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[Blacky]

They are mate, best to test fit all your stuff now in case you need to trim bits for caliper clearance etc then strip and paint then fit new bits , the upper ball joints are riveted in from factory and the replacement ones are bolted in so they can be removed easily enough but the lowers are a press fit and once they are in they are in.

[mph]

They are mate, best to test fit all your stuff now in case you need to trim bits for caliper clearance etc then strip and paint then fit new bits , the upper ball joints are riveted in from factory and the replacement ones are bolted in so they can be removed easily enough but the lowers are a press fit and once they are in they are in.

Spewin I've already removed the old lower ball joints, they don't look much like ball joints any more. the tops are fine as you mentioned I've got new bolts with the top ones.





I removed 54 years of dirt , mud and grease I found a little carnage on the upper control arm, a bit of clean up and weld fill back like new. A bit more clean up inside in side the curve. Once black it should look and be mint as. My guess is sometime many moons ago the ball joint collapsed resulting in brown jocks and the rim rubbing on the upper control arm.

[Errol62]

Control arm may have been clearanced already Clint. Not a lot of meat in the end of that uca.

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[mph]

Control arm may have been clearanced already Clint. Not a lot of meat in the end of that uca.

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There wasnt much under the mud but she is plenty more stronger and thicker now.

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[mph]

Had a play around this arvo, the bolts supplied with the drop spindles are plenty to long but I'll replace them with priper length on the final assembly.
I didn't want to press the lower ball joints in the lca yet so just sat it on a old bump st about similar height to the ball joint.
Looks the calipers touch the uca on full lock but the full lock seems a lot, im not to sure if the steering arms will push the hubs out that far anyways. I checked with the suspension full low and full high and abiut where I thought it will run.
I dont think I'll have any issues with the LCA.
The disk and calipers fit fine the little crescent spacers rocked up today perfect timing.
I tried a fb 13 inch rim on for laughs it nearly went on just the calipers touched the inner on the rim. I blue marked the high spots you could shave it you were to run 13s. They didnt seem to touch any where else. I think and 8mm wheel spacer would clear it all or hr calipers obviously.

Blue paint pen marks the spots on the UCA I could shave if I had to will see how it goes.

The hr drum steering arms fit 99% ok just need a smidge shaved of the inside arch of them to sit flush with the spindle

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[ardiesse]

Don't be too hasty to remove metal from the control arms, or the calipers.

Here is where it may be best to go with XU-1 discs (if your steering knuckles will permit them). If you want to run 13" rims, try with Torana rims instead of (i'm guessing) the original FB rims. Or you could try HR rims. There's less chance of the ventilation slots fouling with HR rims. But Torana rims are best.

I would suggest that you paint the lower control arms, fit the ball joints, assemble the lower control arms to the front crossmember, bolt the front crossmember into the car (minus outrigger and engine mounts), and do a trial assembly of everything, steering linkages included. Set the toe-in roughly to zero (two metre sticks, one on the face of each brake disc, and adjust the tie rods to make them parallel with the steering straight ahead). Then turn the steering to full lock and you'll see if the calipers foul on the upper control arms at full bump and full lock.

HR calipers have almost identical dimensions to the HKTG/LCJ ones.

Rob

[rosco]

On thing you might consider also - before you fit the cross-member to the sub-frame.... replace the upper pivot mount bolts with longer high tensile ones.
If the wheel-alignment needs extra shims, it's a mongrel of a job to have to replace those bolts once it is mounted to the vehicle.

I'm after two HR lower control arms, if anyone has some to spare... I have HD ones, they are 1/4" shorter than the latter HR ones... anyone with an original HD with a disc front end is welcome to these if I can get HR ones to replace them..

frats,
Rosco

[EK283]

Yes exactly what Rob says,

You might find that the steering stop on the lower wishbone will limit the turn and the callipers wont reach the point that you have in the photo.

Greg

[mph]

Don't be too hasty to remove metal from the control arms, or the calipers.

Here is where it may be best to go with XU-1 discs (if your steering knuckles will permit them). If you want to run 13" rims, try with Torana rims instead of (i'm guessing) the original FB rims. Or you could try HR rims. There's less chance of the ventilation slots fouling with HR rims. But Torana rims are best.

I would suggest that you paint the lower control arms, fit the ball joints, assemble the lower control arms to the front crossmember, bolt the front crossmember into the car (minus outrigger and engine mounts), and do a trial assembly of everything, steering linkages included. Set the toe-in roughly to zero (two metre sticks, one on the face of each brake disc, and adjust the tie rods to make them parallel with the steering straight ahead). Then turn the steering to full lock and you'll see if the calipers foul on the upper control arms at full bump and full lock.

HR calipers have almost identical dimensions to the HKTG/LCJ ones.

