Gaging worn suspension parts?

[AR67GTX]

So I finally got the front suspension on my 67 GTX taken apart. Surprisingly most of the parts look pretty good and feel tight. The upper ball joints are MOOG and feel tight as do the lower ones. But I guess while it's apart I might as well put the new ones in.

The only two areas that look suspicious are:

- the lower control arm bushings - just how loose should I expect those things to be? The only thing that seems tight to the lower shaft, is the torsion bar arm and socket. The bushing is otherwise loose as a goose to the control arm. I assume that's not right? Are the shafts themselves subject to much wear - wondering if I should replace them?

- the front strut bushing assemblies did not have a sleeve installed which my service manual shows. I assume this was an omission by someone?

I plan to replace everything while I have it apart but just curious as to how much improvement I'm going to see out of this. I've had some strange creaks and groans out of the suspension for a couple of years.

 

[TTR]

Ok, I'll take a stab at answering this. First of all, I don't claim to be an expert but having restored and worked on almost every aspect of all types of vintage cars for over 35 years (25+ years professionally) I might have enough experience to offer some advise.

Wear on suspension components can some times be difficult to detect, especially if they've been already removed from the car and the wear is not obviously excessive. I find it easiest to assess everything while the suspension (and the entire car) is still together. I start by raising the car up, remove tires and lower the car on to jack stands placed under the lower control arm as close to ball joints as possible. This allows the suspension to be in similar position as under normal use conditions. Then using some variety of long pry bars between any (ball or bushing) jointed components to see if any noticeable "play" is present.

Rubber bushings, unless completely collapsed or worn, I recommend to be replaced every ten year or less (this is ALSO where keeping good service records, even with hobby/vintage cars, becomes handy) regardless of their condition, since the rubber in them deteriorates or dries up within that time frame whether being used or not and often starts "creaking and groaning" before coming apart.

Wear on the steering linkage joints like idler or pitman arms and tie-rod ends is easiest to assess by viewing them individually (while still assembled) under the car, while assistant is rotating the steering wheel back-and-forth slightly more than its "free play" allows.

But since you're already beyond above options, I agree with the idea of replacing everything "while you're at it", but also recommend using only high quality replacement components (like MOOG, etc.) and annual service schedules to ensure trouble free enjoyment for years to come.

Personally, I'm not a fan of urethane type bushings in vintage cars intended for road/street type driving as they tend to change the "driving characteristics" or the "feel" and not necessarily always favorably.
I can see their benefits in more competitive or spirited use, like track driving, but for leisurely street cruising or highway touring, not quite so much. But that's just me and since my preferred choices for extended road trips usually involve a bit older vintage, like the one pictured below and slated for highly anticipated +/- 2500 mile, two week vacation trip to, around and back from Yellowstone next summer, I might have bias ;-)

 

[TxDon]

All good advice by TTR. I'm also not an expert but have had MANY cars with worn out suspension parts. The suspension and the brakes are the two areas most often ignored by car owners, due to safety concerns they should be given the most attention!

A quick check of steering linkage is to jack up each front wheel individually, grab the sides and shake back and forth. There should be no visible freeplay if everything is good. Then grab the top and bottom of the wheel and do the same thing, again it should be tight, if not the wheel bearings are loose or possibly worn ball joints. Unfortunately you already have it apart but TTR's comments cover that.

As far as rubber bushings they should be tight and crack free, any looseness means replacement.

 

[AR67GTX]

Thanks for the replies. I've worked on other cars but not a Mopar suspension rebuild before and I'm learning as I go. I did do a bit of prying around on the suspension before I started disassembling it but I couldn't pick up on any play or looseness. In disassembly, I only noticed that a few fasteners were obviously not as tight as they should be and one LCA shafts started turning in the bushing due to the nut hanging up on a burr or something on the threads.

I didn't realize how sloppy the LCAs are with the play between the torsion bar socket/arm and the control arm itself. I know the struts are suppose to take the play out but it's still surprising. I can tell that all the bushings have been replaced before and probably not real long before I bought it in 2001.

I also realized after posting that the strut bushings are sleeved but each side has it's own sleeve rather than a sleeve through both. They look like the MOOG improved design bushings (?). I was planning to install PST poly strut bushings here but that is the only poly I was planning to use in the suspension. The bushings are out and in the trash but I almost hate to toss the MOOG upper ball joints as they are very tight and with no apparent wear. I have new PST ball joints and assume they are a quality piece also. Can't tell the origin of the lower ball joints but they are tight also.

I guess I'll replace everything but I'm not as hopeful I will see much difference from the rebuild.