<VV> Front strut rod bushings

[jryall at juno.com]

Jon

There may be someone near you who has some decent used parts.  If so, it
would be easier to cut off the old struts and replace with good used
ones.  I once serviced a '64 where the strut rod had rusted through, and
the outer rod, bushing and nut were completely missing.  The owner
complained of funny handling and loud noises under the car.  I would not
reuse the rod that twisted while the nut was being removed.

If I didn't have nice clean used parts, I would replace with new parts. 
Clark's carries them and they are not that costly.  The nuts have a
special distorted thread that makes them self-locking (and very difficult
to install).  I tap them through to remove the distortion to make them
easier to go on.  Liberally slather (is that a technical term?) the
threads on the rod and inside the steel core of the bushing with an
anti-seize product to keep the water out of these parts, and they will be
removable 50 years from now.  Before disassembly, measure the distance
from the back stud holding the rod to the lower suspension arm to the
first nut in front of the bushing.  When you reassemble the parts, use
this dimension to locate the replacement nut.  This should be close
enough so that the car won't need to be realigned. 

John Ryall
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