So after school's over and winter break starts my friend and I should be able to fix all the safety issues on my 1968 Dodge Dart GT with regards to the steering coupler and brakes. I was thinking my next step on the Dart would be beefing up the suspension a little because it's a bit warn out.

My friend has a pressure washer so the first things first is we're going to clean up the underside of the car of all the grease. A couple of bushings may need attention, (that my friend may already have) so we plan on possibly replacing those as well. My friend and I also plan on fabbing up some sub frame connectors for the car (don't know when or how soon, but he's already done this on his Demon), instead of buying a set.

As far as I can tell, the entire suspension system is stock (no sway bars) except for the air shocks in the back (that don't hold air). The rear leafs are a little saggy (and just look puny). I'm currently running on 14" wheels with 205/75/14 tires; however, I don't want to change those out till I can afford an entire bbp swap. But when I do, I would like 17-18" wheels with 275's all the way around. And lastly, I'd like to stick with a K-frame and leaf springs over the alter-K systems and 4-links (they just cost too much).

I want a car that feels nice and firm around the turns (a corner carver I can take to through the mountains or on a track/autocross once in a great while) but still nice enough to comfortably cruise and not feel every bump in the road. Kind of like the Green Brick and Tim Werner's Valiant.

I know Hotchkis, Hellwig, and Firm Feel are all great suspension companies. Hotchkis is very local to me (and currently has a 20% promo code) and Firm Feel has pretty good prices as well. I obviously can't afford to replace everything at once, so this will be a piece by piece build up.

So where should I start? I was planning on getting some good shocks and probably a tubular sway bar first. For shocks I was thinking either Hotchkis's new Fox shocks or Bilsteins from Firm Feel. And for the sway bar I was leaning more towards Hotchkis or Hellwig (need more info on the tubular Hellwigs though). Would it be ok if I mix and match suspension components from both (or more) companies? All input, formulas, and information is greatly appreciated as well as any articles you can find on the web. Thank you!

With your car not having a swaybar I recommend welding in the Hotchkis model for it. That and some frame connectors will be huge improvements. Shocks get the best ones your budget will allow.

Hotchkis stuff is nice no doubt but Hellwig stuff is good too & half the cost...

http://www.suspensionconnection.com/cgi-bin/suscon/view-cat/dodge/dart?category=sway%20bars

I've got the RCD Bilstiens & highly recommend them, got them from Hotchkis before they went with Fox.. I'm sure the Fox Shocks will be excellent too...

Quickest, most bang for buck, with the least effort, that must be changed regardless, that will not have to be upgraded/changed later, is simply adding big TB's, period.

How much time and money you dumping in to it with this exercise?

I'd say subframe connectors, a sway bar, and alignment first. Could do all that for under $200 with careful shopping.

After that, I'd step up spring rates and shock rates, but this is where it can get pricey fast. $300 for t-bars, $250 for leafs, $400 for shocks.

I believe the bars in the link are solid, I know Hellwig makes tubular bars, I found a listing but when I tried to link it the link wouldn't work so I used the one above...

To improve handling and make it fun and safe to drive a basic suspension rebuild is first step. You can get a kit or buy pieces individually from Rock Auto or your favorite parts house. Just get good stuff as quality varies quite a bit. No fun to replace a ball joint and need to do it again in 10k miles. I use and like Moog stuff. When you re-build, spend the extra 30 bucks or so for offset upper control arm bushings. Install per Autoxcuda's diagram so you can get extra positive caster and negative camber. If you have a friendly local machine shop to press the bushings in at reasonable cost that makes it a lot easier.

Next is some decent shocks. I'd go with "premium" replacement gas shocks from a parts house to stay in budget.

Next is a front sway bar. What you will find and need will likley be a solid bar. Even a factory bar would be a big help. You might find a low cost "take off" from somebody who has upgraded. That's fine.

Then the alignment. Shoot for 5 degrees positive caster and about .75 degree negative camber with factory toe settings.

If you can do the above, you should have a really nice driving and handling car... and a solid foundation for more mods in the future as time and budget allow. With some shopping and your labor you may get it done under your budget.

