XV Level II Suspension - First Pics

[dqhemi]

Some of you have been waiting to see what our Level II suspension will be - well here it is.

Unlike our Level I, the Level II is a no holds barred complete redesign of the stock Mopar suspension, replacing the torsion bars and leaf springs and totally revised geometry. 

Up front the design is an SLA (short Long Arm) double A-Arm setup with quick ratio varaiable rate rack and pinion steering.  The K-Member, control arms, spindles and rack are all made of ALUMINUM.

Out back, we did a three link rear setup with panhard bar.  Lower Links are CNC'd from billet aluminum and panhard bar is aluminum.  Upper link may be aluminum as well, but prototype is steel.

Coil over shgocks are run at all four corners.

We four post tested this setup on our 71 Cuda engineering car this past week.  Pics were taken as car was going together so some aren't so great.  My pics of the rear aren't so good, but they're all we have right this moment. 

Car now fits 275's up front due to the new design.  Brakes on there are our Level II - 6-piston calipers w/ 14" Rotors.

This car is getting track tested next week - will have shots from that test and it will be on Dream Car Garage in a few weeks time. 

Enjoy!















John Buscema
XV Motorsports
www.xvmotorsports.com

[Blown70]

 

Hmmmm, I have two challengers in the shed... now to rob the bank....

[dqhemi]

Here's the four post testing on the Cuda w/ that suspension installed.

The four post testing allows dialing on of the spring rates and shock valving as well as evaluation of many aspects of what the suspension is doing and identifying imbalances or anomalies. Each pad has a load sensor and accelerometer in it. Two additional accelerometers are placed at each corner on the wheel and body. A linear potentiometer is also hooked up between the wheel and body to measure travel.

Runs are made at varying speeds with the data logged and then run through proprietary models. Results are analyzed and recommendations made for a change to the car, the change made and process repeated.

Part of the results include a performance index and a comfort index. Depending on the application you try and optimize these values - you can guess which is more important to us. The lower the value the better.

Results were very, very good. Of the three cars we base lined w/ stock suspensions, a 70 T/A had the best results with a value just over 4.00.  Our Level I suspension previously tested was dialed in ont eh 4-post to a value of  .41. Level II by the end of the day we got down to .095. We'll see what that equates to at the track, but it is better than expected and very promising.

The suspension engineer evaluating all of the data looks for any anomalies. He identified one at a specific frequency in the back of the car. When runs are made the pads move up and down slowly first in large moves then less and less distance at faster rates until it is barel perceptible it is even moving.

They were able to run the rig continuously at that frequency while we went under the car to inspect what was going on. We found a mount that had some flex and was showing up in the data at this frequency. It'll get fixed before the car goes to the track, but its things like that we would never be able to find without equipment like this or spend huge time trying to track it down.

When we ran the Level I suspension after the 4-post it only needed a couple of adjustments at the track - it was very good right out of the box based upon the 4-post testing and dial in.







John Buscema
XV Motorsports
www.xvmotorsports.com

[rare69]

looks great! keep up the good work and keep us posted.

[Silver R/T]

sweet suspension. Are you gonna make it for b body?

[262chargers]

That is one sweet looking Cuda 
Any pics of it off the machine?

[dqhemi]

sweet suspension. Are you gonna make it for b body?

B-Body testing will get done in May for both the Level I and Level II suspension setups.

So yes we are doing the same setup for B-body as well.

John Buscema
XV Motorsports
www.xvmotorsports.com

[dqhemi]

That is one sweet looking Cuda 
Any pics of it off the machine?

It's getting track tested on Wednesday. 

I'll be home from that Thursday, so I'll have some good pics of it Thu or Fri, including it running around a track.

John Buscema
XV Motorsports
www.xvmotorsports.com

[Johnny SixPack]

Amazing work, John!

Can't wait for the B-body stuff.

[Charger1973]

Will this be availble for the 71-74 Chargers too?

[Blakcharger440]

That is  some real trick suspension componentry you guys have developed and it looks to be light years
ahead of whats being offered on the market right now....but it seems that these parts will probably cost a million dollars once they reach the market for sale? 

