72 Duster Resurrection

[Duster Captain]

My shop is a pole barn. Cheapest way to build one if your city allows it. Poles are 4" square tube 3' deep cemented in. Then welded the framework to them and sheetmetaled it. I used the sheetmetal walls as a permanent concrete form, and only framed out for the roll up door, and people door.

Where the framerails go from angled down to flat, just a bit behind where your jack is at. Is good.

At the rear set them just fwd of the leafspring front eye on the flat of the rear framerail.

Your pic w the tape measure looks like 4.50" to me. So you prob already have a big bolt pattern rear axle. Try to bolt your small pattern front wheels on it. I bet they dont go. Another easy way to tell is try swapping the lug nuts. Small bolt pattern is 7/16" large bolt pattern is 1/2" your front lugs wont fit the rear, and the rear lugs will be swimming on the front studs.

Thats another good reason your doing the BBP disc swap. If the rear is already BBP, and front is SBP you gotta carry 2 different spares or you got a 50% chance of being screwed if you get a flat.

As i said, even the 7.25 could come as a BBP axle. The tube diameter and cover shape will determine if its a 7.25 or an 8.25. I will try to find and post a cover identification chart for you. I bet with your way of measuring, and getting 2.60" thats close enough to 2.50 that its prob a 7.25 rear. You can also measure the width of the U bolts at the spring plates. If its under 3" you have a 7.25" and still thats not bad. The brakes from the backing plate out from that will swap to an 8.25, and 8.75. So even if you redo the rear drums, you can move them to the better rear later, and you can get your wheels squared away where you only need 1 spare.

As said earlier if its an 8.25" its a keeper. Gears, and sure grips out of dakotas, and jeep grand cherokees with the 8.25 will fit. The jeep with a sure grip being way easier to find as it made it better for offroad, and with 3.55, 3.73, 3.90, and 4.10 ratios.

Yeah a real shop is on my wish list. I've already called around to builders. A pole barn is indeed the way to go but I am close to the city, so I would have to get them to ok it, pay for permits, etc before they will see fit to allow me to actually do anything......one day though...

Good idea on the lug nut swap to check bolt patterns. A lug from my original SBP front tires will indeed not fit on the studs of the existing back tires, so I guess I have BBP back wheels already so thats great news.

I plan on redoing the back disk brakes and like you said, maybe upgrade the rear end later if I do indeed have the 7-1/4".

Searching for rear end id chart I found this:

So with this pic and my 2.5"(?) tubes, looks like its a 7-1/4"? But see below about the u bolt width.

You can also measure the width of the U bolts at the spring plates. If its under 3" you have a 7.25" and still thats not bad.

Looks like the u bolt width is over 3, so it could be a 8-1/4"?.....
hmm

 

[Duster Captain]

I have worked in dirt and jack stands sitting on a 2 x 8 too many times. I have a color bone that is noticeable out of "whack". don't ask HOW!!!! hint....and ( one time I can't blame a horse for my misfortune) ......please get a sheet of 5/8 or thicker plywood to work off and BE sure to chock the rear wheels so it can't go forward or backwards!!!! just be safe.

Ouch. I will keep that in mind.

I have the jackstands on something like 3/4" solid oak boards and have bricks chocking the rear tires. Its not ideal, but safe enough to work on.

 

[moparmat2000]

Measure front to back, not side to side on U bolts. No need the chart confirms it.

 

[moparmat2000]

Is your head swelling up with all the knowledge your getting here on fabo. Can we start calling you "cabeza grande" yet?

 

[Duster Captain]

Is your head swelling up with all the knowledge your getting here on fabo. Can we start calling you "cabeza grande" yet?

Definitely like drinking from a fire hose!

Im doing my best to remember everything, but the info is all good, keep it coming!

Measure front to back, not side to side on U bolts. No need the chart confirms it.

