66 Dart GT HT Whatsitgonnabe?

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Good morning, Matt!

I just ordered a bunch of stuff from Jeg's and Rock Auto. Among other things, a complete front suspension bushing kit, prothane, I think. Red polyurethane. $140, I think.

I'm down there right now but I can't find any retainer clip. The torsion bar slides back about 1/4" until it is flush with the rear end of the holder that is welded to the cross member.

Which side is the clip supposed to be? Maybe it's missing?
 
Yup. Checked YouTube. No clips on my car. Not good, I suppose, if the nut int from comes loose for some reason. Guess I'll need a pair.

Ulf? :D
 
No, the clips that hold the suspension torsion bars in place, the ones in the rear end.

And this was an accident waiting to happend. Some PO used an angle grinder to remove the tie rod nut and cut both the washer and the rod itself.

Now back to the mines to get the other one out.

Cracked the oak club my father in law made me ten years ago. Shame.
 

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Anders! The lower pulley, the clips and the internal tooth lock washer will be packed right after my coffee!:coffee2:

You should have the package on Friday or Monday.
 
Hi Anders,

Sorry about your mallet. Were you able to get the torsion bars out and LCAs off the car? When you clean up the large hexes in the transmission crossmember that the torsion bars fit into there will be a groove machined into the hexes at the back end for the wire spring clips to fit into. These prevent the bars from moving back and falling out though i have never seen one do this.

Also on the ends of the bars stamped into the hex will be part numbers with either an L or an R . Left is drivers side, R is passenger side. The torsion bars have a twist built into them as they are your spring. Be sure to put them back in the correct side of the car on reassembly.

Additionally use a lot of grease on the LCA hexes and the crossmenber hexes to prevent corrosion where the torsion bars fit into these spots.

Matt
 
360DartGT66 said:
Good morning, Matt!

I just ordered a bunch of stuff from Jeg's and Rock Auto. Among other things, a complete front suspension bushing kit, prothane, I think. Red polyurethane. $140, I think.

I'm down there right now but I can't find any retainer clip. The torsion bar slides back about 1/4" until it is flush with the rear end of the holder that is welded to the cross member.

Which side is the clip supposed to be? Maybe it's missing?
Click to expand...

Clips are behind the torsion bars to prevent them from moving back and working their way out of the car. There should be what looks like 2 little spring steel wires poking out of the rear torsion bar hexes on the crossmember. You squeeze these together with a pair of plyers and pull the retainer straight out towards the back of the car.

The crossmember hexes have internal grooves for the retainers to fit. Should be the same clip for all A body from 63 to 76.

Matt
 
Should look like this
 

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360DartGT66 said:
And this was an accident waiting to happend. Some PO used an angle grinder to remove the tie rod nut and cut both the washer and the rod itself.
Click to expand...

Time to replace the strut rod. If Ulf can't help you out, I have a pair for an early A.
 
360DartGT66 said:
I'm down there right now but I can't find any retainer clip. The torsion bar slides back about 1/4" until it is flush with the rear end of the holder that is welded to the cross member.

Which side is the clip supposed to be? Maybe it's missing?
Click to expand...

360DartGT66 said:
Yup. Checked YouTube. No clips on my car. Not good, I suppose, if the nut int from comes loose for some reason. Guess I'll need a pair.

Ulf? :D
Click to expand...

Maybe the PO never re-installed the clips as looking at the strut rod damage, I figure he removed the LCA (or at least pushed it and the torsion bar back sufficiently to remove the strut rod). Or it could be the clips are just so covered with grease you can't see or feel them?
 
65dartcharger said:
Anders! The lower pulley, the clips and the internal tooth lock washer will be packed right after my coffee!:coffee2:

You should have the package on Friday or Monday.
Click to expand...

