1970 Fury III Convertible 126115 miles: Intro & Planned 440/727 Swap

[1970FuryConv]

FRONT TIRES AND ALIGNMENT
· Cassidy Auto installed my Cooper Cobra tires 23570R15 on my front rims. Said the bead seats were fine, no rust. Tire mount with new valve stems $55.

· Roger Cassidy (previous owner) came in to assist Patrick Cassidy (current owner & son) in aligning my 1970 Fury convertible. Roger is retired and knows older cars.

· They first soaked the upper control arm cammed bolts and nuts with rust penetrant, because the cam bolts are notorious for breaking. Fortunately the nuts came loose on mine.

· Centered the steering wheel.

· They set camber with the cam bolts.

· They set caster with shims on the upper control arm

· They set toe using the adjustable stock steering linkage on both sides

· Comprehensive alignment was $80. WORTH EVERY PENNY. Don’t expect a toe-and-go price if you want comprehensive alignment. Also, I told Patrick about new rear springs. He says he’ll check caster for free.

· COMPLIMENT: Patrick took some pictures of my car on his alignment rack, which he is supposed to put on his website. If I can copy those pictures and post them I will.

· ANOTHER COMPLIMENT, Patrick has a one carport on his lot and at least 20 cars. He put my car under the carport after it was done.

· THIRD COMPLIMENT, a black man in a blue Taurus was going to pull out of Cassidy Auto ahead of me. He looked over and saw me waiting to the side for him to pull out so I could pull out. He smiled, backed up, and motioned for me to go first. Undoubtedly he wanted to hear that Fury take off. I turned right, matted it, and did not disappoint.
RESPECT THE C-BODY!

 

[Aidan1976]

Fantastic detail, information and photography in this thread Ben, keep it up mate! Brilliant!

 

[Aidan1976]

I see that Cooper have changed the RWL script/font. Balls! I need a 235/70R15 tyre with the previous lettering style

 

[1970FuryConv]

1970 Fury III 440/727/8.75. Eaton Detroit Leaf Springs ML725 Installed with IKC1000 Install Kit
This is right side leaf spring. Left side is that same procedure.
· Lower shock: axle on jack stands. ¾”ls & gun to remove nut & curved washer. Rag around a Pipe to pry off shocks. Jacked axle off stands. Jackstands under rear subframe, wooden blocks to inside of opening to access front hanger nuts. Jack under axle at full extension down. Jackstand under RS axle. Keep right side from falling down.

· WD-40: all fasteners. I used 4 applications of WD-40 to all fasteners over 6 days prior to doing the job. Then I applied it before removing each fastener. In all deference to John @Big_John (who is very knowledgeable and whose advice I regularly seek out and who recommended PB Blaster & the nut buster) this car has been garage kept. There was no need for anything stronger than WD-40, so I went with Dave’s @polara71 recommendation of using WD-40. Also, WD-40 is just a magical chemical for taking squeak out of door hinges, making hood hinges open easily, getting nuts off rusty bolts, etc. As you will see, WD-40 worked out fine with this car. I’ll keep PB Blaster and the nut buster in mind for rustier situations.

· U-bolt nuts: with ¾” ls & impact gun. U-Bolt-Shock Plate: remove. U-bolts: remove. Note IKCC1000 U-bolts are 1.125” longer than factory and really need to be cut to be used on 1970 Fury suspension. My factory U-bolts were in good condition from when I added 3.23 sure grip 8.75” axle and recycled 8.25” axle in 2016. I reused the factory u-bolts.

· Rear Spring Hanger/Mount: remove 3 bolts: 9/16”ss, ½” bb & rat. Guide rear end of spring onto cardboard on floor. Front Spring Hanger/Mount: Remove 4 nuts holding the front spring mount, 9/16 ls, ½ R, 9/16 ls, 3/8 stub R. Removed upper nuts 1st. Hanger: push to rear & let down with the front of the spring. (Having an assistant helps)

· Front Spring Eye: Spring in vise. 15/16” ss & ½” bb & pipe on nut; 15/16” ls & ½ BB & pipe on bolt head. Remove nut & bolt. Compare to install kit bolt. OEM has larger bolt head. OEM has much more smooth surface and is 1/8” longer than the IKC1000 bolt. Very little of bolt extends out now. Did not like Eaton shorter bolt and coarse thread. Decided to reuse factory bolt and nut.

