Video on the new Magnum Force F/M/J suspension upgrade.

Here is their new Instalation video on their New F/M & J Mopar bodies suspension conversion. Cool thing about it, it's all bolt in and no welding. I will be posting a light article on their recent c-body front suspension conversion this week.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PNw3gzDVp0Q

Nice.... what's the tab?

$3800 according to their website... http://www.magnumforce.com/magnumstore/mobile/item.aspx?itemid=174

Which tab are you talking about? There is one for swaybar, is that the one you saw? As for the price, I think that is totally inline with prices for that type of suspension when compared to others out there. I thinks it's cool to offer that package for some cars that there isn't a big following for those models of cars. Over the weekend, I'll post some more and why I decided to buy their assembly and several extra parts for my 1970 Cuda and 1972 Charger Rallye projects.

He was asking how much it is, and that $3,800 price tag is the base model and you xan plus or minus here or there, but I'll wait to see some real world testing and beating on first before I commit, there's a lot more I can do with the car for that kind of $$$$$, bit it looks like a really nice and simple set up for a weekend project

The "don't crush the frame rails by over tightening" warning is a design shortcoming, IMO.
It at first glance it does not appear to be undersized on member/webes thickness, How that effects over weight gain or loss, I have no idea.

I went to the link and even with a base price of $3900, when I added the options I wanted (power steering, sway bar, big disks) it came out to over $5000 which is right in line with Alterkation. I appreciate the work done for the FMJ guys (like myself) but my banker wouldn't let me near this item. I could slip 2 or 3 hundred past her from time to time, but not five grand....

If it was made out of balsa wood and paper mache it would be still better than the factory FJM front suspension.

This is one case where I can see the value of an aftermarket front suspension. The problem is, how many people build these cars? Here in CA and possibly in other states, Every F/M/J car is a 1976 and newer, requiring it to be smog tested with all original type engine and components.
Theres not a lot to get excited about with a 150 HP 318 in a 3600 lb car.

I won't comment on the suspension system, but a nice Aspen R/T or Volare Road Runner would be a great candidate for a late model drive train...

for an extra couple of minutes, and an extra few cents, slugs with through holes could have been included that would allow one to tighten those bolts as they should be tightened. there also appears to be ample room to drill one hole oversize and insert those slugs into the rails from either side. that would make a sizeable improvement in structural strength in my opinion, since this is a "bolt on" setup compared to a "weld in" deal.

, so obvious, not sure why it was not addressed by the designer.

I still haven't seen quantitative results on any of these kits that show the benefits. The benefits are always sold as "better", "chromoly", "coilovers"...yea yea.

Performance results? Kinematic improvement references [bump steer, camber curve, rollcenter migration, roll center changes, etc.]? How about manufacturing, what do the welding fixtures for these look like? How is the quality and accuracy checked before it is sent out?....Nada, they're sold on the premise that they are expensive and use coilovers so that must be better..


Hence why I just put Hotchkis parts on my car and am moving forward.

I'm with Goody

As for California emissions, last time I looked there was wiggle room there. Key is "engine replacement" vs "engine swap".

An engine swap would be putting a family of engine in it that was never an option. Like a 440 or any variation of Hemi.

Engine replacement would be putting an LA in where and LA was, like a 360 to replace a 318. As long as the 360 still sports all the original 318's emissions gear it is legal and no special requirements exist.

If you put a 440 in then you have to use a pass car 440 of same or newer year manufacture with all the 440's original emissions equipment then you need a BAR referee to verify and approve the swap.

A Diplomat with a 360 is fun, BTDT.

As for handling, every one bangs on the transverse torsion bar setup. I never had an issue with it's handling under performing for me. Anyone here actually have a personal example of this?

Fortunately, not everywhere is CA and these cars are going up in popularity, and unfortunately, price, as other locales allowing mods mean these are more reasonably priced entry points into the mopar world. It used to be solid driver F body used to be available for $2-3k. They are now $6-10 depending on version and some Kit Cars and Super Coupes are over $15k.



You forgot new, which also means its better. A large percentage of buyers aren't going to ask for the data. They take it at face value as there are still a high percentage of people out there that don't question technical terminology.

I feel 5k could go along way in the motor dept. to offset a couple hundred pounds off the front.