Ok.....bummer. So my eventual 300hp-ish v8 upgrade will need and entire new rear end if I expect it to survive? I only want to drive on the street with occasional abuse..

A keen eye will find another car under tarp in the edges of some previous pics. Its a 71 dart (really jumped into the mopar world with both feet here..) The dart is a project for another day, but it does have a factory 318 v8 and I hoped I could steal the 8-3/4" rear end off it but...

This is the rear end on the dart.

And the tubes were also 2.5"-ish diameter...

So its another 7-1/4".....Were the stock 318 V8's weak enough to not break the 7-1/4" rear? I think this is all from the factory.

But I dont want to derail my main project here, the Duster. So I should just start looking for a 8 3/4 rear end I guess. (local, fabo market, etc..)

 

[moparmat2000]

Yep stock 2bbl 318 was not a hot rod in the U.S. in brazil it was they offered in in their brazilian made dodge charger R/T with a hot cam, 4 barrel carb and dual exhaust. It was basically a dart with an extended roofline (mexicana) , special grilles, a 340 dart hood, brazillian spec parts including magnum 500 styled wheels it was a badass car. Very sought after today.

 

[moparmat2000]

Rear number 1
You can look for an 8.75, or 8&3/4 but you will spend a lot of coin. I didnt have one, and at the time i was collecting parts to build one, i didnt know about the alternatives. When the smoke cleared between swapping and trading i am into an 8.75 with new BBP axles rebuilt 10x2.5" finned drum brakes, new 3.73 gears, new bearings, new locker center section, new weld on axle perches for $1,200 and today thats actually a deal. If you can find one thats for an A body complete drum to drum for $500-600 needing rebuilt, thats a pretty good price these days. Bring a tape measure, and know where to measure and know your dimensions so somebody doesnt tell you its an A body, but it ends up being a B or C body.

A body 8.75 rears are also small bolt pattern, so you will need to either redrill the axles, find C body axles that arent necked down and have em cut and resplined, or buy dr diff axles for A body, new in BBP, with new bearings for $300. Your rebuild BBP brakes on your 7.25 will however move right over to an 8.75. I know i used mine off the 7.25 off the 74 dart parts car i had, and installed em on my 8.75. Any way you slice it, you will be out some money on one of these. The plus side is they are very strong like a 9 inch ford is.

Rear number 2
8.25 or 8&1/4 . This is the one i shoulda looked for several years ago. Already BBP its mopar to the core and in an A body, its the correct width and a direct bolt in. Your 7.25 BBP rear brakes will swap to this axle too. Typically $200-$300 for one complete drum to drum is normal. You can get gears and a sure grip out of jeep grand cherokees at your pick n pull yards. Should be a tag on the rear end of those vehicles attached to the diff cover with gear ratio, and if its a sure grip or not. Add in used gears, a suregrip, and somebody to install and set it up you might be out the door $600

Rear number 3
My new fav. Ford explorer sport trac (the pickup truck explorer) 8.8 theres a few issues with these but the plusses outweigh the minuses. First the plusses. Its newer, the 8.8 has a bunch of gear ratios available for it. Its extremely durable. They are all over the junkyards at this point, they have the same BBP as a mopar, bonus it has disc brakes on it for that sexy 4 wheel disc brake setup everybody wants, it comes with 3.73 gears , it comes with a locking diff, and they can be had for about $200.

The minuses are you need a bastard u joint to attach the chrysler driveshaft to the ford rear end yoke (minor annoyance) pumpkin isnt centered longer on drivers side, and wider overall to A body rear by 3" . The fix is to buy a second passenger side axle and cut and shorten the drivers side axle tube 3" and jig weld the tube back together making sure it stays square, and use extra passenger side axle on the drivers side. This centers the pumpkin, and makes it the correct width for a A body. Axle tube diameter is 3.50" this requires you to use explorer u bolts, and either slot your shock mount plates, or buy new ones from speedway motors or other stockcar parts places. You will also have to cut off the explorer spring perches, grind the tube smooth, and use new spring perches for 3.50" diameter axle tube about $25 for the pair. These need to be located for A body width, center, and pinion angle before welding in. The reason this is my new fav even with the fabrication work needed to install it is this. If you do most of the work yourself, and get a sport trak axle its got all the goodies and disc brakes to boot, you can buy and install it for about $300-$400

