How concerned should I be about this?
Is this common?
I need new bushings but am wondering if I need major reconstructive surgery before I attempt the rebuild of the suspension.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Cracked UCA mounts
- Thread starter QMopar
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How concerned should I be about this?
Is this common?
I need new bushings but am wondering if I need major reconstructive surgery before I attempt the rebuild of the suspension.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Daves69
Well-Known Member
You need to check it out completely. It's likely flexing on you to cause the crack. That area behind the shock, on the top of the frame that the bracket is welded to is notorious for rust out as it doesn't drain.
Daves69
Well-Known Member
No rust then good for you! Still check down here on all eight (four each side). Make sure the steel is solid and no cracks in or around the welds. Much easier with it apart when you do bushings. Then too, you may be able to determine after thorough cleaning, a good light, and a picture with a close up function.
rustycowll69
Well-Known Member
I had a 74 Dustpan that cracked the ears, too. When I bought it from the bank (it had been repo'd), the PO had lowered the front end via t-bars to the point it was resting on the LCA bumpers. I believe that is what caused the cracking in my situation.
Is this terminal? Would taking this to a frame shop be beneficial? Nothing to worry about just weld them up? I have to think that if not welded in the right spot this will affect alignment. Am I off base?
rustycowll69
Well-Known Member
you're not wrong! I think I'd get a quote from the frame repair shop, first. Mine were not displaced as much as yours. I stick welded mine up satisfactorily.
I once parted out a 76 cop car Dart, and it had factory looking reinforcement plates on the UCA frame ears, and on the strut rod frame anchors. I cut them out, they've been sitting in the bottom of one of my toolboxes for almost 30 yrs, hahaha.
I once parted out a 76 cop car Dart, and it had factory looking reinforcement plates on the UCA frame ears, and on the strut rod frame anchors. I cut them out, they've been sitting in the bottom of one of my toolboxes for almost 30 yrs, hahaha.
Jim Lusk
Well-Known Member
You'll know if they're straight. I rebuilt an early A suspension many years ago that had been in an accident that deformed the driver side mount. I cut the welds and used a porta power to push it back where it needed to be and rewelded. If it will align there shouldn't be an issue.
And that’s exactly what we thought - if it aligns, were good. Should I see what happens at the alignment shop or is a frame shop the way to go?
Demonic
Well-Known Member
I would disassemble and sandblast, then re-weld. Sandblasting is of course, a colossal mess.
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Common A-body issue! I thought this was only a BB car issue but maybe more. Welcome to the club!
Mine had gussets welded in the 80’s and poorly! On resto in 2014 it was dealt with correctly.
It will also drive you nuts trying to get a good alignment!
Mine had gussets welded in the 80’s and poorly! On resto in 2014 it was dealt with correctly.
It will also drive you nuts trying to get a good alignment!
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I'm so glad to be part of a club! LOL - What did you do to "deal with it correctly?"
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The crappy gussets were removed the car properly blasted and then welded back up with nice clean metal. Hard to tell it ever had the issue.
Cracks at the UCA mounts isn't uncommon. The factory issued a TSB on them all the way back in 1973, so even new these cars had enough of an issue that the factory had to publish a repair. You can see the full images at Hamtramck Historical
https://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/TSBs/1973/02-08-73C page1.jpg
https://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/TSBs/1973/02-08A-73C page2.jpg
Good advice so far on how to deal with it, your repair looks good on the first one. I would make sure everything was clean and then weld up the cracks and plate the frame and mount in that area to reinforce it. I don't think there's any reason to take it to a frame shop based on what you've shown, if the frame looks damaged elsewhere that would be a different story. You should definitely have the car re-aligned when you're done. I would thoroughly inspect all the suspension components and bushings before I put the car back on the road. If the bushings are worn out or something is bent or broken it would add to the stress on the mounts. Based on the pictures I would suggest just rebuilding the front suspension. You'll have to take it partially apart to do the repairs, I would just take this opportunity to take it all apart and replace all the bushings and ball joints to make sure the car stays road worthy this time around.
