Looking for help, or ideas.

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Kims1972Dart

Kims1972Dart

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Have a 1972 Dart Swinger, just rebuilt the front end, now everytime I move the car forward the RF tire cambers over and pulls pulls back a little, move it backwards and it will straighten up, I'm at a loss and can't figure this one out.
 
Not sure what you mean by it cambers and pulls back? Possibly loose adj bolt at top of A-arm.

What was replaced in the rebuild? Torsion bars removed? Has it been around the block a couple times yet?
 
crj1968 said:
Not sure what you mean by it cambers and pulls back? Possibly loose adj bolt at top of A-arm.

What was replaced in the rebuild? Torsion bars removed? Has it been around the block a couple times yet?
Click to expand...

The K-member was replaced along with all the bushings, new upper control arms, ball joints, camber bolts, tie rods, basically everything except the torsion bars and strut rods have been replaced.
20220701_164437.jpg
20220701_164411.jpg
 
The other side is kind of OK. correct?
I'd be looking at the upper cam bolts. Compare to other side as a start, and is torsion bar adjusted? It's extreme, must be slammed onto the bump stop.

Nice looking car BTW. Guys here will certainly help you get it sorted out, but gonna need lots of details.....
 
crj1968 said:
The other side is kind of OK. correct?
I'd be looking at the upper cam bolts. Compare to other side as a start, and is torsion bar adjusted? It's extreme, must be slammed onto the bump stop.

Nice looking car BTW. Guys here will certainly help you get it sorted out, but gonna need lots of details.....
Click to expand...

The torsion bars haven't been adjusted yet, but when it does come.clear down to the bump stop. Yes the other side is close to right, have replaced the upper cam bolts on both sides, but will recheck them, and try adjusting torsion bars
 
crj1968 said:
The other side is kind of OK. correct?
I'd be looking at the upper cam bolts. Compare to other side as a start, and is torsion bar adjusted? It's extreme, must be slammed onto the bump stop.

Nice looking car BTW. Guys here will certainly help you get it sorted out, but gonna need lots of details.....
Click to expand...
Thanks for the compliment, she's definitely a work in progress
 
Sounds like what I was dealing with a few years ago. I had installed some polyurethane LCA bushings, but they were the type that slide into the factory rubber bushing sleeves... junk from the beginning.
Here’s my thread on it that’s way too long
Crazy alignment problems
 
Kims1972Dart said:
The K-member was replaced along with all the bushings, new upper control arms, ball joints, camber bolts, tie rods, basically everything except the torsion bars and strut rods have been replaced
Click to expand...
Wow!

If your toe was way way out you might be able to tweak the suspension moving forward or backwards.

But I'm voting on something is not bolted down correctly.
 
Did you pay attention to where the cam bolts were before you removed them? I'm gonna say no.
 
Need to set the Caster, Camber and Toe In.

You need to do a front end alignment after putting in all those new parts.

There are aftermarket Caster Camber bolts with more throw on them if you need to use them to get the car back into spec.

2 1/4° plus or minus are available .

Screenshot_20220701-230734_Firefox.jpg


Screenshot_20220701-231108_Firefox.jpg
 
Were the upper control arm bushings the moog problem solver(offset)? If so, maybe they were installed wrong. That looks pretty severe, not sure how you can get that much lean on the tire with the stock cam bolts.
Pull a wheel and snap a picture.
 
Not surprised at all!

Seek a professional to fix your issues! I could go on but more info is required!
 
Multiple Problems

For starters is there even an engine in the car? If not the torsion bars could be cranked up and topping out the suspension with no load on it. Laying the upper A-Frames down, pulling the tires in at the top.

Next senario to go along with above. Did you put B-Body lower Control Arms on an A-Body? This makes sense because the lower control arms are too long for the A-Body kicking out the lower tire and it is severely Towed-Out as a result using the previous A-Body steering linkage with the B-Body lower control arms.
 
Severely Toed Out

20220702_033621.jpg


Could be a B-Body K-member, not sure it will bolt up but you did say you changed it?
 
George Jets said:
Multiple Problems

For starters is there even an engine in the car? If not the torsion bars could be cranked up and topping out the suspension with no load on it. Laying the upper A-Frames down, pulling the tires in at the top.