Ulf! Did you have strut rods and washers, too? And that temp gauge? :prayer:
 
moparmat2000 said:
Hi Anders,

Sorry about your mallet. Were you able to get the torsion bars out and LCAs off the car? When you clean up the large hexes in the transmission crossmember that the torsion bars fit into there will be a groove machined into the hexes at the back end for the wire spring clips to fit into. These prevent the bars from moving back and falling out though i have never seen one do this.

Also on the ends of the bars stambed into the hex will be part numbers with either an L or an R . Left is drivers side, R is passenger side. The torsion bars have a twist built into them as they are your spring. Be sure to put them back in the correct side of the car on reassembly.

Additionally use a lot of grease on the LCA hexes and the crossmenber hexes to prevent corrosion where the torsion bars fit into these spots.

Matt
Click to expand...

Roger. And yes, I did get both of them out. Then I had to rush off to get my daughter from daycare, make supper, shave, have a shower and rush off to a parent-teacher meeting in the school cafeteria. Just came back.

:tard:
 
360DartGT66 said:
Roger. And yes, I did get both of them out. Then I had to rush off to get my daughter from daycare, make supper, shave, have a shower and rush off to a parent-teacher meeting in the school cafeteria. Just came back.

:tard:
Click to expand...

Anders,

I'm glad you were able to get them out. They can be a pain in the rear to remove. This is the way i pull LCAs out at the junkyard. I got a set of these with swaybar tabs, and a BBP disc brake front end off a 74 valiant sedan at my local boneyard. Took me a whole 20 minutes to take apart with hand tools LOL. It helps that where i live its dry as a bone, bolts thread right off without penetrating oil.

You should concider boxing in the lower arms as part of your rebuild to stiffen them up a bit. Also if you decide to change out your upper ball joints concider putting a few tack welds to attach them to the UCAs after threading them into the UCAs. Also the quality of moog suspension parts has gone rapidly downhill. I was able to buy more superior upper, lower ball joints, and inner and outer tie rod ends from a canadian company called XRF.

They use the moog part number with the prefix XRF in front of the moog number.

Matt
 
Everything is boxed up excl one front nut for the strut rod! :banghead: But I will ship tomorrow so due to size you will have the package on Monday next week. I probably find the nut which I just put in a envelope.
 
65dartcharger said:
Everything is boxed up excl one front nut for the strut rod! :banghead: But I will ship tomorrow so due to size you will have the package on Monday next week. I probably find the nut which I just put in a envelope.
Click to expand...

Wonderful! I can't wait!
 
moparmat2000 said:
Anders,

I'm glad you were able to get them out. They can be a pain in the rear to remove. This is the way i pull LCAs out at the junkyard. I got a set of these with swaybar tabs, and a BBP disc brake front end off a 74 valiant sedan at my local boneyard. Took me a whole 20 minutes to take apart with hand tools LOL. It helps that where i live its dry as a bone, bolts thread right off without penetrating oil.

You should concider boxing in the lower arms as part of your rebuild to stiffen them up a bit. Also if you decide to change out your upper ball joints concider putting a few tack welds to attach them to the UCAs after threading them into the UCAs. Also the quality of moog suspension parts has gone rapidly downhill. I was able to buy more superior upper, lower ball joints, and inner and outer tie rod ends from a canadian company called XRF.

They use the moog part number with the prefix XRF in front of the moog number.

Matt
Click to expand...

Yes, I will be boxing the LCA:s. I've seen it in threads here and they could definitely use some shaping up. They don't exactly feel snug like a glove...

Well, no wrenching today. Going hiking with an old fried who is also home from burning himself out.
 
Aanders! Package shipped yesterday. Will get to you Monday or Tuesday next week.:glasses7:
 
That is soooo good news! Then I have the weekend to finish wiring the ignition and rig a temporary fuel tank and possibly even bolt on some exhaust to reduce the noise a little bit!

How much do I owe you?

Not sure how much my Simonis 2 1/2" see-through mufflers will mute it, though. :D :headbang:
 
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