Need a little bit of front end advise please.
 

heres my question.. I plan to reuse the stock A-arms just blast them and repaint them, what is the best route to take in regards to the bushings??? they seem fine. Should I get new bushings, new shaft and bushings, or just clean them up and put them back in??? I'm on a tight budget, so if I can avoid taking them to a machine shop i will... any help is appreciated.

also, on the passenger side there is a bracket that is riveted to the crossmember. This bracket connects the upper A-arm the the crossmember and the frame. It's has been structurally compromised from rust and I want to replace it... not sure what it is call or where i can find one...

Re: Need a little bit of front end advise please.
 

If its a budget build and they look good then the probably are and don't need to be replaced. Pics would be great. As far as the bracket is concerned I don't think there is a "real" term for it. So make one up...Upper A-arm support bracket? You should be able to find a usable one in a junk yard. You didn't mention what truck you had so I don't know how hard it would be to find one.

Re: Need a little bit of front end advise please.
 

here are some pictures, the truck is a 1970 C10 2wd.

I appreciate your time

Re: Need a little bit of front end advise please.
 

Pics didn't come through.

Re: Need a little bit of front end advise please.
 

If the bushing are original they are 40+ years old. I am thinking they are due for a replacement.

Re: Need a little bit of front end advise please.
 

retry

Re: Need a little bit of front end advise please.
 

Dang! The bushings look better than the arms!! I'd sandblast those arms and see what you have left. You may need the whole thing!! Looks like it may have had the bushings replaced at one time or another. Looks like Mass. winters haven't been kind to those arms. In the end they should be useable but see how pitted they are after cleaning.

Re: Need a little bit of front end advise please.
 

Mass is correct, I live 20 miles north of Boston. I bought the truck from a fellow in NH.... I know I went north instead of south to find my truck my compass clearly needs to be re-calibrated.

Re: Need a little bit of front end advise please.
 

Anyone on the bracket??

Re: Need a little bit of front end advise please.
 

Like mentioned, there's no specific immediate name for that part of the x-member. It's job is to locate the upper a-arms & secure the x-member to the frame @ the sides of the rails. I would call it the upper a-arm crossmember bracket.

They are riveted & they can be removed w/another set bolted into place (GRADE-8 hardware w/lock-nuts minimum).

Can you get another pic of the opposite side of that a-arm (take a pic from the top side)?

Re: Need a little bit of front end advise please.
 

more pictures coming in the morning, us east coast fellows need some sleep.