Tubular A arms slightly too wide!

[evans68cuda]

Got some tubular A arms off a guy who was parting out his 68 cuda, which were still new in the box. I believe they are cpp. Anyways went to install them along with my disc brakes and they are about 1/4 inch too wide! There is really no play to squeeze them together. What do I do? New bushings possibly?

 

[Crazyswedish]

Got some tubular A arms off a guy who was parting out his 68 cuda, which were still new in the box. I believe they are cpp. Anyways went to install them along with my disc brakes and they are about 1/4 inch too wide! There is really no play to squeeze them together. What do I do? New bushings possibly?

Plymouth dusters a-body is wider, than early body.
Any part number on the box..

View attachment 1715034112

View attachment 1715034113

View attachment 1715034114

 

[evans68cuda]

Un
Unfortunately no part numbers. But pretty sure this is it. Exactly how it came. https://m.summitracing.com/parts/clp-a6374wbik-t

 

[brian6pac]

Get a piece of fine thread all thread put it through the bushings and wind it down, that will bring it together.

 

[evans68cuda]

Get a piece of fine thread all thread put it through the bushings and wind it down, that will bring it together.

That'd be a good idea.. Except each arm individually fits perfectly, the problem is they won't fit in together. If one is in, the other is s 1/4 out

 

[jdsduster]

the hammer i see did not work

 

[brian6pac]

That'd be a good idea.. Except each arm individually fits perfectly, the problem is they won't fit in together. If one is in, the other is s 1/4 out

put it through both side and pull the arms together

 

[evans68cuda]

put it through both side and pull the arms together

I can try. There's just no flexibly in those and I'd hate to break em

 

[brian6pac]

can you get the bushings out so you don't damage them, put a tap across it crank it down it will move, it's not as tuff as you think

 

[72bluNblu]

Plymouth dusters a-body is wider, than early body.
Any part number on the box..

No sir. The UCA mounts are the same on all of them, 1963 all the way up to 1976.

That'd be a good idea.. Except each arm individually fits perfectly, the problem is they won't fit in together. If one is in, the other is s 1/4 out

So the issue isn't that the UCA mounts are spread apart or pulled together, it's that the width doesn't match the UCA. Are both sides the same?

The stock UCA's definitely flex more, but if both sides are the same and neither fits it seems to me that the UCA's are the wrong dimension. That can happen, they're welded on jigs and they aren't always perfect. Did the person you get them from actually run them? Or were they never installed?

 

[rustycowll69]

could they possibly be made to fit b or e-body? or maybe they're not made for Mopar at all.

 

[FJ5]

Sounds like someone unloaded a problem.

 

[evans68cuda]

No sir. The UCA mounts are the same on all of them, 1963 all the way up to 1976.



So the issue isn't that the UCA mounts are spread apart or pulled together, it's that the width doesn't match the UCA. Are both sides the same?

The stock UCA's definitely flex more, but if both sides are the same and neither fits it seems to me that the UCA's are the wrong dimension. That can happen, they're welded on jigs and they aren't always perfect. Did the person you get them from actually run them? Or were they never installed?

They were never installed. Got them with a disc brake kit. The thing is, the brake spindles require the b body style upper ball joint so I can't just put these brakes on my old a arms.

 

[evans68cuda]

P

could they possibly be made to fit b or e-body? or maybe they're not made for Mopar at all.

Possibly e or b body. Defiantly mopar though. Has mopar style lower ball joints.

 

[AJ/FormS]

We have seen this problem before, right here on FABO.
If you draw them together with all thread, it may be that the two cam-bolts will end up running at angles to eachother. This will cause binding and premature bushing failure. So after you have successfully tweaked them to fit in there, you will have to sight them, and more tweaking may be required. Ima thinking there will be a torch involved,lol.
That wouldn't scare me at all.

 

[72bluNblu]

could they possibly be made to fit b or e-body? or maybe they're not made for Mopar at all.

Nope. B/E body UCA's are over 2" wider at the mounts.

Sounds like someone unloaded a problem.

That's what I'm thinking.

They were never installed. Got them with a disc brake kit. The thing is, the brake spindles require the b body style upper ball joint so I can't just put these brakes on my old a arms.

Ouch. So, basically I'm thinking you got a set of UCA's that are out of spec. Jig was off, welder had a bad day, something. If you'd bought them yourself you could just return them, that's exactly what I'd do. Do you have a receipt from the original purchase or anything? If you know the brand of UCA it would be worth trying to contact the manufacturing company. If they're a half decent company they'll want to know, because if it is in fact a jig issue you won't be the only one with this problem.

 

[rustycowll69]

wow. that is a problem. I would guess it would cost more than they are worth to fix them, unless you are a good welder and/or have access to a milling machine.

 

[evans68cuda]

wow. that is a problem. I would guess it would cost more than they are worth to fix them, unless you are a good welder and/or have access to a milling machine.

I was thinking the same thing. Might I'll try compressing them tomorow. I might just buy another set. This kit is from cpp which is $400 for both upper and lower arms. Defiantly would rather put that money towards my paint job but just wanna get her on the road.

 

[brian6pac]

We have seen this problem before, right here on FABO.
If you draw them together with all thread, it may be that the two cam-bolts will end up running at angles to eachother. This will cause binding and premature bushing failure. So after you have successfully tweaked them to fit in there, you will have to sight them, and more tweaking may be required. Ima thinking there will be a torch involved,lol.
That wouldn't scare me at all.

Seriously ? What do you think happen when one cam is in and one can is out the bushings are no longer at a 90* to the frame thus putting the bushing on a bind.

 

[brian6pac]

So if your going to throw them out I will send you my address and I'll pay the shipping, just send them to me, I will use them and I wont have a problem adjusting .200 of an inch out of them.

 

[Brad4406]

Never mind. Reread post and see that they already fit when you put each one in by itself. No ideas here.

 

[rustycowll69]

I think the point about binding, is not that they're 90 degrees(or not) to the frame, but that the centerlines of the bushings are not coincident. Am I correctly interpreting you, AJ?

 

[AJ/FormS]

Seriously ? What do you think happen when one cam is in and one can is out the bushings are no longer at a 90* to the frame thus putting the bushing on a bind.

But they will be parallel, just on different centers
Whereas pinching them will skew them, with one bolt pointing one way, and the other in a different direction.Now they will be attempting to move the shoulders of the steel frame brackets. Since they cannot, they must flex if rubber, or wear out if poly.

 

[AJ/FormS]

I think the point about binding, is not that they're 90 degrees(or not) to the frame, but that the centerlines of the bushings are not coincident. Am I correctly interpreting you, AJ?

That was my thinking ,yes But Brian trumped that.

 

[brian6pac]

I got that but you said that it would be so far off that it would wear out the bushings and if you believe that you need to look at how far off the center line will it be by moving then .200 - .250 and how do you know they are perfectly straight now.
the problem I have seen is there welded in a jig and removed hot and when they cool they move. Had the same thing with S&W control arms.