Hi everyone. I'm in the process of rebuilding the frontend on my 53 Dodge. I'm putting new bushings in the A-arms and the service manual shows a special tool to keep the A-arm spread open a certain width when putting the bushings in. Has anyone used such a thing? Or how have you improvised?
I rebuilt the front end of my '40 Plymouth last winter. I didn't know of any special tool. The bushings themselves weren't too hard to get in, but required major torque to screw them in. I'm talking breaker bar and a pipe, with the control arm in a big vise! The rubber seals were hard to pry in, but I got em in. It's worth the trouble, it feels way better now!
All the tool does is make sure that you don't squeeze the a-arm together when you put the bushings in. Supposed to torque them to 160lbs too. And it also makes sure that the mounting bolts end up in the center of the arm. The more I think about it the more I think that you can just wing it and take some measurements and be fine though. I think I'm being to cautious.
Do you still have the original kingpin setup in your Dodge? I have a '54 Plymouth Wagon. I replaced kingpins many years ago but I didn't to bushings and such. I am considering changing out the front suspension and steering but I know that that could be quite an undertaking. I also added Air Lift bags to the coil springs in the front which allow me to adjust the ride height and support the additional weight of the 318 V8 engine.
The Jalopy Journal
