Technical A Kid's First Project: 1957 Fairlane 500 Town Victoria.

Yeah, a set of bushings will help.
That shock bushing indicates it is pretty darn tired, too.
Looks like 3 shims each, front and back. Hopefully the tires aren't leaned in too much at the top (Camber) meaning the car will not take much to align.

Typical generic specs are going to be close to zero camber, with a slight inward lean (1-2 degrees) on top, caster of 4-7 degrees back (more for power steering to help return to straight) with a small amount less (half a degree) on the driver's side for road crown, and about 1/8 inch of toe-in to compensate for the tie rod ends flexing as it goes straight.

If you have really good new components and are on the bigger side, the tech may have you sit in the driver's seat (don't move around) to set the specs in the same condition as going down the road. Most do not, they know from experience to change the numbers on the driver's side. We had one car that was a comeback 3 times at a Firestone I worked. The lady was 350 plus and it was a 70's econobox. The car sat visibly down on the driver's side when she was in it. The guy finally asked her to sit in it and adjusted it that way. She came back happy, said it was the best it's ever been. If this is something that happens to you, it is NOT trying to humiliate you, it's trying to get things right.

One more thing to mention, an old shop next to where I worked had a rack that advertised "5 Wheel Alignment". When setting toe which is the last step, get the steering wheel straight, then adjust toe on each side. All of this is done by the mechanic on the rack, so it is not something you have to do, but will help you understand what is going on. Modern cars are mostly set the toe and go. That's why alignments are still advertised under 50 bucks. The older stuff takes more time and understanding to get right. Don't price shop, pick using reputation.
If the mechanic starts talking about SAI (Steering Axis Inclination), it means they know about modern suspension diagnostics or they are trying to BS you. Listen and make sure you retain what they are saying. Come back here and share what was said. This is often used to determine what component is bent or worn, but I doubt they have specs for 1950s cars, so it will probably be a case of using modern numbers and applying them to your old car.

 

This shows what is involved, it is a tough job without the proper tools, and even then it can be a bit fussy.

 

i think i only need shock bushings, as the shocks seem to be pretty good, id like to learn how to rebuild these, they are 1970s ers tiger rides.

The camber alignment is super off now, i think the bushings are checking out, definitely will need done over the winter. i think the last drive i'll do until i get the front end parts, i'll do the leaf spring bushings too since itll be up in the air again luckily these are half bushings, so i'll need 12 of them. my dad luckily has a 25 (maybe 2.5) ton press, itll be a little bit (need to wait a payday or two) but it doesnt sound too difficult, this video makes it look easy at least

 

Tube shocks are replace, not rebuild. Monroe OE Spectrum fronts are 22 bucks each at Rock Auto.

Yes, the video shows how 'easy' it is with the right tool. Note a breaker bar is still used. Just like a video of removing an exhaust manifold, if it all goes well, it's easy. If you break 2 bolts and have to drill and tap, it can get a LOT worse.

 

I bought a tool that lets me press/unpress the lower control arm bushings. I will have to go look it up if you want a name. I didn't think it was that hard.

Mike

 

One other thing to mention here, notice how the bushings were pressed out and in without the shaft?
Picture the job while also having the shaft in there. I'm sure you can find more info on a late 50s Ford rebuild that isn't in spanish!

 

I stand corrected, the '57 Ford bushings I was looking at on the Concours Ford site look like yours. The '58 to '64 are the threaded type. Yours press in. I have never done a '57 before.

I have always taken them out using a bench vise and an air chisel. Often the sleeve part rusts up and is stuck on the shaft. Easy work with the right tools. Sometimes I would get the chisel under the flange and the whole thing came out.

Going back in, I would drive them in with a large beat up old socket or a piece of black pipe. I have used the vise to ease the new ones in. Never seize is a must.

These are for a '59.
https://www.parts123.com/parts123/y...~S6QH118ENI68129284651e~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50000051e

 

Newer alignment shops likely do not have the specs on a '57 Ford. And they are all set up for a 4-wheel alignment. Most newer rear ends have a toe adjustment. They start at the rear, finish that and head for the front end.

The new racks won't give you a "green light" at the end unless all parameters for that specific car are met. I would scout out the oldest alignment shop around, even a light truck shop will know what to do. Normal SOP is to shake the entire front end down looking for worn out parts. The oldest scam was ball joints when I was doing alignments. Then a good alignment can be done.

I had one customer, he had big cars, Cadillacs and Lincolns. He was 7'2" tall and weighed 380 lbs. I would align the car with him sitting in it.

Like it was mentioned, the toe is done last. This is why tight parts are so critical. The brake pedal I used to lock with a gadget, start the car (with power steering) and center the steering box and get the steering wheel straight. Then lock that against the seat. That cannot move during the process. It was always wise to be careful with that as few will put up with a cockeyed steering wheel.

