Finally getting an early A-Body

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Vic Storm said:
Going good Petty except being out of work, it's rained 12 days here, my car work has slowed because of weather. Rear end is in the back as we speak so the repainting will begin tomorrow. Where did you get XHD springs? Are they set up like the ones fstfish was talking about? How do you like them?
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I ordered them from the local Chrysler dealer(Mopar Performance cataloge)I haven,t got them in the car yet,I,m doing the mini-tub,spring reloc. first.I,ll be posting pics in my Early-A,s thread soon.Til then..
 
I have done some measuring and a little engineering and I think that the relocation may be better for handling because of the traction gained by the increased tread on the road. I am thinking relocation, bigger tires, new springs, stiff shocks, and a sway bar should help my car should handle nicely. You can fit a pretty good size 15" tire on it with them relocated can't you?
 
if i remember correctly,, the relocation kit moves the springs in 1 1/2 inches per side,, the way to tell would be,,measure from the center of your leaf spring,,inward to the center of the frame rail, the relocation kit mounts in to the fram rail,,
 
Thanks LouisProper, welcome aboard. It truely is alot of fun isn't it?

Just a little update, I did find a local machine shop that does springs and I'm going tomorrow to see what he can do for my old springs. Almost have the rear end cleaned up and ready to go back in so I am pumped on getting the springs and getting this baby back on her wheels.

rear end cleaned up 11-09.jpg
 
Springs are in the shop, but it will be a week or 2 before they get to them but thats ok. I found a guy on BBD that is selling a relocation kit for $80, if I can sneak the money out of the cookie jar. Times are tight for construction workers here. As you can see the weather is making it tougher to work but hasn't detoured me yet. When it freezes maybe! LOL!!
My K-frame has been cut out by someone before me, why I don't know, but I was thinking maybe I could just box it in. Do you guys think that this will be strong enough or should I get a new one?

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Hey Tony,good deal for the kit($80)if you can,t find or afford?the K-frame,I,d just box it in.Save you some money for other needed items.Hope the weather clears for ya so you can move ahead before the chilly weather moves in!Will be watching!:happy10:
 
I thought so too petty, hopefully I can get the kit. All depends how the weather holds. I have alot of work just hard to do masonry when its raining. I was thinking about just buying some flat plate and welding the triangle shape I drew on the pic, boxing in the old and adding the 2 cross pieces. Do you think I need to box the whole thing in?

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I would box the whole thing,then smaller triangular braces like you have drawn.If you notice in the middle it,s still open,exposeing the thin unboxed metal.Better safe than sorry Tony.Good Luck,should be easy.

P.S I just bought a 20x10 shelter for storing the 73 Dart Sport,now I have full access to my garage to work on the 66 Dart.The shelter was $200 and has 2 doors.Maybe you could get one for working year round on your project?

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Ya, I am wanting one of those shelters but haven't found anybody that wants to trade a human body part for one!!! LOL!! Those are great though, for sure what I need. If it will last up there, I know it will here.
Ya in the drawing I am boxing in the old part but I was wondering if I need to box the triangle in on the top and bottom too?
 
I installed a spring relocation kit on my '62 Valiant in order to use 8" X 15" wheels. Initially, it did make the handling worse. The car tended to understeer, as usual, but then would break into oversteer quite suddenly if you pushed it too hard, and had trouble settling back down flat after a turn. Plus, the steering was twitchy. This was with the heavy-duty rear leaf springs and a front sway bar. I believe the engineers would say that the spring relocation kit increases the rear roll center, which you don't want. I found that installing a large rear anti-sway bar solved the problem. I had to have the sway bar made because nothing seemed to be available from the sway bar companies.
 
Vic Storm said:
I thought so too petty, hopefully I can get the kit. All depends how the weather holds. I have alot of work just hard to do masonry when its raining. I was thinking about just buying some flat plate and welding the triangle shape I drew on the pic, boxing in the old and adding the 2 cross pieces. Do you think I need to box the whole thing in?
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some one probably cut that K to install a big block,,or a deep oil pan,,just box it shut,,it wil be good as new
 
Thanks fstfish, thats what I'll do and firm feel makes 1 1/8" sway bar for early A's.
Thanks for the info Bill, I was wondering. I had that problem on my 48 when I used a Camaro rear, switched it over to a late model s-10 that was 2 inches wider. The car handled %100 better.
 
firm feel seems to have good products,, but the one i seen on a 66 was not from frim feel,,, i thought it was from PST,, either way it will make a huge improvement,, i adapted a competition engineering sway bar from a 1946 thru 48 ford to my 1940 dodge and it made a world of difference

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Summit has one and so does Moparts and Magnum force has one also but it is more of one of those universal units.
Thats a sweet picture fstfish, nice looking yard!
 
the bar i seen installed super easy,,had some weird rear mounting brackets,,that worked great,,
 
Now will the bar fit when springs are relocated, I am going to do that anyway and make it work. I am wanting the bigger tire on the rear so the big firmfeel rear bar will be the one for me.
 
Vic Storm said:
Now will the bar fit when springs are relocated, I am going to do that anyway and make it work. I am wanting the bigger tire on the rear so the big firmfeel rear bar will be the one for me.
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it all depends on how the bar and where the bar mounts to. if the end links mount to the leaf spring/ shock plate moving the springs in will not let that bar fit,,,,these bars mount to the upper frame

if the bar mounts to the rear and the end links mount to the upper frame rails moving the springs wont effect it,,,this is the one ive seen for the early A
 
Old habits Dragnknight, I get caught on that all the time! Sure grip, which mine is not, is hard for me to remember for some reason.
I see your point though fstfish, it may not fit. It is like a torqion bar that the arms hook too I think, I will try to find a pic.
 
Vic Storm said:
Old habits Dragnknight, I get caught on that all the time! Sure grip, which mine is not, is hard for me to remember for some reason.
I see your point though fstfish, it may not fit. It is like a torqion bar that the arms hook too I think, I will try to find a pic.
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if the bar you have mounts to the rear end housing,and the links to the frame the spring relocation wont effect it,,,that is the standard type of rear sway bar,,,
 
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