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What is causing this?

Right Front A arm binds, when you jack up car or wheel front end drops,like a chuck hole, it hangs up then thud it will come down,

replaced upper bushings, king pins, the lower bushings are org.

can camber cause this? the tire tread looks ok,


thanks,,

Conventional springs or torsion level?

oops.

Torsion

Hopefully someone will have better info but I'd be tempted to eliminate the suspects or narrow it down if possible. First would be to chain the load arm up as Craig shows on his panther site and remove the tension on the A arms. Remove the wheel and see if the suspension assembly moves freely under those conditions. If so, then I'd wonder about the pivot for the front load arm. That is supported by some roller bearings on a shaft. Possibly there is an issue there in that assembly or with the bracket. Also, some have mentioned the height of the load link. Too high and it throws things off. Could that be an issue. Anything look out of whack when the car is sitting on the wheels or does the arm appear to shift when car is raised.

Pictures in manual aren't much help with the front assy but here is a build drawing showing how things fit together.

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Thanks Howard,

I think it is that pivot for load arm, car looks ok sitting goes up and down, but if the a arm drops, it binds,

not looking forward to unloading that arm, but i think that is it, the needles might of went dry, and wore a flat spot.

thanks...

Very strange problem.

NOt the load arm nor the torsion bar. Even if load arm and torsion bars completely removed the control arms should just drop of their own weight.

First check the brake hose. Maybe it is too short. Binding or bent steering tie rods or binding and bent control arms or control arm pivots.. But any damaged control arm issues should be obvious.

Does it make anykind of a snapping sound just before it drops????

There could be some problem at lower steering knuckle pivots binding.

EDIT: Is the tire hanging up on the inner edge of the fender????? What size tyres and are they packard wheels??

Also note that when the control arm bushings are tightened the car must be normalized. DO NOT TIGHTEN control arm bushings otherwise.

Cheque the anitsway bar for damage such as bent. This is very odd problem. Did this problem exist BEFORE u made any repairs to the suspension as u mentioned in post 1 above????

Pack 8

Thanks,

I got the car in 1979, from a friend of my dads,, i think it did do this,

when i jack car up it might make a sound, besides other noise's ..

when i let car down right ft fender is up, push down on it and it does not move, drive car out driveway and it goes thud, and comes down. that's when i make transition to street,, and sometimes it stays till i start driving. then thud,,or bang. like something is binding and then lets go.

I vote for a bent shock rod, followed by threaded bushings at the outer ends of the A arms; if they are not centered front to rear they will jam against the a arm at the extremes of travel.

Have never seen a bad TL load arm needle bearing in twenty years but there is a first time for everything.....