My Toxic '74 Duster

[fantum]

Howdy all! Been here quite a while with nothing to talk about - until now. I just retired last year and after building a new kitchen I finally have the time (and money - hopefully) to start this project. I'm getting the body work done on my '74 Duster which my son wants me to paint 2011 Toxic Orange. The car came with the dartlike stripe down the side and current plans are to put the same stripe on the car once painted. I have a 318 out of a '70 Cuda (not numbers matching) which will get some work - possibly boring and stroking, backed up by a 4-speed feeding a 8.75 A-body rearend. My intent is to make it look stock but give it some extra pop. Being that I live in Florida, the car will have to have AC. I also plan power steering and power brakes to enhance the car's driveability.

I am not a person who wants a trailer queen. I want a car I can drive hard, maybe a little autocross, maybe a few trips down the track, and a car I can take to the shows. So, please consider these desires when you are discussing your recommendations for this build.

For those who love pics, I'm sorry. I forgot to get pics before I sent it to the shop (my buddy took some which I will try to get from him so I can share them with you). Progress pics will be posted as soon as I get/take them.

I have seen an awful lot of excellent builds on this site and know that you guys and gals are excellent informational resources for getting the job done with minimal steps undoing things and excellent recommendations regarding which parts to use throughout the build.

Now comes my questions:

First, I have been looking at strengthening the body because, hey it's nearly 50 years old! The product I am considering for this part of the project is the US Car Tool Level 2 Strengthening Kit. This is a decision I need to make soon so I can provide the parts to my body shop before they get too far along. What are your thoughts?

Second, I also need to look at rebuilding the entire suspension. During my searches I have found there are so many options for what to buy, and from whom that I thought I could put it out there for you guys to let me know what you went with, and why? and who you decided to purchase from, and why?

I know this is a long read, but I realize that in order for you guys to make build recommendations the more information you have, the better. So, I'm looking forward to hearing from you as often as possible and will do my best to use your input throughout this build.

Thanks in advance,


MIKE
FANTUM

 

[JDMopar]

Your strengthening plan sounds spot on. Maybe @72bluNblu will chime in with a recommendation for your suspension. He has that stuff figured out! One other thing you may need to consider, is buying your AC system before the car is painted. That way, the body shop can cut any holes in the firewall that may be needed before paint. The car will look great in Toxic Orange!

 

[Lowcar]

i by no means would tell someone what to do but a couple years ago i did a 68 dart with the thought of a x crosser[alway's done straight line mopars] what i learned is alot of the catalog frame strenghting parts are a way over priced and a big waste of money, with a chop saw, and welder you can build much better and a fourth the cost.for some reason that i do not understand if it is made for a mopar the manufacture thinks it' should cost twice as much as the same part for a chevy when in reality that fabricated sheet metal,tubing,piece cost exactly the same in raw materials.

 

[RogerRamRod]

for some reason that i do not understand if it is made for a mopar the manufacture thinks it' should cost twice as much as the same part for a chevy when in reality that fabricated sheet metal,tubing,piece cost exactly the same in raw materials.

I am kind of cheap, but I somewhat understand why.
1, for a manufacturer to research a part, make up then test a prototype, then tool up to manufacture in quantity to then sell 1/4 as many as you will sell to Chevy guys -costs more
2, Mopar guys are notoriously cheap, and by that, I don't mean that in a bad way, but since a lot of our stuff is higher priced, and a lot of our stuff was good from the factory, we don't like to spend the money on stuff that we can get by with.
3, whether of necessity, or because we are kind of "thinkers" we tend to be able to craft our own stuff, thereby shrinking the market even further for a given part.

There's probably a few other reasons, and I (like most times) am probably wrong, but Yeah-building a Mopar ain't the cheapest entertainment as far as hobbies go.

 

[TT5.9mag]

For a car that is built to handle, the us cartool stuff is about the nicest, well fitting stuff out there. Subframe connectors are the minimum required in my opinion. The rest of the chassis stiffening is up to how hard you plan to push the car and how much power it will have. Also, welding, bracing, stiffening the k member as well as the lower control arms (if using stock parts) should be on your list for a corner carver. @72bluNblu and @autoxcuda are both great recourses here as well as @BergmanAutoCraft. Hope they chime in.

