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Car is a mostly driver and I want something better than stock for the nice curvy roads where I live (and the hopes for a future road track day) and would like suggestions.

Am I thinking correctly to start with maybe some Koni stock appearing replacements, bigger front swaybar, installation of a rear bar, and a set of subframe connectors???? Would these changes be a noticeable upgrade over stock, and worth it???



Yes, noticeable. And suitable for a track day.

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I've already installed polygraphite bushings/accessories to the front end, and MP front disc conversion. That's the only upgrades to the front.



Does that conversion take Mopar facotory rotors? Nice to be able to get 11.75" dia disks on there. IMHO the factory disks swap is just as capable as these aftermarket kits with cast iron calipers. And if you use the 73-76 A-body or F/M/J spindle the upgrade to one inch larger disc is not very expensive.

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Please tell me how you'd better the OVERALL suspension for a big driver car including brand of aftermarket pieces with a Goal under $1200.00.....Thanks



OK, $1200 budget... Bang for you buck and trying to not to duplicate labor with further improvements.

  • $335 1.18" T-bar from www.firmfeel.com
  • stock rear springs
  • $100 Addco 1 1/8" front if you have a factory bar allready
  • ~$50 Energy sway bar to K-member adapters
  • $240 Helwig adjustable 3/4" rear sway bar pn 6907
  • ~$50 Moog offset 7103 rubber UCA bushings for caster on stock A-arms
  • N/C shaved the rearward poly strut rod bushing like this: http://users.erols.com/mathewg/bushings.html
  • Alignment: 4.4 deg pos caster, 1 deg neg camber, 1/16" toe in
  • $500 Koni shocks or QA1 single or double adjustable


Whew! That's $1275. How'd I do??

Next improvements
  • reinforce welded 70-72 K-member with $100 70-72 sway bar to run up to 5.5 backspace front rims (might substitute this for the Koni shocks just because you have to take so much off to get to it)
  • adj. prop. valve,
  • frame connectors
  • Firm Feel Stage III power steering box
  • 13" disc AndyF brake kit
  • Doc Diff rear brake kit with parking brakes



My current setup in my 340 68 Barracuda listed below. Future plans (if money falls out of the sky) for some bigger T-bars, front and rear 275/40/17 tires on 17x9's, 13" disks with good calipers, brake ducts.

  • .99 T-bar
  • stock 340 original 40 year old rear springs
  • Addco 1 1/8" front 3/4" rear sway bars
  • 245/50/15 BFG Comp TA, 15x8 rallyes, 4.5 bksp
  • 73-76 k-member welded reinforced
  • Mopar reman power steering box
  • La Carra steering wheel
  • Moog offset 7103 rubber UCA bushings for caster on stock A-arms
  • poly: LCA, strut, sway bar, leaf bushings
  • Alignment: 4.4 deg pos caster, 1 deg neg camber, 1/16" toe in
  • 11.75 front disk, 10" stock rear drums
    Mopar Police semi metallic disk pads, braided flex lines, adj. prop. valve, MP alum master
  • QA1 single adjustble front shocks
  • Koni SPA1 rear shocks




With all due respect Steve, I can add that the Konis are nowhere near enough shock for the afformentioned t bar. I also beg to differ that the 11.75 brakes with single piston cast iron calipers rival more modern multipiston units with larger rotors. In the real world, it just isn't happening. Since he mentioned track capable, we need to put more modern options on the table...

BTW, how did you arrive at that torsion bar selection?



By more options, means more $$$

I'm just working within stated the $1200 budget. It's easy to blank check this deal. But you've got to make compromises when working with a budget. What do you keep and what do you let go?

Sorry, I was talking about 11.75 factory disk being the same or better than the aftermarket kits that use cast iron GM calipers or early Mustang calipers for a 11" disc converstion kit. Now the MP kit seems like a factory spindle with factory slider calipers. If 68Bullit has those in 10.75" disks, then I would suggest buying some used 11.75" ~$60 slider caliper adapters and some new 11.75" disks from the parts store.

I agree Multipiston brakes would be great and better with much more potential on the track than a 11.75 stock setup. No doubt. But it will put him past the $1200 budget in one shot. The mulitpiston brakes will decrease track pad wear, stiffer track pedal, fade resistance, spread the pad clamping force...

That car is very heavy but he says he want's to drive it on the street. I don't know what he feels is stiff or too stiff. So 1.18 T-bars aren't too stiff. He can balance the car with the adjustable rear sway bar. If he wants more of a track car, go all the way up to 1.24"

I'm going for bang for your buck that you can feel. Sure we can make everything perfect and spend a ton of (someone else's) money at once. I'm going for roll stiffness first, then tire size (like 275's wide up front at least), body re-inforcement, then a big jump in brake upgrade.

Not going to do everything at once. But enough to start having fun and maybe getting out to the track to know what to do next. I think this is what TomQ has basically done too.

Last edited by autoxcuda; 11/27/08 04:33 PM.