Upper control Arms - recommendations please

[68chargeruk]

Guys

This spiralled out of control when we began the disc brake conversion, everything was original/old/rusty so almost everything broke, this left the car immobile
so had to grab some parts quick, used Moog lower ball joints but noticed the upper arms need a refresh too

Looked at QA1 and Hotchkiss but these are mega money, if I have Moog lower is there any need to go QA1 on the uppers?

What is everyone else using please

Thanks

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Depends what the goals of the car are. For a weekend show car you can get away with a stock rebuild but I would go with the QA1 arms for a driver. By the time you buy new bushings and ball joints you're at 1/3 of the price of new arms (add in another hundred or so if you are paying a shop to press them in and you're at more than 2/3 the price of new arms). The newer aftermarket arms will give the suspension better geometry and allow the alignment to get to the specs needed for a proper driver.

Other people use the offset bushings to help but they are hit and miss for some. I'd still go for an aftermarket set like the QA1s. 

[cdr]

I have the Hotchkis uppers on  my junker

[b5blue]

I bought repops that come loaded, bushed and ball joint installed.  (Not costly.)

[Kern Dog]

I have the Hotchkis uppers on  my junker

Why would you refer to your car this way?

[cdr]

I have the Hotchkis uppers on  my junker

Why would you refer to your car this way?

LOL,lately its been like a relationship with a woman, a love hate relationship

[XH29N0G]

Quick question for all. Given what has been said about the QA1 and other UCAs, would it be better just to plan on changing them if someone is making a drum to disc conversion?

[cdr]

Quick question for all. Given what has been said about the QA1 and other UCAs, would it be better just to plan on changing them if someone is making a drum to disc conversion?

The stock uppers are ok, I needed the Geometry correction that ONLY the Hotchkis ones have because of the Rack & pinion steering, it was part of the Bump Steer solution that I needed. I would do it all at the same time you do the brakes

[darbgnik]

Depends what the goals of the car are. For a weekend show car you can get away with a stock rebuild but I would go with the QA1 arms for a driver. By the time you buy new bushings and ball joints you're at 1/3 of the price of new arms (add in another hundred or so if you are paying a shop to press them in and you're at more than 2/3 the price of new arms). The newer aftermarket arms will give the suspension better geometry and allow the alignment to get to the specs needed for a proper driver.

Other people use the offset bushings to help but they are hit and miss for some. I'd still go for an aftermarket set like the QA1s.  

What he said...  I bought QA1 uppers as they were reasonably priced for tubular uppers. Installed them when I did my disc upgrade. Those, plus lower ball joints, camber bolts, inner and outer tie rods and sleeves, and the idler arm for good measure.

[68chargeruk]

I bought repops that come loaded, bushed and ball joint installed.  (Not costly.)

from where please?

[68chargeruk]

Consensus seems to be QA1 then, its just a driver car. no track or show or anything other than to restore along the way, upgrade where technology allows and enjoy. I'll look into the QA1 stuff then, thanks for the input everyone 

[b5blue]

130.00  https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Mopar-B-Body-Upper-Control-Arm-Set-1967-72,296838.html

[Mopar Nut]

130.00  https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Mopar-B-Body-Upper-Control-Arm-Set-1967-72,296838.html

That's not bad.

[Kern Dog]

That ad reads both OEM style and Tubular. The picture looks like a factory style arm.

[c00nhunterjoe]

I am pleased with firm feel's arms. Used several sets over the years.

[Kern Dog]

Firm Feel makes some good stuff.

[chargered]

I went with the QA1 on my 70, but wish now I would have gone with Firm Feel.  The QA1 has a bit of interference when it bottoms out so I had to do some grinding.  I think the Firm Feel has better clearance. 

[HeavyFuel]

I am pleased with firm feel's arms. Used several sets over the years.

I put on FF's earlier this year.   I like 'em.

[375instroke]

I went with the QA1 on my 70, but wish now I would have gone with Firm Feel.  The QA1 has a bit of interference when it bottoms out so I had to do some grinding.  I think the Firm Feel has better clearance. 

Same here.  The Firm Feel UCAs are made with bends.  The QA1 arms are straight, and the rear arm hits the frame at full rebound.  The ball joint also sits inside a tube that my socket will not fit into.  It appears that this tube is there to relocate the ball joint lower in relation to the mounts, thus increasing camber gain in jounce.

[Mike DC]

   
BTW, are there any stats published about the dimensions of the FF arms?  Like, exactly how they are altered from the stock UCAs? 

