Front Suspension Swap 60 -61

[KVenatta]

Can anyone tell me if the front suspension part's from a 60 Lark can be swapped over to my 61 Lark? I have a buddy who has all the peices I need ! Fingers crossed ! Also need to know if the steering box would be the same, both cars have non power steering. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Keith (newbe)

[Mike Van Veghten]

Not positive about the steering box, but the control arms, control arm shafts and spindles are a direct bolt on.

Stude din't have the money to develop something as costly as the engine or front suspension. The only thing that changed after 53 was the king pin angle, but even that was still a direct bolt on. You just lose a coupla degrees of king pin angle. Most people can't even feel this difference while driving.
I've heard of different years this was done, best I can tell, it was somewhere between 61 to 63.

As for the steering box, I do know, while the book shows a few options, there are mainly two, Ross and Saginaw (spl?). They are very different visually and also mount different. If the two box's "look" the same, they will interchange.

Note, the pitman arm and reach rod may be different, so...if you can leave these two parts on your car.

Mike

[KVenatta]

Thanks so much for the info, Mike.

On a totally different subject, do you happen to know if the doors changed at all from '60 to '61? Mine have some body damage and I can get clean ones off of this '60 4 door. I'm hoping maybe I can swap them out.

[silverhawk]

The front doors don't work to my knowledge, but the rears *might* . Is this a Cruiser?

[Skinnys Garage]

The front doors don't work to my knowledge, but the rears *might* . Is this a Cruiser?

It's actually the other way around Dylan. All Larks '59-'62 W or Y bodies use the same front doors, so the fronts will work.

It's the rears that are different from '59-'60 to '61 unless they are both long wheelbase Y-bodies. I suppose we could be dealing with a '61 Cruiser and a '60 taxi parts car, but we'll need a picture or the body tag info off both firewalls to be sure. If they both have a W, the rear doors won't work. If one's a W and the other a Y, the rear doors won't work. If they both have a Y, the rear doors will work.