spool type K frame

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1930

1930

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Lots of info found when I do a search and its confusing for me so Ill ask directly for my situation.

I removed a K frame today from a 74 dart sedan, ( 318 car ) I also took the torsion bars but Im not sure that they are any different than whats already in my 71 slant swinger and I took the engine mounts off the 318.

I am considering using a 70 340 and am wondering what info you guys can tell me as far as what I need to make these combination of parts work?

The car had no sway bar, Im gonna be on the lookout for one, should I have grabbed other components from the 74 sedan?

Someone had already removed disk brake set-up
 
The V8 torsion bars are likely bigger than your /6 bars, unless maybe it was a non-AC 318 car and an AC /6 car, they'd be the same in that case. Either way, these cars were massively undersprung from the factory, so new torsion bars would go a long way to improving ride and handling.

The 340 will use a different driver's side mount than the 318 does, you can either use a spacer, modify the 318 mount, or track down a 340/360 mount. It's not a big deal.

The sway bar needs to be matched to the K frame. They're different depending on whether they're 67-72 or 73-76, the 73-76 bar routes through the K frame and uses sway bar mounting tabs that are in a different spot on the LCA. The non-sway bar LCA's are the same though.
 
72bluNblu said:
The V8 torsion bars are likely bigger than your /6 bars, unless maybe it was a non-AC 318 car and an AC /6 car, they'd be the same in that case. Either way, these cars were massively undersprung from the factory, so new torsion bars would go a long way to improving ride and handling.

The 340 will use a different driver's side mount than the 318 does, you can either use a spacer, modify the 318 mount, or track down a 340/360 mount. It's not a big deal.

The sway bar needs to be matched to the K frame. They're different depending on whether they're 67-72 or 73-76, the 73-76 bar routes through the K frame and uses sway bar mounting tabs that are in a different spot on the LCA. The non-sway bar LCA's are the same though.
Click to expand...
I had already read this nearly identical reply to another poster in an old thread and it was made by you back then as well, thanks for confirmation.

So I can use all of the stock steering components that are in my 71 now?

This had me confused cause some other posts mentioned having to change some things/using some of the 74 stuff?

Maybe I misunderstood.

Picture of the new torsion bar, the 74 had 318 A/C and my 71 had slant six A/C

012.jpg
 
The 892R and 893L bars are 0.870 bars and were used in V8 applications and /6 with AC.
 
1930 said:
I had already read this nearly identical reply to another poster in an old thread and it was made by you back then as well, thanks for confirmation.

So I can use all of the stock steering components that are in my 71 now?

This had me confused cause some other posts mentioned having to change some things/using some of the 74 stuff?

Maybe I misunderstood.

Picture of the new torsion bar, the 74 had 318 A/C and my 71 had slant six A/C

View attachment 1715134625
Click to expand...

Correct, you don’t need to change the steering components to use the later K frame.

Some of the steering components did change, in ‘73 the center link changed the direction of orientation of the inner tie rod ends, and the pitman arm changed as well. But the lower ball joint/steering arm didn’t change. So, it doesn’t matter, you can use a 67-72 centerlink and pitman with a 73+ K. The only thing you can’t do is mix and match centerlinks and pitman arms, those have to be matched 67-72 and 73-76 still.

The power steering boxes also got a larger sector shaft in ‘73, so you can’t put a ‘73+ power steering pitman on a 67-72 (small sector) power steering box. The manual boxes stayed the same though, so you can run a 73+ centerlink with a small sector power steering box by using a 73+ manual steering pitman.
 
Understand that the following doesn't apply to dealer installed a/c. Every time they added factory a/c they bumped the torsion bar size. Slant 6 had small size bar, then with a/c bumped to the 318 without a/c sized bar. Then 318 with a/c bumped to the next 340 without a/c sized bar.
I would replace the OEM slant 6 bars even if the bars had the same numbers. That slant had its weight toward the right bar for a lot of years.
 
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