[Amc-list] Re; '63 American Suspension together.

["John Elle" <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx>]

SNIP

Hey John, remember when we were all ragging on the AMC lower arm, with all 
it's weird twisting and the interference fit/sliding fit of the inner lower 
bushing?
 
Well I'd take that system any day over this lower A-arm!
 
You know, except from bad assembly, I've never seen a bad lower arm! They 
last half a century without grief. You can wear it out till all the rubber 
literally falls out and the parts are clunking around, yet you replace the 
bad rubber and it's as good as new. The strut bushings are a major PITA! 
but I think half urethane/half rubber solves that one.
 
It's grossly inelegant, but subtly elegant.
SNIP
 
Tom, 
Time marches on and waits for no man and some how for the most part
technological improvements seem to be in general better. I may bitch about
my T&C with the lousy transmission reliability that I see no excuse for but
the front end drive train even if transaxle/front wheel drive, is not that
far removed from the front suspension design of my 80 Spirit (and all other
AMC front suspension parts from 70 on) is an improvement in both reliability
and performance. The lower control arm and strut rod assembly is a one piece
casting on the T&C and the pivot points are in line with each other so there
is no weird funky twisting action, as there is no upper control arm there is
no pivoting action and most of the adjustments are controlled by the top of
the strut assembly and a bolt on affair just above the steering knuckle the
adjustments don't fight one another and at well over 100,000 miles the
rubber is still good and the pieces are tight. My 300,000 mile junk yard
Caravan needed lower ball joints and the bearing the strut pivoted on, it
got the ball joint, never did get around to changing the bearing and all of
the rubber was still good. Something I can not say about any of the AMC cars
that I have purchased in the last 15 years, most with about 1/3 the miles on
the clock. And as the doors weigh a ton and I use the T&C on part time
delivery routes and on some of the routes I make 12 stops an hour the hinges
still work on the door, something else I can not say about any of the AMC
cars that I have owned. I dunno, some times it is fun to second guess the
design concept after 50 some odd years but you really have to see Sherman
and the time machine to place yourself back in the day to try to figure out
what drove the decisions of the time. Probably what they had worked under
the conditions used and did not cost justify a change at the time. I fellow
I know restored a 1949 Nash awhile back. Something he drove when they were
new. His first comment after he had it out on the road and adjusted
correctly was "I had forgotten just how lousy these things really handled
when they were new!" 
Now if I can just get around to finishing my Hornet Hatch back I would be
happy. 
Later 
John
 

 

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