Need help identifying front subframe

Recently picked up a '57 chevy 3100. Previous owner told me the front subframe was from a '74 camaro. Last week a lower ball joint failed, no big deal I pull it out and take it to Napa and ask for a lower ball joint for a '74 camaro. They dont match at all. The old ball joint has a ball housing diameter (where the ball joint wedges in a makes contact with the control arm) of 52.8 mm. The '74 camaro ball joint has a diameter of approximately 54.5 mm. So it is too big to fit into my control arm. I have tried all different chevy years and models and cant seem to find the right ball joint. Here is some info on the frame:

1) disc brakes, approx 10"
2) 5 lug, 4.75 bolt pattern
3) steering box mounted in front of the control arms
4) steering box has a casting number of 7826692 (supposedly from 3rd gen camaro)
5) frame width is slightly wider than stock '57 frame

I know this isnt much info but I cannot find any other identification numbers on the frame. I appreciate any help. I really want to get my truck out of the driveway and back on the road.

 

Could be '75-'77 or so X body ..which is Nova, Apollo, Omega, Skylark or 2nd gen Camaro or Firebird '70-'81...the steering box you listed would bolt into each one and is a popular swap due to the better road feel and less turns lock to lock. Compare pictures of the subframes with those on the net..they do look different..the X body one has more angles and is "newer" looking than the 2nd gen Camaro unit...

 

Steering box is more like 1984, not '74 (third Gen is 82-92)

 

did you try a 78-86 midsize car like a monte carlo?

 

I havent tried any midsize cars yet. The problem is that every time I try a different model or year the ball joint part number usually cross references with something I have already tried.

 

You might have to figure out how to post pictures....pictures can be very helpful

 

yes i'll get some pics up soon

 

Check out my build thread, link in sig below. I have some pics of my subframe which I verified is from a 74 Camaro, if nothing else you will be able to say for sure your is NOT a 74 camaro as opposed to the Napa guy just giving you the wrong ball joint.

 

Great info Shadams! My suspension looks the same as yours but the difference between my frame and the subframe is not as great as yours. Do the 2nd gens have a slightly wider frame than the 1st gens?

 

Yep, thats why if given the choice, one should not use a 72-81 camaro sub. Of course, I cant say wether or not the 57 frame is wider or narrower than my 50 frame....

 

just want to bump this back up, see if i can get anymore leads. pics to follow soon. thanks for the help hambers

 

How about AMC Pacer?

 

Eighth, here is the answer to your problem....

There is a break in second gen camaro suspension parts. late 77/ early 78 they went "metric ".!
The easy way to tell (if everthing is stock ) is the centerlink nuts are locknuts = no cotterpins...
Anyway, just ask your parts man for 80 camaro balljoints..
Dave

 

Arent they all 7 degree gm ball joints? Should be

 

Yes, they are 7 deg. taper.. His problem is the new ones are bigger than the old ones where they go thru the a-arm...
I just looked up the #s for 75 and 80 (80 is "metric " )----same ball joint ..70 to 81.!
It looks like the local store is trying to sell him the "oversize" ball joint ( for worn control arms )..
Dave

 

This is where I like to look stuff up on Rock Auto - you can get a little popup window that shows all the other cars it fits - so if say Nova or Monte Carlo use that joint, it will show you.

 

The 57 frame is 7 inches wider than the 50 frame. I have a 57 with a Camaro subframe. I did not know the exact year either. Last winter I replaced all ball joints, lower control arm bushings, upper shafts & bushings, etc. In my situation, everything but the upper bushings worked. From reading this thread, I may have a subframe from the metric transition years but also a mixture of parts between upper and lower. Luckily I have a really good old parts store with older clerks that will measure the parts and research. It's frustrating but keep trying. Sam

 

This forum is amazing. And Ive been through a bunch of forums. Big thanks to Dave Lewis, heading out to the parts store now to try a metric ball joint. Updates to follow. And pics of the truck when i get a camera phone. Whatever that is...

 

good luck. you are right so many guys who hang out here with bazillions of years of experience.. rock on my friend. i tru;;y hope the hamb is always backed up and this information will be available 100 years 200 years from now.. ***uming we manage to not blow our self up in the mean time

can already see people casting new flathead blocks to bring them back to life in a 100 years when the current supply goes ***s up.
chris.

 

The 1980 camaro ball joint does not fit. My optimism remains undeterred. I will post pics tomorrow. I have measured my old ball joint several times. it is approximately 52.75 mm. does anyone out there know anything about a GM sourced 52.75 mm lower ball joint? thanks!!!

 

you need an inch ruler for this place, dude....

 

So much for the frame swap/clip theory that is so often used by the usual crowd.
"I can buy parts for it anywhere cheap and easy!"

 

No sh*t. So much pain for such a simple repair. As far as the inches conversion it comes out to 2.08"

 

Okay I did further research. My clip is front steer, meaning it came from an A body or later G body. I looked up a lower ball joint for a 1980 malibu but it is the same as an '80 camaro, which doesnt fit my control arm. One last stab for help: the difference between the diameter of my old ball joint and the new ones I have tried is approximately 0.5 mm or 0.381". Is this an acceptable tolerance? every time I try to install the ball joint it gets off center and ends up sideways, indicative of the larger diameter.

 

pictures.....pictures....pictures.....

btw Camaros starting in 70 and novas starting in 75 are front steer

 

Thanks again squirrel. Okay. I give in. I will get those pics up tomorrow...

 

Any chance it's S10?

 

Not sure, i am going to check part numbers. And I will have pics up tomorrow, hopefully make this search better

 

A Moog K6145T fits almost all GM applications from the early 70's to 2002 with rear wheel drive.

Back in my front end alignment days I ran into a number of GM cars (I mostly worked on Pontiacs then) that had the lower a frame ball joint holes worn out so that the ball joint wouldn't stay in them. That may be what you have here.

Are you using a ball joint press to put them in or are you trying to hammer them in by hand?

 

Yep, Ive been trying to get the moog 6145T's to go in the past few days. I am using a ball joint press however I am having the opposite problem. It seems the diameter of the ball joint is too large to fit into the lower control arm. Also the replacement ball joint looks nothing like the old ball joint (yes pics will be up tomorrow). I have measured my old ball joint versus the new one and there is a 0.5 mm (0.381") difference between the two. Is this an acceptable tolerance? Yesterday I used a pipe wrench with a 6 foot torque bar to turn the ball joint press and the ball joint still didnt want to go in right. Thats a lot of pressure, not sure I want to force things any more than that.