I6 front suspension

BarnStang · Feb 20, 2006

I have been told that the I6 center link, inner and outer tie rods need to be replaced with V8 parts cause they are too weak to support a 289? Seems like a streatch to me. THe car has factory power steering too. DO I really need to change out all that stuff? Seems like there is not a tremendous amount of weight diff btwn the I6 and the 289.

red65 · Feb 21, 2006

You certainly are going to want to swap the front spindles from the I-6, and upgrade to 5-lug brakes, hubs and wheels. The main reasons to do that include the brake sizing (the 9" 6-cyl brakes were on the hairy edge of adequate even for the 6-cyl car), and the strength of the spindle (V-8 spindles are visibly more robust). In doing that, I believe you'll find that the 6-cyl steering linkage no longer fits the V-8 spindles - different tapered bore in the steering arm, so you'll end up swapping it anyway. Of course, lots of people get away with mild V-8 swaps into 6-cylinder cars and do none of this - it's all about your risk tolerance, I suppose. I'd strongly recommend going the whole nine yards.

dennis112 · Feb 21, 2006

red65 said:
You certainly are going to want to swap the front spindles from the I-6, and upgrade to 5-lug brakes, hubs and wheels. The main reasons to do that include the brake sizing (the 9" 6-cyl brakes were on the hairy edge of adequate even for the 6-cyl car), and the strength of the spindle (V-8 spindles are visibly more robust). In doing that, I believe you'll find that the 6-cyl steering linkage no longer fits the V-8 spindles - different tapered bore in the steering arm, so you'll end up swapping it anyway. Of course, lots of people get away with mild V-8 swaps into 6-cylinder cars and do none of this - it's all about your risk tolerance, I suppose. I'd strongly recommend going the whole nine yards.

Very good reply. All I can add is that the 6-cyl 9" brakes are very inadequate for a good running, heavier V8 car.

WORTH · Feb 21, 2006

doing the engine swap isn't the problem, the problem is when you exspect it to handle and stop like a v8 car. If your doing the swap because yur 6 is junk and needs upgrading then go ahead and do it, just baby it until you upgrade the front and rear ends.

BarnStang · Feb 21, 2006

I have the 5 lug spindle withe the drum and brakes and all attached. So I understand that I will need the outer tie rods to fit the spindle. Will I really need the inner tie rods and the center link? I have also read that there are problems matching up a V* centerlink bar in an I6 car with P/S...

Thanks!

BarnStang · Feb 21, 2006

Oh, and I have a 5 lug rear that also came with the car...

red65 · Feb 21, 2006

BarnStang said:
Will I really need the inner tie rods and the center link? I have also read that there are problems matching up a V* centerlink bar in an I6 car with P/S...

As far as I know, you're in uncharted territory trying to match a 6-cyl center link and inner tie rod ends to V-8 outer tie rod ends. I don't know the answer, but the conversion's been done often enough that someone may have tried it.

A new V-8 center link and inner tie rod ends really aren't very expensive (relative to the overall price tag I'm sure you're accumulating), even if you have to buy a rebuilt V-8 steering cylinder to go along with them... Most people just swap the whole assembly (I did, but I have manual steering, so I don't know the answer to your PS question).

DukeGnarley · Feb 21, 2006

I did the v-8 swap in my '66 and did everything except the steering linkage, seems to work fine.

I6 front suspension

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