Rob

Defiantly not going to chop chop away yet. Im running 14" wheels and not bothered on 13s it was more if other people are looking into these spindles as well. I wont need to buzz the calipers down with 14s.
I was going to get all the gear blasted and coated at once i guess I could get just the LCA done first and the rest another time.

I though the hr calipers were one piston and flat on one side to clear UCA, all good either way the hg ones will be fine I think.


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[mph]

On thing you might consider also - before you fit the cross-member to the sub-frame.... replace the upper pivot mount bolts with longer high tensile ones.
If the wheel-alignment needs extra shims, it's a mongrel of a job to have to replace those bolts once it is mounted to the vehicle.

I'm after two HR lower control arms, if anyone has some to spare... I have HD ones, they are 1/4" shorter than the latter HR ones... anyone with an original HD with a disc front end is welcome to these if I can get HR ones to replace them..

frats,
Rosco

Ah yes i can see what you mean all bolts will be replaced with new ones.

Were the HD disk front ball joint as well i thought HD was kingpin?
My LCA have HR stamped on them maybe for that reason. Why would they be 1/4" shorter. Sound like the same length as the king pin LCA.

I did a rough measure from face of the fb drum to center of the k frame same with face of the disk on to the center of the k frame on the hr front and they both seemed around 690mm i thought HR front was quite wider.

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[rosco]

HD were the first to come out with optional disc brake front end... precursor to the HR. It may have been late in the production run that they came out.. I'm not sure.. but I believe the disc front end was optional.. and it had to be ball joint, for obvious reasons.
I have all factory workshop manuals up to HQ... my original HD manual gives no reference to the disc brake option.. so, there are probably two workshop manuals for HD.. the usual practice, was to add a "supplement" to any later edition - I have the original only.

I was told that when the HR was being developed, handling and cornering were improved by extending the LCA's from the HD by 1/4"...
And yes, to differentiate between the two - all HR's had "HR" stamped into the body of the arms... HD did not.

My front end came out of a HD prem... including the Girlock calipers and booster... both of which were stuffed. I fitted a VH 40L and had some calipers fully reconditioned.. I run silicone brake fluid in both the braking system and also the clutch... there are issues with it, but I have not suffered any of them... as long as it is used as a "clean" substitute and not used as a replacement - the stuff is fine... and, there isn't one sign of any corrosion in my entire system... a little bit of rubber cup de-glossing.. but no wear in the bores or pistons... and... and costs an arm and both legs.
Fortunately, Harley Davidson use it in their bikes.. so, supply is not an issue.... price is.... it costs a small fortune for just a 330 ml bottle.

Way off topic...

frats,
Rosco

[Errol62]

The HD HR calipers are twin piston just like the ktg one Clint. Standard FB and even drum brake HR rims would foul the calipers slightly. Factory disc brake rims were slightly different to drum brake for this reason. Depending on which rear brakes you use you won’t be able to run them on the rear either.

Are you going to 14” rims, I forget. You’ll need different wheel nuts for HT HG. Same for HK.

A9X Torana used HQ discs and calipers and the uca had to be clearanced from factory, but was reinforced somehow to compensate.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[rosco]

Correct, Clay - I had to "learn" this when I built mine...

FB EK wheels will not work with HD/HR calipers or rear brake drums. The wheels foul the calipers at the front and they "crush" the drums at the rear.

Trying to find HD or HR rims now would be pretty tough... the disc brake ones had a hole in between two of the stud holes.
But, with my five - only one has this hole... so, the others are probably ordinary HD/HR rims... they didn't cause any issues.
I have HD front discs and calipers and HR rear drums with small 9/16" bore wheel cylinders - my brake system is single line... it has been of great concern to me for many years that I don't have a dual circuit system..... yet.

frats,
Rosco

[ardiesse]

Off-topic, but -

Time to kill the HR disc/drum wheel rim furphy forever. Could someone please look up a master parts catalogue and confirm that there's only one part number for HD/HR wheel rims . . . with the possible exception of commercial vehicles?

Rob

[rosco]

Agree, Rob.... I went looking for "disc" wheels in the early '80's because I was "told" that I needed them for the calipers - I was told that these wheels had a "groove" around the inside of the outer rim as clearance for the crest of the caliper.
I spent ages at a wreckers going through HR's and HD's... and found some with this mythical groove and some without.
I was not told of the "hole" in between two of the stud mount holes until many years later... by another wrecker - who slugged me twice the price of an "ordinary" like wheel because the hole denoted it was a "disc brake" vehicle wheel.... another "take".

I am keen to learn of what "fact" can be established in this... as stated, I believe four of the five wheels I have for my disc brake front end are stock standard HR or HD rims...

If I recall correctly, it was the HD where the vent hole body was cut away... up until EH, they all had the full vent body....

Happy to be corrected.

frats,
Rosco