Re: [Chrysler300] Front end hell!

["Chris and TJ" <flip7@xxxx>]

Matt,
Have you compared the new castle nut height with that of the old ones?
Castle nuts and slotted nuts are available in different heights. In the
process of doing my front end, I lost one of the slotted nuts for the lower
control arm shaft. After I bought a new one at my local NAPA. I discovered
it was shorter than the one on the other side and did as you described.
Looked all over Albuquerque to no avail for one the same height. Finally
had to go to the McMaster-Carr website,
http://www.mcmaster.com/param/asp/psearch.asp?FAM=slottednut&session=desc=Nu
ts;slottednut, and order it. Couldn't beat the deal, $.35 charged to the
credit card with free shipping and I got exactly what I needed!

As far as the centerlink goes, make sure both the holes in the idler/pitman
arms and the studs on the centerlink are free of grease. I'd wipe off the
stud shafts and holes with a degreaser. Also before you install the
centerlink, thread the nuts on by hand and make sure they thread all the way
on freely. There may be paint or whatever on the threads causing the nut to
tighten prematurely. Once you have the centerlink in place, you may even
want to give the back of it at the studs a slight tap with a plastic mallet
to help get it seated before you try to tighten. If the problem seems more
than just a slight slipping, I'd compare the studs on the new or rebuilt
centerlink with the studs on the old one. You'll need to keep the stud
taper in mind when you measure. Just a wild shot in the dark, but it could
be whoever rebuilt the centerlink installed the wrong studs.

Chris Filipietz
Rosamond CA


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jennifer Allyn" <gearhead.girl@xxxx>
To: <chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, August 31, 2002 12:04
Subject: [Chrysler300] Front end hell!


> Still assembling my '62 300 front end. Need advice, please:
>
>
>
> The upper & lower ball joints are all new and I have followed the manual
> tightening references, though something seems funny. The torqued down
> nuts are quite lower than the cotter key holes, so that when I install
> the cotter keys the nut points are much lower than the key. Thus the
> key does not correspond to any of the nut points. Make sense? Here's
> what the manual tells me to tighten the ball joint studs to (where they
> meet the spindles):
>
> Upper 100
>
> Lower 135
>
>
>
> Center Link drops on top of the idler & pitman arms. Nuts are threaded
> below the arms onto the center link studs. I hit the nuts with my air
> gun & the studs spin in their sockets. How can I get the studs to bite
> in their holes so that I can tighten them?
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Matt Allyn
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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