I own a 70 chevelle and i was wondering if anyone has done the conversion where you "box" the control arms.
Is it worth it, etc...
My bushings and springs are worn and i was thinking of doing the conversion or just buying the conversion kits that are already boxed.
Thanks for any input.

conversion kit is easy with a mig welder, but some open arms will not allow the kit to fit inside. the arm is too narrow, the channel is not width enough.

I'm in the process of doing mine. I just had an old set that I have had boxed in. Still have to put the bushings in. Hope this will help with my wheel hop. I think it will be worth the effort from what I'm told.

David

Originally posted by engineer:
conversion kit is easy with a mig welder, but some open arms will not allow the kit to fit inside. the arm is too narrow, the channel is not width enough. thats how mine are but thats because the arm has collapsed some.. you just have to beat it in with a block of wood and a hammer to make it square. I would box them in before you remove the bushings because the Box is much stronger.

I boxed my rear, lower arms last summer. I was given another set, so I could still drive the car. The replacement arms were sandblasted first, then boxed with a 1/4" plate steel, almost to where the bushings start. I then wire wheeled all the slag off, cleaned up the welds with a grinder. To get the bushings out, I used a 1/4" drill, and repeatedly drilled the rubber bushing, until it fell out, with the center steel bushing. To get the metal sleeve that the original bushing is in, I used a hacksaw blade inside the steel sleeve, and carefully removed enough material to allow the sleeve to collapse inside the arm, and remove it. I painted the inside of the arms first with a can of Tremclad black. I taped one end of the arm up, and poured the paint in the other, then just swished it around, and poured it into the other arm, and did the same. I let it dry, then spray painted the outside of the arms with Tremclad black, then put them near a heat lamp for several hours to get nice and hot, for the inside paint to dry completely. I used replacement NAPA, or MOOG bushings, they went in pretty easy, just a piece of wood, and a hammer. When the replacement arms went in I used Grade 8 bolts, washers, and nylon locking nuts, with a bit of synthetic grease. Do not under estimate the time to get the old bolts out, we used about 10 sawsall blades and pneumatic tools. My old bolts were seized to the old inner bushings, no amount of soaking in penetrating oil was going to help. It took about 5 hours, but the pride of doing it yourself far out ways the cursing and swearing, and crap in your eyes. The pizza and beer when we were finished was fantastic. I don't know how worn my old springs were, but they just pulled out, and went in just about as easy, with new isolaters. All this was done with the car on jackstands in a buddy's garage. Good luck. Daren

I would just buy the Hotchkis Adjustable Control arm kit. Thats what I did. Made a big improvement in the handling and traction. The Hotchkis kit is very, very strong.

I boxed the rear arms on my 71 Elky.I still get some wheel hop.