440 Swap Steering and Front Suspension Rebuild

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Mpacker

Mpacker

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Hey there. I'm looking for help with my plans to rebuild the front end of my 70 Dart to accommodate dropping in a 440. After a lot of reading and searching the forum, I think I've confused myself...

73 BBP swap to disc brakes: I plan to do the typical swap to get the extra stopping power up front.

K Member / Mounts: Plan is to go QA1, which follows the 68-72 K so I got Schumacher conversion biscuit mounts. Will need a torque strap too I hear.

Steering Box: Going manual. I heard / read that so long as I stay manual, the sector shaft would match size between 68-72 and 73+ boxes. Looking for the smallest manual steering box available to help with header clearance. I've read that factory is already small / possibly as small as you get. Not sure if Flaming River's different shape would help or harm header clearance as opposed to the denting you hear about with most 440 swaps.

Headers: Haven't gotten too far here, but the motor my dad had built before he passed is quoted to run on 110 octane and have appx. 600 hp. I think TTI 1 7/8 or 2" headers are what I'll go with to keep it breathing.

Steering: I thought I understood that so long as the 73 BBP stuff remained uniform, that I could use the 68-72 manual box, center link, pitman, and idler arms. I saw what made me think so long as those 4 components (box, center link, pitman, idler) remained the same year, that I could use either. I'd just go 73+ everywhere, but I'm not sure if the steering components would fit right with the QA1's 68-72 K design.

Looking to make something along these lines work with factory parts, with the exception of the K, then replace components as I go / when I have more money down the road. I'm want to buy a PST Super Front End rebuild kit for the 73+ parts and keep the 68-72 box, center link, pitman, idler matching the QA1 K. That kit would include a 73+ idler arm as overlap with the other 3 of those components I plan to keep 68-72, but I'd just sell that here when it arrives. PST said they're pre-packaged so they can't swap out parts in the kit...

Extra credit... QA1 68-72 based K + 73 BBP LCA's = ??? Sway bar ???

Thanks for any / all input!
 
Thanks @Kendog 170 . I came across that one in my searches. @72bluNblu , can you offer any help here? From the linked post above, it looks like you're running 73+ on your 71 Dart. Is your K the original or did you mix any of the 4 components I referenced above (pitman, idler, center link, box) between the 68-72 and 73+ types? Thanks to both of you guys. I've read a lot of your words already!
 
Mpacker said:
Thanks @Kendog 170 . I came across that one in my searches. @72bluNblu , can you offer any help here? From the linked post above, it looks like you're running 73+ on your 71 Dart. Is your K the original or did you mix any of the 4 components I referenced above (pitman, idler, center link, box) between the 68-72 and 73+ types? Thanks to both of you guys. I've read a lot of your words already!
Click to expand...

Keep all the "steering" stuff 68-72. (Box, idler, pitman and center link. What you will keep 73+ is suspension (Upper control arms, spindles, upper and lower ball joints and brakes). Th 68-72 lower control arms will work with 73+ spindles.
 
Manual steering boxes for the A/B/E bodies all use the same sector size. Only the power steering boxes changed to a larger sector shaft in ‘73, the manual boxes were identical for sector size. The center link changed in ‘73, so did the pitman and idler. The orientation of the ball joint was changed, the later ones point down. So, if you want to run a 67-72 center link, just run a 67-72 pitman arm and a 68-72 idler (unless you have a ‘67 K).

The factory manual steering box is probably the best you’ll do for clearance and size. I have a flaming river box in my Duster and it’s mostly bigger anywhere header clearance would be a factor. Not a lot but it wouldn’t help you.
 
Awesome. What kind of Frankenstein sway bar set up is possible with that setup? I've seen things about mounting calipers on the rear to accomplish it, but I swear I read some posts about that not being safe too. I guess until this thread, I was under the impression that 73+ LCA's were different than 68-72 which also factored into my confusion on the sway bar.
 
Mpacker said:
Awesome. What kind of Frankenstein sway bar set up is possible with that setup? I've seen things about mounting calipers on the rear to accomplish it, but I swear I read some posts about that not being safe too. I guess until this thread, I was under the impression that 73+ LCA's were different than 68-72 which also factored into my confusion on the sway bar.
Click to expand...

If you’re using a QA1 K frame you’ll have to use the QA1 sway bar.

There’s nothing “unsafe” about mounting the calipers to the rear on the 67-72 cars when you do the 73+ brake conversion. You just need to make sure you swap the spindles side for side so the caliper bleeders are on top. You’ll also need slightly longer brake hoses, ‘68 camaro disk hoses work great.

67-72 and 73-76 LCA’s are the same except for the location of the sway bar tabs. So, non sway bar LCA’s are the same 67-76. If they have factory tabs, then the mounting tab location is different 67-72 vs 73+.

But if you’re using a QA1 K you’ll need their sway bar. If you use stock LCA’s they’ll need to be the non-tabbed version and you’ll need to add your own sway bar end link mounting tabs. The later 73+ tab locations for the factory LCA’s might work, the 67-72 sway bar tab location will not.
 
Thanks so much. My birthday and Father’s Day are coming up. Hoping to cross some big items off the parts list!!! That’s good to know about the sway bar tabs too. The LCA’s I nabbed had one 73 located tab... the other was bare. So, looks like I’ve got an extra set of LCA’s laying around now too because I got them with the brakes thinking they were specific to the year. Oh well. I’m learning!
 
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