67 Dart Build Triangulated 4 link & Mini Tub

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Yeah those were what I was looking at But I need a heavy rate spring because I cant take a chance of my tires hitting my tubs. The 20's are huge in the wheel well.

Bad idea on the spring. If you need to keep the tires off the tubs, make a limiter/bumper like the factory uses.

A stiff spring will only make it ride like a cement truck. Might as well put a solid rod in there.

Pinion centerline on Mopars is offset to the pass side by 1 5/16" IIRC. If you cut the rear and centered the pinion in the housing, you have a some work to do. 8.75 rears are same length axle tubes, pinion offset is taken up by the center section.
 
when I pulled the housing back out to finish weld the mounting tabs I noticed the offset so I measured the rails from the centerline of the car and sure enough the drivers side rail is inboard 1.5 inches from the rocker.

That is weird because the frame rails line all the way down the car and your wheel wells after the mini tub would measure different then? Like 15" on 1 side and 13.5 on the other for example.

I looked at your thread to your build and there are a few differences I noticed. Your lower mounting brackets for the links are about 2" shorter than mine closer to the housing. Your upper shock tower looks to be in a different spot and those tabs for the upper links on that bar are not pointed down, they are pointed back. So in a nut shell your pinion angle will probably not end up like mine did because everything is in a different location. I also noticed that your upper link bars are on probably twice the angle that mine are on. Make sure that your bushings are at the same angle on each link or they will bind when your suspension travels.......just a heads up is all.

Yes those 20's are HUGE!
 
I didn't cut the rear end down I left it uncut and I'm not using a 8.75 I'm using a 9.25 out of a 1979 Ramcharger it was 65" flange to flange. I measured my flange points in relation to the axle in the car and the relationship of the wheel to the quarters and inner fenders. dropped a plumb bob and marked the floor But I made sure before I cut a thing that the flanges would end up where trhey needed to be and that my Pinion was where is needed to be. (been doing this stuff for 13+ years) NI just noticed that my lower arms are at different locations and thats based off of the frame rails being offset in the car for some starnge reason.
 
That is weird because the frame rails line all the way down the car and your wheel wells after the mini tub would measure different then? Like 15" on 1 side and 13.5 on the other.

I looked at your thread to your build and there are a few differences I noticed. Your lower mounting brackets for the links are about 2" shorter than mine closer to the housing. Your upper shock tower looks to be in a different spot and those tabs for the upper links on that bar are not pointed down, they are pointed back. So in a nut shell your pinion angle will probably not end up like mine did because everything is in a different location. I also noticed that your upper link bars are on probably twice the angle that mine are on. Make sure that your bushings are at the same angle on each link or they will bind when your suspension travels.......just a heads up is all.

Yes those 20's are HUGE!
Been up and down with the rear end 100 times since sunday and there is no binding anywhere even if I raise one side and not the other. The reason I went back with the forward mounts is to get the rear end up in the chassis as high as possible without having my upper arms pulling forward at all. I angled the uppers at about 30* to the center to give as much lateral support as possible on cornering. I had an engineer working with me the whole time and he was the one to suggest the angle on the uppers(he wantd 45* but I swayed him from that).
 
That is weird because the frame rails line all the way down the car and your wheel wells after the mini tub would measure different then? Like 15" on 1 side and 13.5 on the other.

I looked at your thread to your build and there are a few differences I noticed. Your lower mounting brackets for the links are about 2" shorter than mine closer to the housing. Your upper shock tower looks to be in a different spot and those tabs for the upper links on that bar are not pointed down, they are pointed back. So in a nut shell your pinion angle will probably not end up like mine did because everything is in a different location. I also noticed that your upper link bars are on probably twice the angle that mine are on. Make sure that your bushings are at the same angle on each link or they will bind when your suspension travels.......just a heads up is all.

Yes those 20's are HUGE!
If you look at my tubs there was a differance in those as well I had to take 1.5 inches out of one side and 2 out of the other to get the tubs to be the same size(damn 70's quality control) My rails line up until they start to turn up in the chassis thats when the offset starts. But I muasured the leaf spring mounts to the rocker and they were even but the frame rail to rocker is offset. So they had the leaf spring mounts in the car centered properly But not the frame rails.
 
Not sure I get what the issue is then.

I'm thinking this is like a Dana 60 deal where the drivers tube is 1 3/8 longer than pass side to get the pinion located properly. If you have the pinion in the correct location, the tubes may very well be different lengths.

