Collecting front end rebuild stuff

[six-tee-nine]

Hey guys, looking to get some input here.

I think it's time to strart gathering parts for a rebuilt of the front end so I can get started with that when I manage to get the body at the body guys...

Before I want to start ordering, I want to decide what I'm gonna get and what not. And there is so much to choose from from a variety of vendors.
First off, I'll tell ya what I'm looking for.
I'm looking for a good quality rebuilt of the original stuff but with a few steps up where I think it does make a difference. I'm not building a racer but I would like to have the car take a turn decently....
Since I helped CB out with his front end rebuild I saw and had the Moog stuff in my hands, it looks nice but what are your toughts?

I would like to step up to a Hotchkis sway bar and a set of adjustable strud rods (also Hotchkis or maybe XV, dunno yet). I thought about tubular uca's too but I find them pricey so I'll probably rebuild my original ones
My original steering rods seem straight so I thought about getting new ball joints for them and do it that way. They also sell complete adjustable rod kits too but I can't seem to understand why they should be better than a good rebuilt original (correct me when wrong please).
About ball joints and bushings.....totally undecided for now, should i get the newer poly stuff or get some OEM quality grade stuff? (input please).

Thanks

[b5blue]

I've rebuilt my 70 with all Moog and like it but I'm a big fan of how these cars handle and ride stock. (Mine is a daily driver)

[Belgium R/T -68]

I used Moog and have undrestood that the only difference between them and the polystuff is aging. Since I will not drive it everyday they will last
my lifetime anyway.

Per

[HPP]

Since I helped CB out with his front end rebuild I saw and had the Moog stuff in my hands, it looks nice but what are your toughts?

I would like to step up to a Hotchkis sway bar and a set of adjustable strud rods (also Hotchkis or maybe XV, dunno yet). I thought about tubular uca's too but I find them pricey so I'll probably rebuild my original ones
My original steering rods seem straight so I thought about getting new ball joints for them and do it that way. They also sell complete adjustable rod kits too but I can't seem to understand why they should be better than a good rebuilt original (correct me when wrong please).
About ball joints and bushings.....totally undecided for now, should i get the newer poly stuff or get some OEM quality grade stuff? (input please).

Thanks

Can't go wrong with Moog. TRW is another reputable brand, although I've always had good luck with PST hard parts too.

Adjustable struts can help dial in a skosh more caster, which is nice, but they do weigh more than stock. Hotchkiss and XV  units are very nice, but you can get the same adjustment from a set of American Muscle struts for half the price. If your not racing and need rock solid braking stability, XV and Hotchkis may be overkill.

Tubular arm arms are a simple rip off, IMO, for a numebr of reasons. You can get additional caster using offset upper control arm bushings for $60 compared to $300 for tube arms.

Steering rods, I thnk you mean the tie rod sets on each end of the steering link. Replacement ends will suffice here too. If you go with adjustable rod end bearing type, they require regular checks and maintanence because they don't hold grease in the bearing. The big advantage to these is that they are more easily adjustable to alter the bump steer curve. Great if your racing, not such a big deal for a street car.  You can get solid tie rod sleeves to reduce some flex in the system if you plan on driving the car hard in to corners.

Bushings...I prefer poly because of the increased resistance to flex. In some climates, the southwest US for example, the dry, hot weather can get rubber bushings dry rotting in only a few years. Otherss complain that poly squeaks. yes, this can happen, but I've had rubebr that squeaked too, so it isn't a guarantee. Some say poly create compatibility problems with teh parts. This can happen depending on the vendor. Some poly strut rod bushigns are too thick and do not allow the lower control arm to fully seat. Simple fix is to have the depth reduced some if this is an issue.

Don't forget the alignment when you go back together. Forget the stock settings as they were designed for skinny, hard, bias ply tires. Ask the shop to get you as much positive caster as possible, up to 5* while balancing that against 0 to-.5* negative camber. Total toe in should be 1/16 of an inch.