As mentioned in a post in "Other" the SPC upper control arms are well built HD units. Today the Firm Feel adjustable strut rods ordered the same time as the control arms were dropped off by UPS. Apparently FF has them manufactured by a local machinist. They are very robust, and well crafted, I am impressed.

Tomorrow I will install the new parts, and hopefully will be able to get a good alignment on the front end. Last fall a few days before putting the Dart into winter storage I installed a Borgeson steering gear and new PS pump and lines. My goal is to have a car that doesn't jerk left and right in the ruts worn into the pavement, and wear tires.

I asked a local owner of several Mopars (one is a very nicely done General Lee) where he gets his cars aligned, and will be calling that shop for an appointment on Monday.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

It's Sunday morning, and only the driver's side is back together. The torsion bar refused to move back, which hampered removal of the strut rod. The strut rod hammered application of hammer blows to the nut on the lower control arm to help dislodging the torsion bar. Add in the header collectors and double exhaust pipe occupying valuable space for tools to work, it was a struggle. Round and round it went, and finally things began to move to allow disassembly. Installing the new parts went nicely. This old creaking carcass ain't taking to working on a concrete floor for hours these days very well.

It has warmed up to 48*, so it's off to do battle on the passengers side this morning. Hopefully that torsion bar will move rearward with out a struggle.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Keep it up, Bill! I bet you will be rewarded with happy, fresh handling...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Lou: I hope to hell, because I'm not enjoying suspension work as much as I did 16 years ago. 100 aspirin at Walmart is 97 cents, it the cheapest item on this project, and most welcome.

The passenger's side has gone much easier excepting removal of the old adjustable radius rod. Some knucklehead had jammed the lock nut to the adjustable shaft that it was impossible to break it free to make an adjustment. These rods are just a simple turnbuckle, rotate the center one way it lengthens, the other way it shortens. Lock one end and it can't make an adjustment. I don't know if it got a helping of red thread locker administered to it or what. Once the rod was out, and chucked up into a vice for better purchas it still wouldn't let go. I wonder if that has been a reason why that side would not get into speck?

Today I have one more nut to torque, dismount the torsion bar removal tool, and install the anti sway bar links. Then I shall attempt a home alignment using a Tenhulzen Automotive tool. Up to now I have only used it to set toe.

I'm off to my nonadjustable concrete bed for another day of laying around. The only nice thing is the garage is above 50* now.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

I got things all buttoned up, wheels back on, then sidetracked. Never got to messing with the alignment today. That will be tomorrow.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

A few days ago I got the front end back together with the new parts. After taking a day or two off from the project, and then attempting a DIY alignment, I discovered when the left wheel was turned to the right the outer edge of the tire tread contacted the front fender opening just an inch above where the opening ends. I'm running Cooper Cobra P235/60 R15. Next set of tires will be a bit narrower

I had roughed in an alignment by eye, and a torpedo level to get things close before setting up the Tenhulzen tools. No amount of fiddling around with the adjustments would prevent the tire from contacting the fender's lip. It was actually biting into the lower end of the SS fender opening bright work. I had the same thing happen a few years ago after purchasing new tires and a front end alignment on the passenger's side. What I did was make a pie cut in the fender that moved the opening forward about 3/4 inch, and welded it up so no one could tell the lower opening had been messed with. I did the same to the driver's side yesterday. It is 3/4" x 5" long triangle, hence pie cut.

Once the tire was not rubbing, I performed an alignment getting is close enough to drive to the new shop recommended by a fellow Mopar owner. I could have dialed it in, but after all this frigging around I have had it with laying under the car on concrete and getting up over and over again...

The cut is now in primer, tomorrow I color coat the repair, reinstall the SS trim, and hang out until Apr 29th when the car goes up on the rack.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Sounds like progress, Bill. Good luck at the alignment shop!

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Finally since I have owned this car, the wheel base is the same on both sides! The car runs down the street within factory settings. I had thus car since march of 2008, gone from factory stamped upper control arms, to installing Moog Problem solver bushings, then CCP tubular control arms with crappy dust boots that needed to be greased every 500 miles because that didn't seal, next came QA-1 arms, a very well designed unit, but I could not get enough cast adjustment with them even adding adjustable strut rods previously listed.

The SPC arms coupled with Firm Feel adjustable strut rods made it possible to bring the front end into spec.

I found a guy that knows how to line up a Chrysler torsion bar suspension. It took him 2 hours to dial it all in, and the car feels stable, no pull, and goes down the road straight. I'm pleased.

Now all I have to do is reinstall the anti-sway bar, and the two plastic dust guards that hang from the front frame rail forward of the tire. I left them off the make the line up guy's life easier turning wrenches.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Great news, Bill. Congratulations on a long struggle resolved! Happy Slanted motoring...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Here it is middle of September, and the Dart has rolled only 1000 miles since the last post. The car handles very well except the in the ruts of well worn old pavement where she can lurch left or right which can be a bit unsettling at 70 mph. The new Borgeson box is much tighter than the Steer n Gear rebuilt factory box I replaced. The with four wheel disk brakes the car stops like a new one. It is a pleasure to drive on most all roads now.

One comment the alignment guy made when he gave the car back to me was; "you now have the same wheel base on both sides of the car". I said; "that is a first, thanks".

The FITech FI has changed the way the car runs. It starts right up, idles down quickly, responds to throttle input instantly, and no flat spots while rolling down the road. Mrs wjajr even mentioned how much smoother the car was acting. For her to observe that, it has to be a huge improvement in drivability.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Big congrats, Bill. Good feelings all around... BTW, sometimes a lurch sideways on rutted pavement is due to unfavorable difference in front/rear track width. I wonder if something could have happened when one or the other disc brake swaps (front or rear axle) happened? Assuming the tires/wheels are same all around but cannot remember... Or, if the front track got much wider, I believe that can cause it by itself. What is your final toe setting?

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Same size tires and wheels all four corners. Tire size is 235/60R15.

I have wondered if there is a bump steer problem from using B Body spindles and brakes that I got from DR Diff.

I do not know what the toe setting is. I do recall in the past when making a lane change the car would lunge to the left with my first Dart back in the early seventies, the problem was a worn lower ball joint. There are less than 5000 miles on the current lower ball joints. I guess I have to jack the thing up and check for worn parts.

Come to think of it I had one set of lower ball joints that wore out in 1000 miles about ten years ago.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

I have been blown away at how fast the "new" modern parts wear out. Proforged is reported to be better, but I may have put those in my 68 Dart 6-8 yrs ago and I think they are worn. Might have used Spicer, though, and need to check.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

WJA is using much bigger tires, with a much bigger contact patch, than anything conceivable when these cars were built. Your tires (being radials) have a bigger contact patch than even the 9.35-15s factory installed on the '66 Imperial. Bigger contact patch = more friction, which is why they have such better roadholding than smaller tires. But more friction (and much more mass/weight, and much less cushioning because much shorter, stiffer sidewall) means a whole lot more stress on pretty much everything related: control arms and bushings, ball joints, every part and joint in the steering linkage. Ayuh, stuff is going to wear out a lot faster!

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