[Amc-list] Ambassador suspension on an American!

[Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

Trying to remove the nut from the upper trunnion bolt, it snapped off
instead. On the drivers side of my little american.

Then I tried to see if the upper trunnion bolt would budge (still
on-car), and that head snapped off. Great.

So I need two American upper trunnion systems. Unrelated (or so I
thought) I happen to have "just" disassembled for storage a complete 64
Ambassador front suspension. The upper arms and steering knuckle on the
American looked awful familiar... 




Get this: If you press American inner bushings into Ambassador (or
Classic) upper arms, the Ambassador upper arm and trunnion BOLT ON,
UNMODIFIED! into the American, and right onto the steering knuckle!
Every dimension of the assembled upper arm is correct and identical to
fit:

      * The upper arms are all identical, 01, 10, 80, EXCEPT the outer
        (trunnion) end. The assembled width is identical; on the
        American it fits on that machined cast thing, and on the 10/80
        series it fits into the inner fender well socket. Same width!
        (Bushings different 01 vs 10/80).
      * 01 inner bushings fit in 10/80 arms, and vice versa. I measured
        this accurately and partially-hand-fit the bushings as well.
      * The steering knuckle bearings (needles in their races and the
        journal) are exactly the same, drop-in fit.

You just can't put a spring in it... but ...

Cool huh?

... so make an American-compatible spring perch out of a Classic/Ambo
spring perch:

* Assemble 10/80 perch to trunnion, tighten, mark the "outside".

* Chop lower 3" (or whatever the right amount is) of the 10 perch. This
has the threads needed to fit on the 10 trunnion.

* Cut round plate (1/4" is overkill) to accomodate bottom of 01 spring.

* Cut proper angle on donor 10 perch stub to match the 01 spring perch
angle.

* Weld plate to perch stub with proper offset (it's centered in 10/80,
offset outwards on 01). Aligned with the mark made earlier so that when
screwed on the spring perch has correct orientation.

* Add an angle tab brace or two.

Now you can use rugged and more available big car upper trunnions.

I'm exceedingly lazy; this isn't a project car for me, but a driver;
I'll do this if replacement parts are too expensive though. 


It might be that the big car spring perch lets you put air bags in the
American -- instead of that super tall skinny spring there'd be only
about 6" of space. The upper spring area would still be small diameter
though. I have no interest in such things.


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