HDK Tubular Coil Over for Stock Steering

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Yeah, a stock-ish spool mount k frame in a 70 Duster. I'm gonna weld the seams solid, add a brace under the steering box, and add a skid plate. The 5.7 Hemi weighs about what a small block does, but the 545RFE transmission makes an 833 4 spd feel like a feather! lol. I've got a lot to learn about coil overs, and I'm sure Denny will steer me in the right direction.
 
The new HDK single lower control arm coil over conversions kits are shipping now.

I stopped out at HDK this morning and photographed this one ready for boxing and shipment.

$795.00 + shipping and add $250.00 for the pictured HDK upper control arms - machined spacers included.

Compatible QA1 DS-303 shocks are an additional $450.00 and include HDK supplied spanner wrenches
and thrust washers.

1-arm%206-1_zpswevz3o0b.jpg
 
this was the last set (to be shipped Monday) of the first batch of six. this set was delayed while I figured out the sway bar tabs. JDMopar supplied his factory LCAs w/ sway bar tabs for us to jig from.

already gearing up for another 12 sets...... should be ready to ship in 2 /3 weeks.
 
AWESOME!! I know I've sat here an stared at that pic for 30 minutes......lol. I'm honored to get one of the first few sets of these ground breaking new kits. I would venture a guess that these kits made for early a bodies will sell like hotcakes. Mine should get here just in time for my long weekend next week! :D
 
JDMopar said:
AWESOME!! I know I've sat here an stared at that pic for 30 minutes......lol. I'm honored to get one of the first few sets of these ground breaking new kits. I would venture a guess that these kits made for early a bodies will sell like hotcakes. Mine should get here just in time for my long weekend next week! :D
Click to expand...

Lol....

Thanks, but not really all that groundbreaking.

At this year's Nats , I was admiring the recently resurrected 1972 Motown Missile. It has coil overs with a removable rear brace on the factory LCAs. Almost all the 70s Mopar Pro Stockers ditched the torsion bars for coil overs. According to Joe Pappas (Mopar Missile crew) they ran the suspension of the Missile off the bump stops.....as little travel as possible made them go faster.

Let's just say, HDK has a slightly "updated" version.
 
Uses the factory spindles, brakes, steering and struts.

At this point the only UPPER ball joint I utilize is the larger diameter used on the later A bodies.
 
HemiDenny said:
Uses the factory spindles, brakes, steering and struts.

At this point the only UPPER ball joint I utilize is the larger diameter used on the later A bodies.
Click to expand...

So for a 67 Dart, I'd need to swap in spindles, brakes, etc., from a newer A-body to work with the larger ball joint, correct?
 
Not necessarily. ....

will start looking for the smaller screw in upper ball joint.....in the 70's, we just took the 70 spindles to a machine shop with the 7 degree taper bit and bored the spindle out to use the bigger ball joint......but, I'm confident for anyone that wants to retain their spindles as-is.....the smaller ball joint is availble.....just never needed to find them until now.

Uppers need to be changed to a version that will accept the diameter of the coil spring vs a factory shock.
 
These LCAs are works of art but still faithful to Ma's geometry, except for the shock mount location. And... they don't need no stinkin rear support on the pivot (I hope). The "rear brace" was to keep the LCA on the pivot. I'm putting on the right side this weekend.

I swear that darn "grease" is more like glue if it's not thick enough. It takes a whole tube to do the inside of a bushing pair. So hopefully he will send out 2 tubes, plus UCA needs. I may get a grease gun tube of the stuff.

Denny, grinding a flat for a 1" open wrench so the pivot can be held while the front nut is tightened worked well. The LCA has to be slid rearward enough on the pivot to be able to get the wrench in. The paint is still drying on my struts, but I think they have to be in place before the LCA is slid onto the pivot, after the front nut is tightened. Also, I am going to hold off on welding in those front washers until I change the motor next time, cause then I will pull the K frame out and clean things up and I will be able to weld them better. So for now it is just like Ma had, only 3/4" and a fresh K frame hole.

Edit: What I am talking about here is I have one of the first sets and Denny designed them around a K he had (from a race car) that had already been modified with a tube through the K frame to support the pivot (I also had this idea but came up with a simpler idea - see below). So his design fit the tube, but not a stock unmodified K.

We got the dimensions worked out for a old wore out stock K and also came up with a way to fix the hole in the front that the pivot goes through. The wallered out no longer round hole. Not too bad as can be attested to by my Demon, but still a bit loose and why not take the chance to tighten up and reinforce 45 year old stuff?

