Precedent Front Bushing Install Issue - Bushings too wide for clevis and kingpin
 

Morning all,

I just picked up another Precedent that needs some front end work. It darts from side to side and was clearly off compared to the Precedent I've had for years. It has 12" wheels with low profile tires (front tires were shot) and came from down south in an area that seemed like it has high heat. I figured the bushings were toast.

After cleaning the cart up and taking care of a few other things, I jacked it up and found an unreal amount of play at the outer c/a bushing and front leaf spring bushings. I ran by a Club Car dealer about 20 min away since I wanted genuine parts and didn't want to wait for something to be delivered. I walk in with the Club Car part numbers for the Precedent bushing kit and a couple other items I wanted and got confused when the guy filling in for the part specialist starts looking up the numbers again. It ends up they carry the individual bushings plus a front spring bushing kit in Red Hawk, not Genuine Club car. I reluctantly grabbed the individual c/a bushings and leaf spring bushing kit. The kit said it was for a Precedent and DS, which worried me as I drove home. Looking at the parts diagram for a Precedent and DS, the part number for the bushings are different. I did recall reading online about someone using DS bushings in a Precedent, so I didn't think I was completely screwed at this point.

Fast forward to the front end of the cart on jack stands and wheels off. I take off the bolt for the driver's side leaf spring bushing, pull down the leaf and to my shock there are no bushings whatsoever! Just the metal spacer rod for good measure. I pull off the bolt for the outer c/a bushing...same thing. No bushings, but the rods are there.

At this point, I figured I'd get the bushings in the leaf and outer c/a position, align, then see how we are doing. Leaf bushings went in the leaf easy enough, but there is no chance the kingpin will fit around them. Same goes for the clevis. Has anyone ever seen something like this? The first question I had is, are these the correct bushings? Did whoever was last working on this cart run into the same issue and amazingly chose to put everything back together without bushings in two positions on each side? Did someone who had no idea what they were doing reassemble the front suspension without bushing, then torqued down the bolts on the clevis and kingpin bending them in the process?

In the meantime, I have replacement clevis and kingpins coming for both sides. I am on the lookout for a lightly used Precedent front suspension someone took off when lifting in the CT area.

Does anyone have any measurements on the Precedent bushings so I can confirm the leaf and c/a versions are correct? Any thoughts or similar experience? Thanks!

Re: Precedent Front Bushing Install Issue - Bushings too wide for clevis and kingpin
 

The part # for the bushings is 102956201...

Re: Precedent Front Bushing Install Issue - Bushings too wide for clevis and kingpin
 

Thanks!

Can anyone confirm the DS takes the same front leaf spring bushings as a Precedent as per how Red Hawk sells theirs?

Re: Precedent Front Bushing Install Issue - Bushings too wide for clevis and kingpin
 

I have on more than one occasion had to spread those in order to get the new bushings to fit in. What I did was use a long bolt and 2 nuts, with nuts placed inside the clevis and run the nuts out until I had the needed width. Sort of a mini porta power. I think in the past somebody had tightened them too tight trying to shore up lost motion due to worn out bushings. I never paid any attention to any difference in DS or Precedent. I would imagine the same.

Re: Precedent Front Bushing Install Issue - Bushings too wide for clevis and kingpin
 

I'll agree that a previous owner probably tried to "tighten it up" without actually replacing the bushings that had crumbled away. Spread them a little, tighten it in with the new bushings in place and you should be fine. You'd be amazed at how many come in with no rubber left.
I recently had an owner drop his cart to be checked out for "noises". Found the spring eyes were cutting a groove in the 8" stock wheels. He declined the repair.

Re: Precedent Front Bushing Install Issue - Bushings too wide for clevis and kingpin
 

I had one brought to me once and the complaint was he thought " The front brakes are scrubbing. " ...... ? .... In his case there was nothing where front bushings should have been and the leaf springs on both sides were dragging on the inside of the rim. When I jacked the front end up both front wheels were flopping around like a fish out of water. It steered like a runaway wagon with a three legged mule. Had to replace all the front bushings, then also do the rear springs.

Re: Precedent Front Bushing Install Issue - Bushings too wide for clevis and kingpin
 

Thank you all for the feedback! I'm sure if this cart didn't have 12" wheels the leaf springs would have been dragging on the wheels as well. Same story with the play once jacked up, felt like at least a couple inches in each direction.

My replacement kingpins and clevis arrived today. Unfortunately, I am dealing with very similar clearance issues. I'm thinking the Red Hawk bushings are not correct. The more research I do the more it becomes apparent that the correct bushings for a precedent control arm (at least) are the grey urethane ones. The lip on the head of the Red Hawk bushings sold to me locally seem too high. Can anyone confirm I may be on the right track?

Thanks again,
Ray

Re: Precedent Front Bushing Install Issue - Bushings too wide for clevis and kingpin
 

Not a whole lot of difference in the leaf spring bushings. They are the same size, but they did change the design of them. On the precedent all of the bushings on the front are the same. Inner and outer, and the leaf spring bushings are the same bushing. The length of the sleeves is the main difference.

I’ve used the Red Hawk bushings before and I didn’t like them. They tend to wear out a lot faster even than other aftermarket bushings.
Personally I would just ditch those and get a front end bushing kit from David at Revolution Golf Cars. The kit from David is 100% original Club Car parts and has all the bushings and sleeves to do both sides.
The precedents are hard on bushings and if you’re doing the outer bushings you need to do the inner bushings on the control arms as well.

They are not always easy to fit back into place. You may have to spread the C of the kingpin, especially if someone used aftermarket bushings to replace them before. The aftermarket sleeves tend to be narrower and when tightened the C has to pinch in more.
A way to tell the stock sleeve from an aftermarket is the stock sleeve has serrations on the ends.

Loosen the lower bolt on the shock and that will allow the clevis to spread (the U shaped bracket) to fit over the outer control arm bushing easier.

Check the tie rod ends for play as well. Those often have play and need to be replaced.

Re: Precedent Front Bushing Install Issue - Bushings too wide for clevis and kingpin
 

I checked in the Red Hawk book and The bushings for the Precedent and DS do appear to be the same. The kit for each includes the 2 "thicker" rubber bushings sets for the spring eyes and the "thinner" urethane bushings for the control arms. If your local shop sold you al the same, they are wrong.

Re: Precedent Front Bushing Install Issue - Bushings too wide for clevis and kingpin
 

I understand wanting it to be right. But I think you’re splitting hairs… if I was faced with that. I would use a 4-1/2” grinder with a flap wheel and lightly take about a 1/16” off of the bushings and install them.


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