Update: suspension rebuild
#1154038
01/10/12 05:11 PM
01/10/12 05:11 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,344 Central TX
roe
OP
master
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OP
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Posts: 3,344
Central TX
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Getting ready to redo my front suspension on Friday and am looking for tips, it's my first time. I have a polygraphite bushing kit and will lube properly. I know I'm not supposed to torque everything down until weight is back in the suspension, so do I reassemble, put the wheels on, then lower the car down and torque everything? Does that apply to everything in the suspension, or are there some parts that you do torque down while suspension is hanging?
what's the proper procedure for reinstalling the torsion bars?
What are common mistakes that are made?
Any tricks to removing, reinstalling the ball joints.
I have the Mancini kit for the control arm bushings, anything special here? Any mistakes to avoid so I don't have to replace a bushing that I tear up from improper procedure? I also know that lca bushings have to be pressed in at a machine shop.
Do you guys grease all your joints before assembly or after?
I have a second set of factory lca's off the car already with sway bar tabs. They were painted black to prevent rust while they were sitting. I need to strip all this paint off area that will be inside the hub and bearings right. Is a wire wheel ok, or is it too rough? Should I strip it chemically instead?
Any and all tips are welcome. I really don't want to tear it down and screw up something from not knowing.
Thanks in advance Roe
Last edited by roe; 01/24/12 12:50 AM.
1971 Plymouth Satellite 408/904 8 3/4 3.23 SG
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Re: suspension rebuild pitfalls or advice
[Re: roe]
#1154039
01/10/12 06:10 PM
01/10/12 06:10 PM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 817 Eugene, Oregon
Secret Chimp
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 817
Eugene, Oregon
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Just support the car with jackstands under the control arms and the wheels and brakes off. Makes it a lot easier to access all of the bolts for proper torque vs trying to do it on ramps or something.
If you want to remove your upper ball joints easily and you don't have an impact gun, just get Harbor Freight's biggest possible adjustable wrench (the one that's like two and a half feet long) and unscrew them with the upper arms still on the car. Super easy on the original joints on my Coronet.
1967 Dodge Coronet Deluxe station wagon
1.03" T-bars, QA1 arms/rods, Cordoba/GM Metric/Volare brake & knuckle, XHDs, Hellwig rear sway, 318 Magnum w/ air gap, 727, 3.23s
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Re: suspension rebuild pitfalls or advice
[Re: Secret Chimp]
#1154040
01/10/12 08:19 PM
01/10/12 08:19 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,344 Central TX
roe
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OP
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Central TX
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Thanks, that's exactly the type of stuff I'm looking for. I have a pair of ramps and probably would have used a bunch of four letter words while trying to snake my arms through the suspension to reach all the bolts. And the big wrench on the UBJ while the UCA is still on the car is a good one too
Anyone else?
1971 Plymouth Satellite 408/904 8 3/4 3.23 SG
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Re: suspension rebuild pitfalls or advice
[Re: roe]
#1154041
01/10/12 10:24 PM
01/10/12 10:24 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,538 Albany, NY
67SATisfaction
The member whose name is actually Art
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The member whose name is actually Art
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,538
Albany, NY
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Getting the old torsion bar pivot bushings out of the LCA was a learning curve for me. I think someone here told how to do it. Here are some pics of my process in case you are replacing them. 1. Use the Mancini tool to pull out the bushing, usually you only get the inner steel tube and rubber. 2. The difficulty and reason for this advice is: 90% of the time it leaves the outer steel sleeve inside the LCA. 3. Identify the sleeve left in the LCA and cut 4 slots in the walls of the sleeve that project out from the LCA. 4. Use a chisel and hammer to collapse each of the 4 sides inwards. This creates that funny '4-star' shape of the sleeve after removal in the pic below. The goal as you might imagine from the pics below is to create a condition in which you can use a slide-hammer to hammer the sleeve out from the LCA... (In the pic below, the threaded rod and bolt with giant socket is my home-made slide hammer). The collapsed walls provide something that grabs the slide hammer. A bit complicated to explain in words, I hope the photos help.... good luck!
65 Satellite hardtop 361/4bbl console 727 2.76 67 Satellite convert 383/2bbl column 727 3.23 67 Lancia Fulvia Sport 1.3 Zagato. Alloy body, 1.3L V4 DOHC 4-spd 67 Lancia Fulvia Rallye 1.3. Alloy panel, 1.3L V4 DOHC 4-spd 71 Alfa Romeo GT Junior 1300 Zagato, 1.3L 4cyl DOHC hemi 5-spd 82 Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5L SOHC hemi V6 5-spd transaxle 75 Maserati Bora US spec 4.9L DOHC hemi V8 5-spd ZF 77 Maserati Khamsin Euro spec 4.9L DOHC hemi V8 5-spd ZF 07 Aston Martin DB9 6.0L DOHC V12 6spd transaxle
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Re: suspension rebuild pitfalls or advice
[Re: rapom]
#1154045
01/11/12 03:06 PM
01/11/12 03:06 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,344 Central TX
roe
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Hey guys, a few post back ahy mentions that since I'm using poly bushings that I may not have to remove the outer bushing shells, is this true? If so that would be a major plus.
Thanks roe
1971 Plymouth Satellite 408/904 8 3/4 3.23 SG
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Re: suspension rebuild pitfalls or advice
[Re: BTTG]
#1154047
01/13/12 06:40 PM
01/13/12 06:40 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,344 Central TX
roe
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I may just end up having the LCA bushings pressed in and out at a Machine shop and be done with it. Everything else I can do on my own.
