Guidance needed on initial set up of adjustable strut rods

[Dakota]

I have a set of QA1 adjustable strut rods installed on my 70 Challenger.   I'm eventually going to get the car professionally aligned by a local shop that has lots of experience with muscle cars, but I would appreciate any guidance on how to tell if I have them close to the right length initially.   I don't have the stock strut rods any more, so if this is only a matter of setting them to the stock length I'd appreciate knowing a target and what points I'm measuring between.   If there's anything else I need to check (tire position in the wheel well?), I'd appreciate hearing about that too.

As far as I know, my car has not been in any accidents.  If it matters, I have stock upper and lower arms.   The upper arms have Moog offset bushings in them. Thanks.

[Brads70]

What I did was before I installed the torsion bars was to assemble the strut rods and lift the suspension up and down. When you adjust the strut rod too far you can start to feel the bushing bind causing resistance. I simply set it where it moved the easiest. Then after everything is all assembled I drove the car to an alignment shop ( I have a good friend with an 4 wheel alignment rack) I was able to get it very close in the driveway using a caster/camber gauge,and toe plates.  As a last resort I would let him adjust using the strut rod adjustment and it was very little. Took him longer to set up all the alignment equipment than doing the actual alignment.  Use all the other stock adjustments before you adjust with the strut rod. Also don't lift the front end up when measuring/doing the alignment because if you do it stays up some and you have to drive the car around a short distance to get it to settle back down.  To see what I mean, when your car is drive-able , measure the height , then jack the wheels off the ground and measure again. It will be different. So if you raise the car during an alignment all the numbers will be out of whack.  

[Dakota]

Thanks for the information Brad.  It looks like I'll have to do some disassembly to get the torque bars out of the picture, but I'd rather get it right than guess.

Do you happen to remember how much you tightened the LCA pivots when you did your movement check?   I know they're not supposed to see full torque until the car is at something close to final ride height.

[Brads70]

Thanks for the information Brad.  It looks like I'll have to do some disassembly to get the torque bars out of the picture, but I'd rather get it right than guess.

Do you happen to remember how much you tightened the LCA pivots when you did your movement check?   I know they're not supposed to see full torque until the car is at something close to final ride height.

Someone else might chime in with how they did their's . Always more than one way to skin a cat so to say?
I used poly bushings so mine were tight. Stock rubber it makes sense to leave them loose...
I blocked the front end at what I figured was the exact ride height and did all my caster/camber settings with the wheels off. Then checked again all assembled.   

[JS29]

Just a thought, if you could measure front axle to rear axle center to center from a similar car. 

[dodj]

My original strut rods are on the floor next to the Challenger. I could measure them for you if you like. I'm at work now but tonight or tomorrow night I could.

[Dakota]

That would be great.  It would give me a good reference.  Thanks.

[dodj]

Having just installed the QA1 adjustable rods myself, I was going to post up the same question.

[7212Mopar]

I set them to the same length as stock and make sure the pivot allows the correct movement. You will see the LCA is not binding moving up and down. Also I tighten the pivot pins so that they are seated tight but not torque to spec when checking the tie rods. You can lossen up the pivot pins after and tighten and torque to spec when alignment is set and wheels on the ground.

[boydsdodge]

Along with what Brad has said, I will use this dimension chart.
When I set up my front end I use this chart for placement of lower ball joint. See E on the chart.
You can also check out the rest of your cars dimensions while under there. Plumb bob and chalk work well.

[boydsdodge]

Got it to work.

[dodj]

18 23/32" from the shoulder that would be up against the control arm to the face of the bushing that would be up against the metal of the k frame.
If you would like a different measurement let me know.

[Dakota]

Thanks dodj.   That's all i think I need right now.