Forecast for 2010: No Studebaker driving...for me

[tutone63]

I will start this with a small sigh. *Sigh*

Okay, so many of you will read this and say "What on earth is HE whining about? My Studebaker is in far worse shape than his!" (and I know this is true, I have read all of your threads) But I was working on my Lark today (what I usually do during the winter months when I cannot drive it, and I have free time, which happens about once every 2-3 months...another sigh. *sigh* ) Anyhow, my goal for winter was to get the brake pads replaced all around, get new tires, and change the front shocks. Checked over my budget and all, and (except for the tires) I could do right away. (would have to wait a month or two to get the tires, no big deal) But then that would pretty much stap my budget til fall...on stuff I can spend money on for fun. (if this is fun...)

Went in to change the shocks today. Brought some friends to keep me company; John Cash, Nat Cole, Neil Diamond, and John, Paul, George and Ringo (good company)

While I was under there (under where? ha I made you say underwear) I decided to check the rest of my suspension (am I smart or what?) I knew the upper 'A' arm bushings were probably worn, and as this was really the first time I have actually taken to look at them (shoulda looked sooner...) and since I really have no experience with suspensions, (yet) I did not really know what I was looking for. But what I found was pure badness (is that a word?)On both sides of my Lark, the upper 'A' arm bushings are gone...well not really gone, but the rubber is. (at the exact moment I found this out, Johnny was singing "...I tought the weeping willow how to cry...I think I will just sit here til I die" Boy, good timing, man)

I don't know how long it has been like that, but I know that I have driven it for three years without ever checking them (again, shoulda checked sooner, ouch) So, now I have to add the upper bushings to the list. (lower too, of course) BUT...since they are so (so, so) far gone, should I just break down and replace all the bushings? (inner too) What about the king pins? (Should this be posted in the tech support column?) What about other stuff that I know my lack of experience is forgetting to ask?

I went through and ran searches about rebuilding the suspension on these things and found some helpful stuff (Thanks showbizkid) I also checked out the shop manual. I am planning on getting a few special tools to help, but with the amount of work involved and my budget constraints...this is going to take well into 2011...maybe. (secretly I am hoping to get this thing rolling again by the Sept drive your stude day...but I am not going to hold my breath) As it is now, there is no way I am going to be driving it around...unless it is to move it to another garage. (with better facilities) big sigh coming *SIGH*

It won't really be bad until the weather starts warming up and I see the other guys driving their classics around. Then it will be torture! But what do you do? If I hadn't been spoiling myself these past three years by driving it everywhere, then maybe this wouldn't be so bad. But that means that this year there will be no car shows to enter, no one to stop me at the gas station to marvel about how you rarely see Studebakers anymore, nobody scaring me poopless by honking at me and giving me a thumbs up...it is going to be a long summer...sigh...




1963 Lark, 259 V8, two-tone paint, Twin Traction. Garaged for winter, receiving maintence for spring. (oh, and that there is my buddy, Nixon)

[Tom Bredehoft]

spoiling myself these past three years by driving it everywhere,

Do you suppose when you began that three year period, they were new? or worn out then, after nearly half a century. Yes, you should replace them, but the car will run and drive safely without, until the bank agrees that you can again afford to replace the bushings. I rebuilt my '55, put new kingpin bushings and bearings in and took the car in to have it aligned. They got it pointed down the road, all dimensions were within specs, then they told me the bushings were shot. Maybe it will ride a little better after I get them changed, but I'm not going to stop driving it until then.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar1.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe (since 1959)
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
....On the road, again....
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[warrlaw1]

If you hadn't checked the suspension would you drive it this year? I put lots of miles on a car with a lot wrong with it. Keep driving it until you have everything lined up to do a complete front end overhaul...then marvel at the difference. You may as well wait, do it all, get that perfect alignment and enjoy the ride. Good luck. Nixon would like my Jack Russell, Jane Doe.

[Invalid User Name]

If you've got good brakes, good tires and stay off the Interstate - I would say "drive the wheels of that thing".

