Front suspension install

[peterro]

Hello all.  Well the paint is coming along nicely (current state: http://picasaweb.google.com/peterroshouse/Challenger92408#5249835716930799874) and the time is coming soon that I will have to put the suspension back on the car.  It's been a number of years since I took it apart and I've never put one together from being this far apart.  The front k-frame/steering is all put together and I have new torsion bars to go on.  What is the proper way to put the suspension in?  When I took it apart, I just took the upper control arms off, and the 4 k-frame bolts out and as I remember, the bars just came right out.  I think I loosened them a lot before removal.

Is there a good procedure for the reverse?  How do I get the bars in correctly? so they support the car correctly?  Am I over-thinking this process?  It's been 10yrs since I took the car apart.  I seem to remember hearing something about the bars that you need to put pre-load on or something like that.

Any help is appreciated.

[Chryco Psycho]

I hang the upper control arms in the body & attach everything else to the K frame , you need to install the T bars whilel the spindles & lower control arms are hanging low & the T bar should slide right into place then lift the spindle & install the upper ball joint nut , then put load on the T bars
 HEre is the kicker I generally do this with the engine & tranny fully assembled including manifolds or headers , alt , ps , fan pulleys & belts all installed on the K frame & just lift the body & roll everything under the car on snowmobile pads with casters on them then lower the body over the engine & bolt the K frame into place , it takes abpout 1 hour to install it this way with Zero scratches

[peterro]

Thanks, that's what I needed.  Not sure what I'll be doing with the engine install as I don't have one yet.  I just need to get it rolling and back into my garage.

[30below]

Chryco,any pictures of that being done?Wheres the safest place to lift it?

[Chryco Psycho]

I just did one 2 weeks ago , of courxe it is tough to take pix while doing the work so I didn`t get any But if you use a ^ ton axle stane at the front of the leaf spring the body is less than 100 lb lift so I just lift with my body & have someone ratchet a 3rd 6 ton stand up , roll the engine under the car & lift the body back down lowering front & rear carefully until the K frame bolts can be installed then use a Jack to lift the K frame & install the trans crossmember bolts , spindles , T bars Etc

[peterro]

Ok, just spent most of last night putting the front suspension in place.  After I was done, I was tired, frustrated and the only real work completed was one t-bar halfway in and the upper control arms attached.  Not much accomplished for a whole evening.

Unlike was the service manual says, the bar did not slide into place.  I was able to align the lower control arm with the hex on the bar but it took some significant persuasion to get it moving as did getting the end through the frame-rail-hex.  Now the suspension is back off the car and the bar is just setting in the frame mount.  Also, with the persuasion, I now have the hex in the lower control arm slightly marred much like if a socket slipped on the head of a bolt and rounded the corners a bit.

Originally, I had all the suspension powder coated black and it looks real good, but I think part of my problem is that the powder coating is also inside the hex on the lower control arm thus not allowing the bar to slide in easily.

This is my plan for this afternoon/evening.  I'm going to get a wire wheel (for a drill), some brake cleaner, chisel, and a small drill mounted grinder.  With this, I'll use a combination of the wire wheel and cleaner to really clean out the frame rail hex (what is this called?).  I probably should have done this in the first place.  I'll then grind off the little bit of marred lower control arm hex to make it smooth again.  I'll use the chisel and the rest to remove the powder coating from the inside of the hex on the lower control arm to add a bit more space.

Also, the bar seals are REALLY hard to get on/stretched over the hex end of the bar.  I can do it when the bar is out of the car but have had significant issues installing it after the bar is partially in place.  I don't have enough leverage on my back.

GRRRRRRR..

Any thoughts on this?  Is my plan sound?  Help!

Oh yeah, normally this would only be an annoyance as I would just go inside and forget about it for a while but I need to have it out of the shop tomorrow so I need it rolling tonight so my current stress level is high.

Thanks again for all the great help here.

[Chryco Psycho]

I assume you greased the sockets ?
 you need to drop the control arm as low as possible to line them up Before attaching the upper control arms

[sadil340]

I too had a lot of difficulty getting the bar into the control arm. I think once you clean up the control arm and t-bar end you'll find it's easier. I didn't have too much difficulty with the seal but I wasn't on my back at the time...

[peterro]

Yes, I used grease and had the the control arm as low as it would go.  My problem is that it wasn't quite lined up (maybe 1-2 degrees off) as well as the difficulty to "slide" right in.

[Bullitt-]

I Wonder if the Left & Rights are reversed

[Chryco Psycho]

, Some are off angle a little , I use a dull chisel in the slot at the rear of the T bar & drive it in with a hammer occasionally

[peterro]

 

Ok, I can now claim victory. The car is on its own wheels and I've learned some things.

First, what I was doing wrong.  When I dropped the suspension all the way to the bottom, I was moving the torsion bar adjusting lever all the way down (roughly pointing down at a 30 degree angle) as well loosening the adjusting bolt as far as it would go.  With the suspension in this position, one side was about 1-2 degrees off from the bar being able to install straight into the front suspension location.  We did get the other side installed however, with it in this position, the lower control arm is fully at the bottom AND under pressure from the t-bar.

We realized that the front t-bar mount was off one notch on the hex shape.  We moved the adjusting lever up one notch to match the end of the bar.  The adjusting lever is pretty close to level (horizontal to the ground) at this point, then fine adjusting to match the end of the t-bar and then drove it home.  It went right together.  We then connected the upper ball joint and then I tightened the adjusting bolt a bit to put some pressure on the suspension, added wheels/tires and set it down.

Once we understood that the t-bar adjusting lever didn't need to be dropped all the way down, it went together fine.  I still need to drive the t-bar the last 1/2" so I can install the retaining clip.  Also need to fill the end with grease and pop the boot/seal on.  Oh yeah, the boot is REALLY hard to get over the end of the t-bar but a little grease AND a 5min soak in HOT water helped a lot.

The rear-end went on without any problem.

WOO HOO!