Front suspension issue

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Andre68

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Well, while I was cleaning my engine bay I thought about redoing my front suspension, I figured it would be way easier to work on it with the fender panels off and nothing in the engine bay, and then I came across this, It looks like the wheel is angled (this is the drivers side), I check the passenger side and the wheel was upright, and proper looking.

So I have attached a couple of photos, but one thing I noticed which I circled in the photo is, I noticed there is like a little bushing in that area, it seems to be gone, or completely wasted.

If anyone can tell me why its doing this, that would be great! Also where to buy that little rubber bushing at.
 

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Looks like the bump stop is gone or damaged. You should be able to get a new one at most auto parts stores.

As far as alignment, the best you can do is check for worn parts (and by the look of things my guess is everything is several decades old. Meaning a full front end rebuild.)

You can't align a car without an engine in it, you need things fully assembled and at "street" weight.
 
Is the car sitting on the ground? That Item you have circled is a rebound bumper. That is not your problem though if the car is jacked up which may be the case since the upper A-arm is against it,that rubber bumper will limit the drop of the suspension and that angle won't be as extreme. You need to check the upper control arm bushings at the frame. Also need to check upper and lower ball joints for play.
 
cool, yea im going for a rebuild of the front end, so i guess i will pick up a rebuild kit and that little bumper from some auto parts store and then once the motor is dropped in, i will get it aligned.

yea pretty old parts,haha and yes it is on the ground, not on jack stands.
 
You won't find a rebuild kit at an auto parts, just individual parts if real lucky. You can buy kits from PST and other after-market. I have done better by buying individually off ebay and auto parts, and changing only what was needed. For sure get the "improved design" strut rod bushings, and look at the Moog "offset bushings" for the upper control arms. Many posts here. Next time you ask a question, let us know what year and model car you have.
 
If you look around on the net and at your local stores you can find some of that stuff pretty cheap.
The rebound bumpers can be had off the "Help" section wall at most auto parts places, and I got real Moog ball joints off Ebay for 11 buck a peice.
The upper, lower, strut rod, and all rear bushings from energy suspension.
 
TrailBeast said:
... I got real Moog ball joints off Ebay for 11 buck a piece. ...
Click to expand...
I might have bought the same ones, but they said "Moog Worldwide" or such and "made in China", though later is true of most name-brands today. Ditto for much Bendix stuff. At least I can brag about the Moog brand. This was after buying a pair at $60 ea from Autozone (early A drums cost the most).
 
Check for rust behind your upper shock mount on the frame when you have thinks out they were known to rust there.
 
It looks like the upper and lower bump stops on both sides need to be replaced (or installed). NAPA should have them.

Take care of those LCAs. They have the tabs on them for connecting to an anti-roll bar.
 
cool yea i was actually checking out the PST kits, but if I can maybe save some money doing some individual hunting, why not?

2_Darts, what is this with the Anti-Roll Bar? Is that like a sway bar?
 
Andre68 said:
2_Darts, what is this with the Anti-Roll Bar? Is that like a sway bar?
Click to expand...

Yes. A lot of people use the terms interchangeably. What the bar actually does is reduce body roll when cornering, making the car corner in a more flat attitude.

The tabs on your LCA will allow you to use a anti-roll bar as the factory intended. Most aftermarket sellers offer L-shaped tabs or brackets that attach suspension using the lower shock bolt. Not sturdy, no good.

Since the lower shock bolts are farther apart than the LCA mounted tabs, anti-roll bars may be in one of two lengths. If you go looking for a new anti-roll bar, make sure it is made to fit the factory, and not the aftermarket, set up.

Excepting the 340 and Formula S cars, I have seen very few cars in salvage yards with LCA like you have. That's why I suggested you take care of the ones you have.

Obviously, not having the bar installed does not make the car undriveable. With the bar properly connected to the body and suspension, roll during cornering is reduced. The trade-off is harsher ride when the car encounters a large amplitude bump or a series of bumps. For me, I'm not driving across a freshly plowed field (A Citroen 2CV does this well), and I'm slowing down for the craters in the streets here at the Edge of the World.
 
I went ahead and ordered my PST front end kit. My question now is, how do I remove the ball joints and bushings?

I was checking out the american muscle tools for the removal of these but, man it seems to be adding up $$ wise! A $40 socket for the ball joints, and then some other $40 tool for the lower control arm shaft, and etc...

Is there a better way to go about this?
 
