Z062

can someone tell me how to take apart the front suspension on a 62. I have my frame completely disassembled, but I pulled the front crossmember off intact. I am planning to disassemble, powder coat, and install new bushings in the front suspension components. a good book title that references this subject would be appreciated as well. TIA :cheers:

thanx

DZAUTO

It is all pretty much straight forward, once you get the springs removed. You can either use a spring compressor, or, do as I do. Buy a 3ft length of 1/2in all thread, some nuts and washers. Remove the shock. Insert the all thread through the holes where the shock mounts with nuts/washers on each end. Oil the threads. Tighten the nuts just enough to slightly compress the spring. Remove the LOWER, OUTER PIN connecting the lower A-frame to the spindle support. Loosen the nuts to allow the lower A-frame to come down until the spring is completely expanded.

ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pay ATTENTION to this!!!!!!!!!! After you remove the upper, inner bushings from the upper A-frame, and then remove the upper A-frame, THE UPPER A-FRAME SHAFT ONLY COMES OUT AND GOES BACK IN ------------------ONE WAY! If you do it wrong, you will screw up the holes in the spring tower!!!!!----------------------THE UPPER, INNER SHAFT ONLY COMES OUT AND GOES BACK IN FROM THE FRONT SIDE. The threads on this shaft are a tiny bit bigger on one end than the other end. Same goes for the replacement shaft. Replacement shafts are supposed to come with .002 larger threads where the shaft screws into the spring tower. When you replace the new shaft, CAREFULLY measure each end so that it is installed with equal length threads protruding from each side. For a removal tool, use a big pipe wrench. For an installation tool, use the old, LOWER, OUTER A-frame pin (bolt) and bushing which you remove from the lower end of the spindle support. Now, if you don't replace any of the pins/shafts/bushings, then disregard all of the above.

For removing/replacing the kingpins, first pry out the dust cap from the top (if it is still in place. Remove the upper and lower snap rings. There is a nut, in the center of the spindle support, remove it and drive out the lock pin. Use a sharp pointed punch and hammer to punch a hole into either the top or bottom cap which is under the snaprings you removed. Pry out the cap. Use a blunt punch and hammer to drive out the kingpin which will knock out the cap on the other end. BETWEEN THE SPINDLE AND SPINDLE SUPPORT, THERE IS A THRUST BEARING AND SOME SHIMS (2 OR 3). PAY ATTENTION TO THE LOCATION OF THE BEARING AND THE WAY IT IS POSITIONED AND THE LOCATION OF THE SHIMS. The bushings, inside each end of the spindle are SUPPOSED to be floating. They SHOULD push out easily. If they are tight/rusted, then drive them out CAREFULLY. Use fine emery cloth to smooth up the inside of the hole if it is rusted. CLEAN thoroughly. When you put it all back together, install as many shims as you can possibly get in. BE SURE THAT THE GREASE HOLES IN THE NEW BUSHINGS LINE UP WITH THE HOLES FOR THE GREASE ZERKS IN EACH SIDE OF THE SPINDLE. After installing the bushings, bearing, shims, kingpin and lockpin/nut, then install a cap ineach end with the convex side OUT. Smack it with a drift or blunt punch to tighten it in the hole and install the snaprings. The remaining cap only goes in the top.
After that, everything else is very straight forward.
One last thing. The upper, outer pin, the one with the excentric, has a hex hole in ONE END only. THIS HEX HOLE MUST GO TO THE BUSHING WITH A GREASE ZERK AND IT FACES tHE REAR. This hex hole is one of the places where front end alignment is accomplished. This is done by removing the grease zerk and inserting an Allen wrench to turn the excentric. If the hex hole is placed where the solid bushing is, you can't perform this part of the alingment process.
Hope this helps.

59er

1/2a62,

Follow Toms instructions and you won't have any dramas.

I did and didn't!

The only item that gave me grief (a lot) was the upper shafts. I think the oversize was too much and I had a lot (spells A LOT) of trouble getting the shafts in.

I bought a complete front end kit from CC but they can't tell you what oversize the shafts are.

Good Luck!!!!

Z062

59'er, nice car!!!

Tom, thanx for the detail, I'll try it tomorrow, but I may get back with you with questions, I would hate to ruin anything and it sounds touchy.

DZAUTO

It's true that sometimes the upper inner A-frame cross shaft can be hard to screw into the spring tower. THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE! Since you have your cross member out, it may make it more difficult to install the upper inner shaft. Therefore, you MAY wish to wait until you have the cross member bolted to the frame, and then install the upper inner shaft. This will be REAL easy (relatively) if the cross member is bolted to the frame AND the body is off.

If you need to call me, the phone is 405-745-8383.

Z062

only one question for now, do any of these connections use left hand threads? I would hate to be putting a pipe on anything only to be tightening.

Thanx

DZAUTO

No. Nowhere on the car.

Z062

Thanx for the help Tom. I have removed the components intact from the front crossmember by removing the spring with allthread as you suggested and then removing the four bolts holding the lower a arm assembly to the crossmember then removing the 2 large end nuts on the upper a arm. I am planning to get the frame powder coated and I didnt want to take all of the suspension apart until I am ready to powder coat it and rebuild it. it looks like the large upper bolt threads are in good shape so I am just going to have them masked when they powder coat and leave them in place. I have a bad rear crossmember and a battery tray to replace, then I have to grind off some leftover pieces of a trailer hitch someone has welded onto the rear frame rails.after all of this is done I will start tearing down the a-arms and powder coating the parts. hopefully in a month or so. anyway, thanx again for the help, I have your post filed away for when it all has to be reassembled.

Cya :cheers:

DZAUTO

Here is a method to check for loosness of the upper inner bushings/shaft. Screw the bushings back onto the same positions where they were located (if you marked their locations). Try to rock the bushings back and forth on the threads. If they will rock, they have wear. Period. If you do not wish to replace the upper inner shafts/bushings, then here is an old timer's trick for reducing the loosness (temporarily). Swap aroung the bushings until you have a combination where they fit with less looseness than when they were on their original threads. Since these cars generally do not accumulate as many miles as they did when new, you probably won't produce a lot of wear. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THESE OLD SUSPENSIONS GREASED. If you don't own a grease gun, INVEST IN ONE AND USE IT. This is the ONLY way to increase the life and reduce the wear of these old frontends.

K2

Hey Scott, Just wondering if you have a rear crossmember yet as I have a good one left over from a totalled 62 that I parted out years ago. If you need it, let me know. :cheers:

chris ritchie

How do you check for looseness of the upper inners with the crossmember assembled and on the car; the suspension unloaded (car on jackstands); and, the wheels off?

I know my front suspension control arm bushings need work. But I don't know which ones. Right now, I've got the car up on jackstands in order to do some other work which will not be done until Spring. In the meantime, I'd like to start on the front suspension.

Z062

I have ordered a new one. Thanx for the offer. If the repop looks like crap I will give you a call, but its way underneath so Im guessing it shouldnt be too bad.

Cya :cheers:

Z062

Good tip Tom, I will check that. I planned to buy new bushings, I will try it with them too. I think the shafts come in the kit so I may just go ahead and change them when the time comes, now that ive ripped into it its not looking as formidable as when its all on the car.

Cya :cheers: