I should probably ask to have this thread moved to the projects forum since I'm mostly using it as an update thread instead of advice anymore, but more excitement has shown up!

The long story is I dropped it off at a shop just to get it aligned after the new UCA's and steering parts. They put it on the alignment rack, and the balljoints were smoked. Figured it was already there so I had them order balljoints, and wanted to get the UCA bushings done at the same time since it was already apart. After one round of the wrong balljoints showing up, they got the right ones yesterday and they went to do them, the LCA bushings, and the alignment all at the same time. At this point everything in the front end should be new.

But wait, they got the driver's side apart and the LCA is cracked at the bushing! I had no idea this was so common on C-bodies. Have a good used one showing up, should see it on Monday and then can get the driver's side back together, the alignment done and back home.... so I can start on the axle swap. lol

Getting close on time and I'm starting to worry. I'll have just a little more than 2 weeks to swap axles, get the driveshaft to CCI to get them to shorten it, bleed the brakes, reglue the trunk seal, change the fluids, nut and bolt check the car, and get the nitrous bottle filled along with jetting it down. It needs a couple shakedown drives too, it hasn't really been driven on the road at all this year (but was solid all last year, thankfully). I also haven't made a pass with the Caltracs yet so might be testing that on Sunday before Sick Summer.

Going to punt on doing the TTI exhaust, and plan B will be earplugs.

I totally understand now why so many cars show up unprepared to these events.

I was at the same point with my 65 Fury front end a few years back.
Redid entire front end and new torsion bars and Wilwood discs.
I wish I had just done a front end swap, like maybe a Crown Vic, for header/oil pan clearance, disc brakes. and ease of maintenance.
Love the progress you've made and your car!!

Thanks, I appreciate it. You aren't kidding- the front end on these is so weird and it would've made sense to replace with something more modern. Unusually short shocks and poor oil pan clearance. And some of the parts are very difficult to find used, plus not available at all new.

Do have some updates since last week. Got the car back after the new lower balljoints, new LCA bushings, the new to me driver’s side LCA, and a fresh alignment. It drives so much better now, I wasn't expecting the difference. Drove it to work on Thursday and got on it a few times, everything else seems ok and the new suspension has made it feel safer for sure.

I started the Dana swap yesterday and it's in the car now. Totally relieved, it being slightly narrower and with discs instead of drums, I can get the wheels on and off the car again without having to unbolt anything else!

Going to drop the driveshaft off first thing tomorrow to get shortened. Hoping to have a friend come over today to help bleed the brakes. I also am going to swap the speedo gear and attempt to hook up a new set of parking brake cables. Beyond that, it just needs an oil change, gluing on a fresh trunk weatherseal, and a quick nut and bolt check, and it's ready to go for Sick Summer.

Nothing sexier than a Dana 60 peeking out from under that big booty!

Damn that car is cool!

can't wait to hear what it can do !

keep up the good work

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. The current motor is not really capable of hurting the 8 3/4 but I wanted to build it from the drivetrain and suspension up, after breaking so many parts on my Charger. Zippy was there one of the times it spit out an 8 3/4, lol. Can also pride myself that it's likely one of less than a dozen C bodies in the world that ever ended up with a Dana 60 in it.

Huge shoutout to CCI here in Detroit. I dropped my driveshaft off to get shortened at 6:40 on Monday morning and had a call by 11:15 that it was finished. Doug recommended them a few years ago and they will definitely get all of my driveshaft business in the future.

Swapped the speedo pinion and parking brake cables over the weekend. Hoping it moves under its own power with the Dana tomorrow, which gives me over a week's worth of shakedown time on it before leaving for Cordova on Saturday the 3rd.

green 69 Fury runs at Cedar Falls, ran 25yrs ago and then I saw it again 2-3yrs ago at Mopar Maxx, it's got a Dana I think. It's a little rough around the edges race car vibe, not unlike your charger before it got pretty and became our charger

That's cool! I wonder if it'll ever surface again. There are a couple really fast 65/66 Furies too. They've gotta be the lightest of all the C's.

Drove it tonight after buttoning the last of it up, and it feels great. Brakes work well, the 4.10's make it a little more pleasant on the freeway, and I like the truetrac.

Only minor issue is the speedo is way out in left field now and I don't understand why. According to the chart for a 30" tall tire it should've had a 38 tooth gear for the 4.30's, and a 36 tooth gear for the 4.10's. I put a 36 in it and it's easily 15% off now. What came out of it was actually a 43 tooth gear, which doesn't make sense, but the speedometer was correct with the 43 and 4.30's.

Based on the error percentage it should be back to correct with a 41 so I'll pick up one of those and toss it in.

