The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Adrian Worman wrote:The front end still feels like that now, I think untill I install the torsion bars and poly bushes its going to feel a bit weird.
Interestingly, when I bounce the back down now it drops fairly evenly, no more tipping over to one side.

Well, better not push it into corners while the rear is harsher than the front... that makes for nasty handling.

Yes Fabien, I expect some lurid oversteer, expect it'll wheelspin quite easy, thats a problem already. Determined to get it out Saturday

Right, the torsion bars are on their way so I started to pull the front end apart and fit the poly bushes and some new upper ball joints. Everything has been really easy, torsion bars fell out, joints split easy, u.c.a bolts slid out, until................... I tried to remove the ball joints on the u.c.a's any tips? they are in HARD

You say the UCA bolts slid out. Are you trying to remove the upper ball joints with the UCA's off the car ? If so you run the risk of deforming them. Normally you are better of leaving the UCA's in situ. You can apply more leverage this way too. Get that scaffold tube on the job.

Gareth is right. Leave the UCA on the car, use the correct ball joint socket (which has a 3/4" drive), and a long breaker bar with a jack handle or scaffold tube slipped over the end. Then it comes out.

I shoved the u.c.a straight back in the car cos I thought it was the best way of anchoring the piece to get the ball joint out, I got something right then
Where did you get the correct socket Dave? ..........then I'm gonna need you to tell me (and Wayne) how to reset the camber bolts for the correct geometry

It is a special socket. Not a normal one.

I have one I can send you mate. Plus a 3/4" to 1/2" converter if you only have a 1/2" drive breaker bar.

Thats really nice of you to offer Daveman, I'm gonna try a big flat wrench that we have at work on it tonight, if unsuccessfull I'll take you up on it

Oooooops May not need to borrow that tool Daveman............I did'nt expect to do this but, I managed to split the collar that accepts the u.c.a bush it pressed out fairly eary, but when I went to install the new one I found I could push it home with just my fingers!!!! the sochet has split in a "c" shaped crack. Think maybe I'll give CAP Auto a go for a pair of tubular arms

I managed to get a pair of upper arms as spares, do you reckon I could take you up on that offer of a lend of your socket Daveman
Got me Hotchkis torsion bars now, they measure 1.03" diameter, says rated at 160 lbs

Adrian Worman wrote:I managed to get a pair of upper arms as spares, do you reckon I could take you up on that offer of a lend of your socket Daveman
Got me Hotchkis torsion bars now, they measure 1.03" diameter, says rated at 160 lbs

I shall dig it out and parcel it up for you mate.

Do you have a 3/4" drive breaker bar or do you need my 3/4" to 1/2" adaptor with it?

Nice one mate, yeah I could do with the adaptor please

Sent it to 1 Fennymere. Delivery will be before 1pm tomorrow.

Thats absolutely brilliant Daveman, thanks again
Better make sure Herman don't see posty deliver it, he tried to rape his pedal bike last week when Carol took him out

I got a loan of a ball joint remover, I now understand why you can't do the job without it , although one came out after barely resting the tool on it.........reckon I scared it out by showing it how serious I was
Second joint was just mind boggingly tight, really thought the breaker bar was gonna snap
Control arms been stripped, detailed, reassembled and awaiting installation.......pics coming real soon Wayne, promise

Adrian Worman wrote:Second joint was just mind boggingly tight, really thought the breaker bar was gonna snap

That is how tight they are supposed to be otherwise you might find it poping out the top of the UCA when you hit a bump in the road.

Adrian Worman wrote:pics coming real soon Wayne, promise

Tapping of the fingers on table........

Sorry Wayne, you'll have to keep tappin' mate, I've run into a problem
I got the passenger side all torn down up to the lower control arm, I pulled the clip out the back of the torsion bar socket, put a large screwdriver between the K frame and l.c.a and gave it a little shove.
The torsion bar popped out lovely, as did the l.c.a but I noticed something different on the shaft..........the sleeve that is welded into the K member that the shaft goes through and butts op to had come out with it The welds look awful, I assume its just shit quality manufacturing, no sign of corrosion. I hope I can just MIG it back on using the shaft to lock it into place
Never expected this sort of shit

are you saying its broke on the welds ade ? pics of the parts would help us here, if it is broke on the welds its been like that for a while, by all means re-weld them with the mig fairly high on power but do it in stages to allow it to cool a bit to prevent distortion, as i say pics would really help

Here you go mate, it just looks like really poor production to me, the weld barely touches the sleeve. I can do it I'm sure, wot do you think mate?

Easily welded though.

I would bolt the pin in and then weld around it if the K-frame was off the car. In fact the k-frame might need all the welds checked if that one is bad.

I'm sure its gonna be easy enough Dave, the welds are pathetic, Jim says they been loose for a while, I'm sure he's right. It came out on the l.c.a shaft ever so easy. Done with the socket now mate, was a godsend, can't do the job without it in the post Monday
Please don't be put off by this Wayne, it was fairly straightforward really mate. Get ya pics up soon as I've sorted this crap out

yep as dave says no probs to weld it back together, it does look poor on the weld but it may of also broke due to being only welded half way round, be sure to check out the other side too, and as already said check out all the welds on that k member

Had a look Jim and I can see a problem. When I pinch up the lca shaft into the k frame it is obvious that the loose stud has caused the sleeve to slightly enlarge the hole in the frame. I ain't a good enough welder to be able to build the weld up around the gap. My options are to find a suitable large heavy flat washer and weld the sleeve into that and then weld the assembly onto the frame,or get a pro to do it, can prob find one at work. Don't think I got the skill to do it and trust it's strength

if you get stuck ade and want to take the k member off and bring it up to me i can sort it for ya, but its a lot of extra work i know, a nice thick washer may be ok but gota be carefull not to have it protruding out more that the sleeve as it will move the lca slightly back

Yeah I had thought of that Jim, will try and find a piece I can mke a collar out of to tack onto the sleeve to fill the gap, probably only about 3mm in total, some thinwall steel should do the trick. I got a lot of steel tube at work cos we sell it to pipeworkers. Should be able to find a suitable piece somewhere. Ta for the offer tho' mate, good of you, but I'm tryiong to resolve it without removing the K member

You should remove the K member,man that thing looks awful , you really should inspect the whole thing ya know

who knows what is lurking in the dark there,

I heard that there were 4 factories that made the K frames(dont know that as fact) and the quality and dimensions varied alot,

I know that one part looks bad Drew, but honestly the rest is in really good shape. I had the K member out about 15 years ago, was cleaned, sand blasted and painted. Before I dropped the motor back in last year I had a good poke around with a pry bar and a hammer, but did'nt notice the lower arm mountings cos they were still attatched. I've checked the drivers side and its perfect. I know an excellant welder fabricator who we some tomes employ at our yard, he'll do a good, strong repair

Adrian Worman wrote:I know that one part looks bad Drew, but honestly the rest is in really good shape. I had the K member out about 15 years ago, was cleaned, sand blasted and painted. Before I dropped the motor back in last year I had a good poke around with a pry bar and a hammer, but did'nt notice the lower arm mountings cos they were still attatched. I've checked the drivers side and its perfect. I know an excellant welder fabricator who we some tomes employ at our yard, he'll do a good, strong repair

Sounds like you are confident and have a good (expert) welder ,good ,go do it

Done this afternoon, well pleased with the quality of the work, but got so excited that I went like a mad thing and threw everything together and fitted the bar adjuster arm too low and ended up having the passenger side front about 6 inches too high ......now I gotta do half the job again