 

[Duster Captain]

Rear number 1
You can look for an 8.75, or 8&3/4 but you will spend a lot of coin. I didnt have one, and at the time i was collecting parts to build one, i didnt know about the alternatives. When the smoke cleared between swapping and trading i am into an 8.75 with new BBP axles rebuilt 10x2.5" finned drum brakes, new 3.73 gears, new bearings, new locker center section, new weld on axle perches for $1,200 and today thats actually a deal. If you can find one thats for an A body complete drum to drum for $500-600 needing rebuilt, thats a pretty good price these days. Bring a tape measure, and know where to measure and know your dimensions so somebody doesnt tell you its an A body, but it ends up being a B or C body.

A body 8.75 rears are also small bolt pattern, so you will need to either redrill the axles, find C body axles that arent necked down and have em cut and resplined, or buy dr diff axles for A body, new in BBP, with new bearings for $300. Your rebuild BBP brakes on your 7.25 will however move right over to an 8.75. I know i used mine off the 7.25 off the 74 dart parts car i had, and installed em on my 8.75. Any way you slice it, you will be out some money on one of these. The plus side is they are very strong like a 9 inch ford is.

Rear number 2
8.25 or 8&1/4 . This is the one i shoulda looked for several years ago. Already BBP its mopar to the core and in an A body, its the correct width and a direct bolt in. Your 7.25 BBP rear brakes will swap to this axle too. Typically $200-$300 for one complete drum to drum is normal. You can get gears and a sure grip out of jeep grand cherokees at your pick n pull yards. Should be a tag on the rear end of those vehicles attached to the diff cover with gear ratio, and if its a sure grip or not. Add in used gears, a suregrip, and somebody to install and set it up you might be out the door $600

Rear number 3
My new fav. Ford explorer sport trac (the pickup truck explorer) 8.8 theres a few issues with these but the plusses outweigh the minuses. First the plusses. Its newer, the 8.8 has a bunch of gear ratios available for it. Its extremely durable. They are all over the junkyards at this point, they have the same BBP as a mopar, bonus it has disc brakes on it for that sexy 4 wheel disc brake setup everybody wants, it comes with 3.73 gears , it comes with a locking diff, and they can be had for about $200.

The minuses are you need a bastard u joint to attach the chrysler driveshaft to the ford rear end yoke (minor annoyance) pumpkin isnt centered longer on drivers side, and wider overall to A body rear by 3" . The fix is to buy a second passenger side axle and cut and shorten the drivers side axle tube 3" and jig weld the tube back together making sure it stays square, and use extra passenger side axle on the drivers side. This centers the pumpkin, and makes it the correct width for a A body. Axle tube diameter is 3.50" this requires you to use explorer u bolts, and either slot your shock mount plates, or buy new ones from speedway motors or other stockcar parts places. You will also have to cut off the explorer spring perches, grind the tube smooth, and use new spring perches for 3.50" diameter axle tube about $25 for the pair. These need to be located for A body width, center, and pinion angle before welding in. The reason this is my new fav even with the fabrication work needed to install it is this. If you do most of the work yourself, and get a sport trak axle its got all the goodies and disc brakes to boot, you can buy and install it for about $300-$400

Great write up, thanks! A nicely typed list of high strength rear end options list this for a bodies would probably be good material for a sticky thread or the FAQ area...

Im still taking in all the info here, but you make a good case for the explorer rear. I'm not a stickler for everything being mopar, I just want it bulletproof and low cost. Im also not afraid of a little custom cutting and welding. Doing a quick search shows lots of complete rear ends online for the sub $400 range. Will probably be cheaper at a local pick a part if I do the work. Disk brakes all around sounds good to me!

