Technical 40's / early 50's Mopar front end

I have -54 Dodge Kingsway (technically same as -54 Plymouth) with front springs cut 1 1/2 coils. The camber adjustment doesn't have enough movement to get angle right. It is still working, i have driven 100 000 miles during past 15+ years, but i just start get tired of uneven tire wear.



Easy fix would be a shim plate between spring and frame, but i'm pretty happy with the ride height, so don't like that idea. The upper control arm is curved so i have an idea to flatten it little bit to get it longer and camber angle to specs. Control arm seems to be two pieces of pressed sheet metal welded together, so i'm pretty sure little flattening won't break anything.




Has anybody done this before? Any success? Flattening By press cold or heated?

Any other ideas to solve the problem? And please don't ask me to install mustang II front end, cause i won't.

Thanks for help,
Santtu

 

A good front end shop can bend the spindle support to correct alignment.

 

You may need to go to a truck shop to get aligned. We have a place in Dallas called Weaver Spring and Axle. You may look for something like that.

 

Before I would attempt to bend the control arm, I would investigate moving the inner pivot shaft of the arm outboard a bit. It bolts on, so is it feasible to provide new mounting holes?

Ray

 

Thanks for the comments. After modification of parts, so that aligning is possible, i'll let pros to do the aligning. But the modifications is up to me.

The control arm is mounted to frame with vertical bolts. So there is not possible use any shims. If the holes would be oval shaped, the location of control arm would rely only on friction. Won't work.

New mounting holes by side of originals will move control arm way too much.

I'll still think bending control arm is the best option. Or leave it as is and buy new tires more often

 

The holes could be welded closed and re drilled. Or, the area around the holes cut out and a new mounting surface welded in.....that is what I had in mind.

Better yet, the pivot shaft does not have to be oriented with vertical holes. It could be turned 90* and a vertical plate (angle stock would work) added that provides a mounting surface with horizontal bolts for the shaft. Shims then permit fine tuning the upper arm alignment. That is how the majority of upper A arms were mounted after ball joints were introduced and the eccentric outer pivots were gone. Not rocket science, just simple geometry.

If the latter suggestion were to be followed, one would want to 'center' the outer bushing eccentric adjustment. That could still be for 'fine tuning' of camber if the inner mount was carefully placed.

Ray