 

[Lowcar]

i've always heard the same argument that your stating and i don't buy it, you show me one completely starting from rocket science scratch new invention made for a mopar that wasn'nt just copied from a mustang II or chevy and ford drag race stuff? i'm doing a straight line duster right now looked at the mopar front suspension stuff all the same **** different name big and bigger and biggest price being the difference did some measuring found almost perfect fit 53-56 ford pickup mustang II. total cost around a grand with tubular arms, slotted drilled rotor's,2 in dropped spindels and of course alot of my work and time which i gladly donate. car sit's perfect

 

[RogerRamRod]

I bought most of my stuff a piece at a time from members here mostly as parts came up for sale, because I knew my project was a long-term project. If I was on more of a timeframe, then yes, I would put together a list and pretty much go shopping. You might want to go to the coil over conversion kit route, but other than header clearance, I’m not convinced that’s any better than the stock suspension with some updating. Besides, I like being different, and that’s part of the appeal of owning a Mopar. Once I saw a 4 door Plymouth Satellite able to post a faster lap time than a BMW 3series, driven for the first time by the guy that drives that BMW as his job, I was convinced that the factory system can be made to perform.

I’m no expert, but here is my build, though it isn’t on the road yet, so take that as you might.

I got most of my information from 72blunblu, AutoXCuda, inspiration from the green brick, and probably a few other sources.

US car tool subframe connectors, torque boxes, radiator support, and shock tower braces. (some of this stuff, I would probably build now)
Hotchkis rear springs, non-adjustable Fox shocks, front and rear sway bars.
RMS adjustable strut rods.
1977 Cordoba 11.75” rotors and calipers.
Pro Forged upper and lower ball joints, tie rod ends, (I used the Beefier C-body ends, though that may not have been entirely necessary.)
PST greaseable pivot pins,
SPC upper control arms from Peter at Bergman Auto Craft (BAC).
Firm Feel steering sector support kit, (not sure how necessary that was, but the thinking made sense to me.)
I boxed my lower control arms with scraps I had around, and welded the full perimeter of my K-frame & added gussets near the steering box support.
Firm Feel (I believe) 1.12” torsion bars,
Energy suspension upper and lower bump stops.
16:1 Manual steering box

 

[72bluNblu]

Welcome!

Sounds like a great build you have in the works. Love cars that are built to be driven, after all, if you're not driving it, what's the point anyway?

Your chassis stiffening plan is good, US Cartool has great parts and the level 2 system takes care of all the major needs. As far as making your own stuff, I have done it both ways. On my Duster I made my own subframe connectors and sourced a tubular radiator support and J bars locally and combined that with US Cartool torque boxes. On my '71 GT I used the level 2 USCT kit. I really like the inner fender braces from USCT, they'll do a great job without being super obvious (like the J bars). I did NOT like their subrame connectors, but I installed them with the car up on jackstands. If I had to install another set it would have to be on a lift or rotisserie, the amount of welding required for the USCT subframes is pretty miserable, since you're doing it upside and with low clearance. I installed Hotchkis subframes on my Challenger, like all Hotchkis parts they're well thought out, fit well and have great instructions. And are really expensive for what they actually are.

The stock K frame also benefits greatly from some gusseting and seam welding. You can buy the reinforcement kit from Firm Feel, or you can make your own. The biggest areas to gusset are the LCA pivot holes and the steering box mount.

For handling there are a lot of ways to go, it really depends on how competitive you want to be and what your budget is. The biggest decision is what wheels/tires you want to run. If you're married to 15" rims then the level of handling you can achieve is significantly limited by the tires available. BFG T/A's and Cooper Cobra's look cool, but they're hockey pucks compared to modern tires. If you go up to 18" wheels you can run much wider and better tires. I have 275's on the front of my Duster with 18x9's and 295's out back on 18x10's, and the 200 treadwear Falken Azenis I run have incredible grip.

If you're going whole hog for street handling and autoX, "the list" looks something like this. Sure, you can buy a Hotchkis TVS but you get some stuff you don't really need, a few things you probably don't want (heim joints at the UCA's), and you don't get other stuff you do need. Bergman Autocraft's current kit is a better match, although the new SPC UCA's are really expensive. I'm sure they're amazing too but the Gen I SPC's are awesome too. This is just the front suspension, I still have leaf springs on my car but the AFCO's I run are discontinued. Basically you pick a set of leaf springs you don't hate and run them with a Hotchkis or Hellwig sway bar and whatever shocks match the front. I have spring sliders on my car, they're nice but not necessary.

