Aluminum strut rods on stock suspension.
#3138604
04/16/23 10:52 PM
04/16/23 10:52 PM
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,693 Wichita
GY3
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,693
Wichita
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Are they worth the effort and money?
Looking at weight loss and adjustability.
Otherwise stock suspension save for lighter aftermarket brakes and adjustable shocks.
'63 Dodge 330 11.19 @ 121 mph Pump gas, n/a, through the mufflers on street tires with 3.54's. 3,600 lbs. 10.01 @ 133mph with a 250 shot of nitrous an a splash of race gas. 1.36 60 ft. 3,700 lbs.
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Re: Aluminum strut rods on stock suspension.
[Re: GY3]
#3138608
04/16/23 11:16 PM
04/16/23 11:16 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 8,311 fredericksburg,va
cudaman1969
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master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 8,311
fredericksburg,va
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IMO no, for one thing the pivot ,heim, is not on same plane as lca pivot so as suspension goes up and down it pulls it forward. Street car it’s ok but race car with extreme movement you can’t have the lca moving forward and back. I made my heim pivot out in front part of k-frame mount.
Last edited by cudaman1969; 04/16/23 11:20 PM.
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Re: Aluminum strut rods on stock suspension.
[Re: GY3]
#3138610
04/16/23 11:26 PM
04/16/23 11:26 PM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 10,555 Rittman Ohio
fourgearsavoy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 10,555
Rittman Ohio
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Are they worth the effort and money?
Looking at weight loss and adjustability.
Otherwise stock suspension save for lighter aftermarket brakes and adjustable shocks. I have them on my car and it really improved the brake feel over the worn rubber biscuits. I have the RMS rods. Gus
64 Plymouth Savoy 493 Indy EZ's by Nick at Compu-Flow 5-Speed Richmond faceplate Liberty box Dana 60
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Re: Aluminum strut rods on stock suspension.
[Re: GY3]
#3138624
04/17/23 05:11 AM
04/17/23 05:11 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,931 A shed in England
Tig
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,931
A shed in England
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I've had mine for years, they were made by CAP as were the UCA's. The advantage is the Heim joints, with the torsion bars and shocks out, I can move the suspension by hand through it's full travel. There is no binding, it's just one easy and smooth movement, pretty sure this helps with weight transfer. They are adjustable as is the UCA's.
'74 Challenger..9.46 @ 145.9 1/4, 6.001 @ 118 1/8 so far. 4023lb !!! # N/A, Marsh performance 655ci, Indy Maxx, T/R, Indy 600-13 X's, Street legal, pump gas, full interior, Cal-Tracs, mufflers, 3:73's and real 10.5 radials. 9.51 @ 142.4 1/4, 6.003 @ 114 1/8 with our old mule KB, 572-13, 580 wedge. RHD '68 Barracuda Fastback 323ci street/strip. Best ET 13.88 @ 99.03
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Re: Aluminum strut rods on stock suspension.
[Re: Tig]
#3138644
04/17/23 08:04 AM
04/17/23 08:04 AM
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 9,863 MI, usa
dvw
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master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 9,863
MI, usa
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I've installed them for customers. I saw one break on a S/S Challenger. Fortunately it happened in the burnout. Not much advantage vs cost. What would you adjust? Mine are homemade. Cut the stock ends off. Turned them in a lathe untill they fit into .090" moly tubing. That coupled with urethane bushings works very well. And theyre lighter than the aluminum parts. stronger to boot. Back in the day Nascar Mopars used an upper ball joint welded into the K frame. Then a fabbed strut rod was threaded onto the joint stud. Funny racers worry about bushings slowing down travel due to bind. Then spend $1000's of dollars buying shocks to slow travel. Doug
Last edited by dvw; 04/17/23 08:06 AM.
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Re: Aluminum strut rods on stock suspension.
[Re: dvw]
#3138735
04/17/23 01:21 PM
04/17/23 01:21 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,931 A shed in England
Tig
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,931
A shed in England
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I've installed them for customers. I saw one break on a S/S Challenger. Fortunately it happened in the burnout. Not much advantage vs cost. What would you adjust? Mine are homemade. Cut the stock ends off. Turned them in a lathe untill they fit into .090" moly tubing. That coupled with urethane bushings works very well. And theyre lighter than the aluminum parts. stronger to boot. Back in the day Nascar Mopars used an upper ball joint welded into the K frame. Then a fabbed strut rod was threaded onto the joint stud. Funny racers worry about bushings slowing down travel due to bind. Then spend $1000's of dollars buying shocks to slow travel. Doug The strut rods I have are adjustable for length at both ends, the UCA's have Heim joints at the eccentric end so you can dial more camber / castor if needed. IIRC I fitted these 2003 ish. Just my experience but after fitting them the 60ft times did did improve. Also, I do now, have good shocks on the front (Santhuffs), I am guilty of worrying about bind and did need to slow travel but it was the landing from big wheelies that made me choose them . Last pass 60ft was a 1.29 which I didn't think was too bad with a 3.73 rear gear and we're hoping to improve with a new converter.