At this point my plan is still to get the car cruising with its slant 6, but I also want to start gathering parts for the v8 swap, so this is a big piece of that.

 

[moparmat2000]

Theres an 8.8 thread on here, use the search function to find it. It tells you all you need to know.. i have my 8.75 now for the 67, so the moneys spent, however i am looking for a xploder sport trak 8.8 for the 69 notchback. I did find the only one at my local 10 acre yard, when i looked it was still under the truck price complete was $300 cash. Not bad i think , but in yellow grease pencil it said 4.10 ratio on both rear fenders. Unless you have a good deep overdrive, the 4.10s are awful on the street. I have 3.73s going in my cuda. With the tore diameter i am going to use , and an A833 O/D 4 speed box i will be about 2,500 rpm at 75 mph. Thats doable to keep up with traffic, and keep the rpms comfortable for the engine.

I want 3.73s in the 69 because i will be backing that with probably a mopar A518 out of an early 90s truck Its basically an A727 with a control solenoid. This can be wired to ign hot and a toggle switch. It basically puts it in overdrive and drops 200-300 RPM when energized. Around town you leave it shut off and the trans acts like a normal 3 speed A727. On the highway at about 55mph engage the solenoid with your switch, and theres your overdrive. This way it will get ok mileage and be snappy with the gears, and on the highway, its got an overdrive. Plus the A518 is a variant of the A727, so it fits an A body trans tunnel if only tightly. .

 

[Duster Captain]

Theres an 8.8 thread on here, use the search function to find it. It tells you all you need to know.. i have my 8.75 now for the 67, so the moneys spent, however i am looking for a xploder sport trak 8.8 for the 69 notchback. I did find the only one at my local 10 acre yard, when i looked it was still under the truck price complete was $300 cash. Not bad i think , but in yellow grease pencil it said 4.10 ratio on both rear fenders. Unless you have a good deep overdrive, the 4.10s are awful on the street. I have 3.73s going in my cuda. With the tore diameter i am going to use , and an A833 O/D 4 speed box i will be about 2,500 rpm at 75 mph. Thats doable to keep up with traffic, and keep the rpms comfortable for the engine.

I want 3.73s in the 69 because i will be backing that with probably a mopar A518 out of an early 90s truck Its basically an A727 with a TCCS torque converter control solenoid. This can be wired to ign hot and a toggle switch. It basically puts the torque converter in full lockup and drops 200 RPM when energised. Around town you leave it shut off and the trans acts like a normal 3 speed A727. On the highway at about 55mph engage the TCCS with your switch, and theres your overdrive. This way it will get ok mileage and be snappy with the gears, and on the highway, its got an overdrive. Plus the A518 is a variant of the A727, so it fits an A body trans tunnel if only tightly. .

Interesting.....at the risk of derailing my top priority of doing the brake upgrade, for transmission on the eventual v8 I was thinking of stealing the auto trans from the 71 Dart. I believe it is a 904. It is on the back on a 318 v8 now, so it should fit on the 318 I plan on putting in the duster. Any thoughts? Just planning for now....

Ok so back to my top priority, brakes.

The plan:

-upgrade front brakes to disk brakes I got from a 74 duster

-break down, inspect, and rebuild back drums for now

So, questions:

You will need the A body disc brake hoses from 74 to 76, disc brake proportioning valve for A body from 74 to 76, and the manual brake A body disc brake master cylinder from 74 to 76, and ten 1/2" RH lug nuts since the pic shows there arent any.

Proportioning valve
Is this supposed to be an expensive thing? I see them for over $70 around the net (summit, amazon,...) and can not find them on rock auto...got a better source?

Brake Hoses
Lots on rock auto but it looks like there is some variety in the end connections. Some have brass blocks on the ends, some just have threads. Thoughts? Also, thoughts on a decent brand?