Huge tolerances in these cars too. Not surprised by the measurements.
 
But yeah I have a 15.5 inch opening on both tubs But one frame rail was 1.5 inches and the other was 2 inches away
 
Not sure I get what the issue is then.

I'm thinking this is like a Dana 60 deal where the drivers tube is 1 3/8 longer than pass side to get the pinion located properly. If you have the pinion in the correct location, the tubes may very well be different lengths.
No it's not tube length that was my issue it was my lower mounts from one side to the other. say for the sake of arguement I had my housing finished today (I don't but lets say I do) My lower mount on the drivers side is fictionally speaking 2.5 inches from the housing end and my passenger side is 1 inch from the housing end.(exactly no but about 1 to 1.5 inches Don't have the housing in front of me right now to say exactly)But everything else in the car lines up perfectly the arms are parallel to each other and to the frame rails and the rear end is perfectly centered throughout the travel.
 
and yes the axle tube were almost 4" different lengths from the factory on this rear end before I cut it.
 
I took all my measurements off of pinion centerline.

Ok that is where I missed it. Like Crackedback was saying also the pinion is OFFCENTER on Mopars.

You are using a Dana so I believe the tubes are different lengths and not taken up in the 3rd member............If I remember correctly.
 
the other reason I wanted the pinion angle to change is so that I can run the tires close to the front of the opening and it would pull back a bit when the tire came up thus keeping my tire from rubbing the quarter.
 
A quick question, does it matter if the upper links are angled in towards the center of the axle from the frame rails or the oppisite. set up with the wide point at the axle angled in to the center of the span?
andrew
 
A quick question, does it matter if the upper links are angled in towards the center of the axle from the frame rails or the oppisite. set up with the wide point at the axle angled in to the center of the span?
andrew

I have seen it done both ways.
 
A quick question, does it matter if the upper links are angled in towards the center of the axle from the frame rails or the oppisite. set up with the wide point at the axle angled in to the center of the span?
andrew

Yes and no.. you will have some differences in geometry but for the most part no. it doesn't matter.
 
Thanks guys,
I was thinking that having the wide part at the frame transfers the forces much more efficiently to the body. Rather than having to put a bending moment at the center of the tube from rail to rail. Either way it keeps the axle in place side to side.
If the parts are here by the weekend I will have some pics next week.
Andrew
 
Thanks guys,
I was thinking that having the wide part at the frame transfers the forces much more efficiently to the body. Rather than having to put a bending moment at the center of the tube from rail to rail. Either way it keeps the axle in place side to side.
If the parts are here by the weekend I will have some pics next week.
Andrew
Andrew I am building up the floor pan in this area with some 3/16th plate and tieing the cross bar to the floor and to the old pinion snubber support I will post those pictures when I pull the axle back out.Also having the bars go out would give you an even shorter bar to work with Plus unless the center section is made for it moutin gthe upper arms on the housing on a Dana rear end is a pita
 
Mad Dart , that is one amazing build you got there ! More than amazing . Wish I had 1/100th the skill you have . I hope to see that car in person one day .
Just amazing , wish they built cars 1/4 as nice as some of the cars on this site . Can't get off this site since joining , every page brings up something interesting

Good luck with the car , can't wait for final pics !
 
Cool long build thread Louis....you could have done this in Members Restorations also...your rear suspension is going to be awesome...but you still have alot to share about the rest of your car..start another one about the complete build of your car...It will be awesome also...Eric
 
Cool long build thread Louis....you could have done this in Members Restorations also...your rear suspension is going to be awesome...but you still have alot to share about the rest of your car..start another one about the complete build of your car...It will be awesome also...Eric

I will probably start another in member restoration once the cage is done and I move onto paint.
 
Dang 24 pages for the rear suspension and minitubs. I can't wait until you start your paint thread. LOL. Keep up the good work.
 
loving the work here mate,

between yours and james car you have just got the ball rolling for my 68, fathers day drags tomorrow then off the road for the mini tub job i think. Thanks for the enthusiasm guys i needed it.

Did ya ever think your work would convince a guy in little ole New Zealand to do his car??

God i love these build threads on the internet, couldnt read up on these things 15 years ago could we.
I really appreciate yout aking the time to document your work, it really makes life easier for the rest of us
 
Yup a great job. Louis you have inspired me to build a 4 link for my Dart!
 
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