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June 21, 2016 1:00 pm  #1


new member already has a question

HI everyone.  I have a 64 conv. originally with 289, has had a early 70's low compression 302 since I bought it 30 years ago. Not fast but easy to work on. It had a respray, rangoon red with some OK body work and a new interior, red and white with white top from original black (black in Florida is ridiculous) in 1990 so it looks good from a far but is far from good.  I have had this car since I was 12 (first 4 years in the back yard striping it down and pretending to drive) and I have been lucky enough to be able to keep it all these years. It's never been off the road for more than a few months but is only driven for fun since high school.  Ok the question, the car was aligned 2 years ago  and it is now pulling very hard to the left until I brake hard at which time the is a "thump" from passenger side suspension and the car will track and brake straight.  If I let up abruptly you can hear another "thump" and it goes back to the hard pull.  I have new bushing on idler arm and new tie rod ends(3 years ago but less than 1000 miles).  Had new upper inner shafts put in 25 years ago and new shocks about 4-5 years ago. Pulled front wheel and put on jack stands cannot find anything that stands out, nothing I can get to move with a pry bar but assume its got to be a bushing somewhere that has failed.  Any thoughts?  Thanks in advanced for any input!

 

June 22, 2016 6:05 am  #2


Re: new member already has a question

Bad control arm bushings and ball joints are tough to find with a pry bar unless you jack up the frame, take the wheel off, then put a jack under the lower ball joint to take the load off the suspension. Then use your pry bar and see if you can get anything to move.

Secondly, the right side brake could be dragging a bit while the left side is slightly loose, so when you put the brakes on both sides expand out to the drums and it straightens the car out. Jack up both sides, pull the drums and check the brakes.

Last but not least, you could have a bad tire on the right side. It doesn't explain the clunking noise, but I've seen it many times. Just switch the front tires left to right and see if it then pulls to the left.

Hope that helps, and welcome to the forum.  

 

June 23, 2016 8:03 am  #3


Re: new member already has a question

Thanks for the response! I will try all of the above. I have had the brake issue where one side was adjusting better than the other and pulled on braking.  Pretty sure this is a bushing, noise and clunk can be felt in the steering and is much more pronounced on left turn while braking.  Seeing as other than tie rod ends and idler arm and sway bar bushings it is all original it may be time to tear it all down and replace anything that is worn out (so almost everything).  On closer inspection lower ball joint looks newer than everything else...I know I didn't replace it but it did have some shop work done on it 25 years ago....

     Thread Starter
 

June 23, 2016 8:12 am  #4


Re: new member already has a question

being that it is a 64 it also is probably equipped with offset shafts, IMHO not a good idea when there working correctly but even worse when they are not working correctly.  I would check them and see of they are swinging as designed.  either way I would consider replacing/eliminating  them with a bushing kit if I were you.

 

June 23, 2016 9:01 am  #5


Re: new member already has a question

Thank you for the information.  I have read about the offset shafts and removing/replacing them, any recommendations on a specific product or supplier?

     Thread Starter
 

June 27, 2016 10:15 am  #6


Re: new member already has a question

Lucky again easy fix! Got the wife to drive the car with me on the outside, could see the wheel deflect on hard braking, so jogged next to it with hood up.  The upper shaft passenger side rear nut had come loose and some the shims had come out. Hit the brakes upper control arm deflects to aligned position.  Jacked it up to take the weight off and put shims to closely match front bolt on inner shaft and tightened it  to specs 50ft-lbs.  All of the other nuts were not to spec at around  35ft-lbs. -$3.99 in shims and 10 mintutes later tracking straight and stopping straight.  I never located it when I jacked the car up the first time because I was looking underneath the whole time.  

     Thread Starter
 

June 27, 2016 2:45 pm  #7


Re: new member already has a question

If the shims were adjusted you will need to have the car aligned.  Failure to do so (even though the car tracks and drives strait) can really scrub the tires.  When those shims are set up correctly they are seldom if ever the same front to back and side to side.  Glad you found the issue and that no major failure occurred due to the parts flopping around.

 

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