Different LCA's?

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Ricks70Duster340

Child of the King
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Ongoing saga. Replaced my K-member, LCA/UCA's with QA1 pieces & PST adjustable strut rods. Passenger side fit perfectly. Driver side cannot get strut bar to line up with the bracket on the k-member. Thinking the LCA strut bar end loop may have been at the wrong angle, so talked to QA1 about it and they sent me a replacement LCA. Got it this morning and same issue. When I put my old LCA into the K-member and installed the strut rod, it lined up perfectly. Is there an issue with mixing LCA types? Also, the QA1 LCA's come with rubber bushings and I had installed poly into my old LCA. Can the types be mixed? I'm at the end of my ideas on how to fix this. Edit: thinking of putting my old LCA back on.
 
Sounds odd. Any pics ?

20210727_094546[1].jpg


20210728_115821[1].jpg
 
If you jack up at the lower ball joint it won't line up?
Nope, the deflection remains the same. What is so strange is the strut rod lines up perfectly if I use my original LCA. I thought for sure they had the weld at the wrong angle on the one I bought, but the replacement is exactly the same. Yet the passenger side worked perfectly.
 
Yeah, popcorn. Guess I've stumped the best! Does not fix the problem though.

Take a measurement down from the center of the hole in the K frame the loop bolts into to the bottom of that front main loop on the k frame on both sides and see if that's the same.
 
If you do that and get the same measurement on both sides.......Level the car up at the frame rails at the torsion bar cross member side to side. Then measure from the very front of each frame rail to the floor and see if that's the same.
 
If you do that and get the same measurement on both sides.......Level the car up at the frame rails at the torsion bar cross member side to side. Then measure from the very front of each frame rail to the floor and see if that's the same.
I assume what you're getting at is to see if the unibody is square. Right now, I have jack stands under the frame rails and have the driver side torn down so I could get the LCA out. When I replaced the K-member, it went in without issue so assumed the unibody was straight.
 
I assume what you're getting at is to see if the unibody is square. Right now, I have jack stands under the frame rails and have the driver side torn down so I could get the LCA out. When I replaced the K-member, it went in without issue so assumed the unibody was straight.

WIth that second measurement, yes. With the first, you're checking to see if that K frame is made straight. Stranger things have happened. At this point, I wouldn't assume anything. You've got a problem somewhere. How long does it take to measure?
 
Take a measurement down from the center of the hole in the K frame the loop bolts into to the bottom of that front main loop on the k frame on both sides and see if that's the same.
Just so I'm clear; the front loop bracket has a plastic spacer that goes on either side of the K-frame. The inner spacer has a raised area that fits into the hole in the k-frame so it is centered. So you are wanting me to remove that loop bracket and measure the center of that hole in the k-member to where? I can take a picture of that if that would be helpful.
 
Just so I'm clear; the front loop bracket has a plastic spacer that goes on either side of the K-frame. The inner spacer has a raised area that fits into the hole in the k-frame so it is centered. So you are wanting me to remove that loop bracket and measure the center of that hole in the k-member to where? I can take a picture of that if that would be helpful.

STRAIGHT down from the hole the loop fits into to the bottom of that main front loop of the k frame.On both sides.
 
The measurements are the same. Just eyeballing from on top, looks like both brackets are at the same angle. I would need to bend the driver side bracket toward the LCA some to allow the loop bolt holes to line up with the strut end. No room to swing a sledge & don't want to pull the k-member back out. Will likely need to work with a welder to relocate the LCA strut end loop a little to correct the angle.
 
Still doesn't explain why your original arm fits fine. You take a sledge to your K frame and you own it.
 
Still doesn't explain why your original arm fits fine. You take a sledge to your K frame and you own it.
Yeah, for sure! Right, does not explain why the strut fits with the original arm. As much as I spent on these new parts, to not have something fit properly is more than frustrating. I considered using my old arm, but the sway bar mounting location is different than the '73 style that I bought that the QA1 arms & K-member require. The reason I went with new K-member & all that is because the car apparently had some front end damage in its earlier life and the front end tech said he had a hard time getting it aligned. The OE K-member was obviously welded due to damage, so why not just give the car a fresh start with new parts? That was my thinking. Everything went together really well except for the driver side strut bar. Ugh.
 
Time for a set up measure and pull on your frame. The person who repaired the car butched it and probably pulled on the control arm to get it to track better. Take a good look at both your stock LCA's side by side and see if the left arm is bent or twisted.
 
You can get a tape measure and guesstimate if there's a problem area. Here's a 67 Dart spec sheet . I think they are the same. You can find the right one in the FSM (I think)

67DartChassis.jpg
 
You can get a tape measure and guesstimate if there's a problem area. Here's a 67 Dart spec sheet . I think they are the same. You can find the right one in the FSM (I think)

View attachment 1715776862
I really appreciate another set of "eyes" on this, and I am not trying to argue with you at all but trying to think this through. The K-member is new. It bolted in perfectly telling me that it is not cocked. Nothing had to be forced whatsoever. The left LCA bolts into that new K-member and is not currently attached to anything else. At that point, the strut rod should line up perfectly with the mount since both are new. Am I thinking correctly? Even if the rear of the car was bent 90*, that would not affect the fitment of these front pieces. This is what I cannot wrap my head around!
 
If you were to take the K out and lay up the parts on the floor would they all align? It look like the 3 Qa1 parts dont even mate to each other, your frame out of the equation...? If your old LCA fits, WTF......are both Qa1 LCA s the same part number? Maybe the order was filled wrong and they keep giving you E-body LCA's because that on the order?
 
I'd compare the LH LCA with the RH LCA to see if the strut rod angle is the same coming out of the hole in the LCA. How does that angle compare with your old control arms, both with each other and the new ones? Did you set both control arms side by side to verify they're a true mirror image? If you have a damaged frame rail, the old control arm may be damaged too, to where it will fit, but, not a new replacement part. I know it was mentioned before, but, it still looks like if the lower control arm was jacked up, the strut rod bolt would go through the bracket.
 
I really appreciate another set of "eyes" on this, and I am not trying to argue with you at all but trying to think this through. The K-member is new. It bolted in perfectly telling me that it is not cocked. Nothing had to be forced whatsoever. The left LCA bolts into that new K-member and is not currently attached to anything else. At that point, the strut rod should line up perfectly with the mount since both are new. Am I thinking correctly? Even if the rear of the car was bent 90*, that would not affect the fitment of these front pieces. This is what I cannot wrap my head around!

Well....and I'm just tellin it like it is man, not bein a smartass.....but, you can either crap about it on a forum, OR start taking measurements and FIND IT. Sittin here sayin "this bolted in right" and "that bolted in right" means not one damn thing. SOMETHING is WRONG and you need to find it and there's not but one way.

Now...did you say the original driver's side control arm FITS? WITH the new strut rods on that side?
 
Yank all that aftermarket crap out, measure your frame, and then see where you stand. You're building a new house on a 50 year old foundation.

Just because the k frame bolted in don't mean it's straight. Production tolerance is a thing.
 
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