Time for suspension and steering maintenance.

[tashakes]

I have been making progress on bringing the newly acquired 73 Vert up to snuff. The electrical details have been addressed and next is suspension and steering. After that, the plan of attack is

• replace valve covers gaskets to address oil leaks
• Connect and inspect heater box and HVAC, most probably replace/refurbish most of the components
• Figure out why power steering sometimes gets hard (usually when warm and low speed maneuvering)

From the get go, the suspension was way loose for my taste. So I got under the car and got to work. Most of the components are tight and there is no play on the wheels, so the bearings seem good and most of the rods fine. There is little play on the steering so I am guessing the worm on the steering box still has some life left. Upon inspection, I saw there is no rear sway bar so I ordered one from Addco.

Last night I replaced both front sway bar bushings as one was destroyed (see pic). Also replaced the left inner rod tie (pic). The alignment sleeve on the rod tie was loose and probably caused the play that destroyed the boot.

Today I am replacing the shocks from existing KYB excel-g to KYB Gas-a-Just as I am looking for a more compliant ride and the roads here in socal are pretty decent. I will install the rear sway bar after it arrives next week.

Once I am done with that, I may replace the front springs with 1” lowering ones as I believe the ones in the car now may be worn out. After I finish with the work above and test ride I will make the decision.

I am thoroughly enjoying working on the car and taking care of the little things that annoy me. Once that is done, I may start looking for other upgrades like a AOD conversion, replacing the canvas for black, seats, etc. It’s a never ending game, and I love it!

 

[tashakes]

Well rockauto screws it up. I received a goddamn used part with missing pieces. Sometimes buying online sucks.