[66sprint]

Followed closely behind by Magnetti Marelli wiring.

[Greg Reid]

The old joke I've heard is that Lucas invented intermittent wipers long before they became industry standard.

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

The old joke I've heard is that Lucas invented intermittent wipers long before they became industry standard.

I had those on a '55 Chevy Sedan Delivery! Vacuum wipers stop when you floor it. PERFECT!

[blueghoast]

Originally Posted by JSchmitz

I had those on a '55 Chevy Sedan Delivery! Vacuum wipers stop when you floor it. PERFECT!

Now that is funny, Good one I like.

GT

[NeighborsComplaint]

Originally Posted by blueghoast

Now that is funny, Good one I like.

GT

It gets even more comical when you crest the top of the hill with your wipers seemingly frozen in place and let off the gas to coast down the other side as they flap away like a Canadian goose taking off.

[Greg Reid]

I had a '58 Caddy with those vacuum wipers.

[JLMounce]

Even sitting in a neutral position with the wheels pointing forward, a sway bar does increase wheel rate. If you were marginal on tire clearance before, then removed a sway bar all-together, it's certainly possible this could create a tire rub.

What was the reasoning behind removing the sway bar?

[64speed]

Threads pulled out of the frame

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by 64speed

Threads pulled out of the frame

The threads pulled out of the frame. The car is sitting much lower now. RED FLAGS!!! You need to take a good look at your front suspension. Sounds like the sway bar was in a serious bind.

[JLMounce]

Originally Posted by 64speed

Threads pulled out of the frame

Originally Posted by JSchmitz

The threads pulled out of the frame. The car is sitting much lower now. RED FLAGS!!! You need to take a good look at your front suspension. Sounds like the sway bar was in a serious bind.

I tend to agree with this. The sway bar is almost always under some amount of bind. THe left and right side due to weight differences etc. will never be perfectly level that the bar wouldn't be activated to some degree.

If the bar has been pulled out of it's frame mount, this suggests that not only was the sway bar bound up pretty good, but it's likely got forces that are pulling it down and possibly pulling or pushing on it as well. The frame mounts are designed to hold the bar in place and let it twist, not to be yanked on.

As far as fixing that, a nut cert is typically a good approach, it'll be much stronger than the small bit of threads in the frame itself.

[64speed]

I pulled the threads out of one bolt putting it back on with a 3/8 electric impact. it wasn’t a road mishap. I took it to the alignment shop to get studs welded in the holes like so many suggested. I didn’t have time to have a full diagnosis or alignment today but the shop said upon cursory inspection nothing was amiss.

[HWYSTR455]

Yeah, impact is a no-no, as you found out. And yeah, it's possible the sway bar was binding, and it's not now.

Lemme guess, you got 'factory replacement' springs? To 'OE specs'. Or TRWs or something. They are never right.

Do you have factory control arms bushings? If so, did you tighten them with the car off the ground?


.

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by 64speed

I pulled the threads out of one bolt putting it back on with a 3/8 electric impact. it wasn’t a road mishap. I took it to the alignment shop to get studs welded in the holes like so many suggested. I didn’t have time to have a full diagnosis or alignment today but the shop said upon cursory inspection nothing was amiss.

Good to hear that you have an explanation for the damaged mounts. Something is still amiss. Removing a sway bar should not cause the front end to drop dramatically. The bar attempts to keep both sides at the same suspension height, to minimize body roll, when you're turning, etc. It should being doing nothing while the car is sitting flat and level.

[JSchmitz]

Is it possible that you have the wrong size sway bar bushings (too small diameter)? That could explain the binding and pulling bolts out.

[64speed]

I have Hotchkiss springs but it’s never sat this low.

[HWYSTR455]

Hotkiss is notorious for providing small block springs. DO you have a part number?

Again, if it has OE type control arms bushings, and you tightened it while in the air, after a while, it can slip off the 'teeth' of the bushings and drop.

.

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

Hotkiss is notorious for providing small block springs. DO you have a part number?

Again, if it has OE type control arms bushings, and you tightened it while in the air, after a while, it can slip off the 'teeth' of the bushings and drop.

.

But it apparently coincided directly with removing the sway bar.

[HWYSTR455]

Yes, and good catch on the sway bar bushing call, I didn't mention that when putting possible causes out there. I had an array of sway bar sizes and bushings, and sometimes got them mixed up, so understand how that's possible, personally experienced it.

Maybe the shop bounced the car some after the mount fix and the bushings settled some, or a good dip in the road compressed it some and it didn't return. It might come back up if it's discovered and corrected.


.

[HWYSTR455]

Still would like to know the part number for the springs, and if OE control arms bushings were used.

I looked, and there are a bunch of Hotchkis spring part numbers, 1" drop, 2" drop, SB, BB, blah blah blah. Between sets and front only, there's more than 9, I stopped surfing at that point.



.

[64speed]

The springs came with the car. I don’t know if I ever said but the guy I bought it from was “building” the car to run Pan America. I don’t know why those springs were on it but at the time I ran the part number they were 2 inch lowering. If I have to take them out I will get you the number.