Next senario to go along with above. Did you put B-Body lower Control Arms on an A-Body? This makes sense because the lower control arms are too long for the A-Body kicking out the lower tire and it is severely Towed-Out as a result using the previous A-Body steering linkage with the B-Body lower control arms.
Click to expand...
AS strange as it may seem, the B body LCAs are actually shorter by 3/8" from the ball joint to the center of the mounting pin/stud.
 
George Jets said:
Severely Toed Out

View attachment 1715950473

Could be a B-Body K-member, not sure it will bolt up but you did say you changed it?
Click to expand...
Sorry George...have you ever worked on an A and a B body car? The frame rails are further apart on a B body. The k members will not fit from chassis to chassis.

I would be looking at the UPPER control arm alignment cams, the strut rods and maybe....the sleeve in the K member that the LCA pin slides through. They can get ovalled out and make the lower control arm move all over the place.
One more thing....are the upper control arms on the correct side? They are LEFT and RIGHT.
 
Send a few pics of your control arms installed. Should be easy enough for us to compare and find your problem.
43090.jpeg
 
George Jets said:
Need to set the Caster, Camber and Toe In.

You need to do a front end alignment after putting in all those new parts.

There are aftermarket Caster Camber bolts with more throw on them if you need to use them to get the car back into spec.

2 1/4° plus or minus are available .

View attachment 1715950447

View attachment 1715950448
Click to expand...
I know it need an alignment after the work, just trying to get it to where I can drive it to the ship without destroying tires
 
George Jets said:
Multiple Problems

For starters is there even an engine in the car? If not the torsion bars could be cranked up and topping out the suspension with no load on it. Laying the upper A-Frames down, pulling the tires in at the top.

Next senario to go along with above. Did you put B-Body lower Control Arms on an A-Body? This makes sense because the lower control arms are too long for the A-Body kicking out the lower tire and it is severely Towed-Out as a result using the previous A-Body steering linkage with the B-Body lower control arms.
Click to expand...
Yes it has motor and all in it, all parts are a-body parts, the only parts I didn't change where the lower control arms, upper control arms are in correct position and the stock style
 
I would raise the front up and give it the wiggle test. look and listen for anything clunking or wiggling.

check the left and right UCAs to be sure they are on the correct sides.


then I would set it down and roll it till the tires are in a more natural state and check the toe in. excessive toe in will be better then excessive to out for the trip to the alignment shop.
 
So you put in a new K-frame (like swapped to a spool type or?) and swapped over your lower arms or were they already on the K-frame? I've done a few front end rebuilds and they can get wonky- I'm not expert by any stretch but I would crank up the torsion bars and get that to pull in as much as possible, because it will settle back out.

The other thing you mentioned is when you roll backwards it straightens up....what do you see happening there. You have another set of eyes on it while that is going on?
 
crj1968 said:
So you put in a new K-frame (like swapped to a spool type or?) and swapped over your lower arms or were they already on the K-frame? I've done a few front end rebuilds and they can get wonky- I'm not expert by any stretch but I would crank up the torsion bars and get that to pull in as much as possible, because it will settle back out.

The other thing you mentioned is when you roll backwards it straightens up....what do you see happening there. You have another set of eyes on it while that is going on?
Click to expand...
I put in a replacement k-frame
crj1968 said:
So you put in a new K-frame (like swapped to a spool type or?) and swapped over your lower arms or were they already on the K-frame? I've done a few front end rebuilds and they can get wonky- I'm not expert by any stretch but I would crank up the torsion bars and get that to pull in as much as possible, because it will settle back out.

The other thing you mentioned is when you roll backwards it straightens up....what do you see happening there. You have another set of eyes on it while that is going on?
Click to expand...
I bought a K-frame from another 72 dart as the one that was in this car had some issues, used my lcas and put new bushings in, also converted from drum to disc brakes on the front.

Gonna get a second set of eyes to help me today and go from there
 
@Kims1972Dart Where in Colorado are you. I'm in Fort Collins and will be in Golden this afternoon for the Super Cruse.
 
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