Creak/Pop In the Front End of My Swinger
- Thread starter vames
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Is the steering box loose or maybe the k frame boss where it mounts has broken free?
Swinger 340
Well-Known Member
You can remove it, but I would try to apply a lot of WD40 into the stabilizer bushings and see if the squeak goes away. It looks dry in the photo. I had that issue on my 69 and it worked for me. The same with my control arm bushings.
Certainly worth a try to spray lube things one by one just to sleuth out what is making the noise.
I decided to rebuild my entire front end and ordered a full PST rubber set. I also ordered a new pitman and idler, and I think I’m going to put Moog Problem Solvers in the UCAs to try and get more caster. I’ll rebuild the K-H brakes and change the rubber hoses while i’m in there, weld on some LCA swaybar tabs, scrub everything with a ton of simple green, and paint some stuff black.
I was introduced to a super old school alignment shop (B&D Alignment in Bellflower, CA), so they will get their hands on it once I’m done.
My car is a daily driver, so I have to figure out how i’m going to take it out of commission for two weeks while I do this in my spare time. (Hopefully my boss will just let me drive a work truck home for a few weeks). The only tool i think i need is an upper ball joint socket.
100% do the offset upper control arm bushings.
if you can find another set(s) of control arms you can reman them on your timeline and then have everything ready to go and attack it all in one fell swoop.
the alternative is buying some arms, and while that's a significant cash outlay the hard work there is already done.
besides the ball joint socket, you'll need a press for the LCA bushings and to create a tool for the UCA bushings to R&R those. although tools are available for both if you wanted to roll that way.
if you can find another set(s) of control arms you can reman them on your timeline and then have everything ready to go and attack it all in one fell swoop.
the alternative is buying some arms, and while that's a significant cash outlay the hard work there is already done.
besides the ball joint socket, you'll need a press for the LCA bushings and to create a tool for the UCA bushings to R&R those. although tools are available for both if you wanted to roll that way.
I no longer recommend the Moog problem solvers. They have outsourced now and the quality is hideous. I know it's a lot more money, but I highly recommend tubular upper control arms. I have some from QA1 that I plan to put on Vixen. They are very high quality. They add in additional caster, come with poly bushings and new ball joints. Well worth the extra expense as the bushings will last your lifetime properly installed and lubricated.
Those tubular UCAs are cool, but a bit pricey. Maybe some day.
Does anybody else make offset UCA bushings? I’ve heard great things about the Moog K7103 for years - nobody has copied it or improved on it?
Does anybody else make offset UCA bushings? I’ve heard great things about the Moog K7103 for years - nobody has copied it or improved on it?
"rare parts" makes them. O'reilly & napa "carry" them, and that means special order. but i'd hazard a guess that they're made in the same place the moog's are and just reboxed.
oh, and they're spendy.
solo:
table for two:
fwiw, the last several sets of 7103's that i installed (this is in the last two months) looked fine and i've never had a problem with the uppers.
their lower bushings are hot garbage. avoid avoid avoid
The only issue I've encountered with the QA1 and probably most solid upper control arms,as opposed to heim joint uppers, is the straight design of the upper arm can hit the frame during travel and can require trimming of the factory ears.
Rather than try to track this noise down, I've started to amass the parts I'll need for a front end rebuild. I'm sure I'll figure out what the problem was when I start to dig in.
The stuff I got:
The stuff I got:
- Front end (classic rubber) kit from PST.
- Moog 7103 UCA Offset Bushings (box says made in USA and the parts look quite nice).
- LCAs from @hemi71x (I couldn't clean them like he does and he did the hardest part - removing the old LCA bushings)
- Weld-on Sway bar tabs from Bergman
- Freshen up the K-H brakes (turn the rotors, new pads, new rubber hoses)
- A 1 59/64" Ball Joint Socket and a Harbor Freight ball joint separator
- What's a good rattle-can option for priming and painting suspension parts (LCA, UCA)?
- Do people use Loctite red or blue when assembling all this stuff? Or is it fine to just torque everything to FSM spec?
I'll never understand why people just throw diagnostics to the wind. Makes absolutely zero sense. Good luck with it.
Not really what is happening here. This car is a little sloppy and needs a front end rebuild regardless -- the noise is just the catalyst to get me to do it. I will certainly find the diagnosis along the way, but why double my efforts?
Diagnostic is not a double effort. It is part of the job. Let's say for example, instead of the pop originating from any of the front suspension or steering parts that you have a crack somewhere in the attaching part of a frame rail or control arm ear. Every time the wheel is turned, it flexes that area and pops. I think that's unlikely, but I'm just throwing a "what if" out there. After doing all this work "what if" something like that is the case? You'll still have the issue. Without diagnostics, you have not 100% verified the problem. Have fun. I'm out.
Swinger 340
Well-Known Member
Just to add to your comment Rusty, I once had a crack at the upper control arm bracket, attached to the frame that needed welding back on. Diagnose before fixing.
VHT rollbar & chassis black lays down super nice and dries fast. same with duplicolor engine enamel. i've tried the "raptor" chassis paint, and it's good: meets all the criteria: self priming, heat/uv, abrasion, tough, etc, etc. but it sprays *** and the coverage sucks per can.
the only loctite i use is a dab of red on the caliper bracket bolts, pitman and idler. everything else it torque to factory spec and don't forget the split pins!!
Martin Senour (sp?) makes great high density Chassis Black and Cast Iron Grey that has been really durable for me. NAPA is one source.
It's been quite a while but I just wanted to post a resolution to this. The noise in the original video was coming from the ball joint in the idler arm. Once I got it out I could tell it was toast, with massive friction and uneven movement.
Following a full front-end rebuild, the car is back in action and driving really nicely. Most of the parts came from Kanter, except for the Moog Problem Solvers, Moog 2-piece strut rod bushings, and Proforged LCA bushings. Shocks are Sachs (available on Rock Auto). Not a lot of rust on this car, which made the job pretty smooth. The alignment guy said he got the Caster at just about 3 degrees and it's amazing how much highway driving improved from that.
I painted the parts with Raptor chassis paint, which seems to stick really well.
I didnt take a ton of pictures during the process, but here are the few I did.....
Following a full front-end rebuild, the car is back in action and driving really nicely. Most of the parts came from Kanter, except for the Moog Problem Solvers, Moog 2-piece strut rod bushings, and Proforged LCA bushings. Shocks are Sachs (available on Rock Auto). Not a lot of rust on this car, which made the job pretty smooth. The alignment guy said he got the Caster at just about 3 degrees and it's amazing how much highway driving improved from that.
I painted the parts with Raptor chassis paint, which seems to stick really well.
I didnt take a ton of pictures during the process, but here are the few I did.....
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Are the sway bar mounts for the LCA 67-72 style? if so where did you get them?
I bought the sway bar mounts from Peter Bergman. Although they are identified for 67-72 a-body mopar, they wouldn't have worked as sold, so I cut them up a bit before welding them on. I was super happy with the result. See here for the story.
looks like they changed their description
Hmmm...or I misremembered what I saw before. I doubt it would be plug-and-play for any particular LCA, but it could certainly work for any year LCA with minor modifications. I couldn't have had someone bend super-thick metal like that for the price, and the only "mods" I did were some quick slices with a cutting wheel, so I consider it a good deal.
76 Dart Dastardly
Member
I'm replacing the shock tower / upper control arm brackets on a 76 Dart. I have the angle off on the Classic Industries replacement I bought. Can anyone tell me the inches between the bolt hole and the bottom of the frame in the picture attached. I used your frame pic for reference.
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