Front end rebuild - complete.

[commando1]

Just think, Bob. When you do yours, you'll have a mentor.

The good news? In three minutes I can pop open an ice cold one to take with my Naprosyn. Yummm.

 

[tallhair]

Think of it this way Stan. You are still saving money, you are working on your car and know what you will have when done, and that problem and the others would have surfaced at the repair shop .. would you rather fix it right, know what you have or let them have at it and let them deal with those problems ?

Just offering an alternate way to look at it

 

[commando1]

Absolutely, Bryan. Absolutely.
It's totally satisfying and it's over 12 hundred bucks in my pocket...
Scares me to think on how a shop would have handled the damaged thread thingie on the steering box.

 

[Kernel Sanders]

Using your picture of the drivers side, to set your caster to maximum, its all in the "B2" being as far in as possible. Then adjust the camber using "B1". Then your toe in about 1/8"

OH! Set the ride hight with the torsion bars before adjusting camber and toe

Eddit to add: If you cant get quite enough camber using only "B1" you will have to Use ome "B2" and loose some caster

 

[Kernel Sanders]

lol I guess I left the computer too long before hitting post lololol sorry

 

[commando1]

Got it! Thanks.
I found a guy who did a lot of old Mopar alignments.
He explained in baby talk how to rough in the camber and caster to get me to the alignment shop.
So I'm good now.
It turns out it's very different from the earlier C-bodies.
Of course....

 

[1978 NYB]

Just think, Bob. When you do yours, you'll have a mentor.

The good news? In three minutes I can pop open an ice cold one to take with my Naprosyn. Yummm.

I've bent a few lower control arms and snapped a torsion bar or two in the 70's. Nothing has changed.

 

[commando1]

Finished!
Still need to get it aligned but my rough dial in feels pretty damn good. I can not believe how it now feels. It actually goes where I point it. Got it up to 95 and it was still tracking straight and it still felt tight and crisp. Before, it wallowed all over the place to the point it was very tiring driving it. It is now pure joy.

I am very, very, pleased. I am never, ever, doing this again.

< Sent from my tablet >

 

[commando1]

Did I say I am never, ever, doing this again?

< Sent from my tablet >

 

[Newp]

How did your low mileage, Old lady car get to the point that it needed a complete front end rebuild?

 

[commando1]

The car didn't "need" it, Mike. I "needed" it. Would take too long to justify why I did it.
That said, you can understand how little old lady cars with relatively low mileage become after 38 years.
Anything rubber was dry and brittle. So, if I'm going to go through the BS of doing that stuff, I figured WTH, replace anything forward the A-piller. LOL

 

[monaco75]

Glad everything worked out, stan! Hopefully someday soon I can join the front end rebuild club. Deff looks like a job!

Were you ever able to track down a set of torsion bars?

 

[commando1]

I decided to stay with my stock T-bars. They look very pretty painted. :laughing11:

Had it aligned yesterday. The guy dialed in the FSM specs right on the money! Printout out as proof. Nice. $100.00.

When i drove in, it look like Ross had got a hold of it first. Slammed! Rode like a Conestoga wagon. I have not a clue why guys do that.

 

[Stormer]

I know you haven't.... I don't like Conestoga wagon ride I go more for the lawnmower through a corn field feel.

 

[360dusted]

FSM specs get thrown out the window running modern tires... You could use a lot more positive caster and slight negative camber than the FSM says, it will have MUCH better road feel.

 

[commando1]

Here's the specs that my alignment guy dialed in at my request. He wasn't thrilled about the camber but wtf it's my car, right?



Camber.............................Left: -0.5°..................Right: -0.5° (Recommended by Mopar Muscle C-body handling article: -0.5°)
Caster...............................Left: +1.1°.................Right: +1.5° (Recommended +1.5°)
Toe:..................................Left: +0.10°...............Right: +0.11° Total toe: +0.21" (Recommended: +0.10") Steer ahead: 0.0°

 

[fyriskung]

Nice thread! I need to do this shortly on my car

 

[commando1]

And my back still hurts thinking about it.

 

[commando1]

If you can absolutely beg, borrow, or steal the money from the kid's college fund or something, pay someone to do it....
This is my last front end. EVER!

I was right...

 

[cbarge]

LOL!!!
But a good one!!