This is basically everything on my Duster at the moment. A couple of the brands are different. Not all of this is necessary for a good handling street car, if you're not lowering the crap out of the car then you don't really need the QA1 LCA's, you can just box the stock LCA's. RCD Bilsteins are great shocks too, you can substitute a set of 1.08" torsion bars from BAC for a less firm ride, that sort of thing.

QA1 Adjustable strut bars
1974 DODGE DART QA1 52311 QA1 Dynamic Adjustable Strut Bars | Summit Racing

QA1 LCA’s
1974 DODGE DART QA1 52307 QA1 Mopar Control Arms | Summit Racing

QA1 tie rod sleeves
1974 DODGE DART QA1 52325 QA1 Heavy-Duty Tie Rod Sleeves | Summit Racing

Proforged tie rod ends-
1974 DODGE DART Proforged Chassis Parts 104-10157 Proforged Tie Rod Ends | Summit Racing
1974 DODGE DART Proforged Chassis Parts 104-10156 Proforged Tie Rod Ends | Summit Racing

Proforged lower ball joint (driver)
1974 DODGE DART Proforged Chassis Parts 101-10129 Proforged Ball Joints | Summit Racing

Proforged lower ball joint (passenger)
1974 DODGE DART Proforged Chassis Parts 101-10128 Proforged Ball Joints | Summit Racing

Hotchkis 1.5 shocks (non adjustable, just the front )
1974 DODGE DART Hotchkis Sport Suspension 70020013 Hotchkis Sport Suspension 1.5 Street Performance Series Shocks | Summit Racing

Proforged ball joints- x2
1974 DODGE DART Proforged Chassis Parts 101-10126 Proforged Ball Joints | Summit Racing

PST manual steering box
https://p-s-t.com/i-23161668-manual-steering-box-16-1.html#!year=1974||make=DODGE||model=DART

Moog pitman arm (manual)
1974 DODGE DART Proforged Chassis Parts 103-10015 Proforged Pitman Arms | Summit Racing

Moog idler -
1974 DODGE DART Moog Chassis Parts K7086 Moog Replacement Idler Arms | Summit Racing

Hellwig 55905 front sway bar-
1974 DODGE DART Hellwig 55905 Hellwig Motorsports Tubular Sway Bars | Summit Racing

Bergman Autocraft SPC UCA’s (1st gen)
BAC SPC Upper Control Arms - Bergman Auto Craft

BAC Delrin LCA bushings
BAC Delrin Lower Control Arm Bushings - Bergman Auto Craft

Firm Feel 1.12” bars-
Firmfeel Mopar Suspension and Steering

Firm Feel greasable LCA pins
Firmfeel Mopar Suspension and Steering

Or add power steering-
Borgeson box from BAC
Borgeson Steering Box Kit Large Sector - Bergman Auto Craft


The full build for my '74 Duster is here My "new" '74 Duster- or why I need a project like a hole in the head, it's still very much a work in progress although I do basically use it as a daily driver.

 

[autoxcuda]

If you are just looking for improved street cruising. You could go a step under what 72blunblu list

Helwig front sway bar
PST 1.00" torsion bars
Bilstein RCD shocks
Moog offset 7103 rubber bushing for stock upper control arms installed for more caster
stock front end rebuild
stock original 340 rear leaf springs
Mopar remanufactured Van steering box (long discontinued)

15x7 front rims with 4.25 to 4.5" backspacing
225/60/15 front tires. Watch this thread if 235/60/15 15x7 4.5 bkspace rims fit: The cost of wheels and tires.
15x8 rear rims 4.5 backspacing
275/60/15 rear tires

 

[72bluNblu]

The list for the "Green Brick" is below, I borrowed it but it was all published in Mopar Action back in the day. The build is good but outdated in my opinion, but it's about as good as you can do if you're going to keep 15" rims. I still think the torsion bars a bit small. The rear springs are too stiff, and you can run more positive caster even with the 15" rims. The offset bushings limit this, but even with those you can usually get to +3.5° on a lot of cars. Ehrenberg has some kind of heartburn about more positive caster, like his deal with FMJ spindles it's misguided.

