Both Dave and Theo are right. According to my PhD metalurgist,
every fulcrum pin, no matter what composition (stock steel, 4140,
titanium, krytonite, etc) will fail. The fault lies in the design not
the pins themselves. Delron or other solid bushing only makes
matters worse and should be avoided unless the car is in composition
use only and not street driven.
There have been many fixes developed from Ackerman changes,
different steering arms, bigger pins, etc. But for normal use and
occasional spirited driving here is what I recommend:
(1) Since you have gone this far, pull the whole cross member
off and have it welded per the tech tips on TigerUnited. Check
the position of the shock towers and correct as necessary. After
35 years they will have sagged inwards. Clean and repaint after
fixing and welding.
(2) Use now upper and lower ball joints. Be sure and reinforce the
upper a-arm ball joint ring by welding. Do this with the old ball
joint in as the heat will distort the ring.
(3) Use the poly bushings since stock rubber bushing are no longer
available. Even if a set is found, the rubber may have deteriorated.
(4) Use new pins. Doug Jennings has 4140 pins and can make
titanium pins if you are racing and can bear the cost.
(5) Make and install John Logans safety kit. It will not prevent
the pin from breaking but may keep the suspension from collapsing.
(6) Use new tie rod ends.
(7) Install new shocks (make or buy).
(8) Install new stainless steel brake hoses.
(9) Think about replacing the springs and rubber donut.
(10) Use quality grade 8 or better bolts. The stock bolts are quite
good and can be reused if their threads are undamaged. I recommend
Catepillar or Deere bolts.
(11) Remember that you make have to use a 2x4 or 2x6 under the
oil pan to jack the engine slightly (about 1/4 inch) to take the
weight off the frame and let all four cross member bolts go in
without cross threading.
Tech tips for all this are in TigersUnited. Or send me a note and
I'll email what I have.
I'm not sure if its on TigersUnited, but I have a great tech tip I wrote
that tells you how to remove your front cross member.
Dave Johnson
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