rumblefish's Duster project
Over the weekend, I decided to clear the garage of some parts that the Duster is going to use. It's getting clutered in here and I'm starting to trip. :wack:
Since the Duster is getting a 318/904 combo, the 7-1/4 rear will more than likely fail with the added power parts on the engine. Ya, it may only generate 260 hp, but it's gotta be a clear 110+ hp more than the /6 it's replacing. While at it, the rear springs also needed to go. There tired springs with helpers bolted to the rear segment.
Be alert to this! The OE 7-1/4 springs, pearchs and U-bolts are narrower @ 2 inch rather than 2-1/2 width of all other MoPar springs. So you can not cheap out here, but you can get away with all new hardware inexpensively.
One tool that made this easy is a cut off wheel. I got mine at Sears. It wacks out the U-bolts in a few min.'s rather than twisting off the rusted bolts.
I went to Springs and things. AKA espo.com. I ordered A-body 340 springs, 1 inch higher than stock, shackles and bushings & new U bolts. I also had on hand new, unused shock plates. The plate that bolts under the spring to which the shock attachs. I got these from Just Suspension awhile back for something else. You'll need new shock plates because the OE ones are to narrow. I did cheap out on shocks though. :cwm10: I just painted what was there.
Heres a few more pictures. I'll need to take more. I had gotten real dirty real fast when I realized I didn't have the Kodak on hand. It wasn't to hard to do. Afternoon out, afternoon in. Though I still need to bleed the brakes. It's done otherwise.
The one thing I got a little burned by was the 7-1/4 rear mounted 5 X 4 wheels and the 8-1/4 has 5X 4-1/2. Lucky me that I had some donated car wheels around back. There a bit huge @ 225/75/15 and may very well not fit if it were not for a little rot. You judge.
Over the weekend, I decided to clear the garage of some parts that the Duster is going to use. It's getting clutered in here and I'm starting to trip. :wack:
Since the Duster is getting a 318/904 combo, the 7-1/4 rear will more than likely fail with the added power parts on the engine. Ya, it may only generate 260 hp, but it's gotta be a clear 110+ hp more than the /6 it's replacing. While at it, the rear springs also needed to go. There tired springs with helpers bolted to the rear segment.
Be alert to this! The OE 7-1/4 springs, pearchs and U-bolts are narrower @ 2 inch rather than 2-1/2 width of all other MoPar springs. So you can not cheap out here, but you can get away with all new hardware inexpensively.
One tool that made this easy is a cut off wheel. I got mine at Sears. It wacks out the U-bolts in a few min.'s rather than twisting off the rusted bolts.
I went to Springs and things. AKA espo.com. I ordered A-body 340 springs, 1 inch higher than stock, shackles and bushings & new U bolts. I also had on hand new, unused shock plates. The plate that bolts under the spring to which the shock attachs. I got these from Just Suspension awhile back for something else. You'll need new shock plates because the OE ones are to narrow. I did cheap out on shocks though. :cwm10: I just painted what was there.
Heres a few more pictures. I'll need to take more. I had gotten real dirty real fast when I realized I didn't have the Kodak on hand. It wasn't to hard to do. Afternoon out, afternoon in. Though I still need to bleed the brakes. It's done otherwise.
The one thing I got a little burned by was the 7-1/4 rear mounted 5 X 4 wheels and the 8-1/4 has 5X 4-1/2. Lucky me that I had some donated car wheels around back. There a bit huge @ 225/75/15 and may very well not fit if it were not for a little rot. You judge.