SO he enlarged the diameter where the pivot goes through the K to 3/4". I opened up the hole in the K with a harbor freight 90* air drill and 3/4" step drill, on jackstands, with plenty of room as the LCA removed and the spindle/steering,caliper is all back out of the way.

Then Denny made a washer like Ma used for the front thread, that went over the part of the stock pivot and allowed the K to be pulled together by the washer thickness having room. Only his is 3/4" ID and fits the part of the pivot that sticks out tight. I will weld the washer on to the K, but not now. Besides, the car is pointed the wrong way in the hangar to weld on the front.

I highly recommend doing it this way. Even if you don't weld the washer, cause now you have a nice fresh hole to hold the pivot in place. I am gonna weld the washer because I will not be running a brace on the LCA side.
 
Well, the stock strut paint dried so I put the right side together with Moog rubbers on the struts. Action is pretty nice, considering LCAs are on bushings which I think need a grease fitting for the special grease to keep them lubed. For the 3" of travel, nice smooth movement.

My existing 1997 vintage tubular SBJ UCAs clear 2 1/2" ID springs OK. I am going to upgrade the old ends with the same ones Denny uses on his stuff as it is forged instead of my old welded stuff. These HDK LCAs will fit nicely in the package which will use Viking C203 DA shocks. The mega motor may need 500# springs, we'll see. Probably need 450's.

This is going to really help make header room where the torsion bars were. The LCA takes as much room as a stock LCA, but no bars. When I put that KB/B1 motor back in it will need lighter springs. They had 2 1/4" nice headers there but moved the motor a little. That messed me up with the Pro-Parts, cause I tried to use the same motor plate.

Now I have options.

Thanks Denny!
 
Let me know when this kit is available or where it's available, cash in hand want it now!!!, private message me thanks
 
Interesting kit and it fill a nice place in the market between a stock front and the full front replacement type coil over assemblies.
Any idea if you could fit ride tech or similar air bags with this set up?
 
airwoofer said:
Somebody please recommend me a camera that a pic novice can make a thread, please. I have saved the left (steering) side for that.

Thanks Denny!
Click to expand...

I really like my wife's Canon Powershot, it's got like 7 or 8 mega pixels and tons of storage room, we've got almost 3500 pictures on ours and it's only 40% full, thats not counting the videos. It takes great action shots and low light. Sadly, since I broke her last one when I dropped it, I'm not allowed to use it. It wasn't bad on price either, around 150-200 off Amazon.com
 
Old Man Mopar said:
The new HDK single lower control arm coil over conversions kits are shipping now.

I stopped out at HDK this morning and photographed this one ready for boxing and shipment.

$795.00 + shipping and add $250.00 for the pictured HDK upper control arms - machined spacers included.

Compatible QA1 DS-303 shocks are an additional $450.00 and include HDK supplied spanner wrenches
and thrust washers.

1-arm%206-1_zpswevz3o0b.jpg
Click to expand...


Purty :prayer:
 
that stuff sure is sticky....but does a heck of a job eliminating the squeaks associated with the poly-bushings.
 
I got my kit (the one in the above pic) last night, and OMG is this stuff nice! :prayer: It was more than worth the wait, because not even the tiniest detail was missed. I'm gonna drag the motor and trans back out before mock up, but will put up some pics when I do. Thanks again Denny. This stuff is truly awesome. Also, thanks to John (Old Man Mopar) for all the pics and updates in the many pages of this thread. :prayer: :D
 
BobK said:
So for a 67 Dart, I'd need to swap in spindles, brakes, etc., from a newer A-body to work with the larger ball joint, correct?
Click to expand...

No need to swap spindles and brakes from the newer....just let me know what upper ball joint is needed......small or big.

Thanks Airwoofer
 
Are the threads different on SBJ vs LBJ, besides the taper? May need a smaller ring/thread ID with the same tube OD (for fab).

As for the SBJ vs LBJ, my KOS Demon has SBJs and they did just fine. The boots, not so well. But I'm not making a taxi or cop car.
 
I got a set coming ....I'll see when they get here.
 
JDMopar said:
thanks to John (Old Man Mopar) for all the pics and updates in the many pages of this thread. :prayer: :D
Click to expand...
Wow! Thank you! It makes all of the schlepping around taking pictures for you guys a little more worth
the while! Can't wait to see yours installed.
 
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