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Pacer front suspension

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70RebelGeezer View Drop Down
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    Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 4:56pm
I learned this from my friend in Maine who owns that wrecking yard where I got Gremlin X parts.

He showed me his '49 Ford F2 truck and told me how well the Pacer front suspension fit's so well on the frame rails of the old Ford. 
I'm a dunce when it comes to front end swaps, along with other things, but I was very impressed at what I saw. I didn't have my camera with me so I couldn't take photos. I can get some if anyone is interested.

He also told me how the guy he got the Pacer front end (and info) from was changing over to Mustang II front end because he wanted to keep his truck "all Ford". After a certain passage of time, my friend had the occasion to talk to the Ford owner and that guy was disgusted with how "weak" it was compared to the Pacer front suspension.....he said "it was like night and day"....that Mustang II suspension was like cr*p compared to the Pacer and he wised he'd never swapped it out.

Just goes to show the engineering efforts that went into AMC products when a dyed-in-the-wool Ford guy praised up the Pacer front end's "robust construction" when compared to the, much touted, Mustang II front end; that so many people use and recommend as "the only way to fly for swaps".
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ohio AMX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 5:15pm
They are also nice and wide, making them popular for fat fender builds. Pacer front ends were a popular swap when the junkyards were full of them and replacement parts were more plentiful.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 70RebelGeezer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 5:59pm
That wrecking yard I was in has 3 Pacers and 3 or 4 Eagle Wagons. 

1 of the Eagles is one that a couple from Florida were vacationing in a number of years ago. 

It was near the end of their holidays and they were on the way home. They had engine trouble and the car was towed by my friend to his yard and there it stayed until this day. The folks from Florida ended up flying home because they didn't think it was worth spending any $$ on so they abandoned it to his yard.

He tells me it's in really good condition except for the engine which he was going to swap-out for another AMC 6 banger. He said he looked at it just lately and the interior is still very good and the body is quite solid.
I didn't see it myself so I'm just relaying his info., in case anyone has an interest in anything Pacer or Eagle related.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 304-dude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 6:07pm
Originally posted by 70RebelGeezer 70RebelGeezer wrote:

That wrecking yard I was in has 3 Pacers and 3 or 4 Eagle Wagons. 

1 of the Eagles is one that a couple from Florida were vacationing in a number of years ago. 

It was near the end of their holidays and they were on the way home. They had engine trouble and the car was towed by my friend to his yard and there it stayed until this day. The folks from Florida ended up flying home because they didn't think it was worth spending any $$ on so they abandoned it to his yard.

He tells me it's in really good condition except for the engine which he was going to swap-out for another AMC 6 banger. He said he looked at it just lately and the interior is still very good and the body is quite solid.
I didn't see it myself so I'm just relaying his info., in case anyone has an interest in anything Pacer or Eagle related.



Doesn't Canada have an odd US import export thing with cars. How can you register a US car in Canada to sell, let alone keep it as yours, even if abandoned.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/14/2017 at 7:46am
As stated, Pacer front ends were popular back in the late 80s/early 90s. Now parts are hard to come by, especially the steering rack, which was custom made for AMC by Saginaw (GM). You can rebuild it, but replacements are hard to come by. I know at least one guy who was swapping to another front end (looking at a late 90s Crown Vic) due to parts availability and cost. He had a rack that was leaking and worn...  I wouldn't use one in a swap now, but it's still probably easier and cheaper to repair the Pacer front end than swap it all out for something else. Not just a little work involved in a swap, even if the front suspension/steering/springs is all contained in one unit. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jpnjim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/14/2017 at 3:04pm
Originally posted by farna farna wrote:

As stated, Pacer front ends were popular back in the late 80s/early 90s. Now parts are hard to come by, especially the steering rack, which was custom made for AMC by Saginaw (GM). You can rebuild it, but replacements are hard to come by. I know at least one guy who was swapping to another front end (looking at a late 90s Crown Vic) due to parts availability and cost. He had a rack that was leaking and worn...  I wouldn't use one in a swap now, but it's still probably easier and cheaper to repair the Pacer front end than swap it all out for something else. Not just a little work involved in a swap, even if the front suspension/steering/springs is all contained in one unit. 


You just have to think a little outside the box Frank  WinkLOL






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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 70RebelGeezer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/14/2017 at 5:10pm
Originally posted by 304-dude 304-dude wrote:

Originally posted by 70RebelGeezer 70RebelGeezer wrote:

That wrecking yard I was in has 3 Pacers and 3 or 4 Eagle Wagons. 

