Front end rebuild PST ??????

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Well I finally got my new cragars and tires yesterday but the tire guy
Told me I needed ball joints. is that all well he didn't know.So I'm thinking
Mabe rebuild the front end,does any one have any experience with PST ????
Moe:violent1:
 
Get your ploygraphite bushings from them and get your ball joints from Moog
 
I bought the complete set from them and am pleased. I am installing everything and all has went well. If you have a problem you can call and they are very helpful in guiding you through the process.
The only gripe I had was I received a box of parts which were all in plastic with part numbers on them. I would have thought there would have been a packing list or instruction sheet there.
I had never rebuilt a front end before so I didn't know a ball joint from a bushing. I do now though. I took one side apart and put it back together with the other side as a pattern.
Also there is a neat homemade tool on this site to remove the bushings and press the new ones in the upper control arm.
Good luck.
 
Get your ploygraphite bushings from them and get your ball joints from Moog

Poly is probably a better material at lower arm bushings and a few other spots.
Moog offers offset upper arm bushungs which improve the ability to reach alignment settings desired when radial tires are used. The offset isn't available in poly as far as I know.
The only way to get all the best parts is to gather them from various sources.
I've got most of the stuff gathered now but if I could do over, I would take my parts list and a discount code to Rockauto.com .
 
Before you go order up a bunch od urethane bushings, you need to decide what YOU want. Do you want the car to ride nice and soft like stock? Do you want it to handle some better with some harshness to the ride quality? If you don't mind giving up a little of that stock smoothness, you might be happy with the urethane. They certainly last a long time. They do have drawbacks. They transfer more road vibration and they tend to squeak. It's tough to get them to stop, too. At least permanently.

I did suspension and alignment work for a living. I have never preferred any of those "pre fabbed" kits you can buy. They are convenient......but for whom exactly? I would rather pick my own parts out individually and get exactly what "I" want, instead of what someone else picks out. That way, I can get the best. Moog. When you buy in kit form, you don't know what brand you might be getting. Just because you're buying from say, "PST" doesn't necessarily mean that's who makes the parts. In all liklihood, it's not. Remember, that's your front suspension you're buying parts for. I don't think you want inferior or unknown parts there.
 
did a whole rebuild with poly, it was great till the first rain. squeeked like crazy. and rode like a 2 ton truck with no load in it . swaped it all out with moog my2cents O72D
 
I agree with being carefull about brands. I bought Moog myself for the lower ball joints.

PST makes claims about thier stuff being made here,but I suspect it's like everyone else. Made offshore and assembled here.
 
Before you go order up a bunch od urethane bushings, you need to decide what YOU want. Do you want the car to ride nice and soft like stock? Do you want it to handle some better with some harshness to the ride quality? If you don't mind giving up a little of that stock smoothness, you might be happy with the urethane. They certainly last a long time. They do have drawbacks. They transfer more road vibration and they tend to squeak. It's tough to get them to stop, too. At least permanently.

I did suspension and alignment work for a living. I have never preferred any of those "pre fabbed" kits you can buy. They are convenient......but for whom exactly? I would rather pick my own parts out individually and get exactly what "I" want, instead of what someone else picks out. That way, I can get the best. Moog. When you buy in kit form, you don't know what brand you might be getting. Just because you're buying from say, "PST" doesn't necessarily mean that's who makes the parts. In all liklihood, it's not. Remember, that's your front suspension you're buying parts for. I don't think you want inferior or unknown parts there.
I 100% agree about the "picking my own parts"
The polygraphite bushings don't squeal nearly as much (They squealed the first 50 miles in my buddys camaro and stopped, haven't squealed in 15000+ miles). The reduce flex in the suspension/stiffness in ride quality can be offset with better shocks.
 
I installed the entire kit (polygraphite except the lower bushings) from PST 2 years ago and I am pleased and no squeeks. Instructions would have been nice but that is what the internet is for. I also installed new KYB shocks when I did this.
 
One really good tip I can offer.....use Permatex Anti Sieze compound on all of the urethane parts. That stuff will hang out forever.
 
well I`ve heard pros and cons.yeas and nays, and one thing is for sure I`m totally f**kin confused (LOL) looking at the cd i got for working on Dodge Darts i`m wondering if i can do it myself with all the special tools needed. I`m not totally stupid, can`t remember any thing any more but what the hell. parts using Moog when possible 645.00. I checked
with Less Swab tire and they are going to get back tome with a price, they have to supply the parts
Moe
 
well now I got the quote from Less Swab today $2000.00 ouch!!!! Iguess I`m going to become a front end man, and this outa be good. man this can of worms seems there is no bottom (LOL)
 
$2000? Are you serious? The parts are only worth $400 or so.
 
I bought all moog brand thru rockauto.com and paid around 300 or so....I do not have any specialty tools and did it all myself....I do have a friend who has a press and only used it to press bushings....and had a local tire shop install upper ball joints for next to nothing....I probably have around $500 total in the front end and thats with just suspensions tubular upper control arms....I guess what I am saying is you really dont need the "specialty" tools....you can get the torsion bars out without the special tool....I used a rag and vice grips and they drove out fine with no marks...I am also one who would rather pick my ow parts than rely on a box kit...oh...and yeah les schwab is a rip off...they quoted me $1200 dollars to do ball joints and idler arm on my 2000 bazer...I did it myself for 150 bucks plus 50 for an alignment....
 
