Front end rebuild....buy new or rebuild?

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junkyardhero said:
specifically because you're wanting to keep the stock 4" BP drums, i'd rebuild it stock.

problem solver upper bushings will likely give you more than enough castor in alignment.

disregard large ball joint parts for this project, to upgrade would mean changing out several other expensive and hard to find components-- to keep the 4" drums.

stay stock and keep it simple.

if your budget allows i'd upgrade t-bars, shocks and add a swaybar if you don't already have one.
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What are problem solver bushings? Should I be using those? I just got a stock rebuild from ESPO. Are the hotchkiss shocks worth it if I’m sticking with.87 T bars for now?
 
shep76 said:
What are problem solver bushings? Should I be using those? I just got a stock rebuild from ESPO. Are the hotchkiss shocks worth it if I’m sticking with.87 T bars for now?
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moog K7103, it's an offset bushing that enables more caster with the factory parts. i consider them to be essential when rebuilding front suspension. highly recommend them.

https://www.amazon.com/Moog-K7103-Control-Offset-Bushing/dp/B000C543N8?tag=fabo03-20

any investment in better shocks is a good investment. if you plan on going with heavier bars in the future these will compliment them nicely. but if you're looking to save a little money now, they're not strictly necessary-- some off the shelf monroes or whatever will be fine, but they would be a welcome addition to the party.
 
BE CAREFUL TO VERY CAREFULLY FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR OFFSET BUSHINGS!!! THEY CAN ONLY BE ORIENTED ONE WAY AND ANY DEVIATION WILL BE COUNTER PRODUCTIVE.
 
str12-340 said:
BE CAREFUL TO VERY CAREFULLY FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR OFFSET BUSHINGS!!! THEY CAN ONLY BE ORIENTED ONE WAY AND ANY DEVIATION WILL BE COUNTER PRODUCTIVE.
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Not exactly true. They can be oriented many ways, depending on WHAT you're doing. But to increase caster, they should be oriented with the bolt hole in the FRONT bushings facing closest to the frame and with the holes in the REAR bushings facing closest to the ball joint. In this way, you're effectively lengthening the FRONT of the control arm and shortening the REAR, thereby increasing the caster angle. You are shifting the upper ball joint BACK towards the rear of the car. They can also be installed to increase or decrease camber as well.
 
If you want more caster with your K7103 bushings do not follow the instructions in the box. The included instructions are for fixing sagged out camber. Follow Rusty's recommendation above to add caster.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Not exactly true. They can be oriented many ways, depending on WHAT you're doing. But to increase caster, they should be oriented with the bolt hole in the FRONT bushings facing closest to the frame and with the holes in the REAR bushings facing closest to the ball joint. In this way, you're effectively lengthening the FRONT of the control arm and shortening the REAR, thereby increasing the caster angle. You are shifting the upper ball joint BACK towards the rear of the car. They can also be installed to increase or decrease camber as well.
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This seems backwards in my mind. If the the bolt hole in the front is nearer to the frame, wouldn't this be effectively shorting the Front of the control arm and if the hole in the rear is closer to the ball joint would this be lengthenging the Rear?
 
shep76 said:
This seems backwards in my mind. If the the bolt hole in the front is nearer to the frame, wouldn't this be effectively shorting the Front of the control arm and if the hole in the rear is closer to the ball joint would this
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Moog K7103 inst.jpg
 
shep76 said:
This seems backwards in my mind. If the the bolt hole in the front is nearer to the frame, wouldn't this be effectively shorting the Front of the control arm and if the hole in the rear is closer to the ball joint would this be lengthenging the Rear?
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Nope.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Nope.
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Yeah. I got once I had it in my hands. Another question: I messed up the install a bit. The arrow was not 90 degrees to the control arm. My mom lives across the street from me (yes, like everybody loves Raymond) and she came over and distracted me. Anyway, can I remove the new bushing, turn it a bit and re-install it? Or are they a one use deal?
 