1 of the Eagles is one that a couple from Florida were vacationing in a number of years ago. 

It was near the end of their holidays and they were on the way home. They had engine trouble and the car was towed by my friend to his yard and there it stayed until this day. The folks from Florida ended up flying home because they didn't think it was worth spending any $$ on so they abandoned it to his yard.

He tells me it's in really good condition except for the engine which he was going to swap-out for another AMC 6 banger. He said he looked at it just lately and the interior is still very good and the body is quite solid.
I didn't see it myself so I'm just relaying his info., in case anyone has an interest in anything Pacer or Eagle related.



Doesn't Canada have an odd US import export thing with cars. How can you register a US car in Canada to sell, let alone keep it as yours, even if abandoned.

The wrecking yard where these cars are, is in Northern Maine.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amcenthusiast Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/14/2017 at 9:29pm
Pacer rack and pinion rebuild parts at RockAuto:

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/american+motors,1976,pacer,4.2l+258cid+l6,1005905,steering

John's Auto Salvage in Seguin Tx has a few Pacers in their junkyard:

http://johnssalvagecompany.net/

CTC Auto Ranch in Denton Tx has Pacers:

http://www.ctcautoranch.com/Parts%20Cars/Parts%20Cars%20Sub-Pages/Parts%20Cars%20AMC.html


443 XRV8 Gremlin YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=2DmFOKRuzUc
XRV8 Race Parts website: http://amcramblermarlin.1colony.com/
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Buzzman72 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/15/2017 at 6:01am
In addition, I've read of people swapping in a rack from a 93-down Fox body Mustang. Eliminates the problem of the break-the-bank Pacer rack mounting bushings.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/15/2017 at 6:49am
There is a web page detailing that change...
https://pacertruck.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/installing-a-mustang-rack-pinion-in-a-pacer/

The page isn't complete, and he leaves out a detail or two, but it will get you started.

One of the things left out is how a rack needs to be positioned. The inner tie rod pivots need to be on the same level and very near (end to end... sideways) the control arm pivot points. This is so the tie rods move with the arm. You can get extensions for a Mustang rack from many hot rod shops to make the rack wider, you just can't make it narrower. In the photos on the page cited above the rack appears to be short by a couple inches on each side. This will probably cause some bump steer (wheels toe in/out as suspension moves). You can have some bump steer and not notice, but if there is much the car will tend to pull for a second or so when one wheel hits a bump and the other doesn't. It will tend to dart around on a bumpy road. A late 80s/early 90s Thunderbird rack is wider -- that's what I use on my 63 Classic (didn't have to widen, minimal bump steer -- width is near perfect). The T-bird rack is nearly identical to a Mustang power rack, just wider.

Tie rod extension (this is a 1", others available)
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/hfm-hexrackex1?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google-_-shopping-_-srese1-_-helix&gclid=CjwKEAjw4IjKBRDr6p752cCUm3kSJAC-eqRtVaOPI154_NxXFUPaFwRO0xjqGemFpb7envSa4B3nCxoC4czw_wcB

The other critical measurement to minimize bump steer is rack height. Since the Pacer had a power rack similar to the Ford unit you should be fine mounting in the same location. For others, the rack needs to be at the same level as the control arm pivots. If it's not, you can adjust the outer tie rod end height. The tie rod should be parallel with the lower control arm, or rather a line drawn from the lower control arm inner pivot point to the pivot point of the ball joint (some control arms are curved). There are "bump steer kits" available for the Mustang rack. Tie rod ends for all the Ford car racks interchange -- there are at least three lengths -- Mustang II, Contour, and T-bird; listed shortest to longest. I don't think the tie rods vary in length but they might. Tie rods can easily be shortened with a hack saw, of course.  The "bump steer kit" consists of a special stud that goes in the steering arm and spacers to change the height of the tie rod -- it usually needs to be raised on lowered cars, but can be installed to lower the tie rod. The new tie rod ends with the kit are heim joints. I'd order heim joint seals to go with them if this is a daily driven car. Heim joints don't last exceptionally long (a year or two... depends on actual conditions and mileage) with regular road dirt and grime on a street car. They will wear and get loose and noisy well in advance of coming apart, so no worries there...

Bump steer kit
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/qa1-bax102/overview/
Frank Swygert
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