Adjustable strut rods post-install thoughts

chillent said

So I am now trying to research why my car seems to be different than others regarding where the wheel is in the wheel opening on my car. Doing this as result of trying to get a 26" tire in the front which others seem to be able to do... I am coming across the condition described above and wondering how an adjustable strut rod works and if it would help this condition? I just can't wrap my head around the strut rod helping to push/pull the LCA fore/aft in the chassis? Isn't the LCA in a fixed position pivoting on the kmember? My front suspension is all stock '74 abody stuff

Please help me fix this!

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Your car isn't different than other Barracuda's. The wheel openings on the different make/models of A-bodies are different. Usually, on a Barracuda to fit a 26" tire the lower front corner of the wheel opening has to be modified. Member mosleyme shows this process pretty well on his Barracuda with 26" tall tires 1968 Barracuda Front Fender Modification for 26" Tires

As far as the adjustable strut rods, a few things to note. First, the LCA isn't nearly as fixed in place as people think. With the stock parts the LCA shouldn't be moving on the LCA pin, but those big rubber bushings on the strut rods allow the LCA to flex both forward and backward during suspension travel, braking, etc. The adjustable strut rods would reduce that some, but it's unlikely they would help you any with stock LCA bushings. You still need to set the length of the strut rods so that there's no binding. Now, with polyurethane LCA bushings thing are a little different. The LCA can slide on the LCA pin. That's why I think the adjustable strut rods are mandatory for a poly LCA bushing. You still tune the length of the strut rod so that there's no bind, but at least in my experience the strut rod usually ends up a little shorter than stock, and the LCA actually ends up a little further forward on the pin than the stock configuration. I'm not talking a big amount, less than a 1/4" or so typically. But that does add some positive caster, which is a good thing.

In your case though, if the adjustable strut rod made any difference at all it would likely give you less space there by pulling the bottom of the spindle slightly forward.