'72 Lower A-Arm - Shock Absorber Mounting Bolts

[Roger D.]

Folks:

During the tear-down of the chassis on my '72 small block coupe, I found that the shock absorber connection on the passenger side lower a-arm is two bolts extending from the bottom upward thru the shock and then the a-arm holes and into two small captured nuts (attached to the top side of the lower a-arm). The connection on the driver's side a-arm has two bolts extending downward thru the a-arm and lower shock connection to two nuts. The configuration on the passenger side seems to make more sense as there is not much room to get to those two bolt heads on the driver's side. Can someone tell me which is correct?

Roger

[Joe L.]

Re: '72 Lower A-Arm - Shock Absorber Mounting Bolts

Folks:

During the tear-down of the chassis on my '72 small block coupe, I found that the shock absorber connection on the passenger side lower a-arm is two bolts extending from the bottom upward thru the shock and then the a-arm holes and into two small captured nuts (attached to the top side of the lower a-arm). The connection on the driver's side a-arm has two bolts extending downward thru the a-arm and lower shock connection to two nuts. The configuration on the passenger side seems to make more sense as there is not much room to get to those two bolt heads on the driver's side. Can someone tell me which is correct?

Roger

Roger------


The passenger side configuration is correct. The driver side configuration represents some sort of "field-improvised" repair. The genesis of it is likely the thread stripping of the a-arm weld nuts. So, be prepared to deal with that possibility.

[Roger D.]

Re: '72 Lower A-Arm - Shock Absorber Mounting Bolts

Thanks Joe. They look like perfectly square nuts. I'll see if I can find some that match the other side.

[Kurt G.]

Re: '72 Lower A-Arm - Shock Absorber Mounting Bolts

Roger. I had a similar problem on one of my driver side lower A-arm shock bolts. Any hardware store will have the square nuts. Tack them in, paint them black and your in business.

[Joe L.]

Re: '72 Lower A-Arm - Shock Absorber Mounting Bolts

Roger. I had a similar problem on one of my driver side lower A-arm shock bolts. Any hardware store will have the square nuts. Tack them in, paint them black and your in business.

Kurt-----

The problem is this: if you find the square nuts in a hardware store they will almost certainly be either ungraded (most likely) or SAE grade 2. Neither should be used in any part of a suspension system. Much better to use a hex nut, easily available in SAE grade 8 and accept the minor excursion from original configuration.

[Phil D.]

Re: '72 Lower A-Arm - Shock Absorber Mounting Bolts

If I were to tack weld in a grade 8 nut with an ordinary mig welder, does it still retain its grade 8 properties?

[Joe L.]

Re: '72 Lower A-Arm - Shock Absorber Mounting Bolts

If I were to tack weld in a grade 8 nut with an ordinary mig welder, does it still retain its grade 8 properties?

Phil-----


As far as I know, yes.

[Terry M.]

Re: '72 Lower A-Arm - Shock Absorber Mounting Bolts

If I were to tack weld in a grade 8 nut with an ordinary mig welder, does it still retain its grade 8 properties?

The answer is: it depends -- on how much heat you put into the nut. How will you know? You will not without testing facilities most of us do not have.