How I finally fixed a wandering Demon

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ACME SS

ACME SS

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Here is the path to my finally fixing a wandering Dodge Demon:
All new ball joints and tie rod ends...helped.
Rebuilt gear box...helped a lot but it still wandered and I could not get the caster and camber I wanted.

Unable to get enough caster adjustment, I did some research and I noticed QA-1 control arms give additional adjustment so I pulled the pin and purchased them, along with their adjustable strut rods. Don't be cheap...buy the QA-1 strut rods too! Not only did these parts provide the additional caster adjustment I needed but when I removed the lower control arms, I noticed they were both totally worn out at the pivot location. I'm talking like several degrees of slop! If your having the same issues, don't let that torsion bar scare you. Remove the LCA and inspect it. Between that being totally worn out and the the rubber bushing in the strut rod, I didn't stand a chance. Even if I could have gotten the static alignment, the lower control arm would have flopped around and the rubber bushing on the OEM strut rod wouldn't have stopped it from doing so. The car now drives straight as an arrow and has zero wander. Feels like a new car. I aligned it myself using a Fastrax alignment tool, a lazer level tapped to one rear wheel and a tape measure and no I have no plans to take it to a shop.
 
Yeah the LCA bushings are pretty important to proper alignment. But just an FYI, adjustable strut rods are not meant to adjust caster, but only to get the LCA in the optimum position for free travel. Any attempt at caster adjustment with the strut rods can end up with a binding suspension and possibly even hurt the new LCA bushings.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Yeah the LCA bushings are pretty important to proper alignment. But just an FYI, adjustable strut rods are not meant to adjust caster, but only to get the LCA in the optimum position for free travel. Any attempt at caster adjustment with the strut rods can end up with a binding suspension and possibly even hurt the new LCA bushings.
Click to expand...
You are absolutely correct.
 
ACME SS said:
You are absolutely correct.
Click to expand...
So how do you like the way it drives now? I'm curious because I'm still on the fence about what to use when I build Vixen's front end.
 
My 65 Dart is still under construction but I will be using LBJ UCA’s with NOS Moog offset bushings, brand new LCA bushings, QA1 strut rods, NOS upper & lower ball joints and tie rod ends, Steer and Gear rebuilt PS steering box to their Stage 3 specs and the Helwig 1 & 1/2 front sway bar. I figured that ought to be sufficient for me
 
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I rebuilt my first Mopar front end in the waning years of owning my 440-6 70 RR, which at the time had a 340 swapped in, about 1976. The darn thing would run fine for awhile, then with some miles on would start "shimmy" a little when applying the brakes. I screwed around and spent money, trued the tires, replaced the tires, trued the rotors, MORE than once!! --- and finally decided, with 140K on the clock, that there was simply enough play to allow this, from wear. VERY hard work. One side at a time jack it up and crawl under. I was about 27 at the time.

Somehow, in mis-communication, I had asked a local mech how much to line it up, and neither he nor I mentioned that it was COMPLETELY OUT of alignment!!! I'm sure I had told him that I'd replaced a bunch of stuff. I replaced everything that moved except the steering box, and the thing drove like it was new. IMAGINE THAT!!. Didn't shimmy either!!
 
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