Control arm hits the frame

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Danny83

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Hello everyone!

I hope you can help me to fix a suspension problem. To give a better description of my problem I copied a photo from a another thread - hope thats okay.

My problem is that a part of the control arm (see red circle) hits the frame and I don't know how to fix it. Do I have to put more tension on the torsion bar? Or do I have to remove the torsion bar, pull the part of the control arm (red circle) down and reinstall the torsion bar - is that possible?

Thank you in advance!
Danny

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Mild Mannered Dart said:
Well the reason its like that is because the torsion bar is already out.
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X2......................


Look in your shop manual. For the record, what are we workin' on?

If it were not for the lower control arm (LCA) bushing, that finger would turn easily with the hex for the T bar. The T bar when installed pulls the finger down, and it then properly hits the adjustment bolt.

In order to more easily turn it to get the bar aligned and back in, loosen the nuts "inline" with the pivot center which is the bushing shaft, and then with a small bar/ large screwdriver, you can turn the finger to align the hex with the T bar
 
Thank you for the fast answers!

On the picture shown above the torsion bar is not installed --> this is not a picture of my car. I just took it from a another thread to show you what what my problem is. And I don't know the name of the part in the red circle.

In my case the torsion bar is - of course - installed. When I am driving on a bumby road or when I pass a gully some noise is coming out of the front of my car. I took a look and saw deep scratches on the frame - right on the place where the "finger" of the control arm is moving up and down.
 
Your picture won't load for me, but if there is a deep scratch in the frame where the torsion bar cam hits it, this is caused by the socket in the k-member where the torsion bar bolts to being broke out. Look in behind your lower control arm and see if it is broke there.

The torsion bar is in my opinion is a poor design which puts a lot of stress on the one mounting location for the lower control arm. This stress will eventually weaken the k-member and the socket will break away from the k-member and kick the torison bar, lower control arm, and wheel out.

I bet you hear a lot of grinding/clunking/thudding sounds whenever you hit a bump. I went through this exact ordeal with my Duster a couple months ago and it is not fun to deal with.
 
The k-member socket will look something like this. And if so, the other picture is a good example of what it'll take to fix it.
 

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OMG!

I will check what you said - and I hope you are not right! ;-)

Thank you for your help!
 
The LCA pivot pin tube being broken out will NOT cause the problem you are describing. Putting the car back together incorrectly WILL cause the problem you are describing. The tube being broken out WILL cause a slight shake and shimmy in the front end. The Chrysler torsion bar front end is WELL designed and, when built correctly, will provide good handling and a smooth ride. Take a picture of YOUR car and, perhaps, your question can be answered...
 
Sure. If that is the issue explain the scratches in my frame then, and how I fixed the issue by putting in a new k-member without a broken socket. I never had the front end "shimmy" either it drove as true and straight as an arrow.
 
I went out and squeezed under my car and shoved a camera up in there and snapped a picture, is this where your scratch is as well? The lower left hand corner is the torison bar cam.
 

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@ 67Dart273

It is okay when you are making fun about my thread and descriptions. But when you read my opening post you will see that I wrote that the picture is NOT showing my car. I simply needed it to describe my problem and to show you where the parts are crashing together.

I think it doesn't matter whether the picture is showing my car or not. But I will do the work within the next two weeks and then I'll also take a picture of the scratches in the frame.

Thanks to everyone for helping!
 
It's probably just a really worn out bushing in the control arm combined with saggy torsion bars that needed the adjuster turned up to far which is digging into the frame. Time to pull it apart and throw some new parts under it.
 
Danny83 said:
@ 67Dart273

It is okay when you are making fun !
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OK well you said the photo was "from another thread" but I didn't catch that it definately "was not your car."

But we still don't know what year/ model you are talking about and whether or not you have a shop manual. There are some you can download, and we can steer you to them.

So if you actually want help, we can try and help you. Otherwise........................................
 
67Dart273 said:
OK well you said the photo was "from another thread" but I didn't catch that it definately "was not your car."

But we still don't know what year/ model you are talking about and whether or not you have a shop manual. There are some you can download, and we can steer you to them.

So if you actually want help, we can try and help you. Otherwise........................................
Click to expand...

I am driving a 1973 Plymouth Gold Duster, 318 cui engine.

And I agree - telling you that I took the photo from a another thread does not 100% mean that it isn't a photo of my car. I was nearly sure that I wrote in my opening post "this photo is not showing my car" - but I was wrong ;-) Sorry for that!

Well - I have received a lot of tipps now. I will try to do the work within the next two weeks and let you know how I fixed it. Otherwise I will come back with some more questions ;-)

Thank you,
Danny
 
daliant said:
It's probably just a really worn out bushing in the control arm combined with saggy torsion bars that needed the adjuster turned up to far which is digging into the frame. Time to pull it apart and throw some new parts under it.
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Hi there,

all bushings, ball joints - and also the idler and pitman arm are new. I replaced them last year.

My suggestion is that the adjuster (the "finger" of the lower control arm) is not in the right position. It is standing to close to the frame. I think I have to pull the torsion bar out, set the adjuster down (maybe one tooth is enough) and then push the torsion bar back in.
 
Danny83 said:
Hi there,

all bushings, ball joints - and also the idler and pitman arm are new. I replaced them last year.

My suggestion is that the adjuster (the "finger" of the lower control arm) is not in the right position. It is standing to close to the frame. I think I have to pull the torsion bar out, set the adjuster down (maybe one tooth is enough) and then push the torsion bar back in.
Click to expand...

Maybe one of your C clips is missing.
 
I had the same problem with a 69 Swinger and there is a bushing that has to be replaced. You have t take the torsion bar out and then remove the lower control arm and then replace the bushing. My Swinger wore that bad it cut into the k frame it also had to be repaired.
 
Now this is a picture of my car and the problem I have with the lower control arm anchor:

vbpgimage.php
 
Could be that they are not clocked correctly. Before you installed the torsion bars did you make sure that center lever the part thats hitting was all the way down? They need to be all the way down inside the control arm then the torsion bar installed.
 
72ScampTramp said:
Could be that they are not clocked correctly. Before you installed the torsion bars did you make sure that center lever the part thats hitting was all the way down? They need to be all the way down inside the control arm then the torsion bar installed.
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Thanks for your reply!

Yes, I did. When the torsion bar was removed the anchor was "even" with the control arm/ inside of the the control arm.
 
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