PST provided their original-performance...
PST provided their original-performance front-suspension rebuild kit for our Dart. Due to a miscommunication, lower ball joints for the original Dart spindles were sent, rather than the beefier ones needed with the '76 Valiant disc-brake versions. Luckily, Magnum Force was able to provide off-the-shelf replacement for the needed parts.
Soon afterward the Wilwood catalog arrived, and a sinking feeling ensued when it showed no brake-kit match for the '76 Valiant parts. Another call was placed to Magnum Force, and Ron, with his extensive Mopar-inclined experience, figured a Wilwood 140-2729 kit would probably fit. We immediately shipped the spindles off to him to check and, sure enough, all was well. The order was then placed with Wilwood, who sent not only the requested kit but also a new master cylinder and proportioning valve. The former was essential because of the large fluid capacity of the calipers, and the latter was a dandy tuning aid for the braking system. Wilwood also sent us drilled/slotted rotors, which are basically competition pieces. While they'll work on the street, they'll quickly and prematurely wear pads in the stop-and-go environment. We replaced them with a similar 10.75-inch set of solid-faced Wilwood rotors Ron had in stock.
And so, with all the new parts loaded into the trunk, we headed off in the Dart before sunrise to make our morning appointment at Magnum Force. Fully aware of the irony if the dreaded braking inconsistency and fade caused another sideways incident on the way to attaining braking nirvana, we drove more carefully than ever. Despite that, we encountered two situations on the freeway that required heavy-brake application, accompanied by our now all-too-familiar apprehension of the Dart's ability to stop in time. Luckily, we arrived without further difficulties, and soon after, the Dart's totally inadequate stock front brakes were heaped in a pile by the trash can where they couldn't cause any more trouble.
In this installment of our epic tale, we'll take you through the disassembly of the OE parts and get them ready for the new hardware. Next month we'll finish by discussing how those up-to-date parts fit on our little A-Body. As a result, it will, we hope, be a long time before we see the world through the windshield from such a vertical perspective again!
One side effect of using the...
One side effect of using the original-performance kit and its rubber bushings rather than urethane or PST's polygraphite ones was the extended time and effort required to remove the old rubber bushings and steel bushing sleeves from the lower control arms. Screwdrivers, air chisels, cold chisels, die grinders, cold spray, and various punches and hammers (plus vows to never do it again!) were called into play before the well-abused metal shell of the bushing was finally knocked out of place. Don't score the mounting surface while doing this.
A cutoff wheel (and a light...
A cutoff wheel (and a light touch) was used to remove the inner shell of the bushing from the pivot shaft. Again, be very careful not to score the surface.
The new PST bushing was pressed...
The new PST bushing was pressed right into place. While most of the job can be accomplished with regular tools and a lot of elbow grease, you'll want to have access to a press to ensure parts such as this get reinstalled on the hardware properly.
The pivot shafts were then...
The pivot shafts were then pounded into place. The persuasion of a ball-peen hammer will be enough. For a full-tilt rebuild, we would have cleaned and restored the lower control arms. In this case, the goal was to finish the job, so we left the patina of automotive use intact.
Next, it was time to remove...
Next, it was time to remove the original lower ball-joint assemblies from the cleaned-up '76 Valiant spindles.
The Wilwood caliper-mounting...
The Wilwood caliper-mounting brackets used larger-diameter bolts to attach to the spindle. As outlined in the installation instructions, the existing holes have to be drilled and tapped to accept the provided 31/48-24 fine-thread bolts.
The new ball joints were then...
The new ball joints were then installed on our spindles. We were ready to reinstall the components on the car.
These are the MagnumForce...
These are the MagnumForce tubular upper control arms that will find a new home on the Dart. Next month, we'll cover their installation and the braking system upgrades.