[64speed]

This car hates me. The front tires did not rub at all until I had to take the swaybar off. I can’t possibly see how that mattered but nothing else was changed but now my front end has a bigger rake and it’s scrubbing. I swear to god nothing changed by my hand. Do springs settle? Here is a before and after pic. Look how much more tire is showing at first. Do I need springs to bring it up? I think it looks ok if I can get the scrubbing aligned out.

[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?


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[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.

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[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.


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[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.



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[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by 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.



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Funny that you mention Hotchkis springs and sitting too low. I made this very mistake many years ago. Springs still on a shelf somewhere. lol I think I ended up with springs from H.O. Racing Specialties? I did the GM B-body spindle conversion. It was popular at the time. Gets badmouthed now. Works great for me. I used Global West tubular uppers. Love 12" manual discs!

[HWYSTR455]

I had a graveyard of springs at one time, and pretty much ended up using GW exclusively. There's a few others out there that are good, but no one usually comments some of the same vendors.

In general, spring rates can vary +- 10% or more, and on for example a 300lbs spring, that's 30lbs. Imagine that in one set, you get one that's -30, and one that's +30, that's a 60lbs dif.

And how many complain about lean? Yeah. 'Station wagon' springs kills me too. Never get what you want. Sure, once you go beyond a certain rate, it won't lean!

And places that say they use 'factory blueprints'? Uh-huh, sure. They were never accurate, and generic anyway. Doesn't matter what they use as a reference if it's +-10% or more.


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[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.

[HWYSTR455]

Ok, so you're good with the look, and you like the ride? It doesn't bottom out does it? Is it just a slight rub, or is it a grinding loud rub?

What condition does it rub? Is it like when you have the wheel turned all the way and are going over a bump or into a parking lot?

Where exactly does it rub, on the fender lip, the inner fenderwell, or on the tie rod or centerlink?

I like the look, but I do prefer lowered cars. But if you need to, you could always put a proper spacer on the spring, the type that fits in the lower control arm pocket that captures the open end of the spring. General rule of thumb is, you get double the lift of the size of the spacer, so a 1/2" spacer would bring it up an inch.

Like these:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/gls-1924?rrec=true

Obviously, you have to disassemble, but, they work. The type that go on the top have the possibility of rubbing/squeaking during compression, so I suggested using the lower ones. The lower metal ones might squeak too, not sure, I have no experience with them.

Bringing it up 1" should not have a dramatic effect in look, but technically, it could require an alignment adjustment.

If it's a minor rub, you MIGHT be able to fix it by alignment, or by clearancing an area, but would only know if you try.

Did you use a factory alignment setting or a modern, recommended alignment setting?

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[64speed]

Backing out of the driveway for instance where the lip of the driveway is uneven with the road it’s horrible. Driving not so much, normal turns not so much but any extremes and it is bad

[HWYSTR455]

If it's 'bad', it will leave a witness mark. Find it, and post please. A pic is best.


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