Suspension/Chassis

• Tension strut rod bushings changed to urethane (Don't do this, poly at the strut rod also resists suspension travel, just use adjustable strut rods)
• Moog k7103 problem solver upper control arm bushings
• Gusset upper control arm mount from bracket to rail
• Weld heavy washer to k member around nose of lower control arm stud tube
• Frame connectors
• Gusset upper control arm/shock tower bracket to fender apron
• Gusset steering box mounting bracket to k member
• 74 and up C body tie rods 11/16 bolt in (not really necessary if using fully tubular adjusters, the flex was the split adjuster not the tie rod end)
• Urethane sway bar frame bushings
• Box lower control arm
• 920 torsion bars (too small, especially if you run better compound tires)
• 1 inch sway bar
• Koni shocks on full firm (RCD's or Hotchkis are MUCH better)
• 16:1 manual steering box
• Eliminate bump steer in the chassis book (small to begin with, bonus points but not necessary)

Alignment specs

• -1.5° degrees negative camber (over -1° will give you camber wear on the street)
• +2.5° positive caster (more would be better, but the offset bushings and stock UCA's limit this)
• 1/16 to 3/32 toe in

Rear end

• De arched ss springs (too stiff, that's why there's no rear sway bar mentioned)
• Koni shocks and rancho kicker shocks from offroad dodge pickups which controls wheel hop

Brakes

• 76 up 11.75 x 1" rotors w/ AR caliper brackets for '92-'02 Viper calipers
• 73 up drum brake steering knuckles for large wheel bearings
• 73 up big ball joint upper control arms
• 10" x 2.5 drums on rear.

Tires/Wheels

• Light weight aluminum 15 x 8 rims
• Tires temp rating of A
• Traction rating AA or A
• No m&s, all season or plus 4 tires
• Treadwear rating the lower the better - WITHIN REASON. Most "street car" competitions limit treadwear to 200, anything under 200 is basically a track only tire. Over 400 is a hockey puck. 200-350 is a great tire that can also pull regular street duty.

So for me, even with 15" rims I would still run tubular UCA's for more built in positive caster. I would run adjustable strut rods, because poly bushings at the strut rod add resistance to the suspension travel. I'd still run poly or Delrin LCA bushings. Torsion bars would 1" or larger. And good shocks, RCD Bilsteins or Hotchkis. Rear springs should be like 120-130 lb/in with a rear sway bar for more adjustability.

 

[autoxcuda]

If you are just looking for improved street cruising. You could go a step under what 72blunblu list

Helwig front sway bar
PST 1.00" torsion bars
Bilstein RCD shocks
Moog offset 7103 rubber bushing for stock upper control arms installed for more caster
stock front end rebuild

15x7 front rims with 4.25 to 4.5" backspacing
225/60/15 front tires. Watch this thread if 235/60/15 15x7 4.5 bkspace rims fit: The cost of wheels and tires.
15x8 rear rims 4.5 backspacing
275/60/15 rear tires

BTW this will give you a noticeable seat of the pants difference from you current stock setup.

I ran this basic setup from 1993 to 1997 with nothing welded or boxed with poly: strut, front sway bar and leaf bushings. Except I had a stock front sway bar (couldn't find deal on used aftermarket) and mostly lousy KYB shocks even one front set of Herb Adams VSE's (all never lasted in front). My car was/is 100% rust free Calif car though.

Then I ran it 1997 to 2011 with a reinforced 73-76 K-member, 1/8 solid front sway bar, boxed LCA's, and poly LCA bushings and rear sway bar.

The front spring rate is nearly doubled and the front sway bar stiffness doubled.

Also, always ran 12" (11.75") larger diameter disk brakes.

 

[fantum]

Thanks all for your outstanding input. One of the important things that I forgot to mention is the wheels. One of my friends is a Goodyear store manager and helped me realize there are a lot more options with a bigger wheel, say 17" or 18". Not only that, but as mentioned you get better performance while still trying to maintain that old-school look. Right now, I'm leaning toward the Rally wheels, but have not made a decision (and probably should soon), so if any of you want to add your 2 cents, please do as I enjoy seeing what others have done and might like another's recommendations.

72 Blu, your list is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. I was, pretty much, intending to stay with the torsion bar configuration (unless someone could convince me otherwise given a very modest budget) and was hoping that someone had composed a list of more modern parts that work well together as I do not see any need to reinvent the wheel. THANK YOU!!!!!

Two more things for right now. First, I need to replace the axles as the ones in the rear end are small bolt patter and I want to go with the larger bolt pattern. I've read of a few places, like DTS and (forgive me if I get this wrong as I'm writing this on the fly) Dr. Diff, and was wondering what else may be out there and what your experiences were with the various distributors. I've read here that some have had bad experiences with PST and was wondering if they've improved their customer service and/or their products since.

