Should I use the 67 single shear K frame?

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airwoofer

airwoofer

Drivetrain limit explorer
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I am in the process of cleaning up a 71 Demon drag car and have the K frame out because it had the engine mounts cut off. I need the mounts on the K frame to install my small block. I also have a 67 parts barracuda and it has the K frame with the single shear idler arm.

Is the 67 design safe to use? The idler arm seems pretty tight but I don't like the way it is bolted on. This is purely a drag car and I hope it will be getting the front wheels in the air.

Anybody have a facts based opinion on if I should use the 67 frame and idler arm?
 
Nope. And those idlers are one-year only, and much more expensive and hard to get than the later ones. Because the mounts are the old pillow mounts, they are inferior. Also, the center link is different, and that idler needs to have the matching early pitman arm.

I still have the original in my 67, but I am "getting" the stuff to stick a disc brake/ late K under it.
 
there are a couple people who have modified the idler arm mount to take the later style idler.
as far as the motor mounts go its personal prefernce in my opinion.
i do like the later spool mounts but there is nothing wrong with the old style.
you can buy upgraded versions of them.
 
I modified a 67 K member into a 68 an up by carefully cutting the welds on the idler arm mount, and welding on one from a 70' slant six K member. I did not like that 67 set-up either, and as mentioned the idler arms are more expensive and harder to come by. If you know how to weld, it's an easy upgrade.
 
Anybody make the part I would need to weld on?

I hate to cut the idler arm mount from the Demon's K frame cause someday I may want to put in a big block on a motor plate and would use that K frame.
 
I dought anybody makes that peice, but just go to a junk yard and find one to cut off of a car that already has the engine removed, or maybe some members on here have an old k member there not using.
 
You won't have ANY problems using that K-member. Your 71 uses the same center link as the 67. A drag only car will see very little wear to the idler and it's NOT going to break. Use a torque strap to keep the mount from breaking.
 
I also have the center link from the 67 but it was a power steering car. Unless I can find a later K frame somewhere I will look at modifying the 67 to take a double shear idler arm.

Was going to use solid motor mounts.
 
I like your conversion and commented at your build thread that I do not have a way to make the pieces. I have a welder and can weld though.

So is the only downside to the 67 unit the replacement cost? Mine seems pretty tight. Anybody want to buy mine or better yet trade for a 68+ K frame with an idler arm so I stop thinking about stealing the one from the fish and doing a different thing with the fish front suspension?
 
I've been racing my 67 for 14 years with no problem. I understand your consern coming down from wheels up. What takes the hardest hit from a wheelstand is the strut rods when the wheels touch down. If all your front end parts are in good shape things should be ok. Just a thought.
 
Just make sure that nut is torqued. I used to have a 67 Dart, and someone had let the idler arm nut get loose once. Once it wallowed out the tapered seat, you could tighten it all you wanted and it would just wobble around in there. Based on this experience, I found a 68 K to reinforce for my car (I had the seams welded up as well as some bracing for the steering box).

But anyway, you probably aren't going to put enough miles on the drag car to wear out the arm you've got, so why replace it?
 
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