"You need to do the whole front end."

[ckessel]

On my cars I always redo the front suspension/steering components and brakes. Like mentioned above a complete suspension kit is usually less than $500.
I would hate to loose my life or hurt somebody else if I crashed, all over $500.

I second that! There are many places on vehicles not to get "Alligator Arms".

 

[signalsparks]

We don’t really have enough information yet. What Exactly is the front end problem. What are the plans and budget for the car? Maybe a complete rebuild is not in the budget. What kinds of driving are you looking to do? Run to the Corner store or Cruise at 80 down the freeway?

Finding and replacing the actual bad parts and a correct alignment can make it drive good again.

remember that youngster on here Last spring with a 70 coronet with all the front end trouble? We finally got out of him that the car was lowered onto the bump stops with rubber band tires and he couldn’t understand why it wouldn’t drive worth a hoot. Then he vanished.

we need the whole story.

I'm running on stock steel wheels, stock suspension height. Front end seems ok (I've driven everything from a 1955 VW Bug to a 1986 40' Blue Bird bus, a 1980 Ramcharger, and beyond.) The rubber everywhere in the front end looks old and cracked, and there's clunks in the front in parking lots, and rattle in the back as I drive around. Leaf Spring bushings? It looks pretty simple back there. I did replace the rear shocks a few months ago.

Kinds of driving? MOSTLY cruising around town, weekend stuff. Currently we have two cars; this and my commuter, a 2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i with the 6-speed stick. Wife hasn't yet been 'checked out' on the Plymouth, and we haven't had a chance to get her comfortable with it, so she only drives the Subie. I commute 35 miles each way twice a week, and lately I've mostly taken the Plymouth to work, which I'd rather not do. Some day, we'll replace the minivan that got hit-and-run totalled in early August, but she hasn't decided what she wants yet Long-term, the plan is to have the Plymouth as a weekend cruiser and backup transport in case of emergency.

 

[inverse1216]

Mancini racing sells a kit that includes all the "specialty" tools you need to work on the front end, call ahead and check availability it took 4 months before i saw it though. As mentioned before PST sells a entire kit which i also purchased.

 

[signalsparks]

Mancini racing sells a kit that includes all the "specialty" tools you need to work on the front end, call ahead and check availability it took 4 months before i saw it though. As mentioned before PST sells a entire kit which i also purchased.

Thanks for that tip! I hope I can see the list and check that against what I already have lying around. I changed out the ball joints and half-shafts on a 1991 Nissan Sentra a few years back, I have a few air tools...

 

[inverse1216]

Thanks for that tip! I hope I can see the list and check that against what I already have lying around. I changed out the ball joints and half-shafts on a 1991 Nissan Sentra a few years back, I have a few air tools...

So I tore my suspension apart last night to start the rebuild and found that my lower control arm shafts are worn out and that is not included in the kit. I would suggest ordering those as well.

 

[JG71B]

Do it all. Once

 

[Carcinogen]

For me it was easier to replace upper and lower control arms with new.

To me Was worth the time and aggravation ,upper control arm was also in bad shape. Came with bushings and ball joints installed, took off crusty parts, cleaned decades of gunk off frame then put new parts on. After figuring time spent cleaning, finding shop ,Driving, waiting Then drive back to pick back up, new replacement is not too much more.

Something to consider as I don’t have a shop or press and tried to reduce downtime.

 

[Don Frelier]

So I tore my suspension apart last night to start the rebuild and found that my lower control arm shafts are worn out and that is not included in the kit. I would suggest ordering those as well.

Your pivot shafts are worn? You aren't talking about the lower control arm pivot shaft bushing are you?
I don't know how a pivot shaft would get damaged.

 

[ckessel]

And if the shafts are damaged, what does the k-frame look like?

 

[MoparLeo]

Like patching a tire without knowing how many or exactly where the holes are. Buy a new tire. If it is new you don't have to know any history because it doesn't have one.
Is it about money ? or what ? The worst thing you can do by rebuilding the front end is spending a few hundred dollars, that you will spend anyway eventually if you want to safely drive your car.

 

[inverse1216]

Your pivot shafts are worn? You aren't talking about the lower control arm pivot shaft bushing are you?
I don't know how a pivot shaft would get damaged.

And if the shafts are damaged, what does the k-frame look like?

Sorry shaft bushings. the control arm itself is clearly "loose" you can wobble the shaft and bushing assembly in the arm itself. Now I see why they sell the stiffening plates. I weighed out my options and decided to go with the QA1 tubular lower control arm.