A Body Suspension Advice
#878266
12/12/10 05:36 PM
12/12/10 05:36 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 21 NY
dodgeman3440
OP
member
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OP
member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 21
NY
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I am currently in the process of restoring a 71 Dodge Demon. It came factory with a 225 slant 6 hooked up to a 904. What i am doing is swapping out the drive line and putting in a a 360 with a 727 and an 8 3/4 posi. What i am looking for and have no experience with at all is an upgrade to my suspension both front and rear. I dont need something overly expensive nor do i need a high performance racing kit. What i want is something that can handle my car well on the street. I have no clue where to begin. I have read a little on Hotchkis, PST, and RMS.
Need advice!!
1968 Plymouth GTX 440/4 Spd
1971 Dodge Demon Sizzlr
1990 Dodge Power Ram W250
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: dodgeman3440]
#878267
12/12/10 05:50 PM
12/12/10 05:50 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 533 North Dakota
440abody
mopar
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mopar
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 533
North Dakota
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I have found that a sway bar for the front with some good shocks like Bilsteins, or QA1's along with a torsion bar for a big block a-body work very well. Pretty much the same recipe for the rear, only I've used superstock springs. Most of this can be sone without breaking the bank to boot. Oh and by the way "sure-grip" is the appropriate term for a Chrysler product using a limited slip differential, NOT posi. Leave that term for the bow-tie deadheads.
73 Dart Swinger 440/727 8.75 w/3.55's 34 Ford 3w coupe with a soon to be 1958 392HEMI!
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: dodgeman3440]
#878268
12/12/10 06:01 PM
12/12/10 06:01 PM
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,754 Conway, SC
T2R9
master
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master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,754
Conway, SC
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I just did this on my Duster about two years ago. I bought a set of 340 torsion bars from a member here and rebuilt the front end with basic rubber Moog parts, I bought them from Rock Auto. I added a aftermarket Addco swaybar to both the front and rear. The rear springs I used ESPO's 6leaf + 1 with the sway bar. Their 5 leaf springs are also great and cheaper then the 6 leaf ones. It handled and drove great. If you do not have disc brakes I would highly recommend upgrading. The sway bars were abut $250. Just a front would help if the budget is tight. Suspension parts from Rock auto were about $300, ball joints, bushings, etc Rear springs were a little over $300
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: dodgeman3440]
#878269
12/12/10 06:06 PM
12/12/10 06:06 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 21 NY
dodgeman3440
OP
member
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OP
member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 21
NY
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Does anyone know if the polygraphite kit from PST is decent? How about a complete kit from Hotchkis? Should i look into changing out everything or keeping a few things stock? I have drum brakes and dont have the budget nor am i interested in a disc conversion
1968 Plymouth GTX 440/4 Spd
1971 Dodge Demon Sizzlr
1990 Dodge Power Ram W250
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: dodgeman3440]
#878271
12/12/10 07:02 PM
12/12/10 07:02 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 31,106 Oregon
AndyF
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 31,106
Oregon
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The guys at www.firmfeel.com will have everything you need. Torsion bars, shocks, anti-sway bar, etc. You basically just need the factory 340 type suspension on there or one step better than that.
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: 70RT Charger]
#878272
12/12/10 07:20 PM
12/12/10 07:20 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 12,271 Overpriced Housing Central
RobX4406
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 12,271
Overpriced Housing Central
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Quote:
Go to Advanced Auto parts website,order all Moog Stuff,right now you can get 20% off and free shipping to your house.I just saved $100 on my order.
Do yourself a favor and check the prices with the discount vs rockauto. I noticed that Advance was about 20% more than rock on just about everything. I was going to use the $40 off on $100 and even that worked out to almost a wash.
Ex. K781 lower ball joint for 73-76 A body
Advance $55 Rock auto $44
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: RobX4406]
#878273
12/12/10 07:24 PM
12/12/10 07:24 PM
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 732 eastern,Ky
70RT Charger
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 732
eastern,Ky
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Quote:
Quote:
Go to Advanced Auto parts website,order all Moog Stuff,right now you can get 20% off and free shipping to your house.I just saved $100 on my order.
Do yourself a favor and check the prices with the discount vs rockauto. I noticed that Advance was about 20% more than rock on just about everything. I was going to use the $40 off on $100 and even that worked out to almost a wash.
Ex. K781 lower ball joint for 73-76 A body
Advance $55 Rock auto $44
Been there done that!Your exactly right but Rock Auto gets you with the Shipping charge.Free shipping with Advanced.
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: 70RT Charger]
#878274
12/12/10 07:49 PM
12/12/10 07:49 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 12,271 Overpriced Housing Central
RobX4406
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 12,271
Overpriced Housing Central
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Go to Advanced Auto parts website,order all Moog Stuff,right now you can get 20% off and free shipping to your house.I just saved $100 on my order.