Andre68 said:
I went ahead and ordered my PST front end kit. My question now is, how do I remove the ball joints and bushings?

I was checking out the american muscle tools for the removal of these but, man it seems to be adding up $$ wise! A $40 socket for the ball joints, and then some other $40 tool for the lower control arm shaft, and etc...

Is there a better way to go about this?
Click to expand...

A mopar guy at my local auto parts store uses a giant crescent wrench.(harbor freight may have one)

However, for me, my balljoints were seized and i had to have the local machine shop remove them for $20 each side. It took a blow torch and 900ftlbs before they finally got it.

My friend has a shop and did my LCA bushings with an air chisel, but there is a greater risk of damaging the LCA. You're better off buying the tool for that.
 
Andre68 said:
I went ahead and ordered my PST front end kit. My question now is, how do I remove the ball joints and bushings?

I was checking out the american muscle tools for the removal of these but, man it seems to be adding up $$ wise! A $40 socket for the ball joints, and then some other $40 tool for the lower control arm shaft, and etc...

Is there a better way to go about this?
Click to expand...

Sure there is a better way. Just come by the house and borrow them. LOL
 
well i just tried the pipe wrench, it seems the teeth are grinding into the lower part of the control arm were the ball joint meets metal. Any tips for this? I got an 18" from harbor freight. Its pretty hard to even get a grip with that thing!
 
word to the wise.... buy the right tool for the job! crescent wrench.... nope! pipe wrench... nope! pry bar and big hammer... nope!!!

buy a press? yep! buy socket tool? yup!

gonna by these soon... hope fully harbor freight will take my tools, cleaned them up real good! if im lucky i will get the guy that doesnt care!
 
I removed the upper ball joints on my 65 Dart using a big pipe wrench. I then bought the correct socket (~$50 American Muscle I recall). I didn't want to mess up my newly painted UCA's. Used it again when I bought my 64 Valiant. 73+ cars are a different size.

There is a sticky on removing the LCA bushing. Most people weld a washer to it so they can push it out. You pretty much need a hydraulic shop press for bushings. I got the 12 ton one at Harbor Freight, which I have used a lot. You know, once you have a hammer you see a lot of nails.
 
yea im gonna buy a harbor freight one. so that 12 ton worked good?

how did you go about using the pipe wrench? the teeth seemed to begin kinda rounding out the ball joint so i stopped.
 
Get to soaking those upper ball joints NOW in some kinda penetrating oil.
 
spray them down with a bunch of penetrating oil? or fill up like a little cup and have that portion dipped? thanks
 
Andre68 said:
how did you go about using the pipe wrench? the teeth seemed to begin kinda rounding out the ball joint so i stopped.
Click to expand...
It wasn't real easy. I had to **** it a bit and adjust the jaws just right. It did scrape the UCA a bit, which is why I said "forget this" for re-installation. In SoCal yours should be pretty rust-free, so should come out. Be careful not to mangle the threads in the UCA, since they aren't proper machined threads, just whatever the ball joint cut as it was installed. They got a little buggered on my Valiant so that one ball joint wasn't tight when it bottomed out. I had to tack weld it 2 places. Another reason to buy the special socket.
 
yea... im definantly gonna buy that socket, yea i actually had the suspension sitting in vinegar for like a week and then hosed them off, so there is actually very little if any rust on the parts. If it comes too it, i will tack weld,
 
Okay so I bought the PST front end for the 68 dart with single piston calipers. I was told this kit would work fine for my car. The reason being is that the car was originally equipped with drums and a 6 cylinder, and now has the 11" discs, single piston calipers, with a 318, it was out of a donor car, not sure which one, from what was guessed on the forum possibly a 73 duster.

The kit doesn't come with inner tie rod ends and I bought some for a 68 dart from oreillys for about $80. I then checked for 73 duster ones and they were like 13 bucks! The pitman arm and idler arm seem to be cheaper too!

Will these parts work on my car? Also why are they cheaper?
 
I recommend KROIL for soaking the UBJ to get them loose. Others here swear by PB Blaster!. Even with chemical assistance, it takes a LOT of leverage to get these guys loose. I use a 4 ft. long cheater bar over the breaker bar. The 68 UCA has a smaller ball joint than the 73.

The later ball joint is shared with the B/E & F/M/J bodies. That may have something to do with the later stuff being cheapre.
 
So just the UCA ball joint is smaller? which is fine because I already bought that kit, but are the tie rod end ball joints smaller? and pitman arm and idler?
 
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