Front Hanger

Factory Spring Eye Bolt: Check out length beyond nut

Factory bolt below. Can't lose that 1/8"

· Rear Shackle: Place rear of spring in vise. 11/16” ls, ½ BB & R, remove both nuts. Slide offset bracket off of shackle. Slide shackle & hanger out of spring.

Spring Comparison

· IKC1000 install kit, bushings: springs are 2.5” wide. Bushings fit exactly at spring eye, even though the shackles are wrong, because of no offset. Upper bolt at rear hanger is wider. 2.5” bushings will leave gap of at least .75”. Need a center bushing to compensate. Left factory bushings in place because they felt tight and didn’t show much wear. You need bushings for the rear spring eye or you buy the $74.99 kit. I spoke on the phone with Mike at Eaton Detroit Springs about the shackles being wrong, but I need to update that information with the information that a set of bushings from the install kit must be supplied with the springs, or you can’t do the job.

Split bushings installed in rear spring eye

 

[1970FuryConv]

Rear hanger bolt wider than IKC1000 Shackle

· Hangers & Shackle: clean on wire wheel, then CRC Brake Clean. 2 coats POR15 Gloss Black.
Front Hanger

Rear

· Clamp rear of new spring in vise. 2 sides of rubber bushing in rear spring eye. Wider stud of shackle is inside hanger. Smaller stud goes in spring eye. Mount smaller side of shackle by hand. Flat side of shackle faces outside of car. Rear Shackle Offset Bracket facing interior: 11/16” ls, 3/8 TW & install nuts. 40’lbs.

Offset plate installed

· Clamp front of new spring in vise, towel in vise. Front Spring Eye Hanger/Mount: 15/16” ss & ½” torque wrench on nut & 15/16” ls, ½ BB, pipe on bolt, which assistant braced against vise: 125’lbs

· Spring under car. Slide on cardboard
· Front spring hanger/mount: 4 nuts @30’lbs, 9/16 ls, 3/8 air ratchet, 3/8 TW

 

[1970FuryConv]

· Rear Spring Hanger/Mount: Asst helped push up rear of spring. Install 3 bolts: 9/16”ss, 3/8 stub R, 3/8 Air ratchet, & 3/8 torque wrench @ 30’lbs

· Install u-bolts on plate. Shock mount to inside rear. ¾”ls & 3/8 AR, 3/8 torque wrench @ 45’lbs. I like the factory U-bolt length and this proves that you can use them on 5 or 6 leaf springs. My 50 year-old springs were 5-leaf to match 318. New springs are 6-leaf stock height to match 440.

· POR 15 gloss black, later dabbed on installed exposed fasteners
RS Spring installed

Springs are same both sides
Front Hangers look same. Left side

· Rear shackle is mirror image of right side, with offset again to inside. Could be all the same parts, but with shackle offset reversed.

Springs installed

 

[1970FuryConv]

· Before: Measure garage floor to lower edge of Pinch weld behind front tires 9” both sides. Pinch weld in front of rear tires 8 3/8” both sides

· After: Distance to bottom of pinch weld about 10” front and back. Need to remeasure, but I was running out of daylight.

· Test Drive: Drive quality vastly improved. Handling was sloppy and bouncy before. No longer the case. Car feels much tighter. Eaton Detroit ML725 Springs A+ (Made in Detroit USA A++). Install kit IKC1000: used 2 sets of bushings for the rear spring eyes. Saved second set of bushings for another car. Rear shackles do not have offset and are wrong for 1970 and later rear spring hangers. Front spring eye bolts were 1/8” too short, coarse thread, not enough smooth surface. U-bolts were 1 1/8” too long. Needed to be cut, new ends beveled, threads trued with die. Overall, love the Made in USA Springs. $741 including Fedex ship was money well spent.
Some pics

Test Drive: Sunset on white paint

Quarter shot. Stance dramatically improved

Rear level

Eaton Springs: recommended

I hope the next stop for my car will be a body man to rough in a metal right side lower quarter. And repair the body line at the right side door.

 

[ayilar]

@1970FuryConv -- as you know, I am in the process of ordering springs for my two BB Polara 'verts. I have already ordered one set of 6-leaf springs and related parts (not the original 5-leaf, and not the HD -leaf option either) from ESPO Spring 'n Things for my EW1 N-code, and I now want to order a second set (this time the OEM 5-leaf springs) from Eaton for my FQ3 L-code. Part of the idea is to make a direct comparison between the springs from ESPO and Eaton.