Master Cylinder
Seems simple, do you have a preference for a brand on these?

Also i mentioned the upper and lower ball joints and upper control arm bushings only because if your that far in you might as well replace them while your at it. Avoid at all costs the evilbay complete front end kits for $80. You get what you pay for with those. I hear moog is no good anymore too since they are made in china too. Theres 2 online places that package and sell complete front end kits with high quality parts. PST (performance suspension technology) and just suspensions.

Since your putting 74 disc brakes on a 72, you will need to talk with them directly to get all the correct parts in your kit. For example

You decide to use your small joint upper arms with the adaptor sleeves, and put the 74 up disc brakes on, you will need the 1972 kit, with 1974 disc brake lower ball joints.

If you decide to use the large joint upper arms with the 74 up disc brakes on your 72, you will need the 1972 kit with 1974 large flat rate box upper ball joints and 1974 disc brake lower ball joints.

I agree with staying away from ebay for quality and because I am doing a hybrid (late model disk on front, original drum on back). I will contact those two companies and see what they can put together for me. I may post that before pulling the trigger just to have some more eyes on it. I'd rather not get the ball joints and stuff sent here and be the wrong ones.

 

[moparmat2000]

If you pull the A904 from the dart, that will work on your 318. Trans mount is same as your 6. Not sure if driveshaft slipyoke is the same on the slant 6 A904.

You will need adaptor mounts to run the 318 in place of the slant 6. A slant 6 K frame has different mount on the passenger side if its a 67-72 k frame. Schumacher makes a slant 6 to 318 set of adaptor mounts. This way you can drop the teener in place of the slanty and not have to swap out the slanty K frame. I wish they had those way back when. I passed on a lot of cherry A bodies because they had a leaning tower of power in them.

When you put that trans in it has a metal rod linkage that goes up to the carb called a kickdown or passing gear linkage. Make sure you hook it up. If not you will quickly burn the trans out. If you end up putting a non stock height intake, and 4 barrel carb, summit racing makes a nice cable actuated kickdown setup, and because its cable actuated it can be routed to prevent pinching, or clearsnce problems with the stock kickdown rods. its unaffected by a change in carb height or width, or transmission girth if you stuck a big 727 in there. Then round up all the stock pieces from carb to trans including the crank arm and its pivot pin on the bellhousing side, and sell it as one setup complete.

Another thing with the trans swap is to take the inspection shield off the front bottom of the V8 trans before removal from the car, then with a hammer and a punch, put a punch mark on the transmission flexplate next to one of the 4 bolts that holds it to the torque converter, then put a punchmark on the torque converter next to that same bolt. These are your line up marks. The flexplates and torque converters are drilled with offset holes, and the converter will line up with the flexplate only one way. When you get it all swapped over to the V8 going in the duster,, and the transmission is attached, then you will have to bolt up the torque converter. Before reattaching the torque converter bolts to the flex plate, manually bump the engine over until the punchmark on the flexplate is accessable from underneath, then by hand turn the torque converter until its punch mark lines up. Install the first bolt hand tight, then rotate the engine by hand and attach the other 3, after that tighten all 4 of them.

FYI, the easy way to manually turn the engine for this is a large 1&1/4" socket on the center crank bolt, and remove all 8 spark plugs.

Brake hoses you need to look up for a 1974 to 76. This will eliminate the hoses for front drum brakes which i think ended in 1973. If it doesnt then look em up for 1975 -76 by then front drums were not offered.

I have used parts by A1 cardone, raybestos, centric, but dont recognise the rest.

 

[moparmat2000]

Before you go and buy a master cylinder, or remanned calipers i'm gonna give you some more info. This pertains to fluid dynamics. Some folks think bigger bore master cylinder equals a harder grabbing brake. Its actually opposite. It will result in a firmer pedal, but you will have to push harder for the same result at the wheels.

