Has anyone on this site had a 70 E Body or B Body Lower Control arm Torsion Bar/Pivot Arm housing crack or Fail? I know that people use creative ways to remove the bushings(heat/impact chisel/weld/Press) and that the Load is mostly on the Lower Control Arm. But I was wondering with it being hardened steel and 50 years old has anyone ever had their LCA housing crack at either the hex Torsion Bar area or the front Pivot arm housing fail? I'm Talking about the original 70 LCA.
I don't remember seeing one crack but I have seen them splay somewhat so the pivot was pretty loose?
I've never heard of them cracking, do you have a picture ?
the shop I took the LCA to have them pressed out took a torch and cut a line in the bushing socket. Is this a concern? should I have it filled? Thoughts
Personally I wouldn't be concerned :alan2cents:
Is the outer bushing shell still there in the arm? It looks like it is to me.
Why did that use a torch? I have replace several LCA bushing myself and have never needed to use a torch.
Are you putting on original type rubber bushings or aftermarket poly bushings???
Either way that wasn't done right
The outer shell of the original rubber bushing is sill stuck in your lower control arm
If you want to run poly lower bushings, you leave the outer shell in the lower control arm. BUT the shell becomes a bearing surface to the poly bushing.
What you have pictured looks like that shell has been cut and sliced. Like they started to remove the shell but stopped. That cut/snag will hang up a poly bushing. That ID needs to be smooth.
If you want to run factory OE rubber bushings, you need to have that outer shell removed.
.... now next question: what does your lower control arm pin look like?? There is a bushing shell they get pressed onto it also that when you press/torch the rubber away is left. It needs to be removed if you are running OE rubber bushings.
What was the name of the so cal shop that did this press work for you?
No, the complete bushing(outer shell, rubber, inner shell) was removed. The outer shell was removed after the pin,inner and rubber were pressed out. so what your looking at is the bare LCA cup that would need a completely new OEM bushing. Not doing poly after market.
Quote from: Bossgold on February 15, 2021, 09:49:28 AM
No, the complete bushing(outer shell, rubber, inner shell) was removed. The outer shell was removed after the pin,inner and rubber were pressed out. so what your looking at is the bare LCA cup that would need a completely new OEM bushing. Not doing poly after market.
Ok. The way the cut looked as if it was through sheet steel. But hard to see up close in that pic. And everything is still dirty.
Does the cut look fresh or was it from a past lower bushing change?
Otherwise just make sure there are no protrusions from that cut sticking inwards toward cavity. Because the new bushing will be pressed right past that cut and you don't want anything snagging it when it bushing slides over past it.
I'm thinking you glass bead or whatever prep to the LCA then have the bushing pressed back in. Then paint, cosmiline, paint daub, etc after the press work. Afraid the man handling during press work will mess up your part resto work.
If replacing with rubber type bushing, they come with new metal sleeve. The old one needs to come out. If using poly, I kind of remember they don't use the sleeve.
Bossgold, I assume you are aiming for something like this?
(https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/attachments/a9_16_07troyta49-jpg.17896/)
yes, and those head rivets in the picture are date coded for the car. the rivet closest to the tire on mine read 0 1 1 for 1970 1st shift line 1 and the second rivet in the middle reads 0 4 2 for 42nd day of 1970. So I want to use the originals but my concern is the damage that was done when I mistakenly took them to my XXXXXXX mechanic. So would you run these with the score, did the heat from his torch effect the metallurgy of the LCA?, or should I go and get new LCA's and install fresh bushings correctly - without the numb skull and his torch? or have I gotten to concerned and it is unlikely that the hex or cup on the LCA with crack and fail?
Dress it and run it.
Quote from: Bossgold on February 15, 2021, 06:42:24 PM
yes, and those head rivets in the picture are date coded for the car. the rivet closest to the tire on mine read 0 1 1 for 1970 1st shift line 1 and the second rivet in the middle reads 0 4 2 for 42nd day of 1970. So I want to use the originals but my concern is the damage that was done when I mistakenly took them to my XXXXXXX mechanic. So would you run these with the score, did the heat from his torch effect the metallurgy of the LCA?, or should I go and get new LCA's and install fresh bushings correctly - without the numb skull and his torch? or have I gotten to concerned and it is unlikely that the hex or cup on the LCA with crack and fail?
Those are fine.
Torch had no effect on them. That's a typical procedure to remove them. Not the only way. There's a few methods.
The gouge is not a big a deal. Just make sure there's nothing raised up too much to hang up the new bushing
Most LCA's are plenty worse. And if they've got multiple bushing replaced. Especially the driver side on a power steering car that leaks right on the bushing and eats it up. Other than that gouge, that Hex asst. cavity looks really good. So good, I thought it was the bushing shell left in there. Most have marks all over.
Your LCA look nice from what's in the picture. They should clean up well with a glass beading or chemical dip like evaporust etc.
Yup...overthinking it a bit...you'll be fine :drinkingbud:
Re-used my OEM 50 year old LCAs after replacing the original bushings, etc. So far no issues. :twothumbsup: Good luck.
Cleaned up my LCA's.
Hand cut out the bushing and sleeve slowly and pressed in new bushings
(picked up a 2 ton press from Harbor Freight; cheaper then paying someone to press in the bushings)
Went with stock bushings.
Learned a lot just taking my time and doing it myself.
2nd pic
Old thread but just removed both lower control arms from my '70 Barracuda project, and both are cracked wide open around the bushings.
Quote from: bbs on October 15, 2022, 04:21:36 PM
Old thread but just removed both lower control arms from my '70 Barracuda project, and both are cracked wide open around the bushings.
vanishing point training car? :unbelievable:
GEEES....I have never seen that in my life :rubeyes: :o