shep76 said:
Yeah. I got once I had it in my hands. Another question: I messed up the install a bit. The arrow was not 90 degrees to the control arm. My mom lives across the street from me (yes, like everybody loves Raymond) and she came over and distracted me. Anyway, can I remove the new bushing, turn it a bit and re-install it? Or are they a one use deal?
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I don't know. Can you? lol You can if you're really careful. I'm not understanding "90 degrees to the control arm". Can you expound on that some?
 
not 90… I’m explaining bad. The arrow should be inline or parallel with the control arm but I had mine off a bit. Pointing not exactly parallel with the control arm. I got it back out. Hopefully will press back in ok. Thank you.
 
i get what you're laying down.

yeah you can R&R the bushing if you're careful. but if it looks sus when you get it all back together save yourself the headache and time and frustration of having to do the whole job again and just order a new one.
intergalactic-quality-intergalactic-1.gif
 
junkyardhero said:
i get what you're laying down.

yeah you can R&R the bushing if you're careful. but if it looks sus when you get it all back together save yourself the headache and time and frustration of having to do the whole job again and just order a new one.
View attachment 1716218076
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Ha! I needed some of your words….wobbly bobbly, lumps on dicks, wonky donkey….it was just off kilter…. I don’t know
 
if you mess up the weebles it'll have too much wobble when it all goes together. then it's all bobbly and things get round and brown in a hurry, and that ain't good for nobody.

then you spend your money twice on another alignment and you're back to drinking parking lot bloody mary's and eating at the bad taco truck cuz it's cheaper but it gives you the chorro something vicious. but if you're lucky you caught it before you needed new tires, or at least one tire, so you'll have that going for you.
 
junkyardhero said:
if you mess up the weebles it'll have too much wobble when it all goes together. then it's all bobbly and things get round and brown in a hurry, and that ain't good for nobody.

then you spend your money twice on another alignment and you're back to drinking parking lot bloody mary's and eating at the bad taco truck cuz it's cheaper but it gives you the chorro something vicious. but if you're lucky you caught it before you needed new tires, or at least one tire, so you'll have that going for you.
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speaking of alignments... do you do alignments on these cars? You are in Southern California, no?
 
I will say this, the quality of the moog k7103 leave a lot to be desired. I got the stock bushings from ESPO and there is just no comparison, they just look put together so much better. Plus the K7103's have the ferrels that you have to press in. Can't even tell when they are fully pressed in....
 
shep76 said:
speaking of alignments... do you do alignments on these cars? You are in Southern California, no?
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i am in LA, but i don't do alignments. i'm sure there's somebody out in your neck of the woods, but if you get jammed up and need a guy i've got one here in the SFV.
 
michiganpat said:
99.999% sure they didn't offer 9" front drums after 1972....
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oh yes they did. My Dad had a 76 Feather duster, had 9" drum brakes all the way around. and 4" bolt pattern. manual brakes to boot, no power booster. /6, 3 speed on the floor, manual steering even.
I have (had?) a book of all the TSBs for 1976 and if I'm remembering right there was something about front disc being mandatory after 1/1/76, by law... but the early production 76s could (and some still were!) 4 wheel drum equipped up until then. There was a service bulletin that spelled out all of that info... .
I remember that car quite well as Dad bought it when I was 13, as a "work car" for a few years til I got my license, was supposed to be my 1st car. My brother wrecked his 74 Charger and needed a car "like yesterday" at that point to get to work so he got it instead. Im still pissed.... Guess who had to do all the work on it while my brother owned that car?? Yup. ME.
 
and Id rebuild teh original.... these days everyone seems afraid of control arm bushings.... theyre easy.
I wish I still did alignments. my peeled away Michelins on my truck bear that out.... I had a highly recommended shop align it and my 70k mile Michelins (over $600 for a pair) are almost to cords on both inside fronts after 14k miles.... he left it "toed out". and it still pulled right when he was done. I even went back and asked about it...
I never had those issues when I was able to bring my vehicles in and do my own after hours.... for free. Nowadays I pay like 99.9% of everyone else and this is what I get.
 
junkyardhero said:
i am in LA, but i don't do alignments. i'm sure there's somebody out in your neck of the woods, but if you get jammed up and need a guy i've got one here in the SFV.
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SFV? I have teeth... and I'm not homeless. Can I go there?? :)
 
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