Need some opinion's on 65 Dart front end

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Darren65Dart

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Need some help before just labor intensive guess work. Just recently got 65 Dart gt conv , slant 6 w/single carb 225. Did 65 have both power steering and power brakes as option. Not sure if working with factory, because person I purchased from had $7,000 in parts/labor. To the point!!! Has early ps box already in car, there's new rotors, calipers, brake lines, master cylinder ect. LOOK AT FRONT END. Drivers side rotor straight, passenger rotor top leaning inward. Looks like new stuff, is upper pass ball joint bad?? Or could they have swap manual to power steering and needed to change linkage wrong is why.???? PS Box looks like its been there a while. If need any pictures to help, ill put on asap.

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Both PS and PB's were factory options and that PS box would be correct for early A's. Looks like 73-76 spindles are swapped from side to side so the calipers would clear the sway bar. All good so far. As far as the angle of the upper ball joint and spindle, I suspect the issue is the UCA adjusters - can't really tell from the pics.

FWIW my disc conversion on my 65 wagon will be identical to yours. I will be using my original PS box that has been rebuilt and upgraded by Steer and Gear to give a modern feel to the steering. If I decide to add power brakes I will use a 68 or so booster rather than the stock 65 stuff.
 
65 Dartman said:
Both PS and PB's were factory options and that PS box would be correct for early A's. Looks like 73-76 spindles are swapped from side to side so the calipers would clear the sway bar. All good so far. As far as the angle of the upper ball joint and spindle, I suspect the issue is the UCA adjusters - can't really tell from the pics.

FWIW my disc conversion on my 65 wagon will be identical to yours. I will be using my original PS box that has been rebuilt and upgraded by Steer and Gear to give a modern feel to the steering. If I decide to add power brakes I will use a 68 or so booster rather than the stock 65 stuff.
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65 Dartman said:
Both PS and PB's were factory options and that PS box would be correct for early A's. Looks like 73-76 spindles are swapped from side to side so the calipers would clear the sway bar. All good so far. As far as the angle of the upper ball joint and spindle, I suspect the issue is the UCA adjusters - can't really tell from the pics.

FWIW my disc conversion on my 65 wagon will be identical to yours. I will be using my original PS box that has been rebuilt and upgraded by Steer and Gear to give a modern feel to the steering. If I decide to add power brakes I will use a 68 or so booster rather than the stock 65 stuff.
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(65 dartman) Is there any close up pictures I can take that could give you better look at upper control arm.
 
I see you have some jack stands supporting the LCAs which appear to be hanging down quite a bit. This suggests to me that neither side T Bar might have little to no tension on it. What happens if you raise the lower control arm with a jack? If it straightens everything out, crank the T Bars up with the adjuster bolt under the LCA. Should straighten out both the ball joint suds (which have some severe angles) and straighten the spindle in relation to everything else. I now kind of doubt it has a lot to do with the UCA cam bolts after really looking at the pics on the home computer (was looking at them on my phone before).
 
I would be taking a good look at that upper control arm being the right one, since I really doubt a bad ball joint or loose upper control arm adjusters would let it move that far.
 
I guess if someone was not paying attention they could get upper control arm adjusting cams in the wrong way. Backwards.
 
Darren65Dart said:
Need some help before just labor intensive guess work. Just recently got 65 Dart gt conv , slant 6 w/single carb 225. Did 65 have both power steering and power brakes as option. Not sure if working with factory, because person I purchased from had $7,000 in parts/labor. To the point!!! Has early ps box already in car, there's new rotors, calipers, brake lines, master cylinder ect. LOOK AT FRONT END. Drivers side rotor straight, passenger rotor top leaning inward. Looks like new stuff, is upper pass ball joint bad?? Or could they have swap manual to power steering and needed to change linkage wrong is why.???? PS Box looks like its been there a while. If need any pictures to help, ill put on asap.

View attachment 1715051839
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first pic in first post looks weird. Note the nut (double nut really) no boot and a space between the ball joint and taper. it it really bent or just hanging in there by a couple threads? Any way you look at it , it's just wrong, I'd start there and then look around on what else has been jimmied up.
 
Camber increases dramatically when the suspension is free to go all the way down like it is when the car is off the ground. Jack up those lower control arms (back torsion bars off completely first!) Till they hit the bump stop on the lower control arm. Now lower them about two inches at the lower ball joint. Then figure out why the one upper ball joint does'nt look like the other side, and fix it. INow you are at the position for regular ride height roughly, and camber should be close to zero. Try and get it to zero with a level on the hub by adjusting the camber at the inner side of the upper control arm. If you can't get both sides to zero, start looking for the reason and post pictures.
Also take a look at the K frame, and make sure it is the right one, and centered! I don't know if it is even possible to goof that up, but never trust ANYTHING!
 
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You can see in one of the pics that UCA is adjusted all the way in to frame.
Can also see the slotted hole on left showing a bunch of adjustment there to bring UCA
out to norm.
 
gregsdart said:
Camber increases dramatically when the suspension is free to go all the way down like it is when the car is off the ground. Jack up those lower control arms (back torsion bars off completely first!) Till they hit the bump stop on the lower control arm. Now lower them about two inches at the lower ball joint. Then figure out why the one upper ball joint does'nt look like the other side, and fix it. INow you are at the position for regular ride height roughly, and camber should be close to zero. Try and get it to zero with a level on the hub by adjusting the camber at the inner side of the upper control arm. If you can't get both sides to zero, start looking for the reason and post pictures.
Also take a look at the K frame, and make sure it is the right one, and centered! I don't know if it is even possible to goof that up, but never trust ANYTHING!
Click to expand...
 
Are both your LCA's the same? Passenger sway mount tab has an extra rivet? break out the tape and start comparing stuff down there.
 
pishta said:
Are both your LCA's the same? Passenger sway mount tab has an extra rivet? break out the tape and start comparing stuff down there.
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It's going back in garage this weekend. I will get everything level and start taking measurements. Wife's 67 Pontiac Firebird just got car ported 1600 miles. Last 3 weeks it's been 98 Degree's outside in driveway. Thank You
 
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