Hey Gene, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask, too many people forget that they too at one time didn't know. Ask all the "stupid" questions you want mate, it is the only way to learn. Your 9/77 van is an HZ so it will be RTS, the only difference I have found personally between an RTS HZ ute with manual steering and an HX ute with manual steering, both being 6cyl, was the HZ was lighter to steer and park. Both cars wandered on the highway like a granny with dementia. I have had 2 HZ sedans with RTS, one 6 and one V8, and both were out handled by my HR with 7x13 chromies and goodyear NCTs. This combo made the HR handle much better than standard. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think it matters if your car has RTS or not, driven within their limits, these old Holdens are quite safe and comfortable to drive, just make sure that your suspension components and brakes etc are in top working order.
Last edited by Dick61; 06-04-2014 at 11:51 AM.
HQ Glacier White Belmont Ute
Wanted Lanspeed accessories for Holden Grey engines, twin carb manifolds, extractors, rocker cover, 3 speed floor shift.
ive got an HZ 6cyl ute with quality stock tyres and clapped out upper control arm bushes and it handles great. then again, i had an HJ ute with 350 and LOTS of money spent on suspension and that thing was like a race car. It handled better than a lot of late model commodores ive had!
BQZ
I'll bet I have a pretty good idea what was done to it. Look closely at your upper arms, not the mounts, just the arms themselves. Something "inadvertantly" was done to my HJ and now it is like it is on rails. Did it have power steering and scrub/drag the fronts like nobody's business in carparks etc?
Nunc est bibendum...
You have me very interested in that Taily. What do you think was done? Reason I ask is I fitted full reco HJ top and bottom control arms to my HZ. It steers like an absolute pig. Way two much camber!! The wheel align shop said it can't get it out and I have to machine meat off the top arm that usually has all the shims behind it. But I've never had to do any thing like that before and can't help but think it's because of the HJ arms. Cheers.
I've seen HJ upper arms swapped from left to right sides (got me knackered how - they have LH and RH stamped on them) and the old school bloke who did the alignment showed me the figures afterwards. Nice neutral steering and hasn't scrubbed a tyre out like it used to. My guess it was more to do with gaining caster.
Nunc est bibendum...
I had a '76 Torana SL 4.2 that didn't have RTS and it behaved like a loaded wheel barow with a flat tyre. Back when they were new they kept falling onto their roof. (my mate tipped his over at 20k's trying to negotiate a grader furrow) I thought Holden put RTS on the Toranas mid model to keep them on their feet?
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