Time to rebuild the suspension :~(

[70spider]

Well heard some clunking noise from the front right and knew it couldn't be good, the bearing is shot and there is no rubber left on the ball joints and bushings. I have talk about this in the past but the time to do this is now, I have been a bit scared to undertake this.
This is what I am going to replace:
Front
1. A-arms
2. Inner/Outer tie rods
3. Springs/Shocks and the upper
4. Front bearings
Rear
1. All the bushings
2. Springs/Shocks

I have read most of the posts here and will refresh before I start, but what tools will I need? Also any tricks anyone may know would be great. Thanks.

[bobplyler]

Don't forget the center link.

[wizard124]

The threads are detailed. Tools are discussed.

Like u, I read all I could. The job isn't too hard. A digital camera is the most important tool

[81SPIDERMATT]

some of the bolts coming from the cross member may need attention .... pay attention to where the shims are if you have them..... know which bolts need to be tightened with weight on them .... there are holes in the back, when doing shocks, that eats tools nuts and bolts .. plug them with a rag .... take lots of pictures .... and head right to the alignment shop first test drive

[wizard124]

I might add....Inspect the steering box and damper. This is the time to fix or replace.

[garion]

Besides the obvious spring compressor, the most important tool is the torque wrench. A ball joint separator would also be handy.. I used: http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarte ... 99849.html

Good luck. Easily one of the most satisfying jobs you can do on these cars.

[81SPIDERMATT]

Good luck. Easily one of the most satisfying jobs you can do on these cars.

that is so true

[70spider]

Well I got him put on jack stands, what an awful site. I tried to to remove the top nut from the shocks and no luck, the shocks are the orignal ones from 1970. Room is very limited but I think I can fit a hacksaw blade in there and try to cut them off by hand. I feel like I will run into this problem with the other bolts, especially the A-arms, the nuts look like they are fused with the bolts. I am going to soak them in WD-40 for a day and try to use a little butane torch to heat them up, I have never done this before but I have read were others have. Should I invest in a cutting tool?

[81SPIDERMATT]

my favorite "get em loose' mixture is half acetone half atf .... now that is up on stands ... sorry but loosening the top nut is easier with car on the ground because weight of car is pushing on the shock and will help hold it while trying to get that top nut loose... works for all 4 shocks ..this theory of pressure will help later when setting the lower ball joints if I remember correctly.. not sure if I would start cutting things just yet ..... and yes I have used heat in the past but you must be aware of things close by that are going to get quite hot also ..... also if you can get an open end wrench on the nut try and grab the spinning bolt .... the shock top bolts are a PIA after being neglected for a while ....

[124JOE]

butane gets it abit hot
propane gets hotter
at the shop we use map gas
it is in the yellow tank
and uses the same torch head as propane

lock a pair of vicegrips on the shaft inside the spring
heat the nut in the trunk or on the fender
for 3 min then loosen the nut
if it moves a few turns and stops
then you have room for a saw
under the nut

[70spider]

Thanks for the advice, I dropped the car and tried the top nut and it turned, however so did the bolt.

lock a pair of vicegrips on the shaft inside the spring

I'll try this and will get the gas tommorrow.
Oh btw, should I loosen the A-arm bolts while the car is on the ground?
Thanks.

[124JOE]

no you can get to both sides of the bolt/nut with it up in the air and no tire

[81SPIDERMATT]

on mine I had to remove the wheel well liner to remove the upper a-arm bolt .... just thought I would mention that

[70spider]

Well it has been raining the last two days so I haven't been able to work on him unitl today. I tried clamping the pair of vicegrips to the shock shaft and apply some heat to the bolt but ran into a problem, I have jsut the gas canister with the cheap torch tip and it won't work being hel upside down. So i couldn't get any heat to the nut but I locked the visegrips and tried to turn the nut but it just spun with the shaft. So back to the drawing board. Can I cut the the shock shaft where I was clamping it to get it out?
Also, I was wondering where is the best place to put the jack stands, under the cross member or the jack points under the rockerpanel?

[JTBernhardt]

What type of springs/shocks were you thinking of installing? I ended up running Koni Yellows (turned 1/2 a turn from softest setting) and blue progressive rate lowering springs (from AutoRicambi) on my '71. I also opted to replace my A-arms with new A-arms (also from AutoRicambi) to save time, and money just in case the old A-arms were cracked. This also saved me the pain of removing and re-pressing bushing in.

The car sits a bit lower, but can still make it over large speed bumps without scraping. My handling was drastically improved, and with the progressive rate springs the ride is still smooth over rough roads and bumps.

As for removing the old shocks, I ended up crushing two flat spots into the old shocks and grabbing it with vice grips while unbolting it from the top. Gotta love 40-year-old gunk and rust.

I usually put jack stands under my cross member. They're more out of the way there. Just inspect your cross member for cracks before you put jack stands under it.