Second, earlier this year I was enjoying others' projects and saw where one of you replaced the hood hinge springs with hydraulic supports and thought that would be a great upgrade. Does anyone know that build and have a link to it? If anyone has a better hinge system, I'm all ears.

Again, thank you all for your input - it is greatly appreciated.


MIKE
FANTUM

 

[autoxcuda]

Thanks all for your outstanding input. One of the important things that I forgot to mention is the wheels. One of my friends is a Goodyear store manager and helped me realize there are a lot more options with a bigger wheel, say 17" or 18". Not only that, but as mentioned you get better performance while still trying to maintain that old-school look. Right now, I'm leaning toward the Rally wheels, but have not made a decision (and probably should soon), so if any of you want to add your 2 cents, please do as I enjoy seeing what others have done and might like another's recommendations.

72 Blu, your list is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. I was, pretty much, intending to stay with the torsion bar configuration (unless someone could convince me otherwise given a very modest budget) and was hoping that someone had composed a list of more modern parts that work well together as I do not see any need to reinvent the wheel. THANK YOU!!!!!

Two more things for right now. First, I need to replace the axles as the ones in the rear end are small bolt patter and I want to go with the larger bolt pattern. I've read of a few places, like DTS and (forgive me if I get this wrong as I'm writing this on the fly) Dr. Diff, and was wondering what else may be out there and what your experiences were with the various distributors. I've read here that some have had bad experiences with PST and was wondering if they've improved their customer service and/or their products since.

Second, earlier this year I was enjoying others' projects and saw where one of you replaced the hood hinge springs with hydraulic supports and thought that would be a great upgrade. Does anyone know that build and have a link to it? If anyone has a better hinge system, I'm all ears.

Again, thank you all for your input - it is greatly appreciated.


MIKE
FANTUM

Go to Dr Diff.

What model of Rallye rims are you thinking. The aluminum retro 17"?

 

[fantum]

Go to Dr Diff.

What model of Rallye rims are you thinking. The aluminum retro 17"?[/QUOT


I haven't researched that far. Probably aluminum as it is a lighter material.

 

[72bluNblu]

Thanks all for your outstanding input. One of the important things that I forgot to mention is the wheels. One of my friends is a Goodyear store manager and helped me realize there are a lot more options with a bigger wheel, say 17" or 18". Not only that, but as mentioned you get better performance while still trying to maintain that old-school look. Right now, I'm leaning toward the Rally wheels, but have not made a decision (and probably should soon), so if any of you want to add your 2 cents, please do as I enjoy seeing what others have done and might like another's recommendations.

72 Blu, your list is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. I was, pretty much, intending to stay with the torsion bar configuration (unless someone could convince me otherwise given a very modest budget) and was hoping that someone had composed a list of more modern parts that work well together as I do not see any need to reinvent the wheel. THANK YOU!!!!!

Two more things for right now. First, I need to replace the axles as the ones in the rear end are small bolt patter and I want to go with the larger bolt pattern. I've read of a few places, like DTS and (forgive me if I get this wrong as I'm writing this on the fly) Dr. Diff, and was wondering what else may be out there and what your experiences were with the various distributors. I've read here that some have had bad experiences with PST and was wondering if they've improved their customer service and/or their products since.

Second, earlier this year I was enjoying others' projects and saw where one of you replaced the hood hinge springs with hydraulic supports and thought that would be a great upgrade. Does anyone know that build and have a link to it? If anyone has a better hinge system, I'm all ears.

Again, thank you all for your input - it is greatly appreciated.


MIKE
FANTUM

No problem Mike! Happy to help if I can.

I've run through multiple different iterations of suspensions on my Challenger and my Duster over the 100k+ I've driven them. Found some things that worked really well, broke a few things that didn't and have upgraded parts a few times for all kinds of different reasons. I'm pretty happy with what I've got now, so, I try to share what I've learned. Obviously I have my own opinions on stuff and some of that is definitely shaped by the amount of street driving I do.

@DoctorDiff (Cass) is a great resource and vendor. If you need BBP axles that's the first place I'd go. I also run his brake kits on my Duster, currently I've got his 13" cobra style kit on the front with is 11.7" disk kit on the back. In the relatively near future I'm going to be installing his 13" Viper caliper kit on the front. He's got a bunch of great brake kits, I'd go with DoctorDiff before I ran anything from Wilwood. Only way I'd do something else might be if I decided to spend the coin on a Baer kit.

