Frame hitting LCA ear

[autoxcuda]

I also noticed the torsion bar adjustment bolt is way in on the driver side compared to the passenger side. Although the ride height is equal on both sides.

View attachment 1546077

View attachment 1546078

I'm thinking the hex is off on the one side. That or there's something wrong with the hex sockets at transmission cross member.

I see hotchkis strut rods.

This car have 1" torsion bars? That was the size PST? had hex issue with years ago.

 

[Butch Harley]

dfrazz when you correct the problem please let me know the answer I have another car with the same problem on the same side THANKS

 

[wahya]

Thanks for all the input. Unfortunately this is the way I received the car and don’t have history as to why or who did this. The torsion bars are in the correct sides. I will pull the bar and shaft nut and see what’s going on with the tube and bushing. Also make sure the bar is installed correctly.

Bushing really looks messed up. Just a thought, any chance the lca’s could be mismatched. Kern Dog?
Now what

 

[Kern Dog]

The A body LCAs are actually close to 1/2" longer from the lower ball joint to the mounting pin. To tell them apart at a glance, the A arm has a flat section across the bottom.

The B LCA is curved all the way.

 

[wahya]

Yes, as I found out from your well explained posts. What I am getting at is if the other arm is longer (it’s not pictured) for some reason, would it take less turns on the adjuster than the shorter lca. To adjust equal ride height. I had two of the same, wrong lca’s, so both adjusters were about the same.

 

[Kern Dog]

Okay, good point. You can look at it as the leverage difference you see using a longer ratchet handle.

1/2” over the length of the LCA may not make much of a difference.

 

[dfrazz]

Quick Update - I was able to work on the Charger some yesterday and pulled the torsion bar. The LCA bushing looks good so I aligned the LCA and the torsion bar to make sure it is straight and reinstalled it. Again it took way more turns on the adjusting bolt to get it to near ride height of the passenger side but the ear was not hitting the frame. I took it for a quick spin and came back and the again the frame was sitting on the LCA ear. I am thinking the torsion bar is shot so I ordered new 1.03's from PST and will see if that fixes the problem.

 

[ckessel]

Torsion bars/leaf springs don't last forever. Hopefully you cure the issue.

 

[dfrazz]

Torsion bars/leaf springs don't last forever. Hopefully you cure the issue.

Yep. And these look to be original 780/781’s. Supposedly the Charger has 78k original miles but I have no way to prove that. I do have the original window sticker, certi-card, buildsheet, title and a bunch of recipes from the original owner.

 

[ckessel]

On my old leaf springs, I donated them to a guy who has friends making knives. Great material for those. Sometime down the road I'm going to heat one end of my bars up with a rosebud, hammer them down and make long pry bars.

 

[T2R9]

You will like those 1.03 bars. Get a bigger sway bar and some Bilsteins and the difference is amazing.

 

[Kern Dog]

The bars will help the car in terms of handling and performance but won’t make a difference in how the adjustment lever sits in relation to the frame. That is another issue.

 

[dadsbee]

^^^ exactly ! Not sure how you determined that bushing was good, 'cause it ain't!

 

[dfrazz]

The bars will help the car in terms of handling and performance but won’t make a difference in how the adjustment lever sits in relation to the frame. That is another issue.

After I reinstalled them and set the ride height, the lever did not hit the frame. I took for a spin and the frame was on the lever again and the RF was 3/4” lower. Figured I’d try new bars first and I like PST 1.03’s anyways. If it doesn’t fix it, I’ll dig into the LCA bushing although it looked to be good.

 

[T2R9]

The bushings are inexpensive, easy to change since you will have the bars out anyways.

 

[dfrazz]

The bushings are inexpensive, easy to change since you will have the bars out anyways.

Last time I changed an LCA bushing it was a PITA. Maybe I should have you come out and change it.

 

[T2R9]

Last time I changed an LCA bushing it was a PITA. Maybe I should have you come out and change it.

I would be more than happy to help you out if I were close. When you get the bars and ready to change them out many here will be willing to give advise on changing them out so it's not a PITA.

 

[Kern Dog]

After I reinstalled them and set the ride height, the lever did not hit the frame. I took for a spin and the frame was on the lever again and the RF was 3/4” lower. Figured I’d try new bars first.

Go ahead, ignore people that are trying to help. The bushing looked bad from here. It must distort under a load after driving it so what you experienced will also happen with the new torsion bars in place.
If you are a straight shooter, you’ll post here again after the torsion bar swap and be honest about what happened.

 

[dfrazz]

Go ahead, ignore people that are trying to help. The bushing looked bad from here. It must distort under a load after driving it so what you experienced will also happen with the new torsion bars in place.
If you are a straight shooter, you’ll post here again after the torsion bar swap and be honest about what happened.

Not ignoring, posting what I’m seeing and asking for help like my OG post. The bushing looked good when I pulled the bar meaning there was no damage that I saw. I figure can’t go wrong with bigger bars and it’s an easy swap. I may replace the bushing while it’s out since I have thanksgiving break coming up.

 

[hunt2elk]

Did you inspect the rear torsion bar mount to eliminate that area as a problem? I also agree that you need to replace those control arm bushings while you are waiting for the new bars, they are shot.