Upper control arms are touching the bump stops

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prochamp98

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508 North Villa Grove Il
I have a 1975 dart swinger that is a drag car, will never see the street. I raced this car about 6 years every weekend when it was fairly stock. Its has been in my garage the last 10 years getting completely redone. The front end was rebuilt the last year I raced it so I left it alone. I noticed the upper control arms are sitting on the bump stops. The bump stops are flattened like a mushroom. I have no travel, and there is no room to even remove them. The car is completely done with engine and trans back in it. I removed quite a bit of weight from the car and was wondering if this has caused this problem. Maybe ride height is up. Any opinions?
 
You need to lower the front end height with the torsion bar adjusters.

After you've set the ride height, you'll need to get a new alignment too. Removing weight from the front end will cause the car to ride higher, less weight on the torsion bars.
 
That's what I was thinking. There was some weight removed years ago when I was still racing it. A/C, and power steering pump. Also replaced cast intake for aluminum, and removed beam behind the bumper and built brackets so I could re attach the bumper. During the rebuild I have replaced the steel hood and bumpers with fiberglass. Also got rid of the factory dash and installed aluminum race dash. Replaced the bench seat with a light weight race seat. Gutted the doors and installed lexan windows. Got a aluminum race radiator in place of the factory copper one. Have not weighed the car , but all these changed have probably added up to quite a bit of weight.
 
Definitely lower the front end and drive the car around to settle the ride height after each adjustment you make. Once you are happy with ride height then take it for an alignment.
 
Okay thanks. I will have to search around for someone willing to do it. Had issues in the past getting alignment on a race car. Most places don't like messing with race cars because if there is a failure they are scared of being responsible.
 
Loosen the LCA pivot shaft nut so you don't stress or tear the bushing. from post #6.
And tap the shaft back a hair to free it from its tube.
Unless that LCA bushing is poly,Cause they're loose on the pins anyways.

Choose your ride height very carefully, cause you will be kinda married to it. A change in ride height affects the entire alignment. If you need to change the ride height at a later date, it will be back to the alignment shop.

If I was dragracing a fast car, I would have the bump-steer checked/fixed too.This can be expensive.Theres almost nothing worse than a car that dances around at speed,or worse,takes off,due to bump-steer issues.Its bad for you. It could be bad for the guy in the next lane, and it could be bad for a "minding-my-own-business" spectator .
 
Well I drove the car around the block. Can't go far in this car, it is race only. Backed it back in the garage, and it has dropped back down. I never messed with the ride height. It is off the bump stops. I got new bump stops and after putting one in place, it has about 1 inch travel. I will cut the tip down a little for more clearance since this is a drag car. The rake on the the car looks perfect. Would not want it any lower in the front. It has SS springs on the rear. The only thing I can think of that had the front up, was this car was completely disassembled down to the bare frame and sit for several years with no weight on it. The upper control arms must have been stuck. The front was rebuilt the same year I disassembled the car so That's the only part of the car that I didn't mess with during the rebuild.
 
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