As for the rallyes, the 17" aluminum versions do not have great backspace for the front of an A-body. I really like the YearOne 17" Magnums, but, they're not the best width/backspace combo for an A. For a B/E body they're perfect.

I think these cars can look good with a lot of different styles of wheel, you just have to get things fit right with the wheel specs, ride height, tire height, etc. Even some of the popular "tuner" wheels look good if done well IMHO. But I may be biased.

 

[TT5.9mag]

Off topic but @72bluNblu why the opposition to Wilwood? I’ve used them and been very happy with them.

 

[72bluNblu]

Off topic but @72bluNblu why the opposition to Wilwood? I’ve used them and been very happy with them.

They're just really expensive for what they are. Maybe 20 years ago their 4 piston calipers were impressive, but they're still just using the same basic design and trading on their name brand.

Also not a fan of safety wiring my hubs and rotors together, or their ridiculously large hub diameter on the Mopar kits that makes even aftermarket wheel selection troublesome. Seriously look at the hub diameter, it's 3.1" now. Even the factory hubs can be an issue for wheel center bore clearance at 2.7". Plus I pulled a set of Wilwoods of a buddy's car recently. Now granted, that car had been sitting for a little bit before he bought it (a couple years at most), but the brakes were a chunky corroded mess. Calipers were junk, pistons frozen, toast.

Plus, it's all aftermarket. Wilwood probably won't go away any time soon, but all the replacement and wearing parts do come from them.

So I like getting stuff from DoctorDiff. Sure the hubs and caliper brackets are aftermarket, but the rotors, pads, calipers, etc are factory parts you can get almost anywhere. And there's even a workaround for the hubs. There's also a guy at Invincible Extremes Muscle Car Garage that makes brackets for the GT500 calipers for 14" and 15" rotors. So lots of options now, more than what Wilwood provides. And if I was gonna go fully aftermarket I'd probably go with Baer, at least you're getting something more for the crazy price.

 

[autoxcuda]

No problem Mike! Happy to help if I can.

I've run through multiple different iterations of suspensions on my Challenger and my Duster over the 100k+ I've driven them. Found some things that worked really well, broke a few things that didn't and have upgraded parts a few times for all kinds of different reasons. I'm pretty happy with what I've got now, so, I try to share what I've learned. Obviously I have my own opinions on stuff and some of that is definitely shaped by the amount of street driving I do.

@DoctorDiff (Cass) is a great resource and vendor. If you need BBP axles that's the first place I'd go. I also run his brake kits on my Duster, currently I've got his 13" cobra style kit on the front with is 11.7" disk kit on the back. In the relatively near future I'm going to be installing his 13" Viper caliper kit on the front. He's got a bunch of great brake kits, I'd go with DoctorDiff before I ran anything from Wilwood. Only way I'd do something else might be if I decided to spend the coin on a Baer kit.

As for the rallyes, the 17" aluminum versions do not have great backspace for the front of an A-body. I really like the YearOne 17" Magnums, but, they're not the best width/backspace combo for an A. For a B/E body they're perfect.

I think these cars can look good with a lot of different styles of wheel, you just have to get things fit right with the wheel specs, ride height, tire height, etc. Even some of the popular "tuner" wheels look good if done well IMHO. But I may be biased.

View attachment 1715949922

granted this idea is a little “out there” and sorta complicated…

What about the possibility of Year One. 17x9 rallye’s all the way around? They have 5” backspace.

in front run 275/40/17 and roll top of fender lip and fold front lower lip.

in rear run 275/40/17 tires 3/8” to 1/2” spacers. And have dr Diff install longer studs on the axles he’s ordering

you’d have to get the rims and tires and mock them up now BEFORE the car is painted.

 

[TT5.9mag]

They're just really expensive for what they are. Maybe 20 years ago their 4 piston calipers were impressive, but they're still just using the same basic design and trading on their name brand.

Also not a fan of safety wiring my hubs and rotors together, or their ridiculously large hub diameter on the Mopar kits that makes even aftermarket wheel selection troublesome. Seriously look at the hub diameter, it's 3.1" now. Even the factory hubs can be an issue for wheel center bore clearance at 2.7". Plus I pulled a set of Wilwoods of a buddy's car recently. Now granted, that car had been sitting for a little bit before he bought it (a couple years at most), but the brakes were a chunky corroded mess. Calipers were junk, pistons frozen, toast.