However, as I mentioned a couple of days ago in this thread, before I spend $700+ on US-made Eaton springs I'd like to know what they did right in your order and what is incorrect. From what I see in your posts, am I right that the shackles were completely wrong (which they should have known), the U-bolts were too long (is that a Fury-specific issue, or would it apply to all 1970 fusie 'verts?), and the bolts were shorter and too coarsely threaded? If so, then I will let William at Eaton know that, unless they fix the issue, I may be ordering my second set from ESPO instead.

I look forward to your reply!

PS: Also, can you please explain which bushings Eaton supplied and whether any of them could have been used? Regardless, it looks like their install kit is a (bad) joke?

PPS: would the Moog K7308 rear leaf spring bushings work as an alternative to the incorrect ones provided in the Eaton kit?

 

[1970FuryConv]

@1970FuryConv -- as you know, I am in the process of ordering springs for my two BB Polara 'verts. I have already ordered one set of 6-leaf springs and related parts (not the original 5-leaf, and not the HD -leaf option either) from ESPO Spring 'n Things for my EW1 N-code, and I now want to order a second set (this time the OEM 5-leaf springs) from Eaton for my FQ3 L-code. Part of the idea is to make a direct comparison between the springs from ESPO and Eaton.

However, as I mentioned a couple of days ago in this thread, before I spend $700+ on US-made Eaton springs I'd like to know what they did right in your order and what is incorrect. From what I see in your posts, am I right that the shackles were completely wrong (which they should have known), the U-bolts were too long (is that a Fury-specific issue, or would it apply to all 1970 fusie 'verts?), and the bolts were shorter and too coarsely threaded? If so, then I will let William at Eaton know that, unless they fix the issue, I may be ordering my second set from ESPO instead.

I look forward to your reply!

PS: Also, can you please explain which bushings Eaton supplied and whether any of them could have been used? Regardless, it looks like their install kit is a (bad) joke?

PPS: would the Moog K7308 rear leaf spring bushings work as an alternative to the incorrect ones provided in the Eaton kit?

• SHACKLES WERE COMPLETELY WRONG
• SHACKLE BUSHINGS WERE RIGHT FOR REAR SPRING EYE ONLY, SO YOU HAVE 2 SETS OF LEFTOVER BUSHINGS. MOOG K7308 NEED TO BE FOR 2.5" SPRINGS. DON'T SEE DIMENSIONS IN SUMMIT AD. IF YOU ORDER THE EATON SPRINGS, $11.99 FOR A SPRING EYE BUSHING KIT SAVES OVER $74.99 OVER EATON'S WRONG INSTALL KIT. ON BUSHINGS AT THE HANGER, I SUPPOSE YOU COULD ORDER 2 MOOG KITS AND CUT CENTER .75" BUSHINGS FROM THE SECOND KIT BECAUSE I MEASURED THE HANGER BUSHING AT 3.25" WIDE. YOU WOULD NEED TO REMEASURE THAT TO BE SURE.
• U-BOLTS WERE 1 1/8" TOO LONG. APPLIES TO ALL 1970 FUSIES WITH 8.75 OR 8.25 REAR. NOT SURE ABOUT DANA 60. LOOK AT THE MOUNTED U-BOLT PIC, THEN LOOK AT YOURS. I BET THEY LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME.
• SPRING EYE BOLTS WERE 1/8" TOO SHORT AND COARSE THREAD AND HAD LESS THAN 2.5" SMOOTH SURFACE.
• OVERALL, I LOVE THE EATON SPRINGS, BUT YOU NEED TO SOURCE INSTALL PARTS ELSEWHERE.
• SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO REPLY BUT I HAVE BEEN DOING TAXES ALL WEEK. UGH!

 

[ayilar]

Thanks a lot @1970FuryConv – most helpful. Have you told the folks at Eaton about the incorrect install kit?

 

[1970FuryConv]

Thanks a lot @1970FuryConv – most helpful. Have you told the folks at Eaton about the incorrect install kit?

I told them that the shackle is wrong. I need to call back and get credit. I haven't told them about the rest yet.

 

[1970FuryConv]

@ayilar I did call for credit. I spoke to Will and then Mike concerning all the problems with the install kit. Mike says he has a man working on it. I hope they will make corrections.