So do you guys grease all of the tie rods and ball joints before or after assembly?
1971 Plymouth Satellite 408/904 8 3/4 3.23 SG
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Re: suspension rebuild pitfalls or advice
[Re: roe]
#1154048
01/13/12 07:05 PM
01/13/12 07:05 PM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,565 tennessee
pushbutton
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Nov 2008
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tennessee
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Quote:
I may just end up having the LCA bushings pressed in and out at a Machine shop and be done with it. Everything else I can do on my own.
So do you guys grease all of the tie rods and ball joints before or after assembly?
I do it after.
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Re: suspension rebuild pitfalls or advice
[Re: roe]
#1154052
01/15/12 06:44 PM
01/15/12 06:44 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,344 Central TX
roe
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OP
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Central TX
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Will likely pick up a press from Harbor freight so I can do it myself next time, it wont cost but a couple of bucks more.
1971 Plymouth Satellite 408/904 8 3/4 3.23 SG
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Re: suspension rebuild pitfalls or advice
[Re: roe]
#1154053
01/24/12 12:59 AM
01/24/12 12:59 AM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,344 Central TX
roe
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OP
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Central TX
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Well, I just finished up my suspension rebuild and I am smiling from ear to ear. I used poly everywhere, including the LCA and used plenty of the supplied lube/grease when assembling and no squeaks for me. The steering is much tighter than before, not so loose feeling and sloppy. Its more responsive, and the ride is also so much smoother and tracks so much better. And thats just with an eyeball alignment from me. I tried to make the new tie rod assemblies the same size as the ones that came off. And after reassembly I adjusted the UCA for max caster, set ride height and torqed everything down. Then I just eyeballed the wheels to make sure they were generally pointing in the same direction the same amount with the same amount of "tilt". Then took it for a test drive. All I can say is wow. I cant wait until I get my new tires, toss my rims back on, and get a real alignment. This is so much better.
I always thought that my suspension was not that bad, boy was I wrong. Now, if I were to upgrade to a FirmFeel stage II box, that would be icing on the cake. roe
1971 Plymouth Satellite 408/904 8 3/4 3.23 SG
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Re: suspension rebuild pitfalls or advice
[Re: roe]
#1154054
01/24/12 02:48 AM
01/24/12 02:48 AM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 817 Eugene, Oregon
Secret Chimp
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 817
Eugene, Oregon
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What vendor(s) did you use for your rebuild?
1967 Dodge Coronet Deluxe station wagon
1.03" T-bars, QA1 arms/rods, Cordoba/GM Metric/Volare brake & knuckle, XHDs, Hellwig rear sway, 318 Magnum w/ air gap, 727, 3.23s
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Re: suspension rebuild pitfalls or advice
[Re: mopork]
#1154058
01/24/12 08:45 PM
01/24/12 08:45 PM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 905 SD
zrxkawboy
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 905
SD
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Interesting. I had asked about this company in the past, and did not hear good things. You sound satisfied with the parts. Do you know what brand they were?
It's Swifty! Swifty, you toad sucker!
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Re: suspension rebuild pitfalls or advice
[Re: zrxkawboy]
#1154059
01/25/12 10:38 AM
01/25/12 10:38 AM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,344 Central TX
roe
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OP
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Central TX
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Thanks mopork, 71-72 B's are my favorite bodystyle too.
zrxkawboy: I am very satisfied with everything. Parts were a combination of Mccquay Norris (idler arm), energy suspension (bushings), and BAW (ballpoints and tierods). I tried this kit after I started a thread about a different one that I found on Ebay. Another member posted a link to this company and said he had tried it and was happy with the kit.
Also, I kept the stock size tierod ends, but I did get new adjusting sleeves from Autozone, Duralast brand.
1971 Plymouth Satellite 408/904 8 3/4 3.23 SG
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Re: Update: suspension rebuild
[Re: IMGTX]
#1154061
01/25/12 06:37 PM
01/25/12 06:37 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,886 Lost and Spaced
bboogieart
master
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master
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Posts: 3,886
Lost and Spaced
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Bryan, Thanx for that. I have saved it for futur refernce. It will be invaluable.
I have mechanical Aptitude. I can screw up anything.
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Re: Update: suspension rebuild
[Re: IMGTX]
#1154062
01/25/12 09:19 PM
01/25/12 09:19 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,344 Central TX
roe
OP
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,344
Central TX
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IMGTX, thanks for the writeup on the rough alignment, I saved it for future reference. Luckily I was able to get it close enough where I could drive it, drives pretty well in fact. Holds a straight line on acceleration/deceleration, tracks well and doesn't jump or pull at all. Good enough until Wednesday when I can get to the alignment shop. I even drove it to work today.
I had the Mancini kit so bushings and balljoints were easy.
Also, I ended up tourqing the UCA/LCA bolts on a loaded suspension just because of how often it's been reiterated to do it that way. But i've had the car back on Jackstands for a couple of things since then. And as I watched the bushings I noticed that because of the lube they rotate completely in their shells, and thought to myself "well, I guess I could've went ahead and torqued those down during assembly". They don't bind like the rubber ones and therefore can't get that preload which can make rubber bushings fail early. But now I know.
I did have the.shockes connected when I adjusted ride height though. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to. Will that hurt anything?
1971 Plymouth Satellite 408/904 8 3/4 3.23 SG
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