Big Block Suspension Question

abodyjoe said

yea but a tie rod has more a clamp then just a jamb nut.. just one of those thing that i don't like on a street car.. prefer only one side being able to move.

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Not if you're running tubular tie rods...


Like I said, I kinda get it. But for me the utility of the adjustment far outweighs any concern about them coming loose. They'd have to loosen at both ends for the barrel to turn. And even then you still have the nut on the other side of the LCA. Not to mention if the length of the strut rod changed more than slightly it would start pushing or pulling against the LCA. Honestly the kind with the single through bolt at the LCA has more of a chance of coming loose, and if it does then the strut rod is totally free.

A drop of blue loctite and away you go

DC Dart said

Hotchkis is similar to PST except it attaches to the lower control arm like QA1 and OEM. I have been pondering the differences that have been mentioned.
QA1 adjustment would be way easier but the simplicity of one threaded end is nice. The bolt on the lower control arm end may get rid of dealing with the taper while adjusting?
I am actually running 225 60 15s on all four corners. Bought 10 + years ago. Last 15 inch wheels I will ever likely buy.
On kind of different note. I always felt Dusters where not proportional. Large rear area small front clip. A friend installed 17 or 18s on front similar to 72bluNblu. Looks awesome fixed that in my mind. So the adjustments of the aftermarket suspension components may be a plus when maximizing tire width up front. And the type of tires to play a big part in suspension set up I suppose.

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Yeah I much prefer the QA1 style. They are also harder to install though, you have to slide the LCA back just like the stock strut rods. With the kind that has the bolt you can leave the LCA's in place (which also highlights how important that bolt is in that style).

I totally agree with the Duster comment too. It's one of the reasons I converted my Duster over to a Demon clone, the Dart bodywork is about 2" longer. On the '70-72 Dusters it's not as bad, I think with the '73+ dusters the bulge in the hood exaggerates the snub nose look.





You can see the difference in length here, Dart hood with Duster fenders...


And yeah, tires are everything. The more tire you run the more suspension loads you get with cornering, the more the suspension has to change to keep up with the tires. Especially when you go to 17/18" wheels. Not only can you fit a lot more tire up front, but the tire compounds available compared to what you have for a 15" wheel is night and day.