Is the goal to ultimately sell the package to Mopar guys or just build a couple of real sick mopar machines 

I understand that development is still underway but is there a price range in mind for a complete Level l or ll package be? A ball park figure?
Or is it one of those things that if you have to ask then......

[NYCMille]

John -

Very impressive - I spoke to you a while back on the phone - please keep us updated on the B-body suspension as I will most likely be one of your first customers.

Cheers - Mike

[Charger_Fan]

Very impressive stuff!
I'm glad to see this R&D is still in forward motion, hopefully I'll be one of your customers too.

Make sure to give us the good or bad from your track testing too.

[dqhemi]

Glad you guys are liking what we've done!

John Buscema
XV Motorsports
www.xvmotorsports.com

[dqhemi]

That is  some real trick suspension componentry you guys have developed and it looks to be light years
ahead of whats being offered on the market right now....but it seems that these parts will probably cost a million dollars once they reach the market for sale? 

Is the goal to ultimately sell the package to Mopar guys or just build a couple of real sick mopar machines 

I understand that development is still underway but is there a price range in mind for a complete Level l or ll package be? A ball park figure?
Or is it one of those things that if you have to ask then......

I can say with absolute certainty it will definitely be less than a million dollars!

We're building cars and this is what we wanted for them, and we will sell all the parts we have developed to others as well. 

This setup will not be cheap.  I'd rather not speculate on price.  We will be offering at least two different shocks, one is a really high end piece other will be less expensive.  Same for brakes, we will have multiple options.  Stock brakes will not work on the front. 

So there will be a couple of price points on the setup. 

John Buscema
XV Motorsports
www.xvmotorsports.com

[dqhemi]

Will this be availble for the 71-74 Chargers too?

I don't know how much different the 71-74 B body is from 68-70 (or 67 and earlier vs. 68-70)

Are the K-members interchangeable?  We haven't looked at these cars enough to know yet. 

If the our K member fits both platforms we'll do it.  Otherwise, its unlikely. 

John Buscema
XV Motorsports
www.xvmotorsports.com

[Charger74]

Will this be availble for the 71-74 Chargers too?

I don't know how much different the 71-74 B body is from 68-70 (or 67 and earlier vs. 68-70)

Are the K-members interchangeable?  We haven't looked at these cars enough to know yet. 

If the our K member fits both platforms we'll do it.  Otherwise, its unlikely. 

John Buscema
XV Motorsports
www.xvmotorsports.com

No, the front suspensions for 72-74 were totally different from 2nd gens.  I know, I have asked many different companies about this and have looked myself at the differences.   '72 and up attach differently, they use  four hockey puck sized mounts.   Sigh, it's very hard to get modern stuff like this for these cars, since they are the less popular.

[dqhemi]

No, the front suspensions for 72-74 were totally different from 2nd gens.  I know, I have asked many different companies about this and have looked myself at the differences.   '72 and up attach differently, they use  four hockey puck sized mounts.   Sigh, it's very hard to get modern stuff like this for these cars, since they are the less popular.

Any chance you could email me a picture of what that looks like?  I haven't crawled under one of these.  Is 71 like the 68-70 and then they changed it in 72?

If the frame rails are the same, the Level II may fit.  If the K is different, Level I likely won't work.

If you're able to, email me a picture through our website, I'm curious to see how this differs.

John Buscema
XV Motorsports
www.xvmotorsports.com

[Daytona R/T SE]

The 71 and 72 B-body front suspension and K-member is the same as the E-body set-up. Starting with the '73 model year the B bodies went with that weird rubber isolated K member.

[Vainglory, Esq.]

Very nice.  Keep us posted.

[Charger74]

I don't have one but will see is I can find a decent pic for you.  I do believe Daytona is correct, definety 73 and up changed to the weird isolated k-member.  I think even the mounts are located differently.



Found one on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Dodge-Charger-318-V-8-K-Member-73_W0QQitemZ8057345090QQcategoryZ6763QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting


Hope this gives you an idea what the difference is....

[SuBLimE 69]

Oh...Daddy likey.........