Lower Control Arms: OpenTracker or Rebuild Originals?

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Joined
Oct 29, 2018
Messages
47
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Location
San Antonio, TX
My Car
1971 Boss 351
I'm in the middle of a complete front end rebuild on my 71 Boss.  I'm not concerned about concours correct but would like the replacements to look close to original and perhaps better than OE.  I purchased OpenTracker upper and lower control arms.  Although pricey, their products have good reviews.  However, I'm not pleased with the OpenTracker lowers as they are slightly narrower than the originals and not as heavy.  I'm also very concerned about their solution for the sway bar end link bolt attachment.  The originals have a beefy pressed sleeve and the OpenTrackers have four flimsy washers that are to be stacked to accept the sway bar end link bolt.  I'm now wondering if I should have the original lowers rebuilt/refurbished for another half-century of duty. Your thoughts?



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Excellent!  Appreciate the thread.  However I don't have a torch or mig welder.  OpenTracker has these Do-It-Yourself for $245 but again I don't have a welder.  Does anyone know a service where I can send my originals for refurbish?



 
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No better time than now to learn how to weld. A nice DIY-er wire feed welder probably would cost less than having someone else do it for you. If you're going to be working on your own car you'll be surprised at how often you can use it, not only on your car but other things around the house. I like building, modifying, and repairing things, and being able to weld and braze comes in real handy. For instance, we wanted a nice looking gate for our driveway, so I got a couple of farm gates and welded some decorative fence panels to them, nice looking gates at a fraction of the cost of buying decorative gates.

 
No better time than now to learn how to weld. A nice DIY-er wire feed welder probably would cost less than having someone else do it for you. If you're going to be working on your own car you'll be surprised at how often you can use it, not only on your car but other things around the house. I like building, modifying, and repairing things, and being able to weld and braze comes in real handy. For instance, we wanted a nice looking gate for our driveway, so I got a couple of farm gates and welded some decorative fence panels to them, nice looking gates at a fraction of the cost of buying decorative gates.
So true! I’ve already fixed a bicycle and the door on a metal key-box. Best thing: my girlfriend now also appreciates purchasing a welding machine :)

 
I believe Scott Drake makes an arm that has the pressed in vertical link bushing seat. Call Don at OMS and ask him. Chuck

 
I just replaced the lowers on my 73 Mach 1 concerned that the plastic inside had gone bad. I did lot of checking and the Moog lower control arms that NPD has are correct in every way even have the jack pads on the bottom. Part # 3078-3C $82.95 in their 2020 catalog. 

I do not think anyone sells a kit to rebuild the lowers. They did not when new. The reinforcements on this arm for the sway bar are correct on the Moog unit. When I got these I was concerned that they were different in the area of the sway bar then I remembered that I had replaced mine because I slid sideways into a curb when running autocross back in the 70's. I talked with owner of NPD in Charlotte and he sent me pic of his 1973 Cougar convertible which was last one built with very few miles on it and it matches the replacement. 



 
Thanks David!!

UPDATE:  The part number at NPD for the Scott Drake lower control arm as pictured in David's post above is Item # 3078-3B for $69.95 or CJPony (Part CZ-3078-B) for $65.66.

 
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