Now if you enlarge the pistons at the caliper end, the pedal gets softer because the fluid spreads out over a larger piston surface, however that surface has more area for the fluid to push against than a smaller caliper piston. So what you end up with is a softer pedal, but a firmer tighter grab at the wheels.

If your going to redo the front disc brakes, i am assuming you are going to buy remanned calipers, the ones for your A body brake setup use calipers with a 2.60" diameter piston. In rock auto you can buy M body calipers that will fit right on your A body disc brakes and use the same A body pads and A body brake lines. These use a 2.75" caliper piston. So your pedal will be softer, but will grip tighter at the wheels.

At this point you can still either use a stock pick manual disc/drum master cylinder or an M body master cylinder with plastic reservoir from rock auto on closeout new for $12.29. Look up 1984 diplomat. Bore size is 1&1/32" i believe a manual disc / drum master setup for an A body is the same piston dimensions but is cast iron and uber expensive, but i guess with the $38 adaptor needed to run the late model M body master it all works out to be about the same.

 

[Duster Captain]

Lots of great info here, thanks, you should just write a book on this stuff.

I am reading through it and looking up parts.

I will post my shopping list and you can tell me if anything looks wrong.

 

[moparmat2000]

Not the book writing type. The info is out there. I been messing w cars, mostly mopars since i was 15. I'm 48 now, so that makes me aincent history. Post your parts picks and i will check em out.

 

[Duster Captain]

Still gathering up my parts list. Couple of questions.

The lower control arms are the same part from 1962 to 1976. Only difference is some have tabs welded on them for swaybars. The ones on your car will work for this swap.

Should I think about adding a sway bar because my LCAs have the mounting tabs? Is there going to be a significant difference in handling? I assume adding one makes my front end rebuild more expensive because I would need to buy the sway bar, bushings, etc. Im thinking towards the V8 future here...

When I call in to ask about a front end rebuild kit, is this the correct way to describe my setup:

-factory 1974 front disk brakes
-1972 a body
-no sway bar (maybe?)


Also, it finally dawned on me that no one sells lower ball joints by themselves. Is that because they are built into this thing:

So you have to buy these to replace LBJs? Is that just a fact of mopar life?

Thanks!

 

[moparmat2000]

Yep tell em 1972 A body
1974 upper and lower ball joints if your using those BBJ upper arms.

Kits come with idler and pitman arms too. They will ask if power or manual steering. It does make a difference. Spline count and shaft diameter on steering boxes are different from power to manual.

Yes the lower ball joints are also the steering arm. Its a mopar fact of life.

Sway bar, its up to you, but it will help with handling greatly, even more once you add 200 lbs of V8 into the front of the car. If your lower arms are tabbed for a swaybar that helps a lot. The swaybar kits include bolt on/weld in place tabs just in case your arms are not equipped.

Also is your duster a factory A/C car? If it is, it will or should have heavier duty torsion bars. Typically i believe mopar put 318 bars in slantys with factory A/C, and thicker 340 bars in 318 cars with factory A/C

Torsion bars are essentially a twisted steel forging for the spring tension. When you remove them to do the front end, the best thing is to slide them back and leave them in the trans crossmember until reassembly, however if you remove them to paint them up remember not to swap sides. Each bar is vehicle side specific because of its internal twist for it to be a spring.

If you swap them left to right, right to left, the internal effect on the bar is to untwist it. They will break. The part number is stamped on the back hex end of each bar. Along with an L or R denoting which side it belongs on. Also make sure not to put nicks or gouges in them since it will become a stress point that will weaken the bar to failure.

There is a tool to remove the bars, but there is a different way to remove them if pulling the front end apart for rebuild that only requires a 2x4 wood block and a mini sledge once you dissassemble certain things..

First thing you do after the car is jacked, under stands, and chocked w parking brake set, you take the tension off the torsion bars by backing out the adjusters in the lower arms, remove the upper control arms, and old drum brake assemblies, what will be left is the lower control arm, the strut rod going into the K frame, and the torsion bar.