Plus, it's all aftermarket. Wilwood probably won't go away any time soon, but all the replacement and wearing parts do come from them.

So I like getting stuff from DoctorDiff. Sure the hubs and caliper brackets are aftermarket, but the rotors, pads, calipers, etc are factory parts you can get almost anywhere. And there's even a workaround for the hubs. There's also a guy at Invincible Extremes Muscle Car Garage that makes brackets for the GT500 calipers for 14" and 15" rotors. So lots of options now, more than what Wilwood provides. And if I was gonna go fully aftermarket I'd probably go with Baer, at least you're getting something more for the crazy price.

Thanks for the response. I get it. And I agree that for what 90% of people do with their cars, Dr Diff has something for them. And it will be a well thought out solution.

 

[autoxcuda]

Willwood does have 6 piston 13" and 14" setups, right?

 

[TT5.9mag]

Willwood does have 6 piston 13" and 14" setups, right?

Not sure about mopar kits but I have a 13” 4 piston setup on my falcon.

 

[72bluNblu]

granted this idea is a little “out there” and sorta complicated…

What about the possibility of Year One. 17x9 rallye’s all the way around? They have 5” backspace.

in front run 275/40/17 and roll top of fender lip and fold front lower lip.

in rear run 275/40/17 tires 3/8” to 1/2” spacers. And have dr Diff install longer studs on the axles he’s ordering

you’d have to get the rims and tires and mock them up now BEFORE the car is painted.

The front is kinda gnarly. A 9” rim with 5” of backspace is a full 1”+ further out to the fender than the 18x9’s I run with 275’s. It can be done For sure but it’s gonna be a pretty big roll and push on the front fender. A 255 might work a little bit better. Just about how much bodywork you want to do. The 17x9” Magnum replica’s have a 5.125” backspace, not much better but every little bit helps if you’re using all the space and then some.

In the back with an A-body width 8 3/4 and BBP axles I don’t think you’d even need the spacers. With stock spring locations and BBP axles I was getting like 6” from wheel mounting surface to the springs. So, 5” of backspace, 1/2” of tire overhang, and you’ve got a 1/2” of clearance. Just about perfect.

Willwood does have 6 piston 13" and 14" setups, right?

Yes, for the B-body drum spindles. I looked at the 14” kit for my Duster, even bought the drum spindles. That hub still has the 2.62” snout diameter too. Honestly for a 6 piston set up the price on that kit isn’t terrible either.

But only the 4 piston kits for the disk spindles. My biggest gripes are with the 4 piston kits, they’re really nothing special and the hub diameter is a killer.

 

[fantum]

First, I hope all had a very enjoyable 4th of July weekend! I spent most of it with two of my granddaughters and had a very nice holiday weekend.

Just a little update. Went by the shop and my car was covered by a tarp, so no pictures today. But, there is progress as I was informed that my car is going to be moved into production after 3 other cars get through the initial bodywork stage. So, I hope to see some work by the end of the month.

I have also ordered much of the front suspension parts, still need shocks, torsion bars (considering a little smaller bar - 1.06/1.08), and the USCT stiffening parts. I prefer to call to see what discounts are available (got some "Good Guys" and veteran discounts from Summit and hope to do the same with USCT (they close at 4:00 Monday - Thursday and are closed on Friday) and Firm Feel (torsion bars).

Regarding the axles and other rear end parts, I have had others discuss Strange Engineering and although I mentioned Dr. Diff and had others indicate they have purchased their parts from Cass, can I ask if anyone considered Strange and if they went with their parts or elected Dr. Diff over them and why? To that end, I'm searching for a good (hopefully local) technician to rebuild the rear end so I can ensure I order everything I need in one shot.

That's about it. I can't tell you guys how much I've enjoyed - and taken advantage of - your input, and look forward to much more in the future.

Enjoy the weekend!


MIKE
FANTUM

 

[fantum]

Just received a picture of the car at the body shop. Metal inside the car includes fenders, a new right side quarter panel, a new tail panel, and a new floor with a 4-speed hump. More pics to follow as the project progresses.

 

[fantum]

UPDATE.

Went by the shop today. Looks like they have begun working on the car - the body has been stripped in preparation of metal work that should start soon. Here's a couple of pics.

MIKE
fantum