Front suspension advice
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Joined: Nov 2013
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From: Twin Bridges Montana
Front suspension advice
All,
Spent the better part of a day removing the existing front suspension from my 1972 frame as I get ready to restore it.
Looks like a bit of damage somewhere in the past to the right front, the right front lower a-arm mount has been repair welded, badly, so I am getting a new mount and gusset from Zip and will have a local frame shop do the repair. (Not trusting my welding to keep the front wheel on the vehicle.)
As far as the suspension, the left front is the original riveted hub and rotor, the right is a replacement separate hub and rotor. I see Duntov has original riveted hub and rotors, whch I think I'd like to go back to... pros and cons on that?
On that damaged right front, I had to saw the upper ball joint in half, could not get it to pop loose and now have a spindle with half a ball joint stem stuck in it. Figure I will just get a new/reconditioned spindle and be done with it. The left spindle looks good but wondering if I should replace both, just 'cause?
Spent the better part of a day removing the existing front suspension from my 1972 frame as I get ready to restore it.
Looks like a bit of damage somewhere in the past to the right front, the right front lower a-arm mount has been repair welded, badly, so I am getting a new mount and gusset from Zip and will have a local frame shop do the repair. (Not trusting my welding to keep the front wheel on the vehicle.)
As far as the suspension, the left front is the original riveted hub and rotor, the right is a replacement separate hub and rotor. I see Duntov has original riveted hub and rotors, whch I think I'd like to go back to... pros and cons on that?
On that damaged right front, I had to saw the upper ball joint in half, could not get it to pop loose and now have a spindle with half a ball joint stem stuck in it. Figure I will just get a new/reconditioned spindle and be done with it. The left spindle looks good but wondering if I should replace both, just 'cause?
Last edited by greybull; Apr 19, 2014 at 10:08 PM. Reason: Comment was just in poor taste, no need for it.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Westminster Maryland
Hi gb,
In regards to your last comments….
having worked in body shops I'm sure you heard the customer who comes in and says I need to get this taken care of but I don't want to spend a lot of money on it.
The shop is then encouraged do things as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Later owners of the car, who may actually CARE about it, are left to face the consequences of "do it as cheaply as possible"!!!
Tough situation!!!
Regards,
Alan
In regards to your last comments….
having worked in body shops I'm sure you heard the customer who comes in and says I need to get this taken care of but I don't want to spend a lot of money on it.
The shop is then encouraged do things as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Later owners of the car, who may actually CARE about it, are left to face the consequences of "do it as cheaply as possible"!!!
Tough situation!!!
Regards,
Alan
Last edited by Alan 71; Apr 19, 2014 at 12:05 PM.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
From: Twin Bridges Montana
Hi gb,
In regards to your last comments….
having worked in body shops I'm sure you heard the customer who comes in and says I need to get this taken care of but I don't want to spend a lot of money on it.
The shop is then encouraged do things as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Later owners of the car, who may actually CARE, about it are left to face the consequences of "do it as cheaply as possible"!!!
Tough situation!!!
Regards,
Alan
In regards to your last comments….
having worked in body shops I'm sure you heard the customer who comes in and says I need to get this taken care of but I don't want to spend a lot of money on it.
The shop is then encouraged do things as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Later owners of the car, who may actually CARE, about it are left to face the consequences of "do it as cheaply as possible"!!!
Tough situation!!!
Regards,
Alan
Which brings me back to the original questions on the hubs and rotors. Myself I'd rather have the separate hubs and rotors if I was having to maintenance the car, easier to just slide off the rotor and have it surfaced than having to pull the hub and go through all that if one needs to resurface/replace the rotor later. But, since this is a numbers matching car, except for the 3rd member, I'd like to keep it as close to original but this decision has me bouncing back and forth. The cost difference is minimal so the money doesn't really enter into this one.