Serious as a heart attack , I told him what I priced moog at rock auto @$645 how does one go about getting this discount code???
MOE
 
Hey, I bought all the polygraphite stuff from PST. They have a kit that has all of the bushings without the ball joints, etc that saves a bit of cash.
Then I bought all the joints and tie rod ends Moog brand elsewhere.
I'd use Rockauto for those.
My total was about $350.
I put them all on myself and the only special tools I needed were $10 ball joint/tie rod forks and a ball joint socket. I lucked into one at a swap meet for $5.
For disclusure, I was the best front end guy in my HS autoshop class, but that was almost 30 years ago, and I never really went into that field.
Just do one side at a time, so you have the other for refernce, and count the tie rod end turns and photo the cam adjusters, so you can get them close.
 
Hey, I bought all the polygraphite stuff from PST. They have a kit that has all of the bushings without the ball joints, etc that saves a bit of cash.
Then I bought all the joints and tie rod ends Moog brand elsewhere.
I'd use Rockauto for those.
My total was about $350.
I put them all on myself and the only special tools I needed were $10 ball joint/tie rod forks and a ball joint socket. I lucked into one at a swap meet for $5.
For disclusure, I was the best front end guy in my HS autoshop class, but that was almost 30 years ago, and I never really went into that field.
Just do one side at a time, so you have the other for refernce, and count the tie rod end turns and photo the cam adjusters, so you can get them close.

Counting threads works very well for setting it all up.I set my buddies GMC van front end up with new innwe,outer and tie rod sleeves. Just copied what was there before it even came apart,demolished the old ones getting em off.

Put the new stuff on and he drove it like that for years with no alignment necessary.

You can also learn alot taking it all apart by watching for those tell all bright shiny spots..
 
a few guys i know put the energy suspension kit in, as am I right now. The kit has all the bushings except the sway bar bushing (dependent on the diameter of your bar, if you have one) for the front and rear leaves too. You'll need to get upper and lower ball joints and tie rod ends if you need them. The kit is a master set with a packing list (part numbers on each of the bushings) I did however opt to put a rubber bushing in the lower as per an article I read in Mopar Muscle. the article was a huge help. I was able to remove all the parts, press out bushing (or take them to a shop and have a shop press em out if you don't have a press), sand blasted them up, painted them with POR15 chassis paint, pressed in the bushings, and I'm in the process of assembling it as we speak and the guys on this sight have been a huge help.

http://energysuspension.com/products/Master-Bushing-Sets.html
http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/tipstricks/155_0306_control_arms/viewall.html
 
Whoops, sorry I forgot about borrowing a shop press from a friend.
Those LCA bushings were real "fun", but no digging out shells, like I've heard of.
You do have to be careful not to bend/warp the UCA's and the angles are really tricky.
 
Before you go order up a bunch od urethane bushings, you need to decide what YOU want. Do you want the car to ride nice and soft like stock? Do you want it to handle some better with some harshness to the ride quality? If you don't mind giving up a little of that stock smoothness, you might be happy with the urethane. They certainly last a long time. They do have drawbacks. They transfer more road vibration and they tend to squeak. It's tough to get them to stop, too. At least permanently.

I did suspension and alignment work for a living. I have never preferred any of those "pre fabbed" kits you can buy. They are convenient......but for whom exactly? I would rather pick my own parts out individually and get exactly what "I" want, instead of what someone else picks out. That way, I can get the best. Moog. When you buy in kit form, you don't know what brand you might be getting. Just because you're buying from say, "PST" doesn't necessarily mean that's who makes the parts. In all liklihood, it's not. Remember, that's your front suspension you're buying parts for. I don't think you want inferior or unknown parts there.

So, are you saying that you think Moog make the best suspension parts? I'm in the same predicament as the person who started this thread, the exception being I have a stock unmodified cherry 70' Dart Swinger with 48k original miles and just beautiful. The car needs some suspension tuning, but I would like to go with the stock ride or some better for cornering, and change out the stock leafs and shocks. The car sat for 3 years until it came to me and the ride and springs are flat. Are stock leafs best for what I'm looking for even though I will go from stock 14" stealies to 14" wider rally wheels?
 
I could be mistaken, but some of the high performance models came with beefed up suspension components all around; things like anti-sway bars, fatter torsion bars, and heavier duty leafs. All three of these items will help cornering/handling.

Another upgrade would be changing the stock rubber components with those made of polygraphite. However, some members prefer leaving the LCAs with rubber.
 
Hello Guys,

Just a little FYI for you if you are interested in our PST front end kits. Our POLYGRAPHITE suspension kits include a polygraphite LCA bushing but as an added note we supply the standard OE rubber bushing at no cost because the concern that customer's have had
because of the article that was released in MOPAR Muscle. As for the other parts that are included in our kits, they are all back by our lifetime limited warranty. Also all of our parts meet or exceed OEM specs so they would be are par with MOOG's product. If you are intrested we also have available the LCA stiffening plates. If anyone has questions or concerns about our products please feel free to contact me.
 
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