Hey guys! Look what I found when I disassembled the passenger side front suspension:


Now for the story - it seems that there's been so many "ah ha's" during this suspension rebuild project.

So at an alignment shop that all the racers recommended when I lived in the OKC area, the guy says that the passenger side lower ball joint is 3/4" or so out of spec. They would want to bend on the control arm to get it back into spec before they would align the car. Well, I had some brake issues also, and they had a laundry list of recommendations. And there were obvious risks in bending on the frame to move the control arm. This was around 98-99, and I didn't want to pay the shop to do all this work. So, no alignment today and I'll take it on later.

Move back to Tulsa. Get behind on a simple exhaust hanger project that results in pulling the transmission during 2000-2001 winter, and here I am in the winter of 2001-2002 rebuilding the suspension.

We knew from looking underneath that the car had been "curbed" at some point, but geesh! How fast would one have to curb to bend this shaft? This is a stout piece of steal. Ugh!

So, do you think this explains why the lower control arm ball joint is out of spec with respect to the rest of the car? I haven't taken a close look at the arm yet - it's washing in the tank getting ready to be blasted. And my friendly neighborhood Chevy parts-man has a new shaft (with bushings, retainers and hardware - probably not mounting hardware) on the way from Detroit courtesy of my promise to pay $57 when it arrives.

With this, the bogus strut rod bushing in the back, the park-brake system, the slop out of the rear wheel bearings, the brake-brake system, etc. all fixed with a four-wheel aligment, I am so pumped about getting back on the road. It will probably drive like a completely different car! I can't wait!

And you guys that don't do this stuff yourself.....I was there once. Do you think that Bubba would have replaced this shaft?

 

Yikes! That's quite a discovery. I think that is the explanation for the misaligned ball joint. It would be a good idea to carefully inspect the a-arm. It could also be bent or cracked.

Bubba would have hauled out the welding torch, heated it up and pounded it nearly straight. The he would have bent the a-arm while intalling the slightly bent cross shaft.

 

:eek: - Nope ! Bubba would try to 'beat' it back into shape - :lol:

Well, here's one for ya, my shaft on the pass. side is installed 'upside' down !
....now the bolts won't tighten all the way. :eek:

 

I agree, Bubba would have heated it up with the blue wrench and beat it straight! :D