Suspension

[hollywood1336]

Can someone suggest a good complete suspension kit for the 68 Charger. I believe mine is all original equipment and fairly worn, it does take some effort to keep the car straight when I brake. I want to update the suspension completely front and back, including converting to disc brakes.

[Long Island RT]

Now that all depends....

Budget?
Performance expectations/driving habits?
Wheel and trie sizes?

[hollywood1336]

I want the best equipment but do have a budget, I wont cheap out though, if you can suggest a mid to high end kit that would be great. I want to car to be comfortable to drive but handle corners very well. Looking at 18 inch front and 20 inch rear wheels with about a 255/55-60 front and 295//55-60 in the rear. Again, I am open to suggestions from the experts. I would like the car to have a low look to it.

[Long Island RT]

A good place to start for all the front suspension upgrades would be Firm Feel.
http://www.firmfeel.com/
They are very knowledgeable on mopar suspensions and can custom match parts that fit your budget and performance needs.

XV motorsports is a bit more pricey but include kits that help stiffen up the chassis and front end - for even better handling.
http://www.xvmotorsports.com/products/
You could spend some serious dough with them.

Hotchkis also makes some highly recommended parts for our boats.

With that wheel size - your braking options will also depend on how much $ you want spend and how quickly you want to stop.
Basic build disc brake kits can be found for a few hundred dollars using all your stock spindles and lines.  You could further upgrade to Wilwood and Baer braking components.  They seemed to be favorites on this site.  You could stuff 14" rotors all around and a hydroboost setup and you'll stop that thing as fast any modern day muscle car.

You could easily spend days searching on this site for more information - And I highly recommend you do so before even loosening a lugnut.  The amount of information here is invaluable.  You'll learn from members experiences so many things the aftermarket companies won't tell you.

Read...read...read...  Then make your own decision.



Good luck

[Mr.Woolery]

Don't forget the Alterkation setup by Rielly Motorsports.  Good stuff there, too.

[hollywood1336]

What have you done to your car, what kind of money have you spent if you don't mind me asking. Do you have pictures of it. I'm building a 1939 Plymouth Coupe, have already put 6k into the Wilwood and TCI suspension. It has an early 392 hemi in it.

[Long Island RT]

I've spent about $2500 on my brakes and the same for my front suspension.  I did not use any original parts other than my spindles (which now I which I used 2" dropped).

Here's by build thread:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,53769.0.html

Don't go just by me - I built my car to my liking and available budget at the time.

[hollywood1336]

I will do my homework, was the $2500 for brakes front and back or just front.

Side question, my car has some minor rust in front of rear wheel and I think patch panels will do the job. When I weld in the patch panels do I weld all around the patch panel or just a bunch of spot welds. Should there be overlap between the panels or is it line on line. If only spot welds is sealant required and what type.

[Long Island RT]

I will do my homework, was the $2500 for brakes front and back or just front.

Side question, my car has some minor rust in front of rear wheel and I think patch panels will do the job. When I weld in the patch panels do I weld all around the patch panel or just a bunch of spot welds. Should there be overlap between the panels or is it line on line. If only spot welds is sealant required and what type.

$2500 for front and back.  Out back I used a more generic disc brake conversion kit - from Summit I think.

Oh Boy - RUST.

What you should do is see how extensive it is first.  If you're only seeing some "minor" rust through the paint - There's a good chance it's only the tip of the old iceberg.  How about behind the rear wheels?  And from the inside - the trunk extension panels that attach to the quarter?  Very common spots in these cars for rust.

As for the patch panel - the entire perimeter needs to be mig welded and there should be no metal overlap.  Inside should be sealed as best as possible with epoxy primer and then undercoating.  Outside gets either an epoxy primer or a metal etching to the bear metal.  You'll get plenty of opinions on that as well.

[hollywood1336]

I know, the guy that sold me the car said it was rust and accident free. He even had an appraiser (or so I thought) come over and send  me an appraisal for it. I wont mention  his name just yet as I haven't recieved the title, only had the car a week and a half. He's a dealer, the way the guy spoke I thought he was honest, silly me. His appraiser forgot to take his seeing eye dog with him when he did the appraisal. I've had a pretty good look so far and from what I can see the rust looks minor but you are right, until I dig in I wont have the complete story.

[HPP]

I want the best equipment but do have a budget, I wont cheap out though, if you can suggest a mid to high end kit that would be great. I want to car to be comfortable to drive but handle corners very well.

This is still a fairly wide open range.

At the low end would be an XV Level 1 kit, which utilizes all the stock mounting points and stock layout of t-bars and leafs that are rate matcehd to maximize handling without compromising comfort with other upgraded components such as bushings, shocks, and sway bars. Expect to spend around $2200. This does not include any chassis stiffening parts.

I'd also include Firm Feel in these level as you can pick and choose the parts you want to upgrade. All of their parts are designed to mount in stock locations and be original in appearence while providing a big step up in performance.

Lower mid- range would be the Hotchkis components which still utilize a similar to stock layout arrangment but correct some inherent geometry issues.  They do not offer rate matched t-bars, but do have leaf springs sets. This could run around $3000  and includes sub-frame connectors.

