Does the strut rod pivot inside the LCA? I realize it is bolted in place without a bushing but the geometry is such that it seems like the mechanism should pivot. The reason I ask is someone welded the nut and maybe the rod to the LCA. This car is frustrating. Also I was suspicious because there was literally no bushing in the LCA pivot at the K-frame. Which means something was wrong causing that bushing to discintegrate. Drivers side if it matters.

Thanks

Negative - no pivot. The motion is taken up by the lower control arm bushing and the strut rod bushing. It is common for all of the rubber to be shed from the lower control arm bushing in Chrysler products. Another thing to look for is the pivot shaft tube fractured from the K-member (weld broken), particularly if the bushing is shot as bad as you say.

D/W

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If it ain't broke, fix it!

Thanks for the reply. I am actually considering pulling the K-frame and painting it. I just can't reconcile it in my head right now. But I am this far into it. Anyway I will inspect it for fractures.

So being that the strut is basiclly welded to the LCA can I go with it or should make another trip to the boneyard and get a replacement?

Your call. I don't see where it would hurt anything, but will make disassembly/reassembly more difficult. I wouldn't want them welded on if it were me. Can you just grind off the weld?

D/W

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If it ain't broke, fix it!

It would just ruin the thread. I could just go to the JY tomorrow and get one. I know where ther is one partially removed already but it's 25 bucks. What's a few more greenbacks. This thing just goes on and on. I have even considered a whole new K-frame to get the sway bar type and I even know where to find one but it would be hundreds I would imagine. Does 25 for an LCA seem too much? At a u-pull?

Does this strut bolt need to be adjusted during alignment or it's just fixed hard in place?

Thanks for the help.

You might as well try to get them 25 for a pair.. ? Normally you can bargin a little at the bone yard.

$25 ea. is too much. $25 for the pair is reasonable, but I'd offer $20. No, there is no adjustment... Just bolt 'em in. I've worked on other makes that use the strut rod to set caster, but not a Mope.

D/W

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If it ain't broke, fix it!

Thanks a bunch. I think I'm going with it as is. With what I know thus far it's a minor rework if I have a problem. Thanks to you guys!!! I owe you a beer or 3.

I'm "going in" on the K-Frame tomorrow. I plan to pull it and clean her up good.

I looked at the pivot and it looks good so I think the K-frame is good in that respect. Read on.

One little detail I forgot to metion. "Someone" (previous dic*&^ head) drilled holes in the passenger side and wacked at it to get access to something. Maybe something on the underside of the engine. BTFOOM "Beats The Fu@&^% out of Me". Anyways, I have a dorked up hole about the size of a quarter on the frame if you look down on it from the "prone position". In other words, open hood and look down. Does that make sense?.

Obviously this is a "Tucson" car. Plenty of beer and pot and too many tools. What Fuc*^^%&**.. ed up car this is?

Sorry if I lost you guys!. But .... you get the point.

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Sweet Emotion

Tucson must be where all the Arizona rednecks reside, huh? Funny, I alwez thought it was Kingman...

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If it ain't broke, fix it!

Come to think of it, I'd expect it to be only a little more expensive to have a machine shop build you a set of adjustable strut rods, since A-bodies have no built in caster adjustment.

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"Mad Scientist" Matt Cramer
'66 Dart - turbocharged 225
My blog - Mad Scientist Matt's Lair

What ever gave you that idea??? HELLO!!! Those two eccentric bolts on the upper control arm They set caster and camber, my friend. I know, it was early in the morning.....

D/W

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If it ain't broke, fix it!

Oops, hadn't been checking the manual. I seemed to remember the FSM implying A-bodies don't have any caster adjustment but B-bodies did. My mistake, it turns out that what A-bodies lack is access pannels to help adjust the caster and camber.

(Goes and hits self on the head with a torsion bar for that one.)

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"Mad Scientist" Matt Cramer
'66 Dart - turbocharged 225
My blog - Mad Scientist Matt's Lair