On the home stretch now, only minor stuff to do and it's definitely a relief.

Great news, glad it is all working smoothly.

Now for the not so great news, I think the pinion bearing may be smoked.

I screwed up and didn’t put enough gear oil in it for the LPW cover. It had 2 quarts and really needed a little more than 3. I have been super gentle on it during the break in period and would drive it 20-30 miles at a time then let it cool down. The oil smelled fine when I checked yesterday, and I refilled to the correct amount today, but it’s doing this weird binding on turns now only on power, has a high speed vibration, and the pinion seal is leaking. I have maybe 200 miles on it.

Going to pull the cover tomorrow to see if anything looks to be exposed to excessive heat, the wear pattern, and also check to see if there is any vertical/horizontal play in the pinion. I had worked through everything on my list the car needed by Saturday night, thought it was 100% ready, and am really kicking myself for this one.

I've had new clutch type posi units do what your describing with regular non synthetic posi gear oil and the sperm whale additives
Even making the out side wheel and tire jump and hop on tight turns
Continue to drive it after getting the pinion seal sealed up so it doesn't leak

Short runs and light load using only 2 qts shouldn't have hurt anything.
Doug

What type of differential does it have? It might be just tight and causing the tires to drag in the corners.

Thanks guys- I worry about the worst and am very doom and gloom, lol.

Doug, you're right. The rearend feels perfect with everything in the air, no slop, no runout, and no vertical/horizontal play in the pinion at all. Backlash is ok, no signs of heat either. It definitely leaked a bit from the pinion seal but was dry this morning after I wiped it off yesterday.

Clark and Cab- It has a helical style Strange s-trac in it, have driven the Eaton version in other street cars and it typically doesn't bind up like this. It's perfect launching in a straight line and is unlocked like I'd expect at light throttle. I did a bunch of tight turns in both directions in parking lots at various throttle positions and it feels fine, the diff itself is ok.

Investigating further, it only happens on off camber, tight left turns. Looking at the tire clearance, it appears to be touching the wheel lips in those maneuvers and that's what I was feeling in the car. There are fresh rubber marks on the front edge of the wheel lip and a corresponding mark on the tire. It used to not touch there but the combination of new springs, the slightly taller perch to tube distance with the dana, and the angle shims tilting the diff forward some have reduced the wheel clearance to the point where it must hit if the body rolls enough.

For the vibration, this is the first time I've had it above 75 mph with the pinion angle shims. I checked angle again, it's now at -4.3* compared to the trans. Calvert suggested anywhere from -2 to -4, I am going to change the shims from 4* to 2* to see if the vibration gets better. Beyond that I'm out of ideas. It felt OK under power but 90 mph coasting or lighter loads it vibrates and I think that is indicating driveline angles. I'll also check the trans mount.

Have one more Summit order showing up on Wednesday, including the shims, a new pinion seal, nut and washer, plus backup ignition parts. Really hope reducing the pinion angle fixes it!

I had the same thing with to much down angle on the driveshaft to the rear end, especially when I let off the throttle

Hopefully last update!

Swapped the pinion angle shims to the 2* ones. The high speed vibration is better. Not gone completely but good enough, and honestly I might be oversensitive to it since I've changed so much on it. I've also never driven a car with solid spring eye bushings before, and the exhaust is also solid mounted with no isolators. lol

The pinion has stopped leaking as well.

Drove it to work today, have put about 300 miles on it since the axle swap. Will do one final nut and bolt check tomorrow, then it gets loaded on a U-haul trailer and towed out to Cordova on Saturday!

The Sick the Magazine people asked me about the car out of the blue a few weeks ago. I gave the editor some info, and then a few days later he asked for some pics. I didn't think much of it, but this morning a short article popped up about the car. Definitely a nice way to build excitement for the event!

Fury article

I won't be able to tell stories like Jeff, MoparBilly or Joel, but if the experience turns out well I'll definitely write something up when I get back. Then once all this is over I'll finally bolt the Trick Flow heads on, the exhaust, up the nitrous jetting, and get this thing in the 10's, which was the original intent of this thread.

I'll text you, interested in the driving path. I was hoping I might be able to go to Earlville on the 8th as the Charger is back there right now, great photo op, but very unlikely. Maybe meet up with you along the way somewhere with my Fury since it's out here now.
I'm going to be in Indy with my boy fri/sat, maybe we'll see you on I-80 in the Cat

Have you driven it loaded down yet? In the A body arrangement the cal tracks push the pinion angle down and that gives my car a vibration. I swap on air shocks on the road to counter this, it also makes the car ride pretty good. My A body barracuda is very nice on the road if you take out the noise and heat factor, you sir are in the lap of luxury! Have a great time!