Joseph James
Senior Member
Has upward sweep. Or is it just my eye?
Bent strut rod?
- Thread starter Joseph James
- Start date
Joseph James
Senior Member
I am sure these parts have been on a long time.
Bent strut rods is a common thing.
Inexperienced tow truck drivers had hooked up to them not knowing it affects alignment.
Or if the car was hit in the past.
Best to search for good straight used ones.
The bushings are still available.
Inexperienced tow truck drivers had hooked up to them not knowing it affects alignment.
Or if the car was hit in the past.
Best to search for good straight used ones.
The bushings are still available.
Joseph James
Senior Member
Joseph James
Senior Member
More. Rear of stub.
Your strut rod is bent, that is the good news. You need to go over the entire stub and inspect for rust. You have layered rust in the photo, usually that means significant damage. Tap the layered areas with a hammer to check for soundness, if chunks fall out, you will need a new stub. The one obvious hole could be patched, but usually when a stub is rust holed, it will be that way in several places. Be sure to check the stub mounting points as well as they are often thin also.
Dave
68PK21 440.6bbl
Old Man with a Hat
Joseph James
Senior Member
there are several places I could stick my finger through and pull chunks out. The balloon seal is in good shape. Lots of dirt where retainer clip is. Cleaned and sprayed it out. Still some grease under the seal.
LCA bushing looks totally done for. Have some PB on the torsion bar bolt. It won’t give.
photo is LCA bushing area. I imagine it should be straight.
Lower control arm bushings usually do no fare well if they get soaked with oil from and engine leak. The oil degrades the rubber and it falls apart. You should plan on replacing the LCA bushings, and if the stub needs to be replaced the entire set of rubber bushings should be replaced and the new stub coated with a good rust preventative paint if you live in a salted road area. The tension bolts sometimes seize from salt corrosion as well, but the are easily replaced if the unit strips or breaks. There is a threaded block that floats inside the LCA that retains the tension bolt, if necessary it can be cut. If necessary, set a jack under the ball joint end of the of the LCA and remove the ball joint retaining nut, then free the ball joint stud from the LCA and use the jack to lower the LCA to remove the spring tension. Shock should be removed prior to this operation. Do not attempt to cut the tension bolt retainer until the spring tension is removed. Good way to get hit by shrapnel or to lose a finger.
Dave
Dave
As a follow up, be sure to pick a solid location when placing jack stands on a suspect stub. I have seen more than one stand punch a hole in a rotted stub when the jack pressure was released. That can be very embarrassing if you happen to be working under the car when the stub gives way.
Dave
Dave
Joseph James
Senior Member
I have been jacking the car up behind the front wheel on the stub. It is rust free there. I did notice where someone had put a jack under the rocker panel area. The rust is driver side rear part of the stub where it meets the piece perpendicular that the torsion bar attaches to. Right under the driver seat.
68plymouth383
Senior Member
Joseph James
Senior Member
Torsion bar bolt was all the way in. I have cleaned the gunk off the threads best I can. Having to use the handle of a conduit bender on my ratchet to get it to move. Slow going. Have 3/4 inch of the bolt left to go.
I don’t have a torsion bar tool so I am following this
“Remove Lower Control Arm Pivot
Since we are removing the control arm, there is no need for a special tool to remove the torsion bar. just remove the lower control-arm pivot-shaft nut where the shaft goes through the K-member, and then use a large pry-bar to wedge the lower control arm back. The torsion bar will slide back with the arm, and out of the socket at the rear crossmember. The control arm can then be tapped forward and off the bar.”
Mopar Rebuilding the steering linkage and suspension
70bigblockdodge
Old Man with a Hat
Whew, by hand, you are making me tired just reading that
Joseph James
Senior Member
I am not as young as I used to be. Slow going. Down to 1/2 inch of thread showing. The bolt hasn’t gotten any easier at all. It’s soaked in PB blaster since last night.
70bigblockdodge
Old Man with a Hat
That looks like someone cross threaded that thing.
65sporty
Old Man with a Hat
If the whole stub was this greasy he wouldn't have any rust issues.
Joseph James
Senior Member
It is turning just very hard. It hasn’t locked up. They had it all the way up. Is that normal?
I am done for tonight. I will get back on it in the morning. I have a dentist appointment Monday and go on call at work Tuesday, so the other side will have to wait. Have to get done tomorrow, though.
It should not have been all the way up, someone was trying to raise the car out of the normal protocol. May have been something bent, a weak torsion bar or just some idiot trying to be "cool". When you get it apart, check the upper and lower control arms for cracks or other signs of distortion. They may have also been trying compensate for trashed bushings. Let us know what you find once it is apart.
Dave
Joseph James
Senior Member
Could I be fighting lock tite?
How would I know if the torsion bar was weak?
The LCA bushing is totally gone as far as the rubber goes.
How would I know if the torsion bar was weak?
The LCA bushing is totally gone as far as the rubber goes.
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