I'm finally getting around to installing the Fat Man dropped uprights and steering arms on my '54 wagon. Upon disassembly, the lower control arms had quite a bit of wiggle. I pulled one and the external threads that hold the nut to the control arm seem fine but the internal ones that the pivot screw into are terrible. Some of the other pins like the upper outside adjuster pin seem like a sloppy fit on the bench, but when I reinstall it on the control arm doesn't have any play. Are these threads supposed to have some slop in them or should they be a tight fit? It's a unique looking thread design almost like an Acme thread on a C-clamp so I' d like to figure out what should get replaced and what is okay to reuse. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Shouldn't be much slack. On the plus side, it's usually the bushings that wear, and they are readily available and easy to change.
So what I'm referring to as a nut on the left side of my photo would be the bushing? This one is so bad I can push it onto the threads without even turning it. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I would replace them while it's down. May work for a while as is but you are looking at trouble down the road. You only have maybe 3 good (inner) threads left.
Thanks for the link fastcar 1953. Interesting because I didn't notice any lock nuts on the assembly as mentioned. What I pictured is what was there. Sounds like a special tool is needed to properly reassemble too. I know for sure these inner, lower pieces need to be replaced, just not sure if they all need replacement. If I replace all the upper/lower and inner/outer pins and bushings, I'm looking at over $400 through National Chevy Ass. Plus what I've got in the Fat Man stuff, I'm fast approaching MII territory. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
It's looking like the Chev's of the '40's front end rebuild kit may be the way to go here. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
By the time I replace the pieces that are questionable, I'm probably better off to spend a few extra dollars to just get the whole damn kit. And here all I thought I might need was a set of kingpins... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
How did you go with the reassembly? Any progress? Im interested, thinking of going down the stock rebuild but considering costs- that dream set up might be a realistic option after adding up the prices for individual items!
Check out this link if you are still in the assembly process it might answer some questions for you. http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/218134/ Best of luck and keep us posted.
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