Doug
Venice, Florida
1950 Champion
9G F1

[tutone63]

Hmm...it wouldn't take much to talk me into driving without changing them. In my pea-brain I figured that if the bushings were shot, it would cause further damage by driving it. If not, heck, I will still drive it around (just not as far) this summer. Your suggestions sound better than my idea of keeping it garaged all summer. I just want to make sure I don't do anything stupid and mess it up further. Either way, it will be garaged till around may, just cause of the weather and all, so I got time to think about it, and finish what I planned to do this winter.




1963 Lark, 259 V8, two-tone paint, Twin Traction. *CHCCH* 'sorry, we are having technical difficulties, please stand by as Tutone63 is being repaired during 2010, thank you for your patience'

DOH!

(oh, and warrlaw1, yes, he would like your Jack russel, he was raised by a chiuahuah, no joke!)

[Andy R.]

I agree with most above posts. You aren't going to hurt anything by driving it until you save enough to do the whole shebang.

Just keep an eye on the tread wear on the inner side of your front tires.

Andy
62 GT

[Milaca]

Nathan, I suggest you listen to another of Johnny Cash's songs which goes "I did it one piece at a time". However, I suggest that you don't use Cadillac parts in repairing your Studebaker.


1949 2R17
R is for Rusty
In the middle of Minnesota

[bige]

The bushings are cheap and taking the upper control arms off isn't that difficult. Bring them to a good auto parts store that has a machine shop and I doubt the labor to r&r the bushing will be that much either. You could save a buck or two if you knock them out and just have the shop press them in. Of course if you have the equipment you can do it all yourself.

Mark where the shafts were on the frame and make sure the orientation is the same as when you took them off and your alignment will probably be better than with the worn bushings. Save a real wheel alignment for when you do the lowers.

The lowers are a little more difficult only because you have to deal with the coil spring to remove them.

Just because the bushings are worn doesn't mean everything else needs to be replaced and the uppers arms don't require removal of anything else so it's not like your saving any labor doing everything all at once.

ErnieR




R2 R5388 @ Macungie 2006________________ 1988 "Beater" Avanti

[Chucks Stude]

Got pictures?

[COMMANDERPINK1]

DRIVE IT! I had another 66 that i drove that had the upper bushings out completely and the thing drove straight.

Tom

[Sdude]

<h3>It's got safety tubes but I ain't scared - the brakes are good - tires fair....</h3>

Jon Stalnaker
Editor, Hawk Talks
Karel Staple Chapter SDC

[silverhawk]

Honestly, if you want to drive it, I agree with them, DRIVE IT! [8D] If I have to, I'll send you some pics of the bushings in my dads car (Or what WAS bushings,LOL!) that was in daily service in that condition for the longest time. Steering was loose, but it stayed straight, and didn't let us down, hardly ever. (That is, until the generator brush went out 100 miles away from home....)

Dylan Wills
[IMG][/IMG]
'61 lark deluxe 4 door wagon

[G T Joe]

I have to agree, drive your car,you just can't beat the feeling of driveing an old car, how cool it is to go back in time with just a turn of a key.............

Joseph Kastellec

[gordr]

It's possible to drive for so long on worn bushings that they wear right through the eyes on the upper A-arm and destroy it, and quite possibly the shaft. But that does take a long time, and there are probably more extra A-arms and shafts around in folks' parts stashes than there are cars to put them on.

So as long as wear hasn't progressed to the point that the A-arm might separate from the shaft, don't let it worry you.

I'd suggest that you ask around, and see if you can pick up a used SET of upper and lower A-arms and shafts. Then you can pick up a set of bushings, and build a set of "restored" and rebushed A-arms to have on hand. Takes a fair bit of time to do it right.

Then, when the time does come to fix the suspension on the Lark, you can just swap in the pre-built set of A-arms, and do the king pin and trunnions as required. You can considerably shorten your down-time that way.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[comatus]

Jon, love that song. Wrote a major paper on its sociological implication, in 1973. Prof was Chinese and loved it.

Chapter members took pity on me when I had a Wagonaire with bad bushings. We did them as a club seminar project, and the cost was negligible. Biggest item was HD springs which I didn't really need. Spring R/R is potentially dangerous, but with someone who's done it before as a guide, you'll do fine. It will take all day, though.