Also a suggestion when you clean the underside... use a little paint solvent and a stiff brush to pre-treat the greasy spots. Then pre-treat with simple green or similar detergent. A small amount of solvent and a little scrubbing softens it up so the pressure washer and detergent can get it off.

Well I gave my answer with reasons to the OP's questions. Seems others have responded also. my response as usual is not obviously shared by many others , i wonder however if a mopar mag would find it informative to and reasonable costly to perform a simple road test to indicate what might be the most effective first suspension improvement. I would think the test would have to be blind, require say 3 competent drivers, preferably only one maybe with decent track time, tests would be back to back, on typical stockish mopar with somewhat upgrade not stock tires, because nobody but numbers correct guys run stock tires. Test would include a slalom, general driving and short autocross. We would assume car with a working in proper condition suspension, ie nothing worn out, factory alignment. Items to test would be a shock change, a TB change, with and without sway bar (connected), and a tire series step down/grade. None would be combined to keep costs down, and the results more reliable. The point of the test would be what gives best bang for buck, that steer OP in the right direction, FIRST, and make test not costly or no mag will pursue it.

Doesn't hurt to ask

I've always subscribed to the light spring fat swaybar way of thinking, I drive my cars allot & I'm not willing to give up ride quality for slalom speed.. If your building a track car then you do what it takes to go around the turn quicker but for a basic street car that you want to carve a few corners with, I don't feel a need to accept high spring rates or KYB shocks...

That's what I've said for years, and posted here on Moparts many times, and posted in a couple other sway bar/springs threads here in the handling forum.

street car only = ride quality is a must = stock spring with heavy sway bar works GREAT.

Did that with my '71 Sebring back in the mid '70s and it handled great and very flat. Quite the opposite of the land yacht leaning it did before I installed the sway bars. And it ran around the 1/4 mile oval better than the 'stockers' race car class, as told to me by the racers who watched me drive it around the track at midnight before the race the next day.

The sway bars I used were from Addco. The rear bar was 'normal' setup. The front bar had 'solid' links that were made with heim joints, no rubber bushings, therefore no give except at the brackets on the frame. Original rear springs, and front T-bars. 318 car.

I don't dispute one bit any of the above 3 replies, except:
1. put it to the "test"
2. stock TB's IMO are useless
3. We are not talking 1.24 Tb's
4. And rough/harsh/etc ride is what everyone was afraid of years back when just switching to .96" bars
5. And now no one with up to 1.04" TB has even mentioned the word harsh.


Additionally, my suggested test was mainly for a first step, biggest improvement. The theory being, the way the human brain seems to be wired is, if one gets a great reward/improvement/success/etc on a first time experience (women, booze/gambling, etc), one is likely imprinted and will continue to seek the same pleasure for another "high". I don't feel lca reinforcing plates will do that., I think HD TB's will.


I also think "first" is important because most improvements here seem to be one step at a time as budget allows.

Ok, everyone has to make their own choice as to what is most important. A barge feel of the car leaning over so bad you slide out of the driver's seat all the way over to the passenger seat on a GENTLE turn out of the dealer's lot and a little or lot harsher ride from installing heavy/heavyer duty torsion bars. Or a flat cornering car and you stay in your seat on that same turn exiting the dealer's lot. I'll take the flat corner any day.

And yes when I bought my '71 Sebring brand new and left the dealer's lot I slid most of the way across the bench seat. And no I wasn't even close to hotrodding. And I've been wearing the seatbelt ever since.

Thus the main reason why I got the sway bar set first in that car. Made it much safer, and even MORE fun. Drove it that way for many years. I never did install any other torsion bars.

Oh ya, when I was on a guy's pit crew for his open comp car and then Winston West NASCAR car I let him drive the car as he needed to get stuff from the parts store. He said it was a real barge. So it wasn't just my thinking/impression. And yes I told him it 'handled' like that so he knew what to expect.

My DD is a "euro tuned" Frod. It rides very stiff. Handles very well. I think I prefer soft springs, big swaybars over the opposite. Which is how I am building the Cuda. Of course having sidewalls thicker than a coat of paint probably softens the ride too.

Ya, we didn't have rubberband tires back then. My car in the mid '70s;