Front shocks

BudW

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probably a good idea to install them before I send my Aspen for front frame pulling.
You might want to talk to the body shop who is going to be pulling the frame for their opinion, first. They might recommend installing the sub-frame connectors first – but then again, they might recommend it afterwards (which would be my guess).
Auto body work is not my forte, so don’t go by what I say.



I need to get my pickup into a body shop for similar work. The hood is crushed, and limb pushed back the L/F corner of cab back a bit. It took a bit to get the L/F door open. Now the L/F door needs to be raised up about 2 inches to latch it. I could adjust the door hinges but don’t think that would be the correct action. I need to get cab straight before installing a new windshield. Actually, the only things I found damaged (other than minor paint scratches and minor dings) was the hood and L/F cab corner pushed back a bit.
20190827_120229r.jpg

When I moved the truck, after getting the tree off, I saw the transmission crossmember had made 2-inch-deep indention into the ground. This is a ¾ ton diesel pickup that came with 8,800 lb. carrying capacity.

I have been considering finding a cab and converting my truck from an extended cab (2-door) to a quad cab (2 full/2 half doors) – sense it was an option for my year. That way I don’t have to worry about getting cab fixed.
BudW
 

brotherGood

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I'm leaning toward the Monroes. I found some bushings/plates/bolts from an old set of shocks that I'm going to try to band-aid the current set on the car with.

If I can get my hands on a Kframe cheap that's solid, I'll start rebuilding all the components on that and swap them over while the engine is in the air to fix the galley plug leak.
 

BudW

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If I can get my hands on a Kframe cheap that's solid, I'll start rebuilding all the components on that and swap them over while the engine is in the air
A good plan. What I hear, the ’88-89 are the best ones, with ’86-87 the next best (which are all small blocks). If you plan on driving the car hard, it would be best to take the K-frame and get all welds completed, reinforced and gusseted. Once done, give it a good paint job (powder coat, or whatever) and you will have a long lasting and solid part (and easy to keep clean). There is no such thing as an “over-done” K-frame. Posted below are some pictures I took of the ’84 police K-frame that I gave to @moparmike. I don’t think these are factory welds (but might be). I’ve worked on numerous police cars but not seen any with welds like these – but I could have been inattentive before.

A note to clarify, there is no drop K-frame while engine is in the air – unless you have tricks I hadn’t seen before.
The engine/transmission/K-frame/Front Suspension comes down as an assembly. Well, to be more correct, the body goes up, while you wheel the above-mentioned assembly out from under car. It is so much easier to work on the engine without having to have “stuff” fall in your face or when bending over the fenders. I’m getting old and prefer to sit down when working.

Once K-frame has dropped down below the Frame Rails, you can reattach the two upper control arm brackets, then the two front tires and can roll the assembly around. That is what I did with this assembly. The brake calipers were removed first, though. The upper control arms/upper control arm brackets can be left be – so alignment “should” remain unchanged (if reusing the same K-frame). This one, I needed to rob my upper control arm adjustment bolts for another project, so I replaced them with 7/16” bolts/nuts for the time being (yellow arrow). There is no need to loosen the upper control arm adjustment nuts. You will need to loosen the torsion bar bolts first, though. If you count the turns – then you have a good idea where to tighten them back to as a ballpark on reassembly. DON’T forget to measure front ride height before!
20190825_173942r.jpg

It doesn’t take much at all to move this around, providing you have a spare set of tire/wheels. I have a spare set of snowflake wheels which am using on this.

For all pictures, the black arrow is pointing towards the front of car (unless noted otherwise). Top side or bottom side of K-frame is also noted (in red or yellow). White boxes are where this police K-frame is welded at. Again, I suspect this was done after car was built – but honestly, I don’t know.
20190826_203239a.jpg


20190826_203245a.jpg

Colors reversed here.

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20190826_203302a.jpg

The blue box has three small nut/bolts which are welded in place as well as other welding at that pinch seam.
20190826_203342a.jpg


20190826_203317a.jpg

A closeup.
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There might be other “additional” welds present.

This post is of the same K-frame after it was cleaned up. It might show better details (maybe). V8 K-FRAME
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brotherGood

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I've gotta get the engine away from the trans to fix a leaking galley plug, so by "in the air" I meant while the engine is hoisted over the top of the car having that work addressed.

