'73-'77 rear lower control arms

[doc]

I read in an old Car Craft story that you can use the '73-'77 a-body rear lower control arms in the '64-'72 a-body's (same length, etc). I know the sway bar mounts on the bottom, etc., but is this true?

I have a '74 442 that I'm partting/scrapping & may use the rear sway bar & LCA on my '66 F-85.

Thanks!
D

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by doc

I read in an old Car Craft story that you can use the '73-'77 a-body rear lower control arms in the '64-'72 a-body's (same length, etc). I know the sway bar mounts on the bottom, etc., but is this true?

I have a '74 442 that I'm partting/scrapping & may use the rear sway bar & LCA on my '66 F-85.

Thanks!
D

I don't know about interchangeability, but I do know that the sway bar on the 73-77 cars mounts to a U-shaped piece of sheet metal that fits up inside the LCA and bolts in place using the holes that would normally be used for the 64-72 sway bar. I never thought that was a very good design structurally, since the boxing plate on the earlier LCAs turns the open section arm into a MUCH stiffer box. Frankly, I'd just weld a plate to the bottom of you old arms, with nuts welded to the inside if you want to mount the 74 sway bar.

[doc]

Just curious mainly....just seeing what I could use off of the 442 before scrapping it.

Thanks for the info!!
D