You remove the snap rings the hold the torsion bars in at the back of the trans crossmember, unbolt the strut rods at the K frame, and where the rods bolt to the lower control arms. With the strut rods loosened and disconnected, and the torsion bar snap rings removed at the crossmember, undo and remove the 2 nuts in the K frame that hold the lower control arms in place. Place the wood 2x4 against the front side of the lower control arm, and smack it back towards the rear of the car with the mini sledge. This will push the arm out along with the torsion bar. No torsion bar removal tool needed.

 

[Duster Captain]

Yep tell em 1972 A body
1974 upper and lower ball joints if your using those BBJ upper arms.

Ok I will report back with their recommendations. Gonna try PST first.

Kits come with idler and pitman arms too. They will ask if power or manual steering. It does make a difference. Spline count and shaft diameter on steering boxes are different from power to manual.

Manual steering on the duster. I'll keep that in mind.

Yes the lower ball joints are also the steering arm. Its a mopar fact of life.

Thats what I figured, good to know

Sway bar, its up to you, but it will help with handling greatly, even more once you add 200 lbs of V8 into the front of the car. If your lower arms are tabbed for a swaybar that helps a lot. The swaybar kits include bolt on/weld in place tabs just in case your arms are not equipped.

Hmm, I think I will hold off for now, use the LCAs with the tabs during my rebuild, and possibly add a sway bar using a kit when I go V8. No reason I cant add a sway bar later right? Does not look like I will need to disassemble the front end to add one.

Also is your duster a factory A/C car? If it is, it will or should have heavier duty torsion bars. Typically i believe mopar put 318 bars in slantys with factory A/C, and thicker 340 bars in 318 cars with factory A/C

I have factory AC. Its a huge, hardcore looking compressor that will eventually need attention and probably replacement.

If you swap them left to right, right to left, the internal effect on the bar is to untwist it. They will break. The part number is stamped on the back hex end of each bar. Along with an L or R denoting which side it belongs on. Also make sure not to put nicks or gouges in them since it will become a stress point that will weaken the bar to failure.

There is a tool to remove the bars, but there is a different way to remove them if pulling the front end apart for rebuild that only requires a 2x4 wood block and a mini sledge once you dissassemble certain things..

First thing you do after the car is jacked, under stands, and chocked w parking brake set, you take the tension off the torsion bars by backing out the adjusters in the lower arms, remove the upper control arms, and old drum brake assemblies, what will be left is the lower control arm, the strut rod going into the K frame, and the torsion bar.

You remove the snap rings the hold the torsion bars in at the back of the trans crossmember, unbolt the strut rods at the K frame, and where the rods bolt to the lower control arms. With the strut rods loosened and disconnected, and the torsion bar snap rings removed at the crossmember, undo and remove the 2 nuts in the K frame that hold the lower control arms in place. Place the wood 2x4 against the front side of the lower control arm, and smack it back towards the rear of the car with the mini sledge. This will push the arm out along with the torsion bar. No torsion bar removal tool needed.

Great info, thanks. Its all going in the mental file for when I get to that point. I will probably just disconnect them and leave them in the car while I work.

Finally, what are your thoughts on replacing the shocks while I'm down there? Just do it? Would I need 72 or 74 shocks? Brand recommendation?

 

[moparmat2000]

Manual steering will help to keep the swap easier. You may want to concider selling all the slant 6 A/C stuff from the firewall out, since it cannot be used on a V8 car anyways. I think the only part thats rhe same is the dryer, and the condensor in front of the radiator., Does you dart V8 have A/C ? If so, swap that in, or i think theres companies where you can buy all new from firewall out including a modern sanden radial compressor. Your going to have to pull it to do the V8 swap i am assuming you have a regular car to drive with working A/C? My 67 didnt come with A/C i will not be adding it. Also concider selling the slant and transmission too. It will all help fund your project. The sway bar can be added at any time. Installing the tabbed lower arms to be ready for the swaybar when you do buy one, is definitely the way to do it.

