Experiencing erratic steering in your Club Car Precedent? A common culprit often lies within the front end suspension. Like many owners, I recently encountered a Precedent exhibiting unsettling side-to-side darting, a stark contrast to the stable handling of my older model. This particular cart sported aftermarket 12-inch wheels and low-profile tires, hinting at potential stress on the front-end components, especially given its origin in a hotter climate. My initial suspicion immediately fell upon worn-out bushings, a frequent casualty in such conditions.
After a thorough cleaning and addressing a few minor issues, I elevated the cart to investigate. The extent of play in the outer control arm bushings and front leaf spring bushings was alarming. Seeking genuine replacement parts and aiming for prompt resolution, I visited a nearby Club Car dealer. Armed with the Club Car part numbers for the Precedent bushing kit and other maintenance items, I was met with a slight detour. The parts department, helmed by a temporary staff member, informed me they stocked Red Hawk brand individual bushings and a front spring bushing kit instead of genuine Club Car parts. While hesitant, time constraints pushed me to purchase the individual control arm bushings and the leaf spring bushing kit, noting the kit’s compatibility with both Precedent and DS models – a detail that sparked a flicker of concern, as parts diagrams often differentiate between these models. Online forums hinted at DS bushings being used in Precedents, offering a sliver of reassurance.
With the Club Car Precedent elevated and wheels removed, I began dismantling the front suspension. Upon removing the bolt for the driver’s side leaf spring bushing and lowering the leaf spring, I was met with a shocking discovery – the bushings were completely absent! Only the metal spacer rod remained. The same scenario repeated itself upon detaching the outer control arm bushing bolt – no bushings, just the spacer rods. This raised immediate questions about the history of this cart and the competence of previous maintenance. Were the incorrect bushings previously installed and simply discarded after failing to fit? Had someone reassembled the suspension without bushings altogether, potentially damaging other components by over-tightening bolts on the clevis and kingpin?
My immediate course of action was to install bushings in the leaf spring and outer control arm positions and proceed with alignment to gauge the improvement. The leaf bushings went into the leaf spring relatively easily. However, it became immediately apparent that the kingpin would not properly fit around the newly installed bushings. The same issue arose with the clevis. This predicament intensified the questions surrounding part compatibility and previous repair attempts. Had anyone encountered such a situation where bushings were entirely missing, and were the replacement bushings I acquired indeed the correct ones for a Club Car Precedent front end? Consulting a Club Car Parts Diagram Front End became crucial to verify the correct components and their arrangement.
Replacement clevis and kingpins are already on order as a precautionary measure, anticipating potential damage from the previous improper assembly. Simultaneously, I am actively searching for a used Precedent front suspension assembly in good condition within my local area as a more comprehensive solution.
To definitively resolve the bushing compatibility question, measurements of genuine Precedent bushings are needed to compare against the Red Hawk parts I obtained. Has anyone experienced a similar situation with missing front end bushings on a Club Car Precedent, or possess measurements of the correct bushings? Any insights or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated as I navigate this unexpected front-end repair. Utilizing a detailed club car parts diagram front end is clearly the next essential step to ensure correct part identification and proper reassembly.
