My 71 Duster work in progress
- Thread starter b-body-bob
- Start date
69.5CUDA
Blah Blah Blah
docs pic is correct froom memory and they will only go on one way, with the heavy bend going on the bumper and the more direct 90 to the body with the open C facing OUT
the inners i belive were shallow side out long side in?..its been a VERY long time since i was under a duster
the inners i belive were shallow side out long side in?..its been a VERY long time since i was under a duster
b-body-bob
Well-known member
The inner brackets only hit the bumper right one way, with the body side bolt holes toward the lower side. You can see that in the parts book illustration I posted above.
They don't come close to being right upside down, so that much you can't really get wrong.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
I guess I need to just put the thing on and see how much access I have to that end bracket. I'll have to get to the bumper bolt because that is the slotted end of the bracket. I'm not sure there's enough room to get in there but I'll find out later today.Well, the body service manual isn't much more help. The text just refers you to the diagram, which does at least show that the brackets are installed to the bumper first. The whole shebang then goes on as a single unit. I hope that nut is not to scale.
View attachment 22233
b-body-bob
Well-known member
I found a photo that kinda sorta makes it look like there's some room to work in that corner. For sure though the body hangs out over the crossmember so it will get tight once my hand is up in there. But the FSM says that's how you do it so there has to be do-able.
I'll be back later.
PS what's up with the trunk in that thing? I thought my spare well repair looked like hell, but at least it's all one color.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
I have prettier surgical scars.
There is a little bit of working room in that area, based on my Valiant, but not a ton. We never had the bumper off, though. I would probably get the inner (main) brackets mounted, then bolt up the outers so that they're tight enough to not move without force. Install the bumper, and manipulate the outer brackets until the bulkhead bolt holes are aligned. Pull it back off and tighten the outer bolts, being careful not to move them.
All that assumes, of course, that once you start to assemble everything you don't find that it'll only go together a certain way that allows those slots to align automatically. I was concerned about the placement of the ball-stud bracket on my Challenger, but it turns out the factory made it nearly impossible to get wrong.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
The key to getting the outer brackets in is to tack the the carriage bolts to the brackets. Or have a retainer to keep the bolts in place, which is probably what the factory did. The little spongy styrofoam gaskets won't do it.
The outer bracket can be put on after the lowers are bolted loosely to the crossmember, because the bumper tilts out to give you more working room, and you can stick the outer bracket bolt through the body and that helps hold it in place until you get the bumper bolt through and started. Once you've got that, it ain't falling out. Tighten up the four main brackets which will sort of put the outer brackets in position, then tighten the outer brackets up.
Now that I've got it all lined up, I can take the bumper off when needed by just unbolting it from the car because the brackets are where they need to be in relation to the bumper.
I don't know what I ever did without a welder and the ability to use it.
The outer bracket can be put on after the lowers are bolted loosely to the crossmember, because the bumper tilts out to give you more working room, and you can stick the outer bracket bolt through the body and that helps hold it in place until you get the bumper bolt through and started. Once you've got that, it ain't falling out. Tighten up the four main brackets which will sort of put the outer brackets in position, then tighten the outer brackets up.
Now that I've got it all lined up, I can take the bumper off when needed by just unbolting it from the car because the brackets are where they need to be in relation to the bumper.
I don't know what I ever did without a welder and the ability to use it.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
I'm shopping shocks now, and avoiding painting the wheels and taking the hit on the price of new tires.
The best I can do at rock auto for rear are standard Monroe matic shocks, and those are tagged "(no warranty)". What the heck is up with that? Other than that I can choose between a set with coil overs or air shocks.
For a b-body they have KYBs front and rear, and the fronts are the same for both B and A bodies. But all they offer for the rear of an A-body is either dirt cheap or Dukes of Hazzard style.
The best I can do at rock auto for rear are standard Monroe matic shocks, and those are tagged "(no warranty)". What the heck is up with that? Other than that I can choose between a set with coil overs or air shocks.
For a b-body they have KYBs front and rear, and the fronts are the same for both B and A bodies. But all they offer for the rear of an A-body is either dirt cheap or Dukes of Hazzard style.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
Thanks
Those are really pricey everywhere but rockauto.
Right now it looks like it has Monroes on the front (blue) and Gabriel on the back (red). The rears seem OK but the upper bushing on the front ones is dry rotted. The lower one and both rears probably are too but it doesn't show so much because of it being inside an eye.
Those are really pricey everywhere but rockauto.
Right now it looks like it has Monroes on the front (blue) and Gabriel on the back (red). The rears seem OK but the upper bushing on the front ones is dry rotted. The lower one and both rears probably are too but it doesn't show so much because of it being inside an eye.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Well, we don't know what they cost from Rock either, do we? We don't carry KYB anymore so I had to get them online. I got them from Amazon, and they were less expensive than RockAuto at the time. That was last summer, after discovering the shocks I thought were for Agnes were for the Challenger. The upper mount is different.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
The fronts that rock does have at $27.79 is right about half the price of Amazon/Ebay, so I'd have to think they're going to be cheaper for the rears too. The question becomes how sure am I that they aren't discontinued and how long can I wait?
The genius state govt here is talking about reducing income tax and raising sales tax so I'm probably going to buy tires soon to flip the bird to the taxman. I bought a set of rallye centers today too.
^^^^ My favorite version ^^^^
b-body-bob
Well-known member
I just tried getting tires locally - I can't. NTB priced them locally about $4 each more than TireRack, and I was willing to pay that to sort of support a local cause, but they can't get them in either 275-60R15 or 225-70R14 so I'll have to ship them in and take them to an installer. Of course that does solve my problem of having them arrive before my lazy ass has painted the wheels, so I've got that going for me.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Do you have enough room for a 275/60 back there? That size was a fairly tight fit on my Challenger; I don't think it would've made it on the Valiant (due to height, not width--my drag tires are 275/50s).
Having them shipped may not grant you any extra time. I think the last time I ordered from TireRack, the order arrived the next day. Then again, Discount Tire Direct sent my 255/60R-15s on vacation for 10 days so who knows.
Having them shipped may not grant you any extra time. I think the last time I ordered from TireRack, the order arrived the next day. Then again, Discount Tire Direct sent my 255/60R-15s on vacation for 10 days so who knows.
69.5CUDA
Blah Blah Blah
no reason you cant mount em yourself...they go on easy when your talking about those kind of sizes, mount em drive down to a local place and pay to have em balanced.....its useualy what i do..course i do everything i possibly can to NOT let anyone touch my shit...so much so id take the wheels in NOT on the car
b-body-bob
Well-known member
That's what it's got on it. I would roll the dice and try to get something taller but I figure I'd run out of room at the leading edge of the wheel well.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
I used to do them all day everyday for a living, no way I would put myself through that when a machine makes it so easy for $10 a wheel
I know a guy who has an old Coates changer that I'd buy if I had room. He told me that his 100psi compressor isn't enough to run it. I've got the compressor but no room.
69.5CUDA
Blah Blah Blah
oh man id KILL for an old machine, i worked at a tire shop fr a few years as well, but i still get a lil satisfaction mounting the ones i can..i wont even try anything smaller than a 50 series tho...50 and up can damn neer be stomped onto a wheel, 70 and up can be thrown at the hweel and just mount LOL
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
That's exactly where I think the size you've got might've created an issue on the Valiant. The 50 is fairly close and the 60 is more than 2" taller: 28" v. the 25.8" height of the 50.