https://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/TSBs/1973/02-08-73C page1.jpg
https://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/TSBs/1973/02-08A-73C page2.jpg
Good advice so far on how to deal with it, your repair looks good on the first one. I would make sure everything was clean and then weld up the cracks and plate the frame and mount in that area to reinforce it. I don't think there's any reason to take it to a frame shop based on what you've shown, if the frame looks damaged elsewhere that would be a different story. You should definitely have the car re-aligned when you're done. I would thoroughly inspect all the suspension components and bushings before I put the car back on the road. If the bushings are worn out or something is bent or broken it would add to the stress on the mounts. Based on the pictures I would suggest just rebuilding the front suspension. You'll have to take it partially apart to do the repairs, I would just take this opportunity to take it all apart and replace all the bushings and ball joints to make sure the car stays road worthy this time around.
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rustycowll69
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of course, there are probably occasional poor factory welds, but don't you think some of these instances of cracking are related to abuse, or collisions, or poor maintenance, or big tires, or improperly altered ride heights, or any combination of the above?
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Kinda why I thought it was really a BB engine issue. I have been a member since 2012 and have hardly seen a post about this issue! I have replied on posts to be sure those welds are tight and no cracking!
Occasionally poor factory welds? I think that should probably read “occasionally there were good factory welds” to be accurate. The factory welds were mediocre at best most of the time.
But in this case the cracks aren’t actually at the welds. Look where the factory TSB indicated the cracks were occurring- not at the welds, but in the middle of the web. This wasn’t UCA mounts breaking off at the welds. It was the mounts themselves cracking.
As for the rest of it, I’m sure some of those repairs were due to abuse or misuse. But more than likely it was a metallurgy problem on some of these cars at least. I mean, the mounts on my Duster are fine, and they’ve done close to 20k miles with 275’s, 1.12” torsion bars and poly and Delrin bushings. No cracks. The mounts on my Challenger are very similar, they did 70k miles with 1.12” torsion bars and a bunch of those miles with 275’s up front. So if it all it took was big tires and lowered ride heights my cars would have them too. They don’t, and my Challenger is a rusty POS.
The factory TSB I linked was issued in 1973, for the 1973 model year cars (brand new at the time!) before radial tires were commonly used and long before you could run big tires or big torsion bars on a street going car. I would wager they got their hands on some steel that wasn’t up to standards.
rustycowll69
Well-Known Member
you're missing my point, and maybe that's my fault. For instance, if you have big tires, and a poor alignment, that has to put unusual stresses on these components.
Case in point: My son and I replaced the ball joints and bushings on my son's 00 Dakota R/T @ 80k miles. Those things have unusually large tires, oem. We rough aligned it, pretty well, and he drove it a mile and a half to Les Schwab Tires for an alignment. By the time he drove it back from the alignment shop, the setting had slipped, due to improper tightening of the bolts. He took it back, same result. We had to take it to a frame shop, by that time the lower pivot bolt hole had elongated and needed to be welded up. The factory didn't mess that up, it wasn't wear and tear, it wasn't our work. It was poor alignment/service and those damn huge-*** tires that put a huge strain on these components.
Case in point: My son and I replaced the ball joints and bushings on my son's 00 Dakota R/T @ 80k miles. Those things have unusually large tires, oem. We rough aligned it, pretty well, and he drove it a mile and a half to Les Schwab Tires for an alignment. By the time he drove it back from the alignment shop, the setting had slipped, due to improper tightening of the bolts. He took it back, same result. We had to take it to a frame shop, by that time the lower pivot bolt hole had elongated and needed to be welded up. The factory didn't mess that up, it wasn't wear and tear, it wasn't our work. It was poor alignment/service and those damn huge-*** tires that put a huge strain on these components.
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Welds when done correctly are stronger than the original steel.
My issues were on the front A mounts both sides and good solid metal, cracked and separated mostly straight across at the rail. If the rear have this issue as well, either it went on to long or there is a bad rust throughout, adding to it.
My issues were on the front A mounts both sides and good solid metal, cracked and separated mostly straight across at the rail. If the rear have this issue as well, either it went on to long or there is a bad rust throughout, adding to it.
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