'74 Challenger..9.46 @ 145.9 1/4, 6.001 @ 118 1/8 so far. 4023lb !!! # N/A, Marsh performance 655ci, Indy Maxx, T/R, Indy 600-13 X's, Street legal, pump gas, full interior, Cal-Tracs, mufflers, 3:73's and real 10.5 radials. 9.51 @ 142.4 1/4, 6.003 @ 114 1/8 with our old mule KB, 572-13, 580 wedge. RHD '68 Barracuda Fastback 323ci street/strip. Best ET 13.88 @ 99.03
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Re: Aluminum strut rods on stock suspension.
[Re: dvw]
#3138742
04/17/23 01:47 PM
04/17/23 01:47 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 8,311 fredericksburg,va
cudaman1969
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 8,311
fredericksburg,va
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I've installed them for customers. I saw one break on a S/S Challenger. Fortunately it happened in the burnout. Not much advantage vs cost. What would you adjust? Mine are homemade. Cut the stock ends off. Turned them in a lathe untill they fit into .090" moly tubing. That coupled with urethane bushings works very well. And theyre lighter than the aluminum parts. stronger to boot. Back in the day Nascar Mopars used an upper ball joint welded into the K frame. Then a fabbed strut rod was threaded onto the joint stud. Funny racers worry about bushings slowing down travel due to bind. Then spend $1000's of dollars buying shocks to slow travel. Doug I thought of ball joints too but didn’t think they would be strong enough but now I know. I made my tubes after I screwed up the aluminum ones.
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Re: Aluminum strut rods on stock suspension.
[Re: cudaman1969]
#3138796
04/17/23 04:21 PM
04/17/23 04:21 PM
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 9,863 MI, usa
dvw
master
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master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 9,863
MI, usa
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A lot of people worry about additional caster. Offset bushings in the uppers gets you a decent amount. Think about it. If you have +2 stationary with chassis rake of of -2. As you go down the track and the car goes level you now have +4. Another important thing to take in to consideration. Adding caster lowers the outer tie rod. Moving the outer tie rod affects bump steer. The 67 Satellite I installed the adjusteable aluminum rods on had toe change after they were installed. From the wheels off the ground to ride height was a 1/2" change. The outer tie rods were to low. Had to shorten the strut rods up to get it down to 1/8" toe change. Thus reducing caster. Doug
Last edited by dvw; 04/17/23 09:47 PM.
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Re: Aluminum strut rods on stock suspension.
[Re: dvw]
#3138840
04/17/23 07:46 PM
04/17/23 07:46 PM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 10,555 Rittman Ohio
fourgearsavoy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 10,555
Rittman Ohio
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It is an eye opener when you have a race car on the alignment rack and raise it up a few inches and see all the numbers go from green to red. Some cars I get on the rack it's a wonder they can drive them at 120-130 and still control the wheel. I done the alignment a few fast stick cars and I couldn't believe they were driving with one hand on the wheel through the gear changes. Gus
64 Plymouth Savoy 493 Indy EZ's by Nick at Compu-Flow 5-Speed Richmond faceplate Liberty box Dana 60
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Re: Aluminum strut rods on stock suspension.
[Re: dvw]
#3138935
04/18/23 09:11 AM
04/18/23 09:11 AM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,213 Minn
SportF
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,213
Minn
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I've installed them for customers. I saw one break on a S/S Challenger. Fortunately it happened in the burnout. Not much advantage vs cost. What would you adjust? Mine are homemade. Cut the stock ends off. Turned them in a lathe untill they fit into .090" moly tubing. That coupled with urethane bushings works very well. And theyre lighter than the aluminum parts. stronger to boot. Back in the day Nascar Mopars used an upper ball joint welded into the K frame. Then a fabbed strut rod was threaded onto the joint stud. Funny racers worry about bushings slowing down travel due to bind. Then spend $1000's of dollars buying shocks to slow travel. Doug Ha ha ha ha what a great point!
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