Need to stiffen my rear 68 dart suspension

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tooslow

tooslow

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I need to stiffen my rear leaf springs for handling corners Where can i get heavier duty leaf springs or should i go with coilover shocks???
Yes, Hodgkis sells leaf springs for $700 bucks but I dont want to lower the car.
Are the Hodgkis springs really worth the $700 ??? I dont know?
 
not sure exactly what you want..

espo has nice XHD springs at stock, +1" and +2" heights that work well.

you want more you can go with firm feel or hotchkis springs.

all depends on what you want from the car and how much you want to spend.
 
As said depends on what you results want. A cheap set of half leafs from JC Whitney will lift it about 2 inches and make it stiff over speed bumps. A rear sway bar will help more in cornering.
 
RedFish said:
As said depends on what you results want. A cheap set of half leafs from JC Whitney will lift it about 2 inches and make it stiff over speed bumps. A rear sway bar will help more in cornering.[/QUOTE]

DING DING DING !! We have a winner !!

A rear sway bar will have a lot more effect on your cornering without giving you a buckboard ride (like a lowered ricer) and it is a lot easier to install.
Click to expand...
 
abodyjoe said:
if the rear springs are just plain worn out he may need those as well.
Click to expand...

I have a Hodgkis sway bar front and rear but I need a stiffer leaf spring. Track car so dont care about bumpy ride on the street and raising the car an inch would be a plus!!!

What about using the "add a leaf" JC set-up to try it.
Do you guy's think i would be waisting money.
The back end of my car is scooting out in the twisties. I need to plant those 315 rear tires more firmly. The front end has all HD everything including aftermarket A a rms but only sway bar and Wilwoods in back
 
As for the Hotchkis lowering the rear, if you still have the original springs your rear end is probably already lowered that amount. Remember that while a spring's rate never changes, it never returns to exactly the same shape after each compression. That's why springs "settle" or sag over time.

If you are wanting to raise the rear for that "jacked up" 70's look, (some call it the stink bug look, I think it makes a car look as if it wished to be mounted from behind by an Oldsmobile) this will hurt handling. Lowering moderately is almost always better for handling.

As stated above, a rear sway bar will help a lot, but don't even consider it until you have a front bar. What are you running for torsion bars, an what is the general condition of your front suspension? That is, how long ago was it rebuilt?
 
My Duster handled like it was on rails lowered by flipping the front spring hangars with SS springs and a 7/8" rear bar. Very stiff, neutral handler like what you are looking for. Only problem was it bottomed out too easily. I have since "un"-flipped the spring hangars due to spring sag, bringing it back to a stockish ride height, instead of the lower-in-back look.
 
Your right Sir, They are only $380 and not bad. I will try them. I have new stock leafsprings now
 
This is only what I think and not what I know from experience.
Body roll in cornering is basicly centrifugal force. Weight is transfered from one spring to the other. Stronger springs would have about the same effect as no springs.
Stabilizer bars limit the body roll by transfering the force from the spring which ends up in the frame. But wait, there is no frame, it's a unibody. What I'm getting at is a strong stabilizer bar or pair of bars would flex or twist on the car unless subframe connectors are also added.
 
RedFish said:
This is only what I think and not what I know from experience.
Body roll in cornering is basicly centrifugal force. Weight is transfered from one spring to the other. Stronger springs would have about the same effect as no springs.
Stabilizer bars limit the body roll by transfering the force from the spring which ends up in the frame. But wait, there is no frame, it's a unibody. What I'm getting at is a strong stabilizer bar or pair of bars would flex or twist on the car unless subframe connectors are also added.
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You are right about the subframe connectors, they should be his priority if he doesn't have them yet.
 
raising the front or rear of a car always has a negative effect on handling due to the higher center of gravity
new quality stock height 6 leaf rear springs and new front torsion bars in the .9" +or- range will help

http://www.eatonsprings.com/
 
caferacerx said:
raising the front or rear of a car always has a negative effect on handling due to the higher center of gravity
new quality stock height 6 leaf rear springs and new front torsion bars in the .9" +or- range will help

http://www.eatonsprings.com/
Click to expand...

I have .960 torsion bars
Custom upper control arms
nylon bushings
Modified braced lower control arms
hodgkis front sway bar
Wilwood front and rear brakes
frame connectors
torque box connectors
6 point cage welded
front frame shock tower braces
brace tieing shock towers together
REAR
Hodgkis sway bar
stock new leafs
KYB shocks

The back end of my car slides out in the turns when I am PUSHING IT trying to keep up with the fast Nissans, porches, BMW's

Not to many people care about road racing MOPARS so help is hard to find!!!
Lots of old FAST Mustangs but they don't get to excited about the DART

I SO APPRIECIATE ALL YOUR INPUT GUY'S
 
ESPO's are $100 cheaper and stiffer?????? HMhttp://www.mustangdepot.com/OnLineCatalog/Suspension/mr-phr.htm

GOOD stuff
Looking at MAIER Panhard KIT .Its close and I can make it fit
 
tooslow said:
I have .960 torsion bars
Custom upper control arms
nylon bushings
Modified braced lower control arms
hodgkis front sway bar
Wilwood front and rear brakes
frame connectors
torque box connectors
6 point cage welded
front frame shock tower braces
brace tieing shock towers together
REAR
Hodgkis sway bar
stock new leafs
KYB shocks

The back end of my car slides out in the turns when I am PUSHING IT trying to keep up with the fast Nissans, porches, BMW's

Not to many people care about road racing MOPARS so help is hard to find!!!
Lots of old FAST Mustangs but they don't get to excited about the DART

I SO APPRIECIATE ALL YOUR INPUT GUY'S
Click to expand...


sounds like a nice set up
could the problem be to much throttle in the turns causing wheel spin and resulting loss of traction?

what rear? locker? sure grip? open? with any limited slip type rear, power in a turn must be carefully balanced

I am sure "autoxcuda" will chime in with some good advice any time now
 
Increasing rear roll stiffness might not be what you want with the over steer situation.
 
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