desperado
dodge boy
I have a 73 dart sport. I am going to convert from front drum to front disc.anyway my question is.does anybody make a coil over that will bolt in with the factory control arms.i really would like to get rid of the torsion bars.
coil overs
- Thread starter desperado
- Start date
-
desperado
dodge boy
thanks man.i have been lookin.didn't find anything.so I kinda knew the answer.but you never know till you ask
Nope, not with the factory LCA's.
Why do you want to get rid of the torsion bars? Header or steering clearance? Or just handling?
A properly set up torsion bar suspension will handle just as well as a set of coilovers. And better than a set of coilovers that haven't been installed properly. If you're looking to go coilovers, you'd be much better off with a complete kit like from RMS or HemiDenny. They've done the engineering to make sure it ends up working properly. Otherwise, you could very easily end up with a car that handles WORSE.
I'm still in the process of setting up my Duster, but already with 1.12" torsion bars, Bilstein's, frame connectors and some chassis stiffening it handles light years above and beyond factory. When I update the rear springs and tires I have no doubt that it will be able to keep up with most modern cars.
Why do you want to get rid of the torsion bars? Header or steering clearance? Or just handling?
A properly set up torsion bar suspension will handle just as well as a set of coilovers. And better than a set of coilovers that haven't been installed properly. If you're looking to go coilovers, you'd be much better off with a complete kit like from RMS or HemiDenny. They've done the engineering to make sure it ends up working properly. Otherwise, you could very easily end up with a car that handles WORSE.
I'm still in the process of setting up my Duster, but already with 1.12" torsion bars, Bilstein's, frame connectors and some chassis stiffening it handles light years above and beyond factory. When I update the rear springs and tires I have no doubt that it will be able to keep up with most modern cars.
blown71duster
Well-Known Member
Is been done before,
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads...age=1&Main=6168045&Words=&topic=1&Search=true
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads...age=1&Main=6168045&Words=&topic=1&Search=true
There's absolutely no way I would ever run anything like that on the street. Notice that all of those cars are drag strip only?
71Scamper
Mopar runs thru my veins!
There are plenty of people out there that has run coil overs on the stock arms on the street. The stock lowers only need to be welded together to brace them and a small support bolt put through the back side of the LCA bushing to keep the bushing from trying to pull off the pin. I would however strongly recommend putting in some sort of bracing for the upper shock mounts as they were not designed to support the weight of the vehicle.
Here's a link to some pics of a nice setup:
http://hemiduster.com/coilover.htm
No thanks.
If you're going to do all of that work to reinforce the frame, you might as well go with a system that has geometry that was actually intended for coilovers. Notice how RMS has significantly less angle on those coilovers? That's not an accident.
If you're going to do all of that work to reinforce the frame, you might as well go with a system that has geometry that was actually intended for coilovers. Notice how RMS has significantly less angle on those coilovers? That's not an accident.
nice job on the car in the link....it appears to have snout bars tied into the upper shock mount. As long as those snout bars are attached to a roll cage and not just the sheet metal, that set-up is stronger than dirt!
just my opinion.....Hey, where's that likey button?
bOb shingler
Well-Known Member
:d
71Scamper
Mopar runs thru my veins!
Thanks but I can't take the credit because it's not mine.
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
Aren't torsion bars superior in many ways? Don't Porsche's use them? It keeps the weight down low for better handling. It seems that coil-overs main advantage is getting more "race tuning" options and an opportunity to spend money and time.
71Scamper
Mopar runs thru my veins!
I don't believe either torsion bar or coil over is superior to one another. Done right and setup properly they both can perform very well. The advantages that coil over will have is cleaning up the underneath of the chassis for headers, trans swaps, and ease of access. Both have advantages and disadvantages. It's all up to what you want to do with the car.
I agree....a torsion bar is simply a straight spring with the benefit of keeping the weight down low, utilized in many forms of racing.
I disagree with your assessment regarding the advantages you stated.
For some of us, looking for more room and an updated, more responsive steering..... installing a rack and pinion is the answer. However, installing a rack and pinion and replacing the torsion bars with coil overs go hand in hand.
The fact is, it is mission impossible to do a rack only conversion....simply put, the correct placement of the pivot point of the inner tie rod on the rack (rack placement) is physically impossible to achieve with a motor at normal placement in the car. Please note I stated...CORRECT pivot point. The answer.....coil overs!.
With coil overs and a clean sheet of paper, the correct LCA pivot point can be achieved for our rack and pinion conversion. the fact that we no longer have to deal with the space required for the torsion bars is a ADDED benefit.....spending the $$$$ is always a downer.
Just swapping to coil overs....I have to agree with you to a point......for me, it is just part of the puzzle.
That's my story...and I'm stickin' to it!
Here's a thought... Go to a parts yard and find a 88 Accord or just about any modern car and have a good look at the structure around their upper strut mount.
To do something similar to an A-body would take strong fab skills but hey.. deleting the upper arm, upper ball joint, etc.. could happen.
In fact, if my memory serves correct, it was done to a second gen' B'cuda using Nissan parts, most everything from the firewall forward was Nissan except the body.
I don't think you want front wheel drive like that build had so keep in mind the caster angles are a lot different. Nearly opposite actually, so where a front wheel drive has the upper strut mount near its firewall, rear wheel drive would be much further forward.
To do something similar to an A-body would take strong fab skills but hey.. deleting the upper arm, upper ball joint, etc.. could happen.
In fact, if my memory serves correct, it was done to a second gen' B'cuda using Nissan parts, most everything from the firewall forward was Nissan except the body.
I don't think you want front wheel drive like that build had so keep in mind the caster angles are a lot different. Nearly opposite actually, so where a front wheel drive has the upper strut mount near its firewall, rear wheel drive would be much further forward.
71Scamper
Mopar runs thru my veins!
First things first, He's not talking about going to a Macpherson strut system. He was considering eliminating the torsion bars and putting in a coil over shock instead and retaining the upper control arms like in the link I posted earlier.
Second, FWD vs. RWD doesn't influence the caster arrangement as much so as whether the vehicle has manual or power steering. Power steering cars would normally have positive caster (top ball joint/strut tilted towards the driver) where a Manual steering car will normally have negative caster (top ball joint/strut tilted away from driver). With positive caster the turning effort of the steering wheel is increased, but who cares because of the power steering. With negative caster the steering effort is reduced.
Just trying to clear the air here.
-
