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Bent Spindle\Strut Rod?

win32exe

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Worcester, MA 01606, USA
i have 1967 Belvedere II coupe, chalkboard edition, the guy i bought it from swapped out the console to digital, pulled his race engine out and put in a 360, its in decent shape, a daily driver around town, here where it gets interesting....

i could never get it lined up properly, I've had it about 3-4 years, always pulled to the left, so i decided to buy my own alignment kit and do it myself.

so far i found a bent strut rod on the drivers side and the driver side caliper is dragging and it seems like the spindle or caliper bracket is bent, the brake pads wear unevenly, see pic.
thumbnail_image0-jpg.jpg



tire is wearing unevenly of course, tow was out. i corrected that with my tow plates

so my questions are:
what does a bent strut rod do? could it be responsible for the uneven brake pads? i don't think so but need confirmation.

Are the uneven brake pad wear always a bent spindle or caliper bracket? i think so but need confirmation. i already swapped out the caliper once thinking it was binding, got the same results of uneven wear of pads.

Where to buy strut rods, seems only the adjustable ones are available, any suggestions? what is the official length of a 67 strut rod, incase i buy the adjustable ones.

Where to buy spindles\ caliper brackets for 67 Belvedere II with the disk swap already done.

Any other suggestions to check the lower control arm? is it just a visual inspection?

any other info relevant?

Thank you all

yes i said chalk board edition ...

Stormy Night
thumbnail_image0-2-jpg.jpg

circuit board
thumbnail_image4-jpg.jpg
 
Well, I've got a few general thoughts & I'm not sure if these help.
body/suspension - if the car was raced with any major horsepower, you might want to check that the chasis itself isn't twisted (do you have any "ripples" in the passenger rear quarter panels or C-panel area?).
Strut Rod - I've never seen a bent strut rod...wow.... you can find a used one for sure on this site since they're rarely damaged/replaced/needed.
Uneven Brake Pad Wear - I'm not sure, but it's a lot easier to bend a caliper bracket than a spindle! If you've got a bent spindle AND a bent strut rod....did that car pull a bunch of wheelies and come down hard at the drag strip?
 
That type of wear tells you, Caliper is not squared with rotation of the rotor, there could be dirt/rust at mounting or loose - if spindle is bent it could cause the same issue, both would cause brakes to drag and pull steering to that side - strut rod will not cause this problem ! Any hardware holding Caliper to spindle will obviously need to be checked, any worn or defective parts mounting that Caliper will let it move under braking and as soon as the Caliper is crooked - the pads will wear offset, grab rotor tighter, create more heat ..... now your steering is pulling . I don't know what type/brand but I would take it all off and closely inspect everything - best wrenching to you
 
I have had several bent strut rods on cars I have had in the past. If you buy used ones, have the seller roll them for you before shipping. I have bought a few new sets from Mancini. They are nice, but a bigger diameter than stock ones if that matters to you.
 
as long as they fit, the larger diameter is better
That is my thinking as well. I also use the bigger C body tie rod ends and solid adjusters, so the bigger strut rods look like they belong.
 
Bent strut rod is very common. Can't count how many I've tossed over the years.
You said disc brake swap. What brakes are on it? Fixed caliper or floating?
 
Bent strut rod is very common. Can't count how many I've tossed over the years.
You said disc brake swap. What brakes are on it? Fixed caliper or floating?
Really? I had no idea. What in the heck causes them to bend besides smacking into something like driving over a concrete parking stop???
 
I have had several bent strut rods on cars I have had in the past. If you buy used ones, have the seller roll them for you before shipping. I have bought a few new sets from Mancini. They are nice, but a bigger diameter than stock ones if that matters to you.
Again, really? How in the heck do they get bent (besides a crash)? What symptoms would you notice if you bent a strut rod?
 
Up here it's common, it's a quick easy place to hook on to stuck in a ditch full of snow.

Back in the day of course.
 
I found a bent spindle on my 1964 Fury when I was trying to install disk brakes. Easy enough to repair once I knew exactly what was wrong.
 
i have 1967 Belvedere II coupe, chalkboard edition, the guy i bought it from swapped out the console to digital, pulled his race engine out and put in a 360, its in decent shape, a daily driver around town, here where it gets interesting....

i could never get it lined up properly, I've had it about 3-4 years, always pulled to the left, so i decided to buy my own alignment kit and do it myself.

so far i found a bent strut rod on the drivers side and the driver side caliper is dragging and it seems like the spindle or caliper bracket is bent, the brake pads wear unevenly, see pic.
View attachment 1394348


tire is wearing unevenly of course, tow was out. i corrected that with my tow plates

so my questions are:
what does a bent strut rod do? could it be responsible for the uneven brake pads? i don't think so but need confirmation.

Are the uneven brake pad wear always a bent spindle or caliper bracket? i think so but need confirmation. i already swapped out the caliper once thinking it was binding, got the same results of uneven wear of pads.

Where to buy strut rods, seems only the adjustable ones are available, any suggestions? what is the official length of a 67 strut rod, incase i buy the adjustable ones.

Where to buy spindles\ caliper brackets for 67 Belvedere II with the disk swap already done.

Any other suggestions to check the lower control arm? is it just a visual inspection?

any other info relevant?

Thank you all

yes i said chalk board edition ...

Stormy Night
View attachment 1394349
circuit board
View attachment 1394350
On Strut Rods - obviously all control arm bushings need to be tight upper/lower - even then, the Strut Rods have to hold LCA because it is hanging on 1 bushing and they can move with a heavy Mopar pushing on it - my advice is heavy adjustable poly bushings ! It can help you with a better Alignment as well as being much sturdier and more so with All Bushings either Poly/Delrin ? Anything you can afford to keep those wheels where they are correct, not just sitting on the Alignment Rack but on the road where it matters most - most bent Rods I've came across ? Bad Tow hook placement #1 / parts extremely worn/Crack or Broken suspension parts overlooked or ignored #2 / (accidentally) damaged by parking when you stop moving when the tire bounces off the curb/parking lot dividers etc. #3 - Heavy Mopars, I try to use Heavy Duty parts when possible ! Happy New Year , Safe Travels
 
toe was out on the drivers side, worn tire tread caught my attention, i fixed that with toe plates. 1/16 toe in now.
camber was 0, i didn't check caster but it the steering wheel doesn't self center after a turn
 
toe was out on the drivers side, worn tire tread caught my attention, i fixed that with toe plates. 1/16 toe in now.
camber was 0, i didn't check caster but it the steering wheel doesn't self center after a turn
The Toe should be adjusted by turning the Tie Rod Sleeves ? Caster will definitely be related to the steering wheel centering, having those LCA's in the correct place and keeping them there is important ! Having Caster set properly ? The easiest way I explain it to my customers is the front wheel on a shopping cart or similar - the front wheels will turn & roll much much easier with good Caster
 
update: took it apart today, pics below, does anyone know if this after market or from a donor car? looks like a donor to me, it's heavy

should i try to stay with this setup style or get a new kit? thoughts?

Thanks

bracket.jpg


hub.jpg


hub2.jpg


spindle.jpg
 
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