k frame causeing wandering??

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dusterboyy440

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hey guys so i finally got my 440 duster to the track this year..but after makeing sum 11.4 passes and letting out of it due to severe wandering, im now on a mission to find the cause. Everything up front susepnsion wise is new. factory control arms..all new bushings..no sway bar. i talked to direct connection and the guy said that factory k frames will break a sleeve in that somewhere near the lower controls in the k frame due to weak factory welds. has anybody heard of this or expierenced it????? tubular k frame is the next step?? please help!!!!!! :study: thanks -chris
 
I would imagine the alignment is off. Get it checked again even if it was just done.
 
Lots of possibilities. A couple:
Not enough caster and/or low air pressure in slicks (on too narrow a wheel is even worse).
 
Toe out will cause wandering issues.

The lower control arms stud sleeve will break out of the K frame. I have 2-3 here that have that issue.
 
Yeah I've heard of the problem with the sleeves busting their welds- it was in Mopar Action several years ago. You have to drop the K just to see it. It's between the K and the frame rails. Supposedly causes the front ride height to change, I don't know about the wandering part. Sounds like a PITA to me, that being said I suspect my K as well.
 
yeah really strange i kept haveing to change my ride height because it was changing week to week..i thought i was going crazy lol
 
also do you guys have any websites for a nice tubular k frame..at a decent price?? thanks for all your help
 
They took an old torsion bar, layed it across the inner fenders, and drilled it and bolted it to the intake(where the carb was) to remove the load from the K. Then they dropped the K without removing the engine(they had a lift) and fixed the welds. The factory welds looked really underdone as I recall- like 3 spot welds around the tube
 
Here's what that sleeve looks like when it's bad. They can be moved back into place and re-welded. It worked well on mine.
 

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If you use the search function you will find lots of info on tubular K frames....
 
heard some stories on junk companies,thats why i was asking..but hey thanks for ur help 383
 
dusterboyy440 said:
yeah really strange i kept haveing to change my ride height because it was changing week to week..i thought i was going crazy lol
Click to expand...
Changing ride height back and forth,will cause your alignment to be off.Set your ride height and get it re-aligned.Did you find a crack in your K frame?Just curious.Rear tire pressure will also cause wandering or bias ply mixed with radials.Good luck.
 
OK,This is what I found on my 70 Charger bumped steered really bad. The angle of the tie rods should be minimal between the pitman arm and the idler arms, to much of a angle and your steering geometry goes to hell. Refer to service manual for correct ride height and get an alignment done.

my 1/2 cent of knowledge
 
If you go the tubular k member route send yours to Bondo Bob, he'll fix and make yours a semi tubular k for $400.00.

But it could be many other things, get the Mopar chassis book.
 
That happened to me too. The few tack welds that held the lower control arm tube to the K-Frame broke. That allowed the tube to move which eventually elongated the original hole for the tube. It was tough to find because the suspension felt tight while on the ground. It also felt tight when up on jack stands because the suspension was hanging down. My solution was to completely weld the tubes on the front and rear of the new K-Frame on both the LH and RH sides.

K-Frame_Welds-021811.jpg
 
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