I looked at my 1971 Fury GT: it has a rectangular rubber bushing around the leaf spring, which would increase the required length for the u-bolts. What they have now might be right for 1971 and later if you were going to reuse that rubber bushing or replace it with another.

 

[RGORHAM29]

Wow. I just caught up to your thread. Amazing work.

 

[1970FuryConv]

Wow. I just caught up to your thread. Amazing work.

Thank you!
Working through some charging system problems now. Main connection in my ammeter separated. Ran 10 gauge wire from alternator to starter relay battery post.

I installed voltage regulator and Bosch voltmeter from Advance Auto. Voltmeter never worked and I returned for credit. VR works, but not that great. Both parts made of Chineseium. Furious after jackknifing myself under the dash to install the voltmeter. Like the people at Advance and need them to work with me, so I didn't blow up at them, although I did tell them what went wrong and how much work was undone by Bosch.

Made in USA parts on order:
· Autometer Voltmeter 2645, Black of Course: order from US Auto Parts on eBay $54.52 delivery by 3/18
· Mopar Voltage Regulator P4529794: $62.63 with 2nd day air, Summit Racing

Still it's been fun to have it on the road after a long cold wet winter. Engine starts like a new car. Suspension got an awesome upgrade with the Eaton springs. Not driving it as much as I'd like, Yet!

 

[1970FuryConv]

· Mopar Voltage Regulator P4529794: arrived from Summit Racing

· New Select voltage regulator: remove the Advance auto parts voltage regulator. Upper bolt is ½ long socket, 3 inch extension, ¼ ratchet. Lower bolt is 13 mm long socket, 3 inch extension, ¼ ratchet.

· Mopar voltage regulator: black paint around both mounting holes. Removed from lower mounting hole, small grinder on drill, while assistant held voltage regulator steady on table. Stopped when surface was shiny and I knew ground wire would have good contact.

· Voltage regulator ground wire: measured 16 inches to firewall to engine ground. 5/16 ID ring connector at voltage regulator, crimp on. ¼ inch ID ring connector at firewall ground, crimp on. Install firewall ground connector, 3/8 long socket, 3 inch extension, ¼ ratchet. Slide wire into wire loom.

· Mopar voltage regulator, install: install upper mounting bolt 1st. Install connector against bare metal portion of voltage regulator, thick washer and then bolt in. Resistance to ground from connector at voltage regulator to battery negative, .2 ohms

· Start up: 14.6 V at battery. 14.73 V at alternator output.

· Test drive to gas station: upon return home charging voltage at battery 14.0 V. Charging voltage at alternator output 14.23 V. Headlights on: voltage at battery 14.24 V. Voltage at alternator output 14.46 V. Turn signal on: charging at battery varied between 14.46 V and 14.27 bolts. Alternator output voltage was approximately .25 V more. For the 1st time I have a working voltage regulator and voltage at battery is close to alternator output.

 

[1970FuryConv]

Issues before travel
Ammeter no longer operational. Shows discharge all the time
No Made in USA on Gage face, but it works. 14 volts for 3 hours to NC

 

[1970FuryConv]

Leaf spring removed body sag
Before: Good contact between left vent frame and windshield weatherstrip
After: light contact and squeak city
· Door vent glass was now too far away from the weatherstripping at the top corner of the vent frame. When I drove and hit bumps, the vent frame made squeaking noise against the rubber weather strip because it wasn’t in full contact with the weatherstrip.
An old pic, same door, from when I first put door glass in.

· Door panel: remove

· Vent glass adjust. There are 4 fasteners in total. 1) at the top of the door under the vent glass. 2) at the bottom of the front door glass channel which is also the back of the vent glass frame. 3) at the top front of the door shell and 4) at the center front of the door shell. All of these can be loosened and tightened with 7/16 long socket or ½ long socket, 3/8 ratchet. Loosen 1st 2 bolts. Loosen the top front bolt, but leave it snug so it acts as a pivot.
Note: GREEN DOOR. Someone side swiped something. Replaced left side door and fender. I believe also installed new left side quarter. Gary is checking that.
1)

2)

3)

· Adjust top of vent glass frame: loosen 4) center front door shell adj nut and move outward in slot. This moves the top of the vent glass in. Move out 4) enough that top corner of vent frame is aligned with top corner of front windshield trim. Also such that the vent frame is near parallel to the stainless steel front windshield trim. And such that the vent frame is tight against the weatherstripping. Tighten this bolt and the top front door shell bolt. This takes a few tries to get right, because I had to check to see if the door glass would go fully up and down after each try. Adjust 4) too far out and it does not have full motion.
4)

· Position the door glass at the top of its channel. Tighten 1) the upper rear vent frame bolt. While guiding the door glass up and down using my left hand and cranking with my right hand, I found a position for the bottom of the front channel/vent glass frame where the glass could go all the way up and all the way down. Tighten 2) bolt at bottom of door shell and bottom of front channel. This adjuster has a lot of play and tightening it can limit door glass motion if the adjuster moves.