 

[moparmat2000]

On the shocks i think 67-76 is the same. I bought KYB gas shocks off evilbay. Kept looking for the right price. Once it popped up i nabbed em. Are you going to go with a polyurethane bushing kit or rubber?

 

[Duster Captain]

Manual steering will help to keep the swap easier. You may want to concider selling all the slant 6 A/C stuff from the firewall out, since it cannot be used on a V8 car anyways. I think the only part thats rhe same is the dryer, and the condensor in front of the radiator., Does you dart V8 have A/C ? If so, swap that in, or i think theres companies where you can buy all new from firewall out including a modern sanden radial compressor. Your going to have to pull it to do the V8 swap i am assuming you have a regular car to drive with working A/C? My 67 didnt come with A/C i will not be adding it. Also concider selling the slant and transmission too. It will all help fund your project. The sway bar can be added at any time. Installing the tabbed lower arms to be ready for the swaybar when you do buy one, is definitely the way to do it.

Not sure about the dart having AC, I will check later. I would love to swap that all over when I go v8 on the duster if possible.

I have a regular daily driver with AC so all good there.

I will be selling the slant 6, trans, and anything else laying around once I get into the v8 swap.

On the shocks i think 67-76 is the same. I bought KYB gas shocks off evilbay. Kept looking for the right price. Once it popped up i nabbed em. Are you going to go with a polyurethane bushing kit or rubber?

Ill keep an eye out for KYB's.

Thinking I'll go rubber to keep cost down and I dont need serious handling. Duster will just be for street fun.

 

[moparmat2000]

The polyurethane will not wear out or deteriorate like the rubber parts will. They are a do it once and forget it proposition. Thr price difference is not very much. You may want to concider seeing what the cost of selling you the kit without upper and lower control arm bushings, and strut rod bushings is. I bought these kits from prothane for my 67, and will also buy them for my sons 69 as well.

 

[moparmat2000]

The uppers in this kit i screen shotted come with new press in outer shells only because it looks like that one LBJ upper arm already had the old ones completely pressed out. Its a shame they did that. Prothane sells a kit where you burn the rubber out leaving the outer shells intact, then just grease up and hand press in the new poly inserts and inner sleeves. Its much cheaper. Like half the price.

The lowers in this kit are just the poly inserts just like the uppers could have been if the shells werent knocked out. Basically using a good gas torch, you heat up the rubber bushing releasing it from the lower control arm mounting shaft pin, and releasing it from its outer shell. Then remove just the rubber part of the bushing from rhe arm. Yes this is messy and smelly, so do this where you dont care about a mess, and away from any fire hazards.

What you end up with is a lower control arm with the pressed in outer shell from the old bushing still intact pressed in the arm, and the mounting shaft pin. When it all cools down simply grease up the polyurethane insert and press by hand into the lower control arm, and grease and reinstall the mounting shaft pin, and reinstall the lower control arm in rhe car.

 

[Duster Captain]

I hear you about the poly bushings.

Thanks for the tip on the prothane stuff, let me do some more looking around and see what I can find.

 

[moparmat2000]

If you do rubber LCA bushings, you have to remove the outer shells from the LCAs and get the bushings pressed in by a shop since new rubber ones have outer shells. Even if you decide on just getting all rubber with your suspension kit, i still would recommend not using the rubber LCA bushings and just get the prothane LCA poly insert ones. I even got new LCA pins that are drilled and have grease fittings in them from somewhere else on the net, i think "firm feel inc." to grease the poly LCA bushings.

 

[moparmat2000]

Do you plan on painting and spiffing up when you do the front end? Also do you have a grease gun, since you will need to pump up all the joints w grease before you drive it down to a wheel alignment shop when your done.