SWB versus LWB

[John Hertog <crossram@xxxx>]

Hi Sean,

Thanks for the post. You do make a good point. I do believe the ball joints
you rec'd from PST are too BIG for your 1962 300, right ? That is the one
thing you did not elaborate on.

Once again, and pertaining ONLY to 1960 thru 1964 Chryslers ( I do not know
enough about prior years with full-frame) : when ordering parts for your
car, you must first know whether it's a Short Wheelbase, or a Long
Wheelbase. (SWB vs. LWB ) ; the front end components are different from one
to the other.... LWB cars use ball joints that have a larger diameter...
and, in 1962, the only LWB car was the New Yorker. Engine size has nothing
to do with it at all. Period.

The problem with dealing with PST or Kanter or any such large mail-order
outfit is that the questions asked, when you are ordering, are
computer-generated, and rattled off to you by an employee who most likely
has not a clue as to what a Chrysler 300 of that vintage is.

Best thing to do is to order parts for the WRONG car. If I was ordering
front end rebuild parts for, say, a 62 New Yorker , I'd at least ask the
clerk to check whether these are the same parts as, say, a 1960 Chrysler
NewYorker ! Which they should be, seeing as both are LWB. The problem is
that Chrysler switched some models from SWB to LWB - for instance, the 1961
Chyrsler 300G is LWB, whereas the 1962 Crysler 300H is SWB . But both the
61 and 62 NYker's are SWB .

Things got a LOT easier in 1963 and 1964 when ALL models made were SWB !

This goes on and on.. if you need fenders for a 1960 Chrysler 300F, don't
get them off a 1960 Windsor - they won't fit, even though they look the same
! The 300F is LWB, the Windsor is SWB !

Hope this helps..
John