More LCA - Hotchkis problem ?

[Dave999]

Hi Roger

ok well no aussie B body

The phoenix was just a 4 door fury with a dodge badge and the usual RHD parts

I will have a set of charger upper arms coming in from OZ in 2-3 weeks clean with no bushes or balljoints

i will make card templates of both and see if they are mirror image of each other..

you might like to look at CL and CM arms

they had wider track and were strengthend, that widthe may have been in the arms or steering knuckle.

Or just swap to a full aussie upper lower and steering knuckle. will narrow track slightly.


you would obvioulsy stick with US lower balljoints they bolt on ok becasue the aussies used the fat lower (i.e not early 60s) balljoint bolts and later bend over retaining plates

remeber the VH onwards aussie A body was up to 67 B body width at the back (the axle bolts right in no probs) so the front end parts might be ok

you would however have to ream the knuckle for big balljoint it will take the slider caliper bracket no problem 3.5 inch bolt centres. then up to you if you go with 2 part hub and rotor as per aussie set up

1 piece (none warp-able) solid falcon rotors can be made to fit with a bearing spacer

it would all look standard

aussie VJ VK brakes are the ones to get

PBR made licenced GIRLOCK 1 pot sliders in cast iron with the spring plate holding them to brackets not the Pins

the Chrylser by chrylser CH 4 door luxury barge with 360 weighed about the same as a B body and stopped ok.

checked the mag

the bushes with arrows are supposed to be put in the same way front and rear

the arrow points in the direction you want the top of the wheel to move i.e they are all about camber

i.e put in to give a shed load of negative camber

so when you dial in the positive caster your wheels end up more or less upright.

obviosuly by setting the fat bit toward balljoint at the front and the fat bit towards chassis at the back you are not paying any attention to camber and just going for max caster.

if anyone wants pedders offset bushes it part number EP6215 for all A B and E bodies they have no arrows and due to no torsion stress on the filler (eurothane not rubber) seeemingly they don't rip at the thin bit.


Dave

[Roger]

Oh blimey. Nothings ever simple is it.

Now ive no clue what to do!

So no B body in Oz then? Bugger.

I dont really want to change too much. Got 4 pot with discs already. Factory fit.

From what your saying, ive got little chance of just changing the arms.

Of course, the whole thing hinges on extra castor and taking some slack out of my box would actually give me what i want. But i suspect it wont.

Alterkation, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm..................

Should have bought an old 318 charger so i dont need to concern myself with originality...

[Dave999]

rebuild your steering box with drawn cup torrington roller bearings for the sector shaft instead of the brassy looking bushes everyone except the cops and aussies got or go to manual and buy a new Mopar ballnut and screw
clean up sector get it hard chromed over the teeth and the bearing surfaces
new ball races for the screw

firm feel do

1) a upgraded idler with caged rollers in both ends
2) a bolt on pitman arm/sector support that is like a 3rd beraing for the sector shaft below the pitman arm

OR

3) a rebuilt power box with all the good bits stronger detent springs and a new saginaw valve for the pump to lower the assistance

OR

open up the back of your pitman arm remove the T bolt and rubber bush and replace rubber with a machined lump of aluminium (drill for grease fitting) or a PU bush from nolathane in OZ
braze or tack the back back on

full details on how to ally bush both your idler and pitman on linke below if you want to DIY, obvioulsy it is not quite as good as rollers in the idler, better than polyeurthane and a damn sight better than rubber

its an aussie home upgrade based on the OEM design for holdens of 70s and 80s vintage.

you will have to sign up or PM me for my login

http://www.hemi6pack.com/forum/showthre ... ight=idler

lower the rear and raise the front and you will get pleanty of positive castor


brakes. If your 4 pots come in two bits, bracket and caliper, they would bolt on to aussie spidles.

not sure about your hubs and rotors, regarding bearings

but offset and radial distance from axle should be same as thats a function of the Caliper bracket


Dave

[Dave999]

or swap the steering box for a brand new power Delphi-Nexteer box in a 14:1 ratio

+ the above idler and pitman stuff

Borgeson do a kit of parts using a grand cherokee box for power assisted mopars

check mopar action april 2012 or have a chat with Mr Ehrenberg via the link on the mopar action site.

box looks standard
is slightly smaller

13LB lighter

only obvious difference is the spline on the worm shaft so you need an adaptor. borgeson one didn't pass muster acording to MR E so he got them to redesign as per chrysler orginal slide coupling...and that will be hidden by your hulking great engine..unless you are going for a slant 6

PS alterkation might have the best reputation but you loose all the safety features in built into original design

1) weakest link is deliberately the track rod sleave. will allways bend before you pop a balljoint or rod end but unlikley to snap
2) the upper arms are pressed. no welds no snap will only ever fatigue slowly or twist on impact very hard to pull a balljoint case right through its flanged hole.
3) the steering coloumn has a slip joint so you don't knack the top bearings in your box or rack due to chasis flex
4) the strut rod to the lower arm is in tension when "under way" it won't snap and the lower arm can take a good battering back befoe the rod pulls through. the force is first taken by the front of the car and the K frame not the lower arm mounting so it shouldn't snap off.

yes i have been reading far too much web and magasine junk and of course can't back any of this up ....... but hey...keeps me happy


Dave


Dave