Wanted to share this in case someone ever experiences the same thing.
The past spring I had front end parts replaced by a local garage on my 1961 Super 88 along with changing out tires and rims. They replaced all the ball joints, control arm bushings and shocks. After all the work I started getting a bad vibration coming through the whole car and steering wheel. Replaced the wheel bearings which didn't get rid of the vibration, was told it might be the u-joints or maybe something in the rear end (ended up not being the problem). The whole steering wheel would shake when I stopped and was told it's probably the drums needed turning down - did the fronts first but that didn't solve it, then did the rears and again didn't solve it, then adjusted all four brakes because I was told the brakes probably need to wear back into the cut drums. And again the pulsing continued.
Feeling defeated and thinking I'm just going to have to live with it the way it is I gave up and this morning I started putting the hubcaps back on because I want to go to a car show tomorrow. The hubcaps have five clips that hook on the back and it's easier to have the wheel off the ground and turn the tire to attach each clip. As I was turning the tire mounted on the rear I could hear the back of the tire hitting the emergency brake cable that's along side the frame and then after a half turn it wasn't hitting. I took the tire off then removed the drum and then put the drum into the rim on the back side while off the car. The garage that mounted the tires attached a thick wide weight on the back side of the rim along the lip and the drum is tight against the rim and the weight was raised keeping the drum from laying flat. When everything was on the car the drum was getting distorted (egg shaped) by the rim when tightened up by the lug nuts. I took all the tires to another garage and they removed the weights and installed the flat type that go inside the rim. And that solved the problem. Also, I could not get the hubcaps to lay tight and flat to the rims before and now they are fine and the car is stopping great and no more vibrations.
Sorry for the long story but wanted to explain how one simple error can cause a whole lot of headaches and money and maybe help someone in the future.

 

Art - Good story. Incompetent mechanic who should stay clear of a wheel & tire machine.

 

And he specializes in old cars. I found a thick washer laying on the cross member near the front of the engine and can see it belongs on one of the bolts from the lower control arm. I won't go back to them though to fix it.
I came really close to just putting the car up for sale or was going to get all new brake drums and new brakes. Fuel pump needs to be taken apart again because one or more of the valves that came in the rebuild kit has failed. C H I N A

 

...specializes in breaking old cars.

 

Glad you found the problem.

 

Question —- where did you get the LOWER Ball Joints ????

 

https://www.then-now-auto.com/contact-us/
If you can't get through send an email to - LJthen2@aol.com
They want the old ones sent back so they can rebuild them. They have other rare items for sale too.