Center drag link, are they really $600? 1964 dart

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There is probably a dozen if them for sale at Carlisle. We need to keep an eye out at swap meets for reasonably priced ones. Put them up for sale here for our members in need.
 
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mod5v said:
Do you have a Oxy/Acc torch? You can heat the pitman arm and Idler arm and bend them down for some added clearance. One thing do NOT quench the heated parts with water just let them air cool. That way you don't make it brittle. If your a little more into metallurgy look into anieling them after you get them bent. The biggest negative to this method is it may adversely affect your bump steer.
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NO, Do NOT do this. Never take a torch to a steering component. They can be bent in a press at room temperature but never introduce heat to forged steel steering components.

DumpsterFire said:
That might be better then cutting and welding it. Or maybe I'll drop the entire link down with spacers. Is that an insane idea for some reason?
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Christ...the bad ideas keep on coming. Don't do this either.

DumpsterFire said:
The day I pay$600 for a drag link I might just kill myself. I'd spend$1000 to not not give someone that much money for one
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People have been kind here but here is the fact. The correct term is Center Link. It is not a drag link. That is the steering link design used in solid axle 4 wheel drive trucks.
A used 64-66 center link will turn up. If you're not willing to pay the stupid $600 price, just wait it out.
I wouldn't pay $600 either. That is stupid money for a part that can be bought for $100-125 if you put out the feelers and are patient.
 
DumpsterFire said:
Swapping a 64 dart to a 360 magnum from the slant 6. I know I need to change out to the v8 drag link but I'm not about to pay that much for one. I don't see why I can't cut and weld the part I got and and thinking about going that route. Saw one guy shimed the engine up but I don't like the idea of that.
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Someone show him a picture of the slant and the V8 drag links he may already have a V8 drag link because he has a 64 and the V8 was an option, I wouldn't doubt some 64-66 slants came with V8 drag links.
 
bcschief said:
Someone show him a picture of the slant and the V8 drag links he may already have a V8 drag link because he has a 64 and the V8 was an option, I wouldn't doubt some 64-66 slants came with V8 drag links.
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junkyardhero said:
everybody and their mom: ThErE's nO A-bOdY 8 & 3/4's!!!!111

presents stock a-body 8 3/4: meh. not interested. tOo MuCh MoNeY!!!!

then starts the: i'll find one in the junkyard. or the whole: back in '82 i traded Big Nose Bobby a 12'er of Schafer, two packs of camels and took his ugly sister on a date to DQ for one with a 3.91 suregrip that was blessed by King Richard Hisself!
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Did you copy that from one our Mini Van friends post?
 
bcschief said:
Someone show him a picture of the slant and the V8 drag links he may already have a V8 drag link because he has a 64 and the V8 was an option, I wouldn't doubt some 64-66 slants came with V8 drag links.
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Mine is very obviously a slant 6 link unfortunately
 
1966 only has one center link for 273 or /6. May be the top center link in the picture. Bottom one looks like my 64 V8 center link.
 
Rick Ehrenberg once stated that the factory defaulted to the V8 version at some point. I don't recall if it was for production cars or replacements through the Parts Division.
Why not? The V8 Center Link fits everything, the slant six version only fits slant six.
 
I'm sayin this once more, now see if it gets through. You may not need the V8 center link. I 360 swapped my 65 Valiant years ago and did not use one. I used the same slant 6 center link the car came with. Clearance was close. I think there was like 1/8" if I remember right, but this is a clearance that will not change, unless a motor mount breaks or crushes from absorbing an Exxon Valdez amount of oil. So it's very possible you're doing something before you need to do something. Here's a tip. Don't do anything until you know you have to, because you may not have to.
 
People also use chicken wire and newspaper as backing for inch thick Bondo too.
 
Hey...I've seen idiots heat coil springs to lower cars that had them. I once heated the front edge of the leaf springs in my Camaro to lower it....and one snapped a few months later.
Anyone with an understanding of metal should know what is safe and what isn't. I'm not against pushing the boundaries a bit but in this case....why? The right part can be found with zero risk to anyone else on the road.
 
Kern Dog said:
People also use chicken wire and newspaper as backing for inch thick Bondo too.
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We used IGA grocery bags taped to the inside of quarter panels when I was a kid to apply Bondo to.

Then use the garden hose to wet them for remove. The repair job lasted long enough to move the car on down the line.

Tom
 
I've always figured steering and brake components aren't a place to jury-rig. That said, I'm sure as hell not paying $600 for one. I'd hold out for a used factory unit for ~$150 (if it was even needed). I had an early barracuda with a slant six centerlink and the 318 cleared just fine.
 
NCmtnDWELLER said:
That's 1994 price !!
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I sold three over the last 10 years, the last one was 3-4 years ago. I got $125 for a nice one.
Not everyone that sells parts is a greedy prick. Some just want to make a little money and move onto the next thing.
 
cudamark said:
For that price, I think I'll sell one of my NOS ones........:steering::eek:
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jos51700 said:
Are they actually different? I'm not an early A guy.

But I find it hard to believe that Chrysler would stock two parts when one could've worked for both applications.
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Yes, the S6 in the 63
didn’t need a drop centerlink. Come 1964 and the V8 in the early As then you had a drop link. Toward the end of 1965 model year all cars started getting the dropped link. Of course there were some S6 cars in early 66 that made it off the line with the straight link. Probably using up what was left in the inventory.
 
Old thread but I am glad I didn't know there was a difference between the /6 and v8 centerlinks when I built my car. I might have spent $600 for nothing! My 73 Duster came with a /6 and the v8 went in without any problems. Centerlink doesn't even come close to hitting anything.
 
dart4forte said:
Yes, the S6 in the 63
didn’t need a drop centerlink. Come 1964 and the V8 in the early As then you had a drop link. Toward the end of 1965 model year all cars started getting the dropped link. Of course there were some S6 cars in early 66 that made it off the line with the straight link. Probably using up what was left in the inventory.
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Thanks great information
 
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