Front end crap

#1

Hello

I have the complete right side of the front suspension apart…I discovered a few things. The angle of the strut to the camber plate causes the upper spring mount to wear badly, the strut actually punches the edge of the strut plate hole out…mine was getting worked pretty bad. Both ball joints in the lower control arem were SHOT…this arm had 10k street miles and this years track events on it. The suspension technique swaybar end link hole is not tight enough, I thought mine was just wallowed out, but I have a NEW swaybar and a NEW endlink bolt in the shop and there is significant slop in those…this allows the end link bolt to beat out the hole even more. Now my less than a year old bar needs to have washers welded or the hole welded and drilled. If the upper rod end is not close to the bar it will act as a lever and make this worse very quickly.

I am going to bring these parts to Summit for folks to check out.

Al

#2

Al:

I’ll be in Rocky Mount tomorrow. It sounds like I need to go north to Whitakers as well.

Bret has my phone number and I’ll get yours from him. Let’s try to get together in the afternoon. I’d like to see what you’re talking about.

Carter

#3

Carter and Al: 10-4 on the "dented" spring plate/top hat. Thankfully I was using the big factory washer (Carter, you know, the one that allows the car to steer when it is reassembled) and the dent was limited to the spring plate. without the big washer the shock’s rod/dent could have possibly pushed thru the spring hat. Reinstallation with a new spring hat and a tad bit less camber, I think, has solved the problem. Regards, Robert Patton

Post edited by: patton, at: 2006/08/22 10:30

#4

I looked at Al’s car and yes, the front strut rod, where it pushes up on the stock upper spring perch, was just about to push through the plate.

I’ll check mine before the National Championship races. We should also take a couple of spare upper spring perches in case one breaks during the weekend.

Do you have a couple of spares Al? Are both sides the same?

Carter

#5

Carter, both sides are the same. I just checked the driver’s side on my car this past Thursday. It was bent too. No signs of "push through" as the big washer on top of the spring hat kind of keeps things in check. I’m tempted to just let the hat bend and keep driving? Regards, Robert Patton