[Jon]

Just noticed this new article in the wiki today, started by Oldguy829: '37-'57 Buick Olds Pontiac suspension upgrade.

It's already off to an excellent start. Feel free to add information to it, or edit it. I'll be putting in some work on it this week, maybe dividing it up into different sections, etc.

[oldguy829]

Thanks Jon. My first ever wiki and I had no idea how to organize or make it readable. Just felt the information was valuable, and not available anywhere.
Really hope someone jumps in with the Buick info I was missing.

[mopar34]

Oldguy829, Boy that was quick! Just a week or so ago you were talking about writing the article and now it's been published. I have not had the time to read it thru yet, but it really looks great. I am sure it will be very helpful to me as well as many others.

Thanks for taking the time to put it together! Not a small feat by any means!

[oldguy829]

Love the wiki concept. I started making notes on the swap months ago, but was trying to tie up all the loose ends before I wrote it up. With the Wiki, it's more like "this is what I know, anyone got something to add?" So I wrote it like I was showing the work to someone and bouncing from this to that.
easier than a tech bulletin. Hope it helps.

[Jon]

I love the wiki concept too, and am doing whatever possible to get people in the "wiki habit".

I've been working on the article a little bit, dividing it up into sections, etc.

[orn]

I agree, it's an excellent article and all I hope for now is that someone fills in the missing Buick info. OK I admit that I'm a little bit partial on that last one

[oldguy829]

ORN, you can start by confirming the 41 Buick matches the 41 Pontiac. Lower control arm should be 13 inches wide to the end of the bushings, mounting holes are 8 1/4 inches apart, 18 inches from center of frame mount to center of steering knuckle mount, and it is a symetrical "A" shape, mounted to the front crosmember at a rear ward angle (maybe 30 degrees?).
(stupid question here: do you have rulers in inches? or do you have to convert to metric?) Upper control arm mount is actually a center pivot in the lever action shock, mounted flat to the frame. We assume this is correct, but no one has confirmed it yet.
If anyone has a 49 or 50, we could determine when they went to tube shocks. We know the 58 was ball joints, but also the lower A frame was no longer symetrical. Can anyone confirm the 57 was still old style king pins with a symetrical A frame?
All contributions are appreciated. You can post here, and we will update the Wiki, or you can edit the article yourself. Thanks, don

[orn]

Don
I will take measurements of my -41 Buick's lower control arm and hopefully confirm that they are the same size as your -41 Poncho. And you right about the rulers, only mm. here but not a problem. I have some pics of my control arm below and will add measurements later.

Per

[oldguy829]

looks the same, except the lower control arm material. The ones I've seen are a steel stamped C channel. Are those stock, or part of the Air Bag conversion?

[orn]

Yes this is the stock ones. I have drill out the rivets that's holds the original coil spring plate.

[Jon]

Just finished some more organizing on the article: 37-57 Buick Olds Pont suspension upgrade.

[oldguy829]

Orn, The material shouldn't make a difference, just the dimensions.
One possible variable in this swap is the depth of the spring pocket on the lower control arm. The spring pocket on the 58 was shallower than on the 55, but deeper than my 41. Could throw off the ride height for someone using springs, wouldn't matter with your bags.
Jon, you are doing a great job on the editing. It's beginning to make sense.

[orn]

Don
Today I went out and measure the lower control arms on my –41 Buick.
Well here’s the result, they seams to be 13 inches (330 mm.) wide to the end of the bushings. Holes are 8 1/2 inches apart (215 mm.) 20 inches (505 mm.) from center of frame mount to center of steering knuckle. The boltholes are 2 1/4 (58mm.) apart.
There is 13 ½” between the front pivot point and 5 ½” between the rear ones and that maybe be 30 degrees as you mentioned before. I had no tools to measure that angle.

I think the Buick control arms are forged steel.
Unfortunately there seams to be some difference in the Buick setup.

What do you think about it?

[oldguy829]

Orn, thanks for the details. The discrepancy made me go back and pull my old ones and double check the measurements. Looks like my notes were off a bit. The arm in the pictures is 14 inch, end of cap to end of cap, but my other one is 13 1/2 - just a difference in the bushing design. It's 11 1/2 inside to inside of the arm at that point. The spread on the mounting bolt is 8 1/2 as you stated. The bolt holes are only 1 7/8 apart, not the 2 1/4 you have. However, they bolt along the edge of the cross member, so that could be redrilled. Did you measure the 20 inches as i did, or out to the king pin?
please double check that against the picture.
I can't measure that angle either, it was just an estimate. The measurement you have will vary, based on the width of the frame.
Sorry my pics aren't better. I'm getting a dark spot I can't get rid of. Also, the picture throws off the lines on the paper under the arm. they are center to center. don

[orn]

I’ve made some new and more accurate measurements today and come up with this. Sorry if the photos are not centered correct but it’s hard to crawl under the car and pretend to act like a photographer.
I can confirm that the lower control arm sits in a 25-degree angle.



The upper measurements are from center to center of the lubricating nipples.



Same here, center to center of the lubricating nipples.



The uppers.





And finally here’s a pic from the whole package if someone is curios.

I hope these pics make sense.

Thanks/ Per