Upper mid-range would be Alterkation set ups. These would run around $6000+ depending on how you option out the sway bars, engine mounts and brake choices. The systems completely replace the original K frame and suspension set up and mounting points and replaces them all with coil overs utlilizing mustang 2 parts.

High end would be the XV level 2 kit that starts around $8000 and goes up depending on options you add. This system also replaces all the OEM parts with fabricated mounts and coil overs as well and utilizes corevette parts in select items.

It goes without saying that before adding any of these, you need to firm up the chassis with adequate bracing and reinforcement.

I'd also add that being comfortable to drive yet still handling good around corners could be accomplished as easily as $1300 worth of shocks, t-bars, bushings, and leaf springs with a good modern alignment.

So choices are still wide open.

[motorcitydak]

Ill strongly suggest you call up Hotchkis TVS for your car to take care of the suspension

[Mike DC]

I think many of the people doing major updates on the front ends of these cars would be just as happy (maybe happier) with less drastic work.  The stock front end was not crap.  But it was designed around the tires of the 1960s, and certain things also wear out after 40 years.  Cure those two issues and it becomes a pretty nice deal again. 

Give it all new rubber bushings (40yo rubber bushings don't tell you anything about how fresh rubber will feel), replace the steering box with a decent overhauled unit from the aftermarket guys, and give the front end geometry some added caster with offset bushings or aftermarket UCAs.  Do this stuff and the steering will tighten up & stop wandering like a motorboat.  But it still retains some bushing softness on bumps like you expect from a street passenger car.   




It's hard to argue against aftermarket swaybars and shocks for these cars though.  That stuff is all good even if you don't really wanna stiffen up the ride in any big way.

Same with a disc brake upgrade of some kind.  The stock 1960s front brake drums from the factory suck.  Even just swapping on the spindle & setup from a later 1970s or early 80s Mopar is a major help.     

[studio57]

i have thought few optional updates to my 572 Hemi Charger

-FFI powered steering box stage II or III + Fast Ratio Pitman Arms.
- Mancihin tubular lower arms
- Mancihi Dynamic Adjustable Strut Bars
- Mancihi Torsion Bars: MOPAR - .960" Diameter - "B" & "E" body
- Sway Bar, Front, Steel, Black Powdercoated, 1 1/8
- Sway Bar, Black, Steel, Rear, 7/8 in. Diameter,
- Hotchkis Sport Suspension Tubular A-Arms
- Hotchkis Sport Suspension Adjustable Steering Rod

i all ready have 1-leaf+caltracks on rear and shocks from there kit in all corners.
Hot rod magazine did a test that was bit similar update.
Result: 61.06 mph
Same as: '01 Honda Accord

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/chassis/hrdp...leaf_springs.html

or AlterKtion + caltracks or with Street-Lynx Rear Kits
or XV stage II+ caltracks or with B-Body Level II Suspension - Rear

any ideas witch would be the smartest one?


my car: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3837245

[bull]

If someone mentioned PST I missed it. PST has excellent prices and their kits are typically made up of quality, name brand stuff in either rubber or poly. As for T-bars I went with Firm Feel's .96 set and redid my stock LCAs with stiffening plates. The UCAs I left stock except for new rubber ball joints and bushings (PST) and I'll most likely be going stock with the front sway bar. I also upgraded to Firm Feel's stage 2 steering box and I got a pair of adjustable strut rods which I hear the alignment guys really appreciate. Not sure what I'm doing for shocks yet but I hear good things about Edelbrock.

Rubber: http://www.p-s-t.com/pc-1815-157-dodge-charger-1966-76.aspx
Poly: http://www.p-s-t.com/pc-1975-159-dodge-charger-1966-76.aspx

No advice from me on the rear end yet; haven't worked that far back yet. Brakes? There's probably a dozen options but I followed the disc-o-tech article using vintage Mopar stuff. http://www.moparaction.com/tech/archive/disc-main.html

[studio57]

I desisted to go the expensive way and bought XV front and rear kit, Thanks Scott/XV hopefully it arrives soon.
and suntech your tips did help me to make the final decision.

When i give my friends a ride I don't want them to say me that--- wow.. your protouring Charger handles extremely well just like my Mom`s 10year old Honda Accord 

[hollywood1336]

I was checking out the Hotchkis TVS system for my car for $3000. Will this kit work okay with a 318 (1968) car. I eventually have plans to change out the engine for something bigger and more powerful, so I want a kit I can install now and will also work then. Also, do they make lowered spindles for the 68 and who does it.

[Long Island RT]

I was checking out the Hotchkis TVS system for my car for $3000. Will this kit work okay with a 318 (1968) car. I eventually have plans to change out the engine for something bigger and more powerful, so I want a kit I can install now and will also work then. Also, do they make lowered spindles for the 68 and who does it.

http://www.magnumforce.com/store/detail.asp?ProductID=3939

Careful though - they are the bigger bearing so your stock stuff won't bolt up - but any aftermarket or post '73 should...

[motorcitydak]

Here is the list I have for my front suspension that I will have on my car some day

FF steering box
Hotchkis steering links, upper arms, strut bars, sway bar (every piece they offer for the front end of my car)
Tubular lower control arms from Mancini's
Tubular K member from Mancini's

That pretty much takes care of the suspension aspect, the brakes are another story. Im not yet set on what I want to do for that