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A body drag link - dropped? #2413453
12/05/17 03:57 AM
12/05/17 03:57 AM
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AndyF Offline OP
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Does anybody make a dropped drag link for A body cars? I was thinking someone was making them, Bondo Bob or someone like that maybe? I think the center section was tube with forged ends.

Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2413454
12/05/17 04:04 AM
12/05/17 04:04 AM
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Mt Morris Michigan
mopar dave Offline
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Not sure. I dented my pan both sides and put my bar on the grinder. Works ok now, but a new bar like your lookin for would be nice if available.

Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2413473
12/05/17 09:08 AM
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Yes, Bondo Bob makes them as far as I know.
He advertises on here.

Last edited by fullmetaljacket; 12/05/17 02:39 PM.
Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2413477
12/05/17 09:54 AM
12/05/17 09:54 AM
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Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
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I modified an A body drag link to fit a friends oil pan with a pass through in the pan. We raised that one, but you could drop one the same way within reason. I just welded in a piece of round bar in on top of the original bar, then torched away the old portion of the link. Clean it up with a grinder, done. We moved that one about 1 1/4 inch up.

Last edited by gregsdart; 12/05/17 09:57 AM.

8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: gregsdart] #2413479
12/05/17 10:20 AM
12/05/17 10:20 AM
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fullmetaljacket Offline
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Just make sure that not only is the tube seam welded all around the circumference, but that you give it a few extra butt welds for extra measure of safety.

Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2413510
12/05/17 11:54 AM
12/05/17 11:54 AM
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Columbus, OH
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Ben Holt Offline
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We can make a drag link dropped to whatever number you need

Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: Ben Holt] #2413570
12/05/17 02:29 PM
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Originally Posted By Ben Holt
We can make a drag link dropped to whatever number you need


Okay, I'll give you guys a call.

Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: Ben Holt] #2413637
12/05/17 04:19 PM
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Mt Morris Michigan
mopar dave Offline
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Nice to know some thing is available to fix that issue.

Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2413794
12/05/17 08:20 PM
12/05/17 08:20 PM
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Portage,michigan
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I had a buddy straighten the drag link on the white Duster i used to have so it would pass through the square hole in the super stock pan
Cost 60 bucks. He is an outstanding welder, took him an hour he said to set it up and make it straight like i wanted it


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Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: fullmetaljacket] #2413858
12/05/17 10:04 PM
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Originally Posted By fullmetaljacket
Just make sure that not only is the tube seam welded all around the circumference, but that you give it a few extra butt welds for extra measure of safety.

I used solid rod. I would never use tube for a deal like that. It took a lot of welding to build it back up, but looks great 20 years later.


8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2414040
12/06/17 02:41 AM
12/06/17 02:41 AM
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Any chance someone has some pictures of a SS/AA car engine bay without the engine? I'd like to see what sort of steering linkage setup they are using on those cars these days.

I looked on-line at some SS/AA cars for sale but none of them had good pictures of the front suspension. Mostly just exterior pictures and pictures of the cage or rear suspension.

Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2414365
12/06/17 08:15 PM
12/06/17 08:15 PM
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Shelby mi.
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Originally Posted By AndyF
Any chance someone has some pictures of a SS/AA car engine bay without the engine? I'd like to see what sort of steering linkage setup they are using on those cars these days.

I looked on-line at some SS/AA cars for sale but none of them had good pictures of the front suspension. Mostly just exterior pictures and pictures of the cage or rear suspension.

Andy most of our cars have lowered links with a tube welded in for lightness. I can take a picture of mine soon and post it. Most are lowered because the motors are lowered so you have to drop the link to clear the block skirt.


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Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2414372
12/06/17 08:31 PM
12/06/17 08:31 PM
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WRT "put my bar on the grinder"
That makes me nervous, reducing the diameter in the middle reduces stiffness in compression a lot (no effect on tension - the other direction). It may bend and allow the wheels to toe without you knowing it.

The difference in stiffness (resists bending in compression) of a solid bar vs. a heavy-walled tube is pretty small, but I suspect that a one-wheel impact (curb?) may fold a tube (buckling load) but not a bar of the same OD. I don't have real numbers but a 1" solid bar is only about 7% stiffer than a 1" tube with 1/4" wall, and a 1-1/8" tube with 1/8" wall is stiffer than both.

IIRC back in the day the original link bent under load, and the cure was a piece of angle iron welded in the center - doesn't need to be full length, my guess is a 12" piece would do the trick.


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Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: JAKE68] #2414391
12/06/17 09:25 PM
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Originally Posted By JAKE68
Originally Posted By AndyF
Any chance someone has some pictures of a SS/AA car engine bay without the engine? I'd like to see what sort of steering linkage setup they are using on those cars these days.

I looked on-line at some SS/AA cars for sale but none of them had good pictures of the front suspension. Mostly just exterior pictures and pictures of the cage or rear suspension.

Andy most of our cars have lowered links with a tube welded in for lightness. I can take a picture of mine soon and post it. Most are lowered because the motors are lowered so you have to drop the link to clear the block skirt.


That is what I was thinking. It doesn't seem like it would be too hard to cut the ends off and use them to fabricate a 3 piece bar with the center made from tubing. If a guy wanted to get fancy the ends could be made from billet steel with a spud on them and then a tube welded in between for the center section.

Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2414458
12/06/17 11:00 PM
12/06/17 11:00 PM
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spud and then the center tube. that's the way mine is with some extra butt welds on the end. Lighter by 2 Lbs.

Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2414480
12/06/17 11:46 PM
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Yeah seems easy enough. I don't know of anyone selling this setup though. I don't think it would be hard to be make the ends, just a chunk of steel with a couple of tapers and a spud. The center tube could be straight or have a Z bend at each end. Should be simple enough to do with a tubing bender. I don't know, maybe this is what Holt and others do?

Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: Ben Holt] #2414492
12/07/17 12:14 AM
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Mt Morris Michigan
mopar dave Offline
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Whats the price for a custom drag link to fit a 67 A body with BB?

Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2414498
12/07/17 12:34 AM
12/07/17 12:34 AM
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gulfport, ms, west mi
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Back in the 70's I think in the big Direct Connection book it might have said to heat the pitman arm and the idler to lower the drag link. Anyway, that's what I did to clear the pan at that time . Bent them both down to the same measurement from the ground and had a re-allighnement done. never had any steering problems at 130MPH. Now have a tubbed pan with the same steering modification.


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Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2414505
12/07/17 12:48 AM
12/07/17 12:48 AM
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Back n the early 70's Roy Johnson had a 71 Challenger that he ran in IHRA and NHRA SS. He took the stock tie rod drag link, cut/sectioned it about 2 inches in from the inside hole. He then welded on 2 plates made from 1/4 inch steel. One on top and one on bottom. He then welded the cut piece of the tube and gained about 5 inches to the rear. This moved the center section of the tie rod to the rear of the oil pan, back close to the trans bell housing. He avoided the tie rod tube thru the oil pan with this set up. I always thought it looked unsafe. But he ran that car for many years with that same drag link on it.
Hope this helps.


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Re: A body drag link - dropped? [Re: AndyF] #2414551
12/07/17 02:35 AM
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I always thought it looked unsafe

If there's enough metal, and someone with good intuitive grasp of the forces involved it will work.


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