(Reference: this post)

Well, they're installed and at first they did not create extra noise, vibration, or harshness. Car doesn't forget where it was headed any more when I hit a pothole or streetcar track. Pretty sure front-end guy dialled in another degree of positive caster for me (it was +2°, I wanted +4°, he said no way, we compromised on +3°). Next step…either a front sway bar or a Firm Feel steering box.

Update: But after just a thousand miles or so, I get a bunch of popping/rattling from the front end under braking. Everything's been inspected, checked, and retorqued; the only thing that changes the noise is shooting white grease on the heim joints in the new strut rods. This quiets it down for an hour's worth of driving or so, but does not eliminate it. I am writing to Reilly to see what they have to say.

(Didn't find the loose bolt or ??? we were expecting to find at the right rear corner that is causing a "Crr-rr-rr-rr-kk-kk" noise sometimes on acceleration from a stop and sometimes randomly while driving along…I now suspect the shock absorber may be faulty. Stay tuned.)

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Good News Dan. Have you tightened the U bolts on the rear lately? It ight be time to re-torque those. Same for the front perch box for the rear springs. Sometimes it is hard to get those top shock bolts on the rear shocks tight. It can sometimes take two people, one in the trunk and one under the car.

I would go with the front sway bar first. However it took me almost 15 years of experimenting to come up with an LCA tab mount that did not clank, or bang at some point in the LCA's travel. I ended up having them welded on about half way down between the big rivet and the front strut, and that has worked well.

For complicated reasons I cannot get a photo to you right now, but will be able to when it is time for you to do this.

FWIW, my front end guy would only put in 4 degrees of caster when I asked him for 6. I would actually like more. He says you can go more with a rack and pinion steering, but not with an old fashioned gear box.

On the gear box front, I have never done it, but Lou likes manual gear boxes for weight savings and road feel. I thought his car was pretty hard to steer in the parking lot, but drove nicely on the road. How strong do you feel these days?

Sam

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I have used heim joint strut rods for years, and loved them.

As far as your creaking noise, have you considered sub frame connectors yet? I built my own, welded them in, and it took care of any squeaks/creaks/flexiness that the barracuda had. It really is a noticeable difference on our older cars.

I would like to have subframe connectors -- it's on the list. I found (yesterday) that I can create the noise at will by pointing the car down a hill and reversing from a stop. If I set up a rhythm (apply a little gas to begin reversing, then let off the pedal to coast back downhill a foot or so, then repeat) I'll get the creak noise every time. Maybe I'll get someone else to do that while I crouch outside the car trying to pinpoint where it's coming from.

U-bolts, spring bolts, and shock bolts are all tight. I almost wonder if it's leaf-on-leaf noise from the spring itself.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Could it be a loose Pinion Nut??


I had that happen and the Drivshaft as well as the pinion and Associated equip. were all moving Fore and aft. Luckily I caught it before any major damage was done and was able to do a rebuild.


Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

Interesting idea, but no, it's definitely related to vehicle body movement, not drivetrain rotation.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Subframe connectors aren't hard to fab up, even with my rookie welding skills.
Some general thoughts:
1. I think it would be best to get the car aligned first (carefully, by a really good shop).

2. The car should be up on a proper lift, resting on it's own weight. I did it on jackstands, and I didn't notice any problems, but the lift would be more likely to keep things straight.

3. I seem to remember that I needed to drill a hole for the E brake cable.

I will see if I can dig up some pics, and put them up.

G

Dan,

Good to hear on your heim strut rods. If you don't hear it, we know it's quiet!

I voted for leaf noise. I have had such a noise in my '68 Dart for 15 yrs or so and I just ignored it. Used to be worse and got better on its own. I believe it was a missing/faulty leaf separator or clamp or something. Couldn't find it by looking+tightening, so there it lay.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Will you keep us posted on long term durability? Since I live in a land of snow & salt, I always thought that a metal heim joint with no weather seal wouldn't do so good after a while ( but I could, I say, I could be wrong)

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63 Valiant Wagon
225 - 4 bbl

I'm still coming up zero on the source of the noise. I don't think it's in the leaf spring, still wondering if it could be in the shock absorber, undercar guy issues opinion that it's the unibody flexing (don't think so unless there's a big ugly crack I haven't seen).

I think an accordion-type boot (the kind used on steering rack-and-pinion assemblies) could probably be installed to weatherproof the heim joints without interfering with their freedom of motion.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Cue the accordion music!

Yeah, body flex could be leading to some panel flip-flopping (like a floorboard)?

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Well, subframe connectors properly installed oughtta help with that…

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

When I replaced the rear shocks for my parents Focus wagon I got squeaks when I was done.............

I had used the german torqued method (good-n-tight) originally as there was no way to get a torque wrench in there.

So I went ahead and did the gorilla torque method and the squeaks almost went away.

Then after a few months the squeaks stopped........


Have you retried torqueing everything?

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Feed the domesticated rodents, then go for a ride. With their mouths full, if the noises persist, it's not them.

I tore the support out of the trunk floor three years ago at MATS on a launch. lots of stuff was moving around on the old Hooptie till I did the subframe connectors.

Next time your in Seattle, bring the '73 down and we'll fab a set. Get you some quality time with the MIG too.
I have the chassis geometry checks for the '74 Plymouth. Bring your FSM for the Dart and we can compare notes.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Retorquing is seldom a bad idea -- I will find myself a facility where I can do so, and...do so. Undercar guy says he checked and didn't find anything loose, and thinks it's unibody oil-can creaking; another torque check couldn't hurt.

Ceej: Okeh!

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.