 

would a torch work for removal? i figure heating it and then spraying it with kroil would free it up pretty nicely.

gonna do a lot of research before i even attempt this. i don't have a seatbelt (yet) so i dont even know how id lock the wheel in place

 

OE specs for a 57 ford would be pointless if you had anything but vintage bias ply tires anyway.

Torch and hacksaw is the HARD way, the tool is the easy way. Getting a couple chunks of the right diameter tubing and your dad's press is better.

like this

 

Your suspension looks similar to what is in my 55 Chevy, I replaced all the control arm bushings in the summer of 2022. It was quite a bit of work, the steel sleeves of the bushings were very stuck and I had to be careful not to pinch the control arms with the press. I ended up torching out the rubber and then using a jig saw to cut the metal sleeves out. The installation of the new parts was pretty straight forward though. I definitely recommend buying from a good brand on the front end parts though, I bought a no name kit online and they all need replaced already.

 

i was thinking MOOG, my dad trusts them for his O/T cars

 

I used to do things like bushings for a living and we were under the gun to do them FAST. Lock the arm in a big bench vise and go to town with the air chisel, 15 minutes later the job was complete.

A torch would make a toxic smoky mess and possibly fuse the inner sleeve to the shaft. I found the best way was to drive the inner sleeve off the shaft to get the party started, work back and forth between that and the shoulder on the bushing. Hit that from a few spots to rock it out. Get that cocked and it makes it harder to move.

Moog make good products, or used to. TRW and McQuay-Norris were another I saw a lot of. Now most are made you-know-where. Do not get me started on dust boots...

 

oh, great, got any good brands you think i should use? these bushings lasted God knows how long, i know the p/o definitely didnt touch them while he owned it.

 

did some reading, seems for radial tires i need a couple degrees more castor and camber but quote "it varies depending on what you want"

 

The way I remember it, bias plys are more 'tennis ball' which is softer on the components and springs/shocks. Radials have cords around the outside, so don't expand at higher pressures (which is why dirt racers who want different circumferences were slow or did not adapt) and become more like a super ball. This is exaggerating, of course, but they do transmit harsher loads, which the 57 suspension wasn't designed for. Is it so bad that it causes loss of stability? No, or it would be frowned upon to run radials on anything not designed for them. It means having components wear slightly faster and springs and shocks working harder. They also tend more toward square profile and want less camber. Caster is straight line stability and having the wheel return, so that is on driver preference and if equipped with power assist. More caster will increase both, up to a point. Too much can cause other issues, like death wobble.
There should be a lot of technical info on this, but most of it was done in the 60s and 70s, when radials caught on. If you want to research this, have fun in the rabbit hole!
First, a modern look.
https://www.prioritytire.com/blog/radial-vs-bias-ply-tires-what-is-the-difference/

 

I never did anything special between bias and radial tires. Use the specs for the car and you should be fine. Specs between manual and power steering are different on some cars for caster.

As for brands, good luck. That may be a common bushing used between a lot of cars over the years. Get a Moog part number and see how many other cars it fits, a simple search. I'm just leery of old brands that are made offshore, but the box looks the same. Ford for many years made parts in Mexico that lasted a long time.

I would never buy front end parts from a Ford supplier again. I'd go the long $$ and get something NOS. Expensive parts on our cars are the long inner tie rods and lower ball joints. The uppers were used as late as 1974 and I could still find them made in the USA.

 

thank god for that, i found some NOS inner tie rods on ebay, next paycheck those are mine.
the bushings will now be a lot easier to get now i know their lifespan.

i think i felt death wobble earlier, but only on one side. will definitely need to get those done right after the exhaust.

 

Dropped it off at the exhaust shop, only one small hiccup after i got there, the regulator had gotten stuck, after readjusting the minimum, (and replacing the 45 inch belt with a 46)

hallelujah for TSC

 

Bring back a six pack (or twelve, if they have a bunch of guys) at the end of the day, and ask questions.

 

Wish i could, but i finally got primary job placement so the day they are working on it, after school im booking it to the union hall! hopefully all goes well, i'll call and ask them how assembly is going about noon tomorrow.

 

You still have to pay and pick it up. Used to be a cold one at the end of the day was worth talking to someone.
If you aren't a working Joe and need the car ASAP, don't call. It's better to let them reach you when they have news and aren't juggling 3 phone lines.

 

got it, i'll be picking it up Thursday afternoon.

 

they called me back these mufflers are also too long!

they measured and said a 22" would fit, i'll call them back, maybe they can fit it underneath somewhere else?.

 

They're making it work

 

Best of luck on the car and the job!

 

Mine with being 20" long were a tough fit since I was working with what I had and we had no muffler shop tools around.

 

no updates yet they said that it might be a friday morning pickup however.

 

just got an update, they are all done! they had to get mufflers on their own, total price 535.50 after tax. little pricer than i anticipated but the 150 extra is just mufflers.

 

very happy with how it turned out, almost a little too quiet now because it shows how loud my engine is..