Suspension Rebuild This Week

[Dylan Galvin]

The suspension rebuild kit for my 66 Monaco just came in, and I have KYBs showing up on Monday. I know in the FSM there is a guide for the shocks, and there is probably info on the suspension as well. But, are there any tips that you guys would like to share with me that you learned from doing it yourself? Any special tools that I'll need?

Heres what I'll be replacing: All kits include: upper and lower ball joints, upper and lower control arm bushings, strut rod bushings, all (4) tie rod ends, upper and lower bump stops and an idler arm.

 

[swisherred]

A hydraulic press for getting the bushings out of the control arms...and the proper ball joint socket with a long long breaker bar to get the upper ball joints out. I used a harbor freight ball joint tool to remove the lowers....and a hammer tapping on the side of the knuckle to shock it loose. Keep the castle nuts....the new ones don't seem to fit the same.

 

[Davea Lux]

Be sure to soak the upper ball joints with PB Blaster or some other good penetrating oil. Ball joint threads are often rusted to the control arms and will tear up the threads if taken apart without some soaking. Take the ball joints out BEFORE removing the upper control arms. Be sure to back off the tension nuts on the torsion bars before taking anything loose. Also a good idea to soak the threads on the tie rod ends and count the number of threads sticking out so it goes back together some where near the same length. A full wheel alignment will be needed after the job is complete. Carefully inspect the control arms, strut rods and all linkage parts for cracks, or signs of being bent, or signs of wear on the Pitman arm and Idler arm. This is the time to get rid of damaged components. You did not mention the front stabilizer, the bushings for that should all be replaced at this time also if the vehicle is so equipped. Strut rods sometimes turn inside the lower control arm, which can be a major PIA. Torque the components to the FSM specifications and do not over tighten.

Dave

 

[savoy64]

hang the upper a arm and spindle-----insert shock into shock tower----install lower ball joint loose---use a jack to align the 2 5/8 bolts that connect the spindle to the lower ball joint--attach the lower shock mount.......presto....

 

[rkrochen]

A box of bandages and a bottle of scotch or similarly good medicinal medicine. This job can be a knuckle cruncher.
Good luck.

 

[Davea Lux]

A box of bandages and a bottle of scotch or similarly good medicinal medicine. This job can be a knuckle cruncher.
Good luck.

Or white lightning. Will not care about the barked up knuckles. If there is a wino tool getter a bottle of MD20/20 on the side.

Dave

 

[mrfury68]

Before tightening the lower control arms, put them under load and then tighten. If you don't, when you lower the car the bushings will get distorted and have a very short life span. A floor jack under each control arm will do the job. Good luck.

 

[LocuMob]

I out my shocks in after I did the rest, and I needed to zip tie them to their most compressed point, and shive them into the upper mount, cut the zip ties and guide the bottom mount where it needs to be. @savoy64's method may be easier. Take your time and it will go together fairly easy. I made my own lower control arm pivot remover, but a press should push it out. They don't make any tools for the C body suspension pieces, and the A/B/E body tools are too small.

 

[James Richardson]

68 Newport with twist

In oost 83 and on I remove the bushings without a press in case you dont have press access. There is some good videos on torsion bar removal on line...one tagged old school disassembly in particular.
Dont try to loosen shock uppers if replacing. Just put deep socket over stud with a good extension and bend back and forth to snap it. They tend to just spin otherwise

 

[CBODY67]

The upper shock nut is something else to soak in penetrating oil, unless they've been installed recently. From adjusting the KONIs on my Camaro, there should be enough friction between the shock shaft and the rubber bushing to keep the shaft firm as the nuts are removed. Usually, an air ratchet will spin the nut off otherwise. KONIs used to come with a black cap to put over the nut, to keep the stud/nut threads clean. Your experiences might vary.

Strongly concur with not doing the final torques on rubber bushed items until the full vehicle weight on fully supported by the wheels. The desire is so put the torqued rubber bushings in about their centerpoint of suspension travel, rather than having them "tight" in their particular position, then them having to twist against the vehicle weight. Which can lead to reduced life span of those items.

Just as you measure the number of threads on the tie rod ends (and similar) so you can put them back in very close to the same position, with the new parts, ALSO measure the number of threads sticking through the torsion bar adjusting nut (of the torsion bar adjusting bolt). Same principle. IF you do well, you can possibly drive the car around a bit for everything to "settle out" before getting the final front end alignment done. Possibly not having to have it done twice? Just a thought on that.

AFTER the front end rebuild, then focus on the rear leaf spring and shackle bushings. That will tend to finish things off so that you won't have to worry about that later on! But possibly not as important on a Chrysler leaf spring rear suspension as a GM rear coil spring suspension (with the bushings in the rear track bar and such.

Be careful and enjoy the experience!
CBODY67

 

[Dylan Galvin]

Thank you all for the tips. I'll surely be going back to this thread a lot when I'm doing the rebuild soon. I wont be able to drive the car around when done... because the engine is a little not built right now. Luckily, theres now a place i can get the alignment done just half a mile away once I've got the Monaco running, can't wait!

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Nothing with teeth clamped onto a torsion bar to remove it. It will shatter and break at that point in the future. Best since you will be removing the LCA just pry it rearward at the pivot pushing the T bar out of its socket, clip removed first of course.

 

[CBODY67]

Nothing with teeth clamped onto a torsion bar to remove it. It will shatter and break at that point in the future. Best since you will be removing the LCA just pry it rearward at the pivot pushing the T bar out of its socket, clip removed first of course.

And paying attention to the seals at the rear, too, in the process.

 

[Gerald Morris]

Before tightening the lower control arms, put them under load and then tighten. If you don't, when you lower the car the bushings will get distorted and have a very short life span. A floor jack under each control arm will do the job. Good luck.

Hmmm, I think I've just found a likely explanation for the crumbling LCA bushings I'm seeing on my ride. Then again, the rubber may really have been old on those, as they came in a kit. Since I'm damned into redoing these soon, I'm heeding this advice now!