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How to remove disks on a '78 Diplomat?
#1454534
06/17/13 07:17 PM
06/17/13 07:17 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 738
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David_Trimble
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super stock
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OP
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I'm doing the B-body disk conversion on my '69 Charger, and I found a donor in the junkyard in the form of a '78 Dodge Diplomat. However, while I know the front suspension of late '60s B-bodies pretty well I know nothing about the front suspension of a '78 Diplomat (well, aside from the disk brake aspect of the swap). So I was mildly surprised when I stuck my head under the car and noticed that there's no torsion bar suspension. However I wasn't even able to determine just how the suspension worked (no coil springs that I could see...)
Anyway, about the removal- I almost got one of the spindles off- could not get the upper A-frame to release the spindle though. I suspect though that I'm simply doing something wrong. Since I don't have a FSM for M-body cars, could someone give me pointers on how to remove spindle assemblies from Diplomats?
Thanks!
David
'69 Dodge Charger R/T
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Re: How to remove disks on a '78 Diplomat?
[Re: David_Trimble]
#1454535
06/17/13 07:44 PM
06/17/13 07:44 PM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
Supercuda
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About to go away
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Posts: 14,889
up yours
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Diplomats use transverse torsion bars, it is both a strut rod and a torsion bar. If you look where the strut rod would be on your B body you will see the torsion bar.
As for the ball joint/spindle issue, same as your B body in removal. I usually loosen the nut on the ball joint stud and smack the spindle perpendicular tot he stud with a hammer. Sometimes I have to preload the joint with a crowbar and smack again. Loosening the nut is a safety measure, so the spindle doesn't fall down and hit you when it comes apart. Also, you might want to back off the torsion bar adjusters, on a Diplomat they are located forward of the wheel and on the opposite side.
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Re: How to remove disks on a '78 Diplomat?
[Re: Supercuda]
#1454538
06/17/13 08:03 PM
06/17/13 08:03 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 738
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David_Trimble
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Quote:
Diplomats use transverse torsion bars, it is both a strut rod and a torsion bar. If you look where the strut rod would be on your B body you will see the torsion bar.
As for the ball joint/spindle issue, same as your B body in removal. I usually loosen the nut on the ball joint stud and smack the spindle perpendicular tot he stud with a hammer. Sometimes I have to preload the joint with a crowbar and smack again. Loosening the nut is a safety measure, so the spindle doesn't fall down and hit you when it comes apart. Also, you might want to back off the torsion bar adjusters, on a Diplomat they are located forward of the wheel and on the opposite side.
Ah ok- I suspected that what looked like a sway bar was in fact a torsion bar (it looked like it had 2 sway bars which I thought was rather unusual).
Yea I was employing a pickle fork on the balljoints (with the nuts just loosened as you say- I didn't want something coming loose all of a sudden and smacking me) and it worked great on the steering linkage and the lower balljoint. It was the upper one that was being a pain. I didn't have a crowbar with me, plus I didn't know how to back off the torsion bar adjustment (well on this type of torsion bar) so those two problems were probably working against me. I've got a long crowbar that I'll be bringing when I come back to the yard.
Edit - to clarify on the torsion bar adjust- so if I were to back off on the adjustment for the driver's side front wheel, I would look for the adjuster on the passenger side, forward of the passenger side wheel- correct?
Last edited by David_Trimble; 06/17/13 08:08 PM.
'69 Dodge Charger R/T
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