64 skylark A-arm

[chopped]

I'm trying to use a offset shaft for the extra 1.5 degree they give. Don't think I can get one for the Buick. Anyone know if a 64 Chevelle arm will interchange? That year Buick uses a screw in bushing making them different than everyone else.

[enjenjo]

Yes, the chevelle arm interchanges.

[chopped]

Yes, the chevelle arm interchanges.

    Thanks, I have a lead as we speak.

[enjenjo]

Actually, all the intermediates to 72 will fit. The oddball bushing was Buick only, 64 and 65.

[wayne petty]

chopped....   do you need the extra camber as you don't have enough shims you can take out to get the wheel alignment even close?

did you have a terrible problem getting the motor mount bolts through the mounts..


do you have 2 long lengths of frame pulling chains ...   a 5 foot length of W or i beam for a jacking beam.../  and a bottle jack of  20 to 30 tons?

somebody will have the measurements for the front of the frame... the only one you need for this is really the gap between the upper control arm mounts...

you can measure it if you can get a straight shot at it...


here are what seem to be the frame dimensions

http://www.imca.com/manage/uploaded/%5Bform-27%5Dgm_chevelle_frame_dimensions.pdf

C, 31.6875 - inches TRAM top side between upper control arm inner
shaft seats (at shim contact area).  is the important dimension...


are you also doing the wheel alignment your self???   got gauges???

one can... set the caster to what ever you want to end up with.. but the minimum amount of shims is 2  - 1/8 under any of the 4 studs..  get the toe in close...

  then see how far out the camber is...   write that number down... figure out how many degrees you have to go to get it close..

     put the car up on jack stands.. under the frame back around where is gets wide by the doors...

take the tires off..  measure the camber again.. see how much it has changed...     subtract the amount from the earlier figures that you need to bend the chassis...

run a frame pulling chain up the outside of the frame in front of the control arm...  behind the upper control arm mount.. out over the rear top of the frame behind the upper control arm bracket...   you might want to remove the bracket and push the brake lines aside..   make a big loop with the chain...     do the other side...   slide the jacking beam in..   adjust the length of chains so the jack can sit under the center of the crossmember..     use a piece of plate steel on top...   if one side needs more than the other..  move the jack toward that side...

jack up the crossmember... this will bend the upper part of the frame back open...    you cwant to watch how much you are jacking..  and only go close to the right measuurement..  when you look at the wheel alignment gauge...

i will come back later and add to the next post...

there are probably going to be a bunch of questions.. this takes less than an hour...  if you have the tools...  and it can be done with the motor in...

[chopped]

I had it alligned, that's what started all this. All the shims are out on one bolt, driver side and I still need 1.5 degrees. I thought a quick easy answer was the offset shaft but it's opened it's own can of worms. On thr plus side I can get the chevelle arms for next to nothing.

[wayne petty]

i got up early and drew this..

why you cannot get the alignment correct is the cross member has been bent  and the frame rails are too close together ...

the action of the suspension moving up and down pushes in on the top of the frame rails...  eventually the cross member bends in... as it is quite thin below the motor.. section width not metal thickness..

my gto was almost an inch and a half too narrow when i measured it..  it had a hard life before i owned it..

if the motor is out... you can put a porta power between the upper control arm shafts and push.. but i like to do it with chains and a jacking beam... if one side is bent farther in than the other.. you can move the jack and its top plate to one side to exert more force on that side...  bends that side more...    i have done it with a porta power between the frame rails also.. but i was straightening frame damage on my 67 camaro.. i had several chains around the outside of the subframe and tensioned them to do a little tweak to the frame...

the trick is...  this can be done in an hour...  without pulling the motor..  without taking any suspension off..  only the tires and probably a brake line bracket..  it can be done on tall jack stands.. or a single post lift..

there is one warning...  make sure that you did not pop the lower ball joints out of the lower control arm...

i hope this helps...

it is important to put in at least 2, 1/8" shims behind the upper arms and set the caster by adding to them...  not subtracting...

i was shown this by a frame repair guy...  he only worked for insurance companies and a few close friends.. his main work was just undoing damage done by body shops trying to straighten the bodys or frames with the wrong pull.. or over pulling..


one other thing... this will restore ride height to the car...

[chopped]

This is really interesting, I'm going to look into it.(talk myself into doing it)  Thanks.

[ACEMAN419]

my corvette had the same problem it was called crossmember sag  all they did is pulled the cross member like wayne showed they used a portable frame machine but it worked the same