I'm looking to rebuild my front suspension but having a hard time locating two lower radius arms. Or locating two full knee action shocks. If anyone has or knows someone with them that's willing to part with them it would be much appreciated. I really don't want to get rid of them but I have not been able to find them. Thanks.
hi, welcome to the hamb! You might find that you get a bit better help, if you tell us what it is you're working on...year? make? model?
Sorry I'm working on a 38 Chevy master deluxe four door. I want to keep the original suspension but having a hard time finding the stuff.
There is a place in the U.S. which rebuilds them (someone here will know the name). When I enquired, they weren't cheap. If you find a second-hand pair (good luck!), stick them in a vice and check/top up the fluid (Use ATF). If you come back a couple of days later and there isn't a pool of ATF on the floor, you might be OK. The "arm" that your wheel stub axle hangs off used to kill the bearings in the housing, give the arm a shake to see how much slop you have there. They can be re-machined to take new bearings (oversized).
Mine do leak and my lower radius arm does have a lot of play. I'll have to talk to a machinist and see if he can do some magic. Thanks for your help
Try these guys, they have been around a long time. http://www.applehydraulics.com/ I had a 38 Chevy sedan with the same set up, I sold the car, but then again I sold all my cars. Good Luck. Pat
Several years ago, I rebuilt the Dubonnet units on my '37 coupe. I machined the housings to accept modern lip seals and leaks are now a thing of the past. Leaks were one of the main reasons (along with weight) that Dubonnets got a bad rap. People would let the units run out of oil, have a failure and blame it on the units. I've had Chevys with I-beam axles and with them, and for ride quality, the Dubonnets have it all over the I-beams.
Tagman You wouldn't have the place handy or the parts # that you used to rebuild them. If you do that would be awesome. I have contacted apple hydraulics they need a like new radius arm in order to do it so I was told. so my search begins.
Oh the memories. Mom and dad had a 1934 Chevy 4-door with knee action. Mom was the driver. I remember going over RR tracks and bumps when the car would shimmy so bad she had to stop and start again. We went from near Peoria, Illinois to Portland and back in that 34 Chevy in around 1942 or 43, shakin and shimmying. Have fun with your 38.
I opened the bores myself using a friends' mill. I just measured the original bores, looked up the next larger size lip seal and machined the bores to that size. I'm not positive, but I might still have a lower radius arm that I won't be needing, if you could use it.
Prob. I need the driver side. That's the one that's bad. Do you know if they are reversible meaning you could put them on either side.
Sorry, I don't recall if they're dedicated for one side or not. I'll check my parts book in the morning and get back to you.
I can't find the lower control arms I thought I had - must have used them when I rebuilt my units. The lower radius rods are side-specific, according to the parts book. Chevrolet group number is 5.011 and the left side radius rod part number is 602007 and the right one is 602008, in case you run across some. -Bob
Thanks and no prob. I will definitely keep searching. And thanks for looking and giving me all the info you can.
12gross12, digging up this thread, how did you go on ? Have a '34 Knee-action myself which i will work on the suspension.
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