The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Complete front end rebuild or not?

My 52 Chevy Sports Coupe went to the front end shop this week and they refused to align it. Got a second opinion and they more or less agree. It needs: upper outers, upper inners, idler kit, stabilizer link assembly and bushings and possible rebuild of steering conecting rod. I did king pins and upper outers 17 years and 35,000 miles ago.

The idler arm is the worst, no one is concerned about tie rod ends, can't really tell about steering connecting rod. It's somewhat hard to evaluate with so much slop in idler arm.

Would I be better off doing a deluxe Kanter Do it Once, Do it Right sort of kit, or pick and choose among the parts? This would be my first major front end overhaul if attempted. Is this a two weekend job for a first timer or will I grow accustomed to the car on jack stands and curse the day I started?

This is a daily driver for my 16 year old son. He is gonna have to help. We have put power disk brakes on the front and love them. We went with a **** 9 inch rear and a T5.

realmccoy, Before I bought the truck I have now, I owned a 1951 Chevrolet four door sedan. When I first bought it, the steering as bad as what you describe in your 52 Coupe. Most of the slop was in the idler arm. As you know, the rebuild for that is similar to a king pin. I brought the assembly to a machine shop so they could fit the bushing and the pin.

I ordered the Kanter front end kit and used all the parts that came with it. I did the upper and lower inners and outers on both sides, replaced the king pins and re-bushed the stabilizer bar. I also replaced the tie rod ends. This was all about 6 or 7 years ago so I cannot remember exactly how long it took to do the job. It seems like it took two or three full days to finish it.

I think the fact that your son is going to use this car as his daily driver would answer the question of whether or not you should do the complete job. Steering and stopping are the most important safety features of any vehicle. The brakes sound like they are in good shape, the steering and front suspension should be in good shape as well..

I agree, do it right the first time! A good kit will fit together better than pieces from 4 different vendors!