PINTO CAR CLUB of AMERICA
Shiny is Good! => Your Project => Topic started by: 72Wagon on March 11, 2024, 10:28:36 PM
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I know the 73 suspension is a unicorn, but is there any suspension bushings for front and rear that are available or can be modified to work on these cars? This is a wagon that I am looking at that has original bushings.
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I can't say outright that know (I have a 73 wagon too). I don't know the variations in the odd year '73 cars other than the steering rack was different. Is there info stating the A-arm bushings are different? Or for that matter the lower (diagonal) A-arm control rod bushings?
I have another car, a '61 Corvair wagon that needed new bushings for the control rod that runs at an angle from the crossmember to the lower A-arm. They are available but are over $100. Rather than a common round socket to fit into, it was oval. In the end I wound up creating a steel piece that filled the oval with a more conventional round hole and found a "similar" bushing. Similar was only close and I still had to cut the bushing down, enlarge the center hole etc.. But it worked (do at your own risk). The good news is that both bushings were under $8 and the best price was available through (of all places) Home Depot by ordering.
I doubt that for the Pinto it will take that much adaptation but it would require seeing the specs on what bushings are out there and figure out what is 'close enough.'
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I may have to go the fabrication route. I have all the spare parts for the font end of the 72, but they will not fit from what I have read on this sight.. May have to remove the 73 parts and compare to see how different they are.
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If you do disassemble to see please let us know. I have seen on You Tube where people remove the existing rubber (likely burning it out) and then pour Urethane to restore the bushing. It might be something to checkout at least for the upper and lower A-Arms. The control rod will, as I stated, likely have to be adapted either enlarging or filling the receiving hole and/or opening/sleeving the inner diameter. I'd be curious to know what modern Pinto/Mustang II parts that are sold as adaptations will work also.
As I said, I'm unsure if the rubber bushings are the same through all years. It was only the '73 steering rack I was aware of being rare. Well, that and the early front rotors. I have a vague recollection someone once mentioned that some of the later parts are adaptable to the early cars.
Unfortunately postings/replies are so light here that days, I thing a few times a week goes by before anyone responds. But there is always hope.
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Never thought of the Urethane method, will have to check out YouTube to see how its done. Might be able to finance the process with my spare rotors. LOL I am also one who does not visit the site like I did in the past.