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I was looking at my bushings to see just how horrible they are and found that the bolt is completely missing from the driver side front lower control arm where the bushing should be. I'm looking for a replacement bolt but again seem to find it difficult finding the bolts listed for the 63 Dynamic... Any advice as to where I can find them, or if there's a compatible year/make I can do instead.
Pull a bolt from the other side and measure the length, diameter, threads, and hardness. It's likely a 1/2" NF(National Fine Thread) grade 8 bolt, lock nut, and washer. Readily available anywhere that sells this type of fastener.
Most critical automotive hardware is and should be grade 8.
Be sure to torque the new bolt to spec.
This car must have been all over the road and noisy missing a bushing bolt?
I would inspect all of the consumable parts on the front end for integrity/safety. A front end rebuild may be in your future.
I pulled the other bolt, it's 7/16 with a 22 pitch. This bolt doesn't seem to exist anywhere, I contacted all the fastener companies in town and it's not a common size at all due to how fine the threading is. SO I've ordered a die to cut my own bolts.
Snap a picture to make sure we are talking apples to apples.
The attached pic is a 68 upper control arm nut/bushing, I assume yours is not the same.
Have you looked at Kanter? The link below is for Buick but the parts could be similar? Call them. https://www.kanter.com/productdetail...Cat=39&Prc=181
Did you use a pitch gauge to measure it?
It must be a 7/16 x 20 or 24. Never heard of 7/16 x 22. Where did you find a 22 pitch die?
This is a safety item. Unless you are a machinist Grade 8 round stock metal isn't easily die-cut and it needs to be grade 8.
You could try desert or southern junkyards.
Last edited by droldsmorland; Dec 3, 2019 at 05:35 PM.
Yep, that's an oddball. You've exhausted my sourcing knowledge.
Several online searches produce zero results. If McMaster Carr, Grainger, and Fastenal don't list it its automatically put in the oddball category.
That's why the Early 60 GM stuff is hard to restore.
Try looking for front end rebuild kit suppliers such as Kanter. Call them I'm sure your not the first person to look for a 7/16 x 24. for this application.
When you find them install them with the proper torque and apply blue removable Loctite to ensure history doesn't repeat.
Thinking out of the box a bit...look at other makes to see if they have a source for this bolt. Ford might use it or Nash. Look farther back, say the mid-late 50s. Is there an upgrade modification available? Is there a web site dedicated to 63 Olds big cars?
When you do solve this post the results for the next poor soul.
.......Just a thought,maybe call ARP. Take a good picture of the bolt with a 6" ruler against the bottom of the head, showing bolt length an thread length. If anyone knows about bolts, its ARP.
.......Just my two cents worth.
Last edited by OLDSter Ralph; Dec 4, 2019 at 02:26 PM.