Do yourself a favor and check the prices with the discount vs rockauto. I noticed that Advance was about 20% more than rock on just about everything. I was going to use the $40 off on $100 and even that worked out to almost a wash.
Ex. K781 lower ball joint for 73-76 A body
Advance $55 Rock auto $44
Been there done that!Your exactly right but Rock Auto gets you with the Shipping charge.Free shipping with Advanced.
For me it was a wash when I ordered including shipping from rockauto.
UBJ's LBJ's Bumpers Tie rod ends L&R's Strut rod bushing kit.
Find the best place all inclusive and go with that. Open two windows and start filling up the shopping cart...
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: dodgeman3440]
#878275
12/12/10 08:13 PM
12/12/10 08:13 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 14,610 Not2farfromNashville, TN
Rug_Trucker
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 14,610
Not2farfromNashville, TN
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Find a nice home for the slant.
You will need to upgrade the brakes/ bolt pattern.
"The only thing to do for triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"
"NUNQUAM NON PARATUS!"
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: dodgeman3440]
#878277
12/12/10 09:32 PM
12/12/10 09:32 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,485 So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,485
So Cal
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Quote:
Does anyone know if the polygraphite kit from PST is decent? How about a complete kit from Hotchkis? Should i look into changing out everything or keeping a few things stock? I have drum brakes and dont have the budget nor am i interested in a disc conversion
Well a disk conversion is $300-$400 with used spindle and piecing the kit together yourself. So if your budget is limited to $400 don't bother with a Hotckis kit, fancy bushings and such.
Just buy a stock rebuild kit and add a 1 1/8" front and rear sway bar (~$400) OR some 1" or 1.03" front torsion bars ($200)
I'd have the moog offset 7103 bushing install for more caster. Do not follow the instruction in the box.
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: autoxcuda]
#878278
12/12/10 11:05 PM
12/12/10 11:05 PM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,645 Phila. Pa.
Mattax
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,645
Phila. Pa.
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yup. Especially for a street car its more important to get the aligment with the caster and negative camber to the factory max (or a little more) than to have less complient bushings. Unles you are running very agressive tires, its going to be hard to take advantage of the switch to poly. For the front sway bar, go with the poly and use greasable bushings. Go for the top of the line factory handling package sway bar, front torsion bars, leafs. Consider the option to go as high as 1.03 with the t-bars and a 1.125 sway bar as was just said. The most important thing is to replace all wear items. Unfortunately the one that many people try to skip is the rear leafs. This is also a wear item. Since you are starting with a /6 car, unless the car started with a Heavy Duty option, odds are these should be replaced even if it has under 80k miles on it. Some people may think I'm nuts but leafs do fatigue due to cycles (standard engineering design for springs is 1 million cylces) and abuse (excessive loads, or torque). Also the interleaves wear, corrode and sometimes the bushings do as well. Basically the same thing for the brakes. For the drums to work as well as possible make sure everything is in top shape. Watch out for warped or twisted shoes. I my experience adjust frequently (do not rely on the auto adjusters) so they are all even. Tires are about the most important thing you can do for traction. Get the best you can for the terrain, wheel size and ride height. Speaking of ride height, set the car near the bottom of the factory ride height specs or a a little lower (like the '67-69 Barracudas). Keep the rear ride hight stock or a little lower using a combination of (a) spring arch and spring rate to keep the static hight and (b)multi-position rear hanger. Of course if you're upstate and need more ground clearance then keep everything stock hight or a little higher. Assuming your car did not come with a front sway bar, look at Firm Feel's for a non-weld on solution. Finally, but not last, look for some performance oriented non-adjustable shocks. Skip the KYBs. You're better off with one of the better parts store shocks. IMO the high speed damping is way over damped unless you think its funny watching coffee get shaken out of the most ardently held cup.
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: 340duster340]
#878280
12/13/10 12:56 AM
12/13/10 12:56 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,485 So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,485
So Cal
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Quote:
just use stock 73-6 parts, especially if your are planning on going with the LBP axles.
honestly, unless you road race the car, your not going to notice the difference on street. especially if you dont have the correct wheel tire combo to go with the suspension.
if you insist on full suspension kit, i like the stuff firmfeel.com offers.
You'll notice 1" or 1.03" T-bars on the street. No doubt.
Also running the offset bushing to get 3-4 deg postive caster, you will notice just cruising at 65mph on the highway.
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Re: A Body Suspension Advice
[Re: 340duster340]
#878282
12/13/10 03:07 PM
12/13/10 03:07 PM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,061 New Mexico
dmerc
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,061
New Mexico
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Quote:
just use stock 73-6 parts, especially if your are planning on going with the LBP axles.
honestly, unless you road race the car, your not going to notice the difference on street. especially if you dont have the correct wheel tire combo to go with the suspension.
if you insist on full suspension kit, i like the stuff firmfeel.com offers. I have the factory 1974- 340 set up and I like the way the car handles. No sway bar out back if you have the right leaf springs.
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