Two questions to help go from yard driver to

[ramairthree]

road worthy...

1974 RR

most importantly, are there supposed to be shims or something here at the upper control arm shaft? I don't want to lean on it anymore than lug nuts and strip them, but

car raised up on jack

lowered and full weight of car on tire

That's like an inch of play with them tightened up.
Just the passenger side doing this.


Also,
what is the name of the piece I am missing in the back of the passenger front wheel well..

my passenger door hinges are exposed.

I think I am also missing an inner fender brace.

Is there an wheel well shield I am missing, or just a part in the rear.

I think my troughs look pretty exposed on this passenger side...

but the driver's side is the same

thank you for any info

 

[YY1]

Splash shield?

I think your alignment nuts are loose.

They shouldn't be letting the UCA move at all.

That's how you set camber/caster.

You'll need to set it at spec and tighten.

You could probably do a mirror image of the other side and get pretty close, unless it's been loosened as well.

I'm gonna try a level resting against the wheel lip and one of those harbor freight digital angle gagues.

No shims.

 

[ramairthree]

Splash shield?

I think your alignment nuts are loose.

They shouldn't be letting the UCA move at all.

That's how you set camber/caster.

You'll need to set it at spec and tighten.

You could probably do a mirror image of the other side and get pretty close, unless it's been loosened as well.

I'm gonna try a level resting against the wheel lip and one of those harbor freight digital angle gagues.

No shims.

Yep, that's my problem, I get them as tight as I can without thinking I am going to strip them, and still get that movement.

 

[Big Jim]

There are serrations (teeth) on the bottom side of the uca shaft that are designed to bite into the mount when tightened. If they are worn smooth, no amount of torque on the 1/2" bolts will hold them in place properly. Ate a bunch of front tires and questioned my alignment guys relationship with his mother until I found the problem

 

[YY1]

Good news is I think M body UCA is the same.
I'll measure my 5th Ave and my 73 and let you know.
73 Chassis manual says 160 ft/lbs for the nuts on the UCA pivot bar.
I don't see why you couldn't put, say a star washer under the bar.
OK, naybe not. I'd take it off and look at the bottom serrations, and the captive bolt threards, etc.
That should be fun.
Manual also says pivot bar, bushings and UCA are one assembly and not serviced seperately.

On a sadistically lighter note, there is a whole page of special tool (c-xxxxx) photos for the suspension

 

[ramairthree]

yup, there is virtually no aftermarket / repos other than basic rebuild front end kit for these years.

Thanks for the info, I appreciate the checking.

 

[ramairthree]

OK, got to fess up about what I figured out today.

Totally my bad here!!

I am closer to 45 than 40, and after a life of no glasses and 20/10 vision have been doing some squinting in low light at things I never thought twice about like sizes on a drill bit or date on a watch face. It's been going on about a year, and I got checked out a couple of times and told my near vision is 20/20 so I'm good. But I for sure am not seeing some of the stuff I used to as well.

Well, I twisted my torque wrench to 160 in the garage one evening, and torqued my UCA to spec.
And I loosened them a couple more times and torqued them back to spec over a few days without zeroring the wrench. Wondering why the hell they would move when I lowered the car or why if they did not move they would as soon as I yard drove it.

I was messing with it in the bright sunlight today taking one more shot to see what was up,
and my wrench is at 100, not 160!

And about a year ago I had my right wrist rebuilt. I thought I was pushing that thing like I was about to twist off a stuck lug nut. But nope, was only going to 100. My perceived effort is way off.


She held when I lowered the car, went for a little drive around the driveway and a tenth or two on the road. Still in place.