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Who can identify this front suspension??


Thehoffinator

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Hey folks,

 

Finally got my KA24DE swapped 620 running and driving! Very excited, I will post pics of the build once I get everything squared away. LOTS of progress pics!

 

Anyways, here's my issue. I need to align this thing, and replace the old rusted rotors and pads that are currently on the truck. I want to buy the adjustable 720 tie rods, but unsure of which ones to go with? 4WD or 2WD version? I also don't know what brakes are on this, it seems to be 720 stuff but all the research I have done indicates it doesn't just bolt in... although I can't tell anything has been modified, but then again, I don't really know what to look for.

 

Can someone tell me what this is? This is a 1973 620. Had an old Buick V6 swapped in it for many many years..

 

Thanks!

 

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Honestly, I couldn't even tell you if it handles strangely, I have driven it in the neighborhood approximately 4 miles. I JUST today adjusted the centerlink to give me enough Toe In to not squeal the left tire driving in a straight line. Since it is not even close to being aligned, I cannot say with confidence that any steering or corner dive-in is attributed to anything else BUT the lack of alignment. It has been lowered, and it does have a BIT of negative camber... when it's up in the air, the things are DEFINITELY negative... looks like the clown kids that drive their civics with the wheels sticking out friggin sideways. Put it on the ground and it straightens up. same thing with the toe, up in the air it looks cross-eyed, back on the ground she sits pretty straight. Straight enough to drive at about 35-40 that is..

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If you look you already have adjustable tie rods on it.

 

Rotors look fine to me. Just have them turned to true up the two contact surfaces and put new pads on. Don't fix what ain't broken. But honestly what's shown is good as is if the pads are.

 

 

 

Looks like later 720 (Nov '82 and on) or early D21 2wd rotors and calipers. The adjustable tie rods are 4x4 I think. This would never fit a pre '78 620 frame without a conversion kit so...

 

Is the gas tank mounted to the bed or to the frame on this truck?????????

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It appears that the steering box is mounted in the factory mounts on the inside of the frame, which would imply that it's at least a 620 frame. 

 

The shock/upper control arm tower appears to be twisted rearward, so that would hint that it's likely the correct frame for a ball joint front suspension with disc brakes ('77ish-'79 frame?)

 

I'd bet that either the complete frame has been swapped or the front frame section has been grafted. As Datzenmike asked, if the gas tank is mounted to the frame, then the whole frame was swapped. 

 

Another thing to consider is if the rear axle has been swapped with the frame. I don't know the wheel mounting surface to wheel mounting surface distance is of the early and late 620 frames. 

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It's got balljoints and I think I see the steering box mounted inside the frame which would indicate 1978 or 1979 620 (720 had them mounted on the outside of the frame).

 

I wonder if it's had the entire frame swapped. Are you sure it's a '73? Have you cross-checked the VIN on the body against the VIN on the frame?

 

Note - if the VIN's don't match, NEVER bring that up in the presence of a DMV employee, or police officer.

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Thank you guys for the quick responses. The gas tank is mounted to the BED not the frame...I will look under there to see if I can see any evidence of the frame being modified.

 

Also, Datzenmike, it has an adjustable tie rod ONLY on the drivers side... and it's hard to tell in the pic, but the rotors are heavily pitted. The pads are torn up, and I'd rather just replace with new if I'm at this point and not have to worry about it.. kind of overkill I know..

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Have a look on the right rear frame near the front of the gas tank. If the frame was swapped, maybe the original gas tank was retained on the bed. On the '78 and '79 the front of the gas tank was supported on a strut extending towards the truck center from the inside of the frame rail. The rear of the tank was bolted to the box. Maybe this strut was simply cut off. 

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Just had a look, and I don't see anything under there...I don't see any evidence of there ever being any sort of strut or metal there...the only thing I see is a pedestal with a bolt hole mounted on the inside of the frame rail on the opposite side of the frame on the drivers side..if that means anything

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I took a look on the Google machine to see this strut you were referring to. I see what you mean, and it doesn't look like it existed on the inside of my frame..

 

20170818_120333_zpsrylpyzib.jpg

 

 

Anyways, if the front clip is swapped, I can't even tell.. I don't see any evidence of welds, or grinding or anything. It may be hidden under the years of rust.

 

So when ordering parts, what all should I be ordering for this? 80's 720 components??

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Measure the diameter of your rotors. That will be the single most helpful thing to identify what rotors your have. Thickness could also be useful, though wear changes that obviously.

 

Then go to oreillyauto.com and look up various rotors for 620s 720s and d21s until you find one that matches your measurements. By going in to the details, it will tell you diameter etc.

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I wonder if someone simply swapped over all the balljoint suspension. The control arms, spindles, rotors, calipers, etc. I've never done it, so I don't even know if it's possible, but this truck definitely has the later suspension, the older style steering box and column, and the vented rotors (which I thought were only 720).

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Lower control arm on the ball joint 78-'79 were a different length than the earlier king pin trucks. The attachment point on the frame is located differently. If you swap the arms onto a king pin truck the camber is insanely wrong. If it was possible to do this somehow someone would have figured it out by now.... they haven't.

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Update, the VIN on the frame matches the engine bay placard and the door tag. So I'm not sure how this swap was done, but it doesn't appear to be modified in anyway. So I guess the modified front clip and frame swap are out the door.

 

ANYWAYS... it seems like I've got 720 front suspension on here, is there a difference between early and later 720 components?

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