Upper Control Arms Help

[penstar pete]

I bought a set of reproduction upper control arms for my 68 Charger. All of them show a washer and a spacer with the ball joint.
My originals didn't have these. Has anyone had experience with these ? is the washer and spacer for another applicatio?

Thanks

 

[pnora]

What does the Chinese Junk directions say?

 

[Kern Dog]

That is weird. They made the shank too long. The point of that spacer is probably to allow for the installer to place the castle nut in a position where the cotter key can reside through the notches at the top. This seems like what you’d expect on a part that has multiple applications. A manufacturer might make a part semi universal so it fits many applications. This cuts costs for them but sometimes means the part fits nothing “exactly”.

 

[mobileparts]

Did the directions come inside a Fortune Cookie ???
( L O L )
The Fortune Cookie said :
A guy and his money are now departed — Confuscious ……

 

[Kern Dog]

If those are used in a car with the front mounted 1973-76 A body calipers, the long shank will be in the way of the brake line that usually runs under it.
You could keep the arms and just replace the ball joints.

 

[eldubb440]

optional.........lol

 

[jimbosride]

It maybe to control Bump steer condition on another application.

I would make sure you have the correct length joint.

 

[BearDodge67]

It maybe to control Bump steer condition on another application.

I would make sure you have the correct length joint.

You hit it with the length.. look at the thread length on this, then look at a K772 from Moog, his threaded portion is lot longer and bet the thick washer is used as a spacer, and even then there is a probably lot of length from where the castle is on the nut. If it came from where I think it came from, looks like quality control hasn't improved much in the 41 yrs since I worked in that dept..

 

[j-c-c-62]

I am not seeing the bump steer explanation. It the shaft before the taper is longer, that will affect camber gain, usually by making the spindle appear taller, changing the angle of the UCA at rest, but length of the threads means little, with or without a thread spacer. Bump steer is the least affected measurement here.

 

[penstar pete]

Did the directions come inside a Fortune Cookie ???
( L O L )
The Fortune Cookie said :
A guy and his money are now departed — Confuscious ……

Someone had to help you make that one up ?

 

[mobileparts]

^^^ Of course Not ^^^

 

[ckessel]

What you're experiencing is product line consolidating. The stud supplied in the first picture is actually for another joint but the company supplies you with a washer to put under the nut so that the cotter pin hole lines up with the slots in the castle nut. I confirmed my suspicions of this several years ago when I was at the SEMA show. I talked to the rep/engineer from Proforged and he reluctantly confirmed my suspicions. Same goes with the studs on some tie rod ends.

 

[ckessel]

Another thing to look at. Compare the stud lengths on both of your joints. The overall, the length of the tapered portion, the length of the threaded portion and the length of the straight portion between the ball and where the taper begins. I've come across joints from the same company with the same part number and the dimensions are different. One was even an inch longer. Can you say, suspension geometry issues? They need to at least match side to side.

 

[penstar pete]

Another thing to look at. Compare the stud lengths on both of your joints. The overall, the length of the tapered portion, the length of the threaded portion and the length of the straight portion between the ball and where the taper begins. I've come across joints from the same company with the same part number and the dimensions are different. One was even an inch longer. Can you say, suspension geometry issues? They need to at least match side to side.

Thank you for the information. Greatly appreciated