Light suspension upgrades

[1965gp]

Getting ready to fix up the front end on my 69. Shop said it needs a front end kit so time to research parts.

Was looking at Polyurethane bushings, firm feel upper control arm and bilstein shocks (suggested by firm feel).

That's almost 1k in parts. Eventually may do steering box and sway bar- the car does have a sway bar on it currently.

The car will never see an Autocross, probably won't see a drag strip and won't really be driven that hard. It has 15's on it (vectors) and will not be seeing 17 or 18's .

All I really want is a car that is fun to drive around town- what do I or don't I need?

All suggestions and input appreciated.

[HPP]

Bilsteins, absolutely, poly bushings, sure, tubular upper arms, no. Get some offset bushings instead and use the bux saved to be used on subframe connectors instead.  With a stronger uni-body, even the stock arts perform better.

IMO, I'd step up the t-bars and s-bar, but I definetly like a firmer ride.

Don't forget a radial friendly alignment after the rebuild. Tell your shop to use 2000 Mustang GT specs.

[twodko]

I just did a lot of this on my 69.

Use good ole rubber bushings.

Replacing my rear springs next week.

[Mike DC]

I mostly agree with HPP's advice.


You sound like a case for rubber bushings.


Check the K-frame's mounting tubes for the lower control arms.  The tubes can tear out of the walls of the K-frame over time.  Metal fatigue.  Extra welding/gusseting on those junctures doesn't hurt.  


Offset bushings in the stock UCAs are usually enough to avoid the need for replacement tubular UCAs.  You want more caster in the alignment than the factory used, that is the reason for all this stuff with the UCAs.  




Shocks . . . your call.  More money usually buys better but it's not worth as much to everyone.  You sound like you are only doing all this to make the car a safe cruiser, which does not lend itself to all that.  


Spring rates . . . your call again.  It's generally recognized that the factory RTs had a mismatch with the front too soft & rear too stiff.  Standard procedure for treating this problem today is to run the stock RT leafs in back and put stiffer-than-stock torsion bars up front.  But then again it's also standard procedure in this hobby to set up the chassis stiffer than is ideal for a comfy cruiser in general.


Aftermarket sway bars are worth a real-world difference in how the car feels.  The car came with a moderate front swaybar and no rear one.  The F/R balance matters with swaybars.  Don't add a huge stiff aftermarket swaybar to one end of the car while leaving the other end stock.

[b5blue]

All Moog and Mopar on my 70. Only other upgrade I'll do is MonroeMatics later, old shocks still okay. Rides nice! 

[1965gp]

Thanks for the responses guys. I don't object to a firm ride by any means, just don't feel like I need the full pro touring treatment for this car. As much as I would love to drive it across country and hit tracks it just doesn't happen for me.

I ended up ordering the bilsteins, poly front rebuild kit with rubber bushings for lower arms and the tubular upper control arms.

Honestly a lot of the control arms had to do with the fact that I just replaced the a arm bushings/ball joints on our firebird and it was a pain in the ass- would have been an afternoon job if I had new arms to bolt on.

I was going to order the heavier sway bars but firm feel suggested that I could cause problems if I didn't box the lower control arms so I will leave the sway bars and steering box for the next phase.

Looks like someone already put some pretty hefty torsion bars in it so hopefully that combo will make for a nice Friday night car.

[Dino]

I had front shocks that were absolutely dead, old rubber bushings in decent shape and still the car tracked great and I say it's because of the 1 1/8" old Addco sway bar.  Get a bigger bar, no need to do mods to anything else when you change the bar, not for your application.

[1965gp]

Thanks Dino- that's what I was looking at doing. Is it solid or hollow? Is there a benefit to hollow aside from weight savings?

[twodko]

Sway bars are solid.

[Brass]

Hotchkis, Firm Feel, and Hellwig are tubular. 

[Dino]

The Addco's are solid, no real gain on hollowe bars for your application either.  Do your homework on these though, I recall hearing that the newer model Addco's were not as good but I don't have anything to back this up.  If it fits without modification I think any thick bar will make your car run just fine.  I drive my car hard some days, last week I  took it on the freeway and really pushed the car on the circular on ramp and it never flinched.  I coulld never do that with my 68 with stock bar.

[twodko]

Hotchkis, Firm Feel, and Hellwig are tubular. 

I made the assumption all were solid based on their function.
I stand corrected and remain amazed at all the things I continue
to learn here. 

[dangina]

Hotchkis, Firm Feel, and Hellwig are tubular. 

firm feel are solid

[1974dodgecharger]

Hotchkis, Firm Feel, and Hellwig are tubular. 

firm feel are solid

theres two sizes one is solid and one is hollow the larger one is hollow. think they discontinued the solid one now, but can be found on ebay?

[HPP]

A 1.125" solid bar can have the same twist resistance as a 1.375 hollow bar, depending on how thick the wall is on the hollow bar. Both function identically, it is just that one is a bit larger in overall OD and a bit lighter in weight.

Same can be done to torsion bars, but it isn't common these days.

[twodko]

I finally finished all the suspension upgrades to the Q5 beast.
Did new .96 Mopar Performance T bars several weeks ago and
new rubbers bushings throughout. The car already has a FirmFeel
sway bar and FF II steering box.
Yesterday I picked my car up from the shop after they installed new
Mopar Performance leaf springs and new shackle/bushing kits.
Wow, what a difference! Relatively small upgrades paying huge
dividends. Happy camper here!

Still looking for a Dart though........its out there locally, I just
haven't found it yet.