Sadness.

Jass...do you need to keep those bushings?? Because I would just use a sawzall and cut through the rubber bushing therefore cutting the bolt in half and this should solve your problem...Maybe??

Or is there another reason this would not work....:huh:
 
Funny, all this time I thought the LeBaron was brown.:doh: When you start welding, cut the ball of steel off of the end of your welding wire each time you finish a weld. If not, it does bad things.:bravo:
 
thrashingcows said:
Jass...do you need to keep those bushings?? Because I would just use a sawzall and cut through the rubber bushing therefore cutting the bolt in half and this should solve your problem...Maybe??

Or is there another reason this would not work....:huh:
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It might work, but I think if the nut is still on the end of the bolt, it's too large to come through that access hole. The other problem is that the entire area behind the control arm is steel, so it could be tricky with a Sawzall--hit the steel, bend the blade, swear loudly. Also, the bushing barely protrudes from the control arm, and I'm afraid to damage the arm itself.

J.C. Corbett said:
Funny, all this time I thought the LeBaron was brown.:doh:
Click to expand...

Actually, the factory color was Baron Red. :dance:
 
Dr.Jass said:
Torches and air chisels are both out. There's no clearance behind the bolts for torching--the top of the K is right behind them--and I don't necessarily want to deform or blow new holes in the K-member.
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No - no - you misunderstood.

When I said the only way to fix the car was with a torch, I meant....*ducks thrown wrench* [smilie=i:
 
But seriously folks:

Have you considered replacing the K-frame altogether?

Must still be a few in wrecking yards - and I'm sure it would be cheap.

You could redo your suspension/brakes and even engine on the floor and install them from the bottom...
 
That is the replacement K-member. :doh: I kept it from the '85 WI Gran Fury squad car I parted out a few years ago since it was V8 unit and had the high-durometer cop-car bushings. The car was a factory Sicks.

It's out of the car... in fact, if you look between the Air Compressor of Hate and the Conquest, through the handle of the lawnmower, you can just make it out by the sawdust snowcaps gently drifting across its contours:

attachment.php
 
Yeah, the garage is quite clean compared to that photo. We went out to the garage around 8PM and I essentially moved stuff around and decided what could go at that instant. Tina took out two 20-gallon bags of nothing but floor sweepings (mostly Oil Dri), and I left quite a bit of scrap steel and aluminum out back for Stretchy to take. All told, we had 2½ 33-gallon garbage cans full of trash by the curb by night's end.

More organization is required, but by 4:30AM with myself half-gassed or better, I couldn't take it anymore... I told Tina "that's enough". She actually looked at me quizzically at that hour, with a fairly good buzz herself, and said, "What about the bench?" What a trooper... we hadn't even touched anything above floor level, but I had to tell her it would have to wait. I thought I was going to tip over, but we went back to the house and started bullshitting, made a pizza, bullshat some more. Finally I was allowed to go to bed around 7:30AM.

Needless to say, my inspection of the LeBaron Monday afternoon was less than thorough, though slightly better than cursory. You'll have that when you feel as if you've been run over by an amphibious assault vehicle while standing in three feet of water. :doh:
 
Yeah - I had thought you said the car was a 6...

I didn't realise the problem K frame was the replacement unit tho...guess I didn't put 2 and 2 together...
 
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Is that my 3-speed trans between the snowblower and lawnmower? :toot:
 
Dr.Jass said:
No, that's a man's trans. It has four forward speeds. :D
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then whats a 5 and 6 speed?

ive NEVER been happy with 4....even jambed a few into reverse looking for 5th gear LOL......
2spd(auto anyway) this thing must be broken
3spd WTF is wrong
4spd damnit i cant find 5th
5spd ahhh fun!
6spd would be bliss
 
68R/T said:
Already got onna dose, wid 18 splines.:giggedy:
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...and this makes you special in what way? I currently have six four speeds, including a '69 18-spline, plus the 3-gear.

Hell, I sold an original A-body 18-spline (yes, 1968 Hemi Dart) transmission several years back... I only profited $1200 on it. :doh:

If you need more than four speeds, you need to reconfigure your engine for a flatter torque curve... and if you need a 5th for better fuel mileage, you're playing the wrong game. :D
 
I dunno... seems I've had the best luck fuel-mileage-wise with gears that put the engine at or near its torque peak at highway speeds, particularly with a manual transmission. My Challenger 340 was around 17MPG highway with a stick and 4.10s, and my 406-inch Poncho rarely got less than 20 on the highway with the Super T-10 and 3.42 cogs--and it ran 12.90s.

Of course, I give a lot of credit for both to spread-bore factory carbs--the original 850ThermoQuad on the Challenger, and a 780 QuadraJet on the Trans Am.
 
Dr.Jass said:
I dunno... seems I've had the best luck fuel-mileage-wise with gears that put the engine at or near its torque peak at highway speeds, particularly with a manual transmission. My Challenger 340 was around 17MPG highway with a stick and 4.10s, and my 406-inch Poncho rarely got less than 20 on the highway with the Super T-10 and 3.42 cogs--and it ran 12.90s.

Of course, I give a lot of credit for both to spread-bore factory carbs--the original 850ThermoQuad on the Challenger, and a 780 QuadraJet on the Trans Am.
Click to expand...

Yup those spreadbore carbs sure do make a difference in fuel mileage in highway cruising conditions...TQ's one of the best carbs ever...IMO.
 
I’m going to do a little fuel mileage test here soon. I have the 3:55’s in my stock 340/727 charger now. I’m going to run a couple takes through her once I get here out. Then I’m going to swap in the 2:76 set I have and just for fun, perhaps I will try the 3:23’s I have.

I have never figured fuel mileage with this car. I never felt the need but with gas as it is I still want to drive it so we will see.

I just cruz in it anyhow.
 
For the little driving that you do, I don't see a significant monetary savings.

Going to the 295/50R-15s with the 3.55s probably put you right back to where you were with the 245/60R14s with the 3.23s, since you picked up over an inch of tire height. You might see a change with the taller gears since you're running the taller tires, but with the 2.76s I wouldn't be surprised to see your mileage get worse, as you'll be lugging the engine. That ratio, combined with the taller tires, is really going to drop your RPM compared to where you were with the original gears and the 245/60s.

Then again, with the smaller ports of the '73 heads, your 340 doesn't necessarily scream like the earlier engines. You've got higher port velocity at lower engine speeds, which translates into better cylinder filling at those RPM, so you might just see a gain.

Time will tell... I have to say, I'm curious.
 
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