73-76 steering linkage in 69 barracuda..

[69wacuda]

Possible?
Benefits?
Has to be done when upgrading to tubular control arms and LBP disc brake setup?

I believe my linkage has the idler arm that is a stud on one side and a bolt through on the other. I have been led to believe that this was on the 67 barracudas only, therefore I might have a 67 steering linkage setup. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I am going to be purchasing a fast ratio idler/pitman arm setup and wanted to make sure when I do my tubular control arm purchase I don't have to repurchase the fast ratio setup.

 

[mguner]

Possible?
Benefits?
Has to be done when upgrading to tubular control arms and LBP disc brake setup?

I believe my linkage has the idler arm that is a stud on one side and a bolt through on the other. I have been led to believe that this was on the 67 barracudas only, therefore I might have a 67 steering linkage setup. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I am going to be purchasing a fast ratio idler/pitman arm setup and wanted to make sure when I do my tubular control arm purchase I don't have to repurchase the fast ratio setup.

The odd ball style did not have the through bolt. I have 74 linkage on my 68 Dart but then I used a 71 K frame. Here they are side by side, as you can see the idler arm brackets are the same. Early steering boxes and idler arms are like the ones you see here where it connects upward through the center link.

 

[4mulas]

The odd ball style did not have the through bolt. I have 74 linkage on my 68 Dart but then I used a 71 K frame. Here they are side by side, as you can see the idler arm brackets are the same. Early steering boxes and idler arms are like the ones you see here where it connects upward through the center link.

Do you have a picture of the 73 and later steering linkage as it pertains to how it connects to the pitman/idler and how the tie rod ends go through?

 

[mguner]

Pretty sure it is 69 and up that drop down from the top just like the inner tie rod ends.....

 

[4mulas]

Pretty sure it is 69 and up that drop down from the top just like the inner tie rod ends.....

What year car is that?n and what year centerlink?
The idler and pitman didn't officially drop down through the top until 73 and up. Perhaps it's All interchangeable which is what I'm trying to figure out.
Thanks in advance for your reply!

 

[mguner]

This is a 75 Duster. I used the linkage and box from a 74 on my 68 which has the 71 K frame so yes you can swap it around.

 

[AJ/FormS]

The 67s had the stud-mounted idler arm. That is not a very good idea, and from 68 on, they never used it again. They are,however,all interchangeable from 67 to the end, in 75 or 76.And you can use late style arms(73up) AND C-link in the early K(72down), and vice versa.The key is that the arms must be ordered for the Centerlink;that is to say they are a matched set.. The inner tierod ends go with the C-link, the outers with the knuckle arms(lower BJs)
The 67 K could be modded to fit the 68 up idler arms, if you have the skillz.
The main difference between the early Ks and the later ones is the engine mounting system.
Very often the early arms will interfere with the header-tubes.
I have, on my 68; the 68 to 72 K-member, with the 73 up steering. The TTI headers had to be dinged for clearance to the steering arms, even using the late steering.

Many headers will not work with the fast arm(s). The arms will hit the tubes.

 

[4mulas]

The 67s had the stud-mounted idler arm. That is not a very good idea, and from 68 on, they never used it again. They are,however,all interchangeable from 67 to the end, in 75 or 76.And you can use late style arms(73up) AND C-link in the early K(72down), and vice versa.The key is that the arms must be ordered for the Centerlink;that is to say they are a matched set.. The inner tierod ends go with the C-link, the outers with the knuckle arms(lower BJs)
The 67 K could be modded to fit the 68 up idler arms, if you have the skillz.
The main difference between the early Ks and the later ones is the engine mounting system.
Very often the early arms will interfere with the header-tubes.
I have, on my 68; the 68 to 72 K-member, with the 73 up steering. The TTI headers had to be dinged for clearance to the steering arms, even using the late steering.

Many headers will not work with the fast arm(s). The arms will hit the tubes.

When you say you have the 73 and up steering do also have the 73 centerlink or one dated from 68 or 69.

I am just trying to find out if the 69 centerlink can be used with 73 tie rod ends.... I am converting to lbp brakes and will have the 73 ball joint. Also earlier tie rod ends are 3.5 times more expensive for some reason...

I just went and looked at the center link in my car and the tie rod ends go from the back to the front, so that the nuts are pointing towards the front of the car. So the link is definitely different but maybe the taper size is the same?

