Why your car wanders every time you hit a bump

[OttawaCharger]

My Dart went from bump steer a little to 2 hands on the wheel in the span of about 2500 km. I've put about 6000 on it this year. When I built the car, I didn't look at the LCA bushings as they felt tight. Tight or not, they weren't healthy. It's getting a set of BAC pivot pins and delrin bushings now so I should be good for a long while hopefully

 

[Newbomb Turk]

My Dart went from bump steer a little to 2 hands on the wheel in the span of about 2500 km. I've put about 6000 on it this year. When I built the car, I didn't look at the LCA bushings as they felt tight. Tight or not, they weren't healthy. It's getting a set of BAC pivot pins and delrin bushings now so I should be good for a long while hopefully

View attachment 1716469277

Then you need adjustable strut rods.

I’m working on a car that I rebuilt the front end probably in 2019. It probably doesn’t have 1500 miles on it.

The rubber LCA bushings and strut rod bushings are already junk.

Because I didn’t make him use poly or delrin and adjustable strut rods I’m going to have to do it again.

And this time while I’m in there I’m **** canning the the worthless spool mount K member.

This will never do another without upgraded bushings and adjustable strut rods.

If the customer won’t do it he can move along.

 

[junkyardhero]

And this time while I’m in there I’m **** canning the the worthless spool mount K member.

the spool mount is widely considered better than the bis-quit mount style. any particular reason for the change?

 

[Newbomb Turk]

the spool mount is widely considered better than the bis-quit mount style. any particular reason for the change?

For one you can’t get a decent solid mount for the spool. I looked at having some made but the cost per would have been 125 each and that’s not paying me a dime.

On top of that the cradle the spool sits in flexes. Terribly. I can feel it when I drive and this car is an automatic. With a stick it’s even more miserable.

The only benefit I can see is when the mount fails the engine can’t raise up and break the shroud.

That’s how I know my 72 Demon had a 26 inch radiator. I wasn’t paying attention to the mount getting ready to fail and it split and blew my shroud to bits.

When I went to the wrecking yard they gave me the 22 inch shroud. I had to go back for the 26 inch shroud. And I was the second owner of the car and the only thing he changed was the carb. He put a spread bore Holley on it and I went and found a date code correct TQ for a 4 speed and bought that.

I bought solid mounts in 1980 and it’s all I use.

Even if you stay with rubber mounts you can keep an eye on them and replace them. And really only the drivers side.

That’s the only benefit to the spool mount I can think of.

Other than that it’s a floppy mess. And I box in and weld out every K member I install or when I rebuild the front end.

Now I get to do it to the new K member for this guy.

 

[OttawaCharger]

Adjustable strut rods are in the future plans. For now, the old ones are going back in with new bushings so I can finish out the season

 

[toolmanmike]

My Polara wanders around.. I need to do some fine tuning with the PS box and a couple of ball joints as per the alignment guy at the local tire shop. Lowers I believe.

 

[Darter6]

Lowers I believe.

Ahaa. Mother Mopar's lower ball joint play.. Back in the 60's and 70's I was the alignment guy. Every Mopar in had play. Some up to 1/4'' !
According to Ma that was normal. Did you know the 64 Factory Service Manual stated that lubrication was every 32,000 miles..

 

[toolmanmike]

Ahaa. Mother Mopar's lower ball joint play.. Back in the 60's and 70's I was the alignment guy. Every Mopar in had play. Some up to 1/4'' !
According to Ma that was normal. Did you know the 64 Factory Service Manual stated that lubrication was every 32,000 miles..

Yep, they are pretty sloppy. He was a decent guy and made some camber adjustments anyway. Now I need to decide if I should just replace and realign or replace them when I install a disc brake kit.

 

[abodyjoe]

Then you need adjustable strut rods.

I’m working on a car that I rebuilt the front end probably in 2019. It probably doesn’t have 1500 miles on it.

The rubber LCA bushings and strut rod bushings are already junk.

Because I didn’t make him use poly or delrin and adjustable strut rods I’m going to have to do it again.

And this time while I’m in there I’m **** canning the the worthless spool mount K member.

This will never do another without upgraded bushings and adjustable strut rods.

If the customer won’t do it he can move along.

damn that blows. when i pulled the lower arms from our dart apart to put delrin bushings in last year, the rubber was still like brand new and i put them in like 12 years ago.. kinda felt stupid for pulling it all apart..lol

 

[Newbomb Turk]

damn that blows. when i pulled the lower arms from our dart apart to put delrin bushings in last year, the rubber was still like brand new and i put them in like 12 years ago.. kinda felt stupid for pulling it all apart..lol

I was going to say maybe the cold, wet winters are what got after the rubber so quickly but then I saw you are in NJ and your winters certainly aren’t Florida winters lol so I can scratch that one off the list of why the rubber has crapped out.

 

[abodyjoe]

I was going to say maybe the cold, wet winters are what got after the rubber so quickly but then I saw you are in NJ and your winters certainly aren’t Florida winters lol so I can scratch that one off the list of why the rubber has crapped out.

well it doesn't get driven in any of that weather.. has always sat in a tent or garage so i'm sure that helps.

 

[OttawaCharger]

A little snow never hurt right?