doug how to drive?