When I ran my f bracket car in the 80-s they were semi popular at the track, it seems some forget that.

Ive tried to resurrect the car but parts for them, if you can find them, are insultingly overpriced.

Can't really see them selling more than a few of these front end kits, the front end would be more money than the average FJM car is worth.
It's still nice of them to build these as those cars get no support from the aftermarket.

And it's an ultra basic design that I think could easily be replicated, I just understand why it's not welded in when they warn you it may crush the frame rail

Not even close. The rules are that the engine MUST be the same year (any size, even one that was not available or even from the same manufacturer) to retain the emissions as the car or engine was originally equipped. No engine that is older than the vehicle is legal. Any engine that is newer than the vehicle must retain the emissions from the year of the engine.

People have been burned with generic replacement engines, but most smog mechanics in the past didn't worry about the year of the block as long as it "looked" stock for the way the car left the factory.

Also in CA, if the car only came with a 318, a 440 is still not a legal swap even if it is stock or has LESS measureable emissions than the 318.

Any car that falls out of the scope of the two cars above must be overlooked by a smog referee as well. And they are strict. I believe we had a guy on the board swapping a Gen 1 or 2 Viper engine into a Dakota and the smog referee told him he needed to install 4 cats (2 per side) to be smog legal.

http://www.bar.ca.gov/Industry/Engine_Change_Guidelines.html

The quicky dyno test is a joke compared to the FTP that they are certified on. That is why they need to pass the visual and functional tests first. The sniffer test is even more pathetic. I was a Test and Repair Smog for years and have done much work fixing cars since. If you really want to go there just get the GM 50 state legal LS swap engine. That would fit well, or just take a Gen3 Hemi out of a later car and swap the whole damn thing in. WIN-WIN classic looks with a far better drivetrain. Those F bodies- and frankly ALL American made car were crap in the late 70's. Even in Cali they are rare sight; overweight, slow and no collectable value. Seems more like putting lipstick-very expensive lipstick, on a pig.

Sure, in stock form, most these old cars suck. The FJM cars will respond to the same mods applied to all the earlier cars and can be made to be quite fast and powerful. My last Aspen ran low 12s in Denver, which was a good measure better than more desireble muscle era cars turning 14-18s. And I accomplished it for a quarter of the price, so it all depends on what you want.

Even with their current rising prices, they can still provide a means to V8, RWD performance for less than a 2nd mortgage. While they are not everyone's cup of tea, and aren't regulated everywhere like they are in CA, that's fine. If we were all alike, we'd all have mustangs.

I can believe that if there wasn't aftermarket torsion bars and steering boxes available for these. Traverse-t cars have every bit the same aftermarket support as a B body now a days.

My M has the FF 300# bars in it, a Borgeson box, FF tubular upper arms, solid K isolators, cop bars and modern tires. It out handles a lot of new vehicles.

**Edit - quoted wrong post **

It is perfectly legal as long as the 440 is the same year or newer than the vehicle AND retains the original emissions equipment for the 440.

I thought the swap was only legal if the 440 was an optional engine in the car.

Nope, you could put any brand, any make so long as it's newer and has the original emissions equipment. If it doesn't have the original emissions equipment, it has to be inspected by a smog referee.

Nope, any engine from any manufacturer, but must be the same year or newer and retain the original emissions equipment. Now, we did a 5.2 Magnum swap into an '84 Ramcharger, but it would have been no different to do a 5.9 or even a 5.7, 6.1, LS1, etc. A swap like that must go to a referee who does not determine if the car is clean, but that it has all the correct equipment. They make a new sticker for the vehicle. In our case the Ramcharger would forever be smogged as a '96 Dakota. Then a smog station determines if all is working.

Hmmm, well that actually seems okay. Who would expect California laws to make sense ????

My understanding is that pass car swaps require pass car engines, not truck engines. At some point the emissions certifications were different with trucks getting more slack hence the requirement.

Yes, but the price on the FJM bars is twice that is the straight bar systems. Plus, you still have the t-bar acting as both spring and locating device, which creates some really weird bump steer characteristics. There also is the weight of the whole thing to consider too.

I'd go coil over in my F cars if I still had them. But I think i'd be inclined to make my own. $5-6k for a suspension system just seems crazy expensive to me.