72 steering components to 73 disc brakes fitment

Markzilla88 said
Okay copy. So the center link, idler arm, and pitman arm will need swapped, but the tie rod sleeves and ends can remain.

Apologies on the lower ball joint. When I was looking at the car, it looks like the arm that is part of the lower ball joint extends back to the tie rod, and connects to the steering knuckle.

I hate to not use 73 parts, but the 73 K frame that is in the car got wacked, along with the drivers side lower control arm. So I need to replace those items for sure, but for good measure wanted to change the steering components that are connected to them as well (for both sides to have fresh parts all around). Now that I have some free time and have a 72 K frame, I need to get started or it will sit for another year.

NO!!! There are 4 components that need to go together, and all 4 can be used 68--76. They are the center link, the idler, and the pitman, and the pitman arm must fit the splines on the steering box. You can use either "set." In other words, those 4 must be 72/ earlier, or else 73/ later, and those 4 are independent of the brakes, the tie rods, or the K member. The only caveat is the 67 "one year only" K with an oddball idler arm.

Your tabs on your lower arms are different which connect to the anti-sway bar. The 72/ earlier bar goes UNDER the K. You can also use that anti sway bar on the 73 K but you will need to drill and mount it as the 72 was.

None of this has to be done "entirely." The 72 sway bar can be adapted, except the 73 bar goes INSIDE the 73 K, so can not be used on 72 The lower arm tabs for the bar are different, between 72 73, but if you can weld/ fabricate you can change the tabs.

The arms, upper and lower, have nothing to do with the K member, only the upper arms have the large ball joints for the disc brakes.

Likewise the tie rod assemblies can be swapped regardless of the brakes, arms or K member or steering linkage.