Ok guys, a lot of you know I've had some 9 second street cars with ladder bars and 4 links but I built my current big block Duster for street cruising only, it has a nice mild pump gas motor with around 600hp or less.
I quit racing about 5 years ago and I'm starting to crave making a pass or two. My Duster is bone stock except the engine. I do have a motor plate and MP frame connectors bolted in, I may have my buddy weld the connectors in and may have him put a 6 point roll bar in even though I said I'd never do that to this car.

My question is, on my super tight budget right now, what can I do to make worn out stock leaf springs work?
I have Rancho single adjustable shocks. Where do I buy good leaf spring clamps? Should I clamp the rear section or just the front of the leafs? Use a snubber or not?

I'd like to order 35 spline axles and spool from DoctorDiff.
If money allows I might buy his half inch offset spring hangers so I can remove the 1/4" wheel spacers and stop the tires from rubbing the quarters when I have a passenger in the car.
I'm gonna have to upgrade my stock 7260 u-joints too.
I have regular passenger 275/60/15 tires so I'll need to buy drag radials or slicks, probably search for decent used ones.
I have factory 3.23 gears, will those hold up or should I save for new ones from DoctorDiff?

Any positive advice is much appreciated, I'm afraid this is gonna snowball into a money pit but with the new Dragway42 being built 40 minutes from my house I know I'm gonna want to drive to the track and make some passes!

pinion snubber and stiffen front spring section. I had a spring shop add a leaf under the main leaf that goes almost to the front eyelet and clamped. Seems to work OK?

Snubber one inch from floor?

No way on a pinion snubber. If you have one........throw it away so you won't be tempted to use it

Why not a pinion snubber

im about to be in the same situation as you, im putting my retired 340 back into a 71 duster i bought not long ago so i can have a simple cruiser. but im finding stowed away go fast goodies i forgot i had lol. Im thinking of adding a front half leaf to stiffen the front segment of the springs and unclamp the rear half so it can flex and use good shocks.

My pinion snubber on the Charger is maybe 1/2" from the floor. The setup seems ok running mid to low 12's. The new engine is overpowering the suspension now, so I'm looking to make some changes, maybe CalTracks and race shocks?

I would ditch the snubber. Add the half leaf and use the opportunity when you move the Springs in to get the pinion angle right.

The snubber is a bandaid for not having good shocks.

Years ago when I had super stock springs on an 11 second 340 car, I did not use a snubber. I thought it might be necessary to use it with stock springs.
I know with super stocks, if it ws set too close to the floor it would make the rearend pivot and steer the car everywhere.

As already stated, clamp the front spring section, remove snubber, trim top upper a arm bumpers down to about 3/4" tall. Worn or 90-10 front shocks. Make sure the rear shocks do not top out on launch. If you spend ANY money on it, buy GOOD shocks. As Monte has stated time and time again, this is the most important area to look at. At your power level the Viking shocks will work great.

Im running super stock 002/003 springs in the stock location,adjustable snubber, stock style shocks, 3.73 gears, and put 26x9.5x15 Hoosier Quick Times on at the track and runs low 11's and never have a problem. I dont think a spool is going to be very street friendly is it?

I would keep everything you have and buy some good shocks. My red car was night/day with good shocks. The old shocks sucked so much it bent the rear leaf spring segments and killed the u-joints over time.

Viking Shocks
Drag radials
HD u-joints

Check the u-joints often!

Sounds like a plan, I'll have to check out Viking's website.

As far as the spool, it's $100, any posi unit I would trust in a high10/low 11 second car would be expen$ive. I don't love a spool on the street but I ran them for a couple decades with no problems.

Shocks and clamp the front segments... if need
be add a front leaf if the springs are worn that
bad.. but stiffen the front segments as stiff as
you can make them(your ride rate is done on the
rear segments)

Who sells the leaf spring clamps?

Mancini

http://www.manciniracing.com/caspcl.html

Thanks Mike!

Viking's website doesn't have prices that I saw, I'll email them and get a price on a shock for a '72 Duster with stock ride height. Is this a coilover or regular shock? If coilover I'll have to get the correct spring rate too.

I wish Summit carried Viking since I have a gift certificate there.

Bob You will probably have $1000 in a "decent" pair of shocks these guys are suggesting. You might want to give Bondo a call he was an Afco dealer I thought and he could probably hook you up with some DA shocks for a little less money.
I still use SS springs and Rancho XL9000II on my car and it hooks pretty good but it may take a better suspension to get a big block A-body to hook.
Keep the Ranchos and get some Cal-Tracs
Gus

Those are not the type of clamps you need.


To make the stock suspension work you Will need to clamp the front sections of the springs, even more on the passenger side then on the driver side. The clamps you need are sold by a , cant remember right now, but its a roundy roundy circle track dealer. Ive even linked them one time before on hear.