After adj

 

[1970FuryConv]

Door Glass Adjust (continued)
· Rear Channel. For the rear corner of the vent glass not to be sitting too far down versus the top of the Quarter glass, I adjusted the rear channel to the top of its travel. To do this I loosened the 2 lower bracket mounting bolts, 7/16 long socket, 3/8 ratchet. I also loosened the lower rear channel adjuster nut, 7/16 short socket, swivel, 6 inch extension, 3/8 ratchet. Finally I loosened the up down adjuster bolt in its slot at the top rear of the door shell. I moved the channel as high as possible in its travel, noting that the position was the same on the passenger side. I snugged the top bolt such that the channel cannot fall. (Didn't take pic of that bolt. Shoot.)

· I used the crank to move the glass all the way to its down position and tried to hold it fast while I moved the glass up and down. In other words I reached through with my left hand to hold the bottom of the channel in different positions while cranking with my right hand. It is extremely difficult to then switch hands on the rear channel and insert (thru hole visible at bottom rear of door shell) the 7/16 short socket, swivel, 6 inch extension, 3/8 ratchet to tighten the nut in the correct position. (Really needed to go inside and ask for a door glass crank assistant. Stubbornness and wasted time triumphed) Took several tries to get free motion of door glass all the way up and all the way down. Tighten upper rear channel bolt ½ long socket, 3/8 ratchet.

· All of the adjustments above took several attempts before everything was right. The factory shop manual directions in the body section 23 – 71 through 23 – 73 were of some help, but were no substitute for experimentation.

· Door panel: install.

 

[1970FuryConv]

2021-03-23
· drove 3 hours to Gary’s @Wollfen home

· Bodywork: Gary is going to make a new metal panel for the lower right side quarter panel. He will correct the body line on the right side door. And he will add new metal where there are rust bubbles at the rocker panel near bottom rear corner of the door. There is no rust in the door. He is going to weld the metal into place. He is going to apply epoxy primer and then body filler. He expects to finish job in 2 weeks

· 440 Gas mileage: I left home with a full tank. 26303 miles at home; 26472 at Shell gas station, 95 exit 121. I filled up after driving 169 miles by odometer. Gage showing 1/8 tank. The tank took 17.02 gallons to refill. The car is getting approximately 10 miles per gallon driven at 80 miles per hour by speedometer.

· Speedometer/odometer accuracy. While I was driving 80 miles an hour, Wife (in following Dodge Nitro) said that it was 75 mph or above on her speedometer. My speedometer is registering approximately 6% too high (maybe less). Because it’s pretty close, I’m not going to worry about it.

Gas Gage: when the 24-Gallon tank is full the gauge registers empty (Missed something when I redid the tank and sending unit.) When the tank gets down to about half full, the gage starts registering properly. When it gets down to 1/8 of a tank, there are approximately 7 gallons left in the tank. 1/8 of 24 gallons is 3, therefore, the tank has a 4 gallon reserve

 

[1970FuryConv]

Right Side Quarter Panel
Body work ongoing. Took Stan's @commando1 advice on next $ spent
2021-03-25
Gary @Wollfen Notes: Ben, here are some pics of work I started doing today. As you will see there was more rust in the wheel arch than was visible, the wheel arch mold covered some, but there is also a lot of body filler in this quarter panel running along about four feet or more of the panel. It is over 1/8 in thick in places too. We can't do much about it as removing all the body filler and trying to massage four feet of panel out would be a nightmare. I am going to leave it, I am fixing the rust, seal it with epoxy primer, then build the original bodyline back up using filler. The lower quarter piece is tacked into place but not yet finished, also the part above the wheel arch has been cut out and a new piece test fitted. I also played with the dents in the door and massaged them out Regards, Gary
Gary's pictures

Identifying Sanding, Grinding, Removing rust and filler