I have an 86, police car at that. I'd be hard pressed to find anything newer in similar shape (mines not in bad shape for the age and what little I can see of it)

I had considered when yanking the engine to fix the plug issue, just cleaning/checking/rebuilding the Kframe while still in the car..only unhooking to address poly/aluminum mounts. I don't have the extra funds for that though and have a goal of one pass and one dyno for next year.
 

80mirada

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My K-member has the plates at the upper control arm mounts, and the reinforcement across the sway bar channel. It might have the reinforcement at the torsion bar anchors, I'll have to check.
 

picklesgarage

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i thought i remember reading that the early k frames had problems and that was addressed in later years. thought it was that the early ones twisted or flexed and would throw off the alignment. was mostly a fleet thing like taxis or cop cars that were driven hard. might explain the extra plates and welds
 

89.Fifth

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The welds in those photos were done after the fact. That's a k-frame that had no reinforcements and it was done either as a recall fix or by a local PD. The way you can most easily tell is that the later style reinforced frames had a butterfly shaped piece of metal dead center across the main valley (white box, last pic).

Old K's were either open there or had a square piece done later. My 89 has some of those reinforcements factory and not others.

I have an 83 or 84 police frame that has some very sloppy factory welds compared to my 89. The main place I would reinforce is the LCA mounts and the steering box mount.
 

BudW

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I’ve seen the factory make some sloppy welds and even “repair” some parts that should have not been reused (on new cars)

The welded nuts picture does look like done afterwards.

This picture, though, the paint looks like the paint on rest of crossmember.
20190826_203245a.jpg


I do not have enough data to comment any further.
BudW
 

Aspen500

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I have seen absolutely HORRIBLE welds on new cars, even to this day.

Here's what you need to drop the k-frame with the engine in the car. Most often used when changing a trans in a FWD vehicle to hold the powertrain up while the subframe (cradle) is removed. Use one at work frequently, mostly on GM products because as I've said before, GM's are also referred to as "job security" but I digress.:eek:
th?id=OIP.jpg
 

MiradaMegacab

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Hmm, I can’t remember where but I did see a lower control arm modified to accept a standard bayonet top stud but had a ring type bottom in which case the shock was thru bolted thru the lower control arm. I do remember there was a lot of material removed from the control arm.......
Pic is a generic pic, the modified control arm would use a shock type on the right , just for reference.

I’m local to you, 11783 @89.Fifth
If you need anything or help, let me know.
 

Aspen500

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i thought i remember reading that the early k frames had problems and that was addressed in later years. thought it was that the early ones twisted or flexed and would throw off the alignment. was mostly a fleet thing like taxis or cop cars that were driven hard. might explain the extra plates and welds
Mine has the dreaded flex and resulting negative camber and worn tires (to be fixed this winter with the "TSB" shim plates) and it's a late '79 and the vast majority of roads and highways around here are really smooth, so they may have made them better but, not better enough. I fully welded all the seams when building the car but neglected to reinforce the upper control arm bracket stands (kick, kick, kick).
3,000 miles:(
DSC00342.JPG
 

Opticon77

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Shouldn't negative camber wear all the blocks at the same angle? That looks more like some negative camber + toe out.

I say embrace that extra camber up to about -1.5 deg. Especially with that big block anchor you got in the nose. Those tires were going to turn to marbles before you wore them evenly anyway.
 

Aspen500

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Shouldn't negative camber wear all the blocks at the same angle? That looks more like some negative camber + toe out.

I say embrace that extra camber up to about -1.5 deg. Especially with that big block anchor you got in the nose. Those tires were going to turn to marbles before you wore them evenly anyway.

Going by a visual using a level with bolts attached to go against he rim, I have more like 3 or 4 degrees negative camber (plumb eaves a 1/4" gap at the top point). You are correct on the toe. When the camber changes, toe does as well,and more than you would think. A caster change would change toe even more and I suspect maybe the caster has changed also which is very possible. A rough measurement with a tape shows at least 1/2" toe out. When I lined it up in 2012, after building the car, I had all the numbers dead nuts perfect.
I'm going to blame the way too stiff KYB shocks I had on the car, lol. Not really.:p
 
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