Howdy Moparts!
I built my 54 big block pickup out of stuff I could scrounge so the suspension is kinda oddball. The front is 1989 dakota 2wd with all new bushings & balljoints, no swaybar, and moog load handler coil springs. The rear is a 9.25 axle located by saggy A-body 6 leaf xhd springs. Ride height is set with helper airbags over the axle and wind up is controlled with slapper bars. With no air in the bags it sits just off the bumpstops. I usually run 25-30psi in them (individual schraeder valves) to get just a touch of rake for style and ground clearance.
When I built it I threw some $15 monroe shocks spec’d for a stock ‘89 dakota, just to get rolling and keep it cheap. It cruises fine and there is no problem there, but they’re predictably not amazing.
Here is a youtube link of a quick street launch- more of a rolling burnout. I used Imovie to repeat a zoom in on the launch- so first is actual speed, then slomo, then super slomo twice in a row so you have time to look at the front tire the first time and the rear tire the second time.
https://youtu.be/IGzZB3f1A-8I only know enough to be dangerous concerning this stuff but what I’m seeing is the tires hit and the slapper bars give some chassis seperation and a tiny bit of nose lift, then it unloads the tire and I get a little rocking pourposing move going. Then into the rolling burnout it never hooks and steadily but barely carries a little weight off the front as it slips down the road.
My next move is M&H ‘rod-19’ DOT drag radials and probably a shock absorber upgrade as well.
Obviously there will never be a dead hook on the street but how can I use an adjustable shock to control what I got going on here? Easier extension and harder compression on both shocks? I don’t know how much looser I can get the front. I have an aluminum top end on my big block, 10” motor setback, and only 104” wheelbase plus a heavy 1” thick ironwood bed floor and the fuel cell & battery are behind the axle, so I do have some tricks up my sleeve already.
Thanks for looking
Radar