 

[Jim Lusk]

The tie rod ends are the same no matter which center link you have. The idler/pitman/center link MUST match (67-72 and 73-76, 1967 has a unique idler, but uses the same pitman and center link as '68-'72). If you are running a large sector (output shaft) steering gear you MUST use 73-76 steering parts. There may be pitman arms out there for a small sector box and 73-up linkage, but not plentiful.

 

[4mulas]

The tie rod ends are the same no matter which center link you have. The idler/pitman/center link MUST match (67-72 and 73-76, 1967 has a unique idler, but uses the same pitman and center link as '68-'72). If you are running a large sector (output shaft) steering gear you MUST use 73-76 steering parts. There may be pitman arms out there for a small sector box and 73-up linkage, but not plentiful.

Thank you very much!

 

[67Dart273]

The tie rod ends are the same no matter which center link you have. The idler/pitman/center link MUST match (67-72 and 73-76, 1967 has a unique idler, but uses the same pitman and center link as '68-'72). If you are running a large sector (output shaft) steering gear you MUST use 73-76 steering parts. There may be pitman arms out there for a small sector box and 73-up linkage, but not plentiful.

^^THIS^^

Thanks to the "improved software" it's getting nearly impossible to locate old threads Here:

confused, steering gear compatibility

The whole deal with later/ early boxes (big/ small pitman shaft) is the center link, pitman and idler. Everything else fits. I guess the exception is the 67 K member which has a "different" idler mount, so I'm not sure there is any way to adapt a later idler to a 67 K, at least without fabrication/ welding, which at least one member on here did.

So look at your center link where the studs come up through for the idler and the pitman. Are the nuts that hold them on top or on the bottom of the center link?

Early setup has nuts on top:

Late linkage has nuts on bottom:

This **** pisses me off

Top diagram, below, is the OLD SMALL SPLINE up through 72 style. Notice which way the pitman and idler studs point, "up"

Diagram below is LARGE sector box, 73 and later. Note that the idler and pitman studs point DOWN. You can NOT use this setup on a 67 K member unless you fabricate the bracket so it will take the later style idler

 

[67Dart273]

Another minor note.........if you change K frames, and IF your lower arms are already set up for an anti-sway bar, the newer (73/later) K uses a different setup on the bar. You CAN use the earlier bar with a later K by building bar mounts, but you can NOT use newer LCA / and bar with the older K member. The LCA tabs are different, and the later bar goes through the inside of the K member, which is shaped different than 72/ earlier.

 

[Jim Lusk]

You don't need to build bar mounts to use an early bar on a late k-member. You just need to drill the holes for the existing mounts on the bar, BUT some of the earlier late k-member are already drilled (more likely stamped) for the early bar.

 

[4mulas]

The tie rod ends are the same no matter which center link you have. The idler/pitman/center link MUST match (67-72 and 73-76, 1967 has a unique idler, but uses the same pitman and center link as '68-'72). If you are running a large sector (output shaft) steering gear you MUST use 73-76 steering parts. There may be pitman arms out there for a small sector box and 73-up linkage, but not plentiful.

So here's three more questions then Jim to which I think I know the answer but would like to be sure:

1- Can I use the steering box, pitman, idler and centerlink from a 73 and up with the Es401 tie rode ends and the Es319 sleeves on my 69 k member?

2- Is a slant six centerlink from 73' 4 door valiant okay for v8 use on my 69' car? (I know on my 66 formula s it was a different centerlink for 8 or 6 cylinder cars)

3- Is the power steering box and pump from a 73 6 cyl four door compatible/usable on my 69 swinger 340 manual trans car? Or should I be using something else.

I am contemplating per steering on the swinger and I have access to a 73 valiant 4 door Being parted out right now that could be a good donor...

Thanks!

 

[RedFish]

Power steering gears aren't so different be it slant 6 or V8. Pumps, brackets, pulleys, don't interchange.

 

[Jim Lusk]

1. Yes (although I don't have the part numbers memorized).
2. There were only two centerlinks for the wide A-body. 67-72 and 73-76. All engines in a given year range used the same link.
3. The PS box will work fine, but will likely require the use of the later link/idler/pitman due it likely being large sector. The pump will work fine if you have brackets that are compatible. I will be going through the same thing with the 440 that is going in my Barracuda as I have a '73 PS box and pump from a slant.