Shocks

Looking for some recommendations for new shocks. 1964 Dodge, 4000 pounds with me in it. Running SS springs, snubber, drag radials,automatic with 488 gears. Car is bouncing and killing 60 foot times. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Mark

Might want to look at Viking shocks but maybe with stronger
valving and double adjustables

What shocks do you have in it now? You'll also probably get a lot of recommendations to switch over to Caltrac springs with the bar but even with SS springs you should be able to tame it down. How big is the budget? You can get Calvert adjustable springs for $100 each, double adjustable shocks cost a lot more.

I started making my own lower shock plates so I could get the shock in the correct position. Getting the correct travel on the shock was important for my application.

How fast is your car? What are the 60` times?

Jeff

I am running 1.90's right now. It is mostly a street car. Best time is 11.20 @ 120 spinning the tires. It is totally built as the 64's were. Trying to make it work without going with upgraded suspension.

For a street car I'd go with Koni shocks. Koni shocks are adjustable and are very high quality. They have a 5/8 lower bushing which is the wrong size for a Mopar so you have to work around that. I made lower shock plates for my Coronet. I run SS springs on the Coronet and it is a street car. The car launches pretty nice as long as I can keep it hooked rather than up in smoke.

Another thing you might do is play with clamps on the springs. You might want to add some clamps on the front of the spring to stiffen them up.

Thanks Andy, The springs are clamped. Car is lifting the rear and planting the tires hard now on the hit. Video looks like, and feels like it is bouncing. It just has cheap 90/10's on it now.

I have just put Viking double adjustable's on my 71 Barra , big improvement.

How do you adjust that shock and is it double adjustable.

Viking but expensive. I run qa1 single adjustable R series on the front stiffer compression the knob really adjustes the rebound. I would put a double adjustable in the rear. Viking or qa1

I have some double adjustable vikings on my car, good value. They work well and the price wasn't crazy

Andy. What it the combo on your Coronet? Any times? Educate me on changing the angle of the shock. Thanks

I haven't run a SS spring since the late 80's. I thought that with a 400 HP sb in an street equipped A body, I thought I could get away with SS springs and longer rear shocks, the way that I did years ago. Is that theory ancient history?

Yes. You have three choices of simple traction bars in the Cal Tracs, Slid-A-links or the Asassin bars.

I can't think of a single reason to use SS springs and/or a pinion snubber. Ever.

What does the rear spring shackle angle look like at static height unloaded? Is it almost straight up and down or angle backwards some?

Cab, rear shackle is straight up and down. I know there are way better ways to go than just the SS springs. This is just fun to keep it all old school. I am also wondering if too short of shock on the front might be making the chassis unload? Thanks for the help.

If your front shocks are too short it will
have a tendency to unload the rear.. you would
like about 5" of travel on the fronts

Oh something I found check for clearance between the body of the shock and the frame mounted bump stop pad. My qa1’s hit the side of the shock body. Same thing happened on a b body In my class. It happens a full droop. A lttle clearance grind on the bracket and you are fine.

Do what you have to to make that shackle angle veer towards the rear of the car. Straight up and down is not recommended because it does not allow the spring suspension to work correctly (not raising/separating the body and planting the rear end) thus unloading the rear tires.
I also love to try and keep it stock. Some cars both on and off this site have achieved some good short times using leaf springs (SS or not)
I run the Trip-city springs on mine. Just a stiffer and thicker spring leaf/s compared to the current TOY springs they now call SS springs.

We've achieved low 1.5x 60 foot at 123mph with Rancho adjustables. They need to be set tight. Try about 15psi. I would think at 120mph you should be able to go low,1.60 high 1.50s. Make sure the shackle doesn't limit travel. You may need to be moved forward or made longer. Better yet switch to sliders. Make sure the shock is long enough so it doesn't limit travel. If it does add an extention to the mount. Shock angle at this stage of the game isn't really a factor. Go to you tube; "64 Dodge shock tuning"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjZDXBXRC9Q
Doug

The factory decided to change the length on the front segment of the rear leaf springs in 1964 from 20 inches to 22 inches, all the Super Stock springs I know of are 20 inches long on the front segment
The reason I'm mentioning this is if you have the shorter front half and did not use the special front hangers it will move the rear spring eye forward and make the rear shackle not be angled to the rear like stock was
I think that the bouncing and poor 60 Ft. times are caused by the shackle being pull forward under hard acceleration which ends up pulling the back of the car down unloading the tires
If this is the case you can change the front spring hangar or make a new rear one to get the angle better
Let us know what you find and decide to do

64 dodge 3960lbs - 572 HEMI 30"x 9" Hoosier radials 20-22 lbs of air - caltracs with the split mono leaf spring - Rancho 9 way adjustable shocks 3 clicks from tight consistent 1.44 60' foots - 90/10's up front.

I can't think of a single reason to use SS springs and/or a pinion snubber. Ever. [/quote]
While thier window of application has shrunk over the decades, to say "not ever" doesn't make sense to me. They still work WITHIN LIMITS, and combined with good enough shocks, the only change in performance would be the ET gains from a lighter wallet.

While thier window of application has shrunk over the decades, to say "not ever" doesn't make sense to me. They still work WITHIN LIMITS, and combined with good enough shocks, the only change in performance would be the ET gains from a lighter wallet. [/quote]


Well said. I've many times "used what I had". Sure if you are buying parts not on hand then the choice might be different.
Doug

I went a 1.33 w/Rancho 90-10's ft and old 5-ways in the rear on #4...........

Thanks for everyone's help. This helps to get me headed in the right direction. DoubleD awesome ride!

I wore out a set of rancho 5 ways then went to viking da shocks all the around with the more aggressive valving in the rear.Still and forever tuning.... with spit mono CTs.They have been consistent as I turn the power up.Adjustable boost is a wonderfull thing!

We had similar issues and went through Comp engineering shocks, Calvert's 5 ways - then 9 ways - AFCO Big gun D/A's and finally Menscer re-valved the AFCO's. Buying a good quality / rebuildable shock now, means you won't have to replace it when you step up (I really should listen to my own advice sometimes)




Photo taken By Paul Green, Santa Pod UK Sept 6th 2018

The OP has a street car.

Ahh....OK my bad, but that's how I started

Cool pic. And no kids your ricer won't do that! That's what I tell my son about his Saabaru.

Don't they all start as street cars! - I built mine for the street!

x 2; the amount of front suspension rise from the static ride height played a bigger part than I expected in getting my car to launch without unloading the rear tires after the hit.