[375instroke]

I have a set of the Firm Feel upper control arms.  I haven't seen published numbers, but they told me they add 4° caster.

[tonyskala]

A little late to this... but I know exactly what you are talking about. One small job has spiraled into a complete front end rebuild.. here is My saga and what I did and went with.

I started with a disk brake conversion that snowballed. I opted for a mid range Pirate Jack 4 wheel disk conversion kit. It was right around 1100. So I jack the car up and look at the suspension and it is just worn out. Lower the  car and procede to look for ball joints and bushings. Researching the uppers I saw the bushings were like 30 each set. plus ball joints 20 each and I stumbled into those QA1. I saw them for 330 and can avoid replacing the ball joints and bushings that would cost me 100. Plus al the cleaning I would have to do to the arms. Then in researching that replacement I saw the matched kit with 4 shocks, both uppers control arms, and the dynamic strut bars ( never knew what they were before) and concentric washers. I winded up getting it all but could not find the lowers. Then when I looked at them they looked like nothing I had ever seen before and I winded up finding them on the qa1 site. But the lowers will not work with a factory b body sway bar. and if you use the sway bar you have to have the qa1 sub frame. You also need an e body sway bar not a b body bar. when I looked at the qa1 subframe it pushes the engine back 2 inches so I passed on that because then I would have to shorten the drive shaft. My motivation was to avoid extra work because I am in my house garage and I dont have the extra time or space. I wanted bolt on replacements.

This is not clear from QA1 site. The QA1 lowers will work with out a sway bar but if you do get the sway bar, it has to be a e body bar and you have to get the qa1 subframe as well. The sway bar actuates the purchase of the qa1 subframe.

In end I bought
QA1 front non adjustable shocks
QA1 rear non adjustable shocks
QA1 dynamic strut bars
QA1 concentric washers
QA1 tie rod connectors
QA1 upper Control arms that had poly bushings and the ball joint already installed
Adeco 1 1/8 sway bar
Moog inner and outer tie rods
Moog idle arm
Moog pitman arm
Moog spindle ball joints
Pirate jack 4 wheel disk brake kit with adjustable proportioning valve and billet brake resivour
Green bearings for the rear
After market thin gauge stiffing plate for lower control arms
and a greasable pivot shaft bolt.

My reasoning for doing all of this was I was already taking the thing apart and the time to just do a little more  was nominal and I did not want to do all this pressing out of joints. My car had 40 gears of grease and dirt on it and I had the hardest time taking it apart. I wanted to do it one time then move onto something else on the car.

The lower control arms and the pivot shaft were the hardest things to do. I am not the greatest welder and the stiffening plates for lowers were hard to do and knocking out the old bushings was a project into itself requiring welding in a washer. It was not easy and for that reason alone I would rather just get the QA1 lowers. trust me the QA1's would save you a lot of time.

I stripped the dynamic strut bar threads because of a tight fit and was lucky enough to get a replacement from QA1 for free. It was not easy work for me because I am used to GM and this was a totally different set up. Had to take it apart 1 time after mid install, 

My lowers had the tabs for the sway bar already there and the deco fit just fine with heir bracket.

The car handles completely different now. It is 100% better than before and not because that stuff was worn. QA1 is quality stuff. Night and day difference.

Also new lines and fittings. Only thing not changed were rear leaf springs and center link because it is a solid piece of steel. I still might do the rear springs. I am not completely sure yet.

I hate doing work multiple times and have been burned in the past thinking I am saving a couple of bucks going a little less expensive. But the GTO I have I purchased Chinese knock off upper and lowers and I had issues trying to find bushings and the weld quality was not great. After fighting it for a while I winded up getting QA1 for it and figured this time I would skip the aggravation. The QA1 is 200 more and you get better bushings. And they were greaseable.

In my opinion totally worth it.

My biggest disappointment ever was the Foose 18 inch rims I got. The guy swore up and down to me that the rims are specifically designed for the charger. I had 1 inch spacers on there before and was hoping to get rid of them. But the Foose 18 rims rubbed and the gap was to far in between outer tire side and inside of wheel arch. so the spacers went back on and it actually looks ok. And those Foose rims were made in China. The one thing you would think should be made here.....

Anyway.. Now I have to figure out what I am going to do on the steering column. It has slop in it and I have never pulled one apart before. People in the forum say it is easy to rebuild but I can make a lot of sense of the parts I need. A fella in new Hampshire quoted me 425 to do it plus shipping. I might take a crack at it this week.

Here was my reasoning

[blakemon]

I have QA1 UCA's also, and have no complaints.

[b5blue]

Now we need pics!!