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Thread: steering linkage rubs frame

  1. #11
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    No, you have something else going on there. There should be way more clearance between the cradle and your centerlink. It is binding, that is why it is hard to turn the wheel.

    Any power steering pump will work. There is no difference between the pump on a 350 car vs. a 455. Don't waste your money.
    Last edited by LARRY70GS; 04-06-2018 at 11:24 AM.
    Larry

    1970 GS455 Stage1 Race weight 4025 lbs.
    TSP 470, 602 HP, 589 TQ
    MT headers, Gear Vendors Overdrive
    Best E.T. 11.54 Best MPH, 116.06
    1998 Riviera SC3800

  2. #12
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    I am trying to upload a picture of my centerlink but the upload is failing. The jpeg is not too big, I don't understand. I'll try again later.
    Last edited by LARRY70GS; 04-06-2018 at 11:59 AM.
    Larry

    1970 GS455 Stage1 Race weight 4025 lbs.
    TSP 470, 602 HP, 589 TQ
    MT headers, Gear Vendors Overdrive
    Best E.T. 11.54 Best MPH, 116.06
    1998 Riviera SC3800

  3. #13
    I think I may have plugged up the site, it should be good now


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  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob View Post
    I think I may have plugged up the site, it should be good now
    Let's try again.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Larry

    1970 GS455 Stage1 Race weight 4025 lbs.
    TSP 470, 602 HP, 589 TQ
    MT headers, Gear Vendors Overdrive
    Best E.T. 11.54 Best MPH, 116.06
    1998 Riviera SC3800

  5. #15
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    Lawrence,
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    front end rebuild update

    So I figured out that I had the hoses hooked up backwards for the power steering pump, switched them around and everything works great. I did order a new front sway bar from Performance Online. Compared to the old front sway bar the new one looks like it belongs on a bus!!! It is much thicker, the only thing I didn't like about it is it came with rubber bushings instead of polyurethane and the bolt that attached it to the lower A arm is a bit smaller than the one I have now. I'm finishing painting it this week and hope to install it next week, then I will have to to do the alignment that I can do at home before it goes to the shop for final alignment and to check the frame for straightness. I am hoping to put some new wheels and tires on before the final alignment, maybe some members can save me from having to do my homework on Backspacing for rear wheels and what the bolt pattern measurements are LOL? I priced out new 17 inch Buick Aluminum wheels from OPG this week (good thing I was sitting down), also looking at American racing torque thrusts. I'm not looking to change ride height or overall wheel size and I'm looking at 215/55/r17 tires for the front and 270/40/r17 for the rear, That's based on the wheels that are currently on the car, 8 inch in the front 9 inch in the back. I'm sure there's probably a thread about wheels and tires if someone knows the link? Questions are: best backspacing for tires of that size on the rear? Can I do a ten inch rim on the rear? I'll be taking some pics and posting them as I go and before I pull the trigger on tires/wheels. For tires I'm looking at Firestone Firehawk Indy or BFG G-force comps (this car doesn't see rain), opinions/experiences with each are welcome. Thanks!!!

  6. #16
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    controll arm pic

    Larry70GS,

    Thanks for the steering linkage pic, very helpful. My thoughts are that the Pitman arm and the linkage that bolts to the frame on the opposite side are not correct? Or...bent frame. I'll be problem solving this and keep you posted. Thanks again!
    Last edited by Patricio; 05-03-2018 at 06:29 AM. Reason: spelling

  7. #17
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    checking frame...and new wheels

    So I found an interesting post on how to check the frame: hang some plumbs on each corner and make chalk marks at the plumbs on the concrete, measure diagonal to check straightness. I suppose you could snap a chalk line front to rear and measure the distance between on the ends as well? Geometry again, lol. Also, pulled the trigger on the OPGI 17 inch aluminum rally wheels: 17 X 8 for the front (stock height disc brakes), 17 X 9 for the rear (drum brakes, air shocks). I wanted to get the wheels and mount them to check for clearances before buying tires but please feel free to make suggestions!!!! The new wheels are set up to be centered in the wheel well. The last thing I was wondering: if the front end bushings were shot, I assume the rear ones are shot as well. Should I wait to have the car aligned until I get the rear end rebuilt as well? Only putting 10 miles on it since last October is Killing me!!! Of course it usually isn't at the top of the "to do" list.

  8. #18
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    I had to rebuild the front end on my 67 Electra for no other reason than the rubber bushings disintegrated from age. I replaced all the other moving parts because the old ones were off anyway and they were 50 years old. The rear doesn't get the same amount of stress as the front so those bushings are still intact on my car. They are however 50 also so they will get done this winter. I wasn't stressed about driving the car another season with them in place though. If nothing back there is rattling around like my front was you should be fine. Do get them done but it's not a crazy rush like the front would be as far as safety is concerned if they are intact.

    Make sure you mock up those wheels with the cars full weight on the suspension. You don't want any surprises once the tires are mounted and they're on the car. I had a slight amount of rub front and back with 255-60 tires on stock 15" rims on my 69 Cutlass S and 70 GTO both at stock height if that helps you with sizing your tires. - Bill

  9. #19
    hang some plumbs on each corner and make chalk marks at the plumbs on the concrete, measure diagonal to check straightness.


    corner of what?

    i hope you're not hanging the bobs off the corner of the fenders, those are too easy to get tweaked. i'd hang them off of the wheel hubs.


    I suppose you could snap a chalk line front to rear and measure the distance between on the ends as well? Geometry again, lol.


    it's going to be pretty much impossible to have different measurements F - R if the diagonals match. otoh, it IS possible to match F - R on both sides and still not be square. that's called "diamonding" the frame and will typically happen if the car whacks something heavy off center. viewed from overhead, it turns the frame into a parallelogram when you want a rectangle.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallelogram


    Should I wait to have the car aligned until I get the rear end rebuilt as well?

    if it's going to cost you much money, yes.

    any time you rebuild the suspension you want to check alignment when you're done. for the final alignment, i'd have a guy with a frame machine check it out. frame straitening is easy if you've got the tools for it, a huge pain in the *** otherwise. especially if you need to pull a diamond out.


    Do get them done but it's not a crazy rush like the front would be as far as safety is concerned if they are intact.


    don't get TOO complacent about this. i ripped a rear control arm apart on a Street Stock because the guys who built the car didn't bother checking the rear suspension out like they should have.

    fitting a 15" rim + tire into the ~10" space between the bottom of the fuel cell cage and the asphalt just shot my handling ALL to hell.
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  10. #20
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    frame plumbs

    Bob, thanks for checking in. I was planning on hanging the plumb from the corners of the frame, If the car hasn't been aligned would your idea of hanging them off the wheel hubs still work? My instincts tell me that if it's not all aligned then the geometry might be off? I get the idea of the "diamond", hope that's not it. Keep you all posted. BTW, one of my new wheels showed up with a chip out of the rim on the edge, OPGI asked for a couple of pictures and they're paying to ship the chipped one back and replacing it at no cost to me, good guys at OPGI.

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