Show That Lowered A-body!

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Pics of the dart, Lowering blocks in back and torsion bars lowered in front, rides fine when driven...
Mike

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johnparts Updated front end shot. 20" wheel fender lip 23 1/4 " from the ground.
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Very cool. Only possible with custom front suspension of course.



Determining front wheel backspace is a tough part of the planning process for me. I could order a wheel and check fit, but in general once a tire is mounted they cannot be returned. I'm thinking about slicing the center out of an old wheel for mock up purposes.

I'd like input on what is the ideal front wheel backspace for lowering a 69 Dart using the factory suspension. From what I've read on this site, it seems about 5 1/4" with an 8" wheel will keep things just inside the fender. That would translate to 4 3/4" with a 7" wide wheel.

Any input?? :hello2:
 
johnparts said:
Updated front end shot. 20" wheel fender lip 23 1/4 " from the ground.

IMAG0068.jpg
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Idaho said:
Very cool. Only possible with custom front suspension of course.
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Incorrect. You can get that low with stock suspension.

My Cuda has stock type Hotchkis parts and has had completely stock parts I have run it at 23 1/2" from top of fender lip to ground with cast iron exhaust.

But currently it is set at 24" fender lip to ground for header clearance. The headers are your limit before the suspension. I drive my car a lot and go into parking lots with speed bumps or driveways that have a crown. Even right now it will scrap the header flanges slightly.
 
That's very interesting. I know he's doing a HemiDenny slammer K and assumed this is out of necessity. He's also got a 20" wheel but I suppose that does not change things so much but just means less tire sidewall. He also mentions needing to raise the inner fenders. I suspect you avoid that with smaller diameter tires? I'm thinking of running 18s.

I've been thinking I may need to spend some cash on TTI headers. Kinda hard on the budget.

I've read a lot of your suspension related posts and have learned from them. I just installed the Moog offset bushings per your diagrams so I owe you a thanks!

I guess your wheel offset requirement will differ on a Cuda?
 
Idaho said:
That's very interesting. I know he's doing a HemiDenny slammer K and assumed this is out of necessity. He's also got a 20" wheel but I suppose that does not change things so much but just means less tire sidewall. He also mentions needing to raise the inner fenders. I suspect you avoid that with smaller diameter tires? I'm thinking of running 18s.
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It depends what his overall tire diameter is. My diameter of the 275/40/17 set-up I have on the front of my car right now for mock up is 25.75" The Minilite rims have 245/50/15 tires with only 24.5" diameter and gives me 24" from fender top to ground. But I run flat poly 1/2" tall LCA bumpstops or no bumpstop at all.

If it is real tall tire AND you want the car low, you will probably need the 2" dropped spindles. I'm guessing Johnparts' 20" rims have a tire with at least 26.25" diameter (225/35/20?). Johnparts?? Around that size you start being forced to run a dropped spindle.

I've been thinking I may need to spend some cash on TTI headers. Kinda hard on the budget.

I've read a lot of your suspension related posts and have learned from them. I just installed the Moog offset bushings per your diagrams so I owe you a thanks!

I guess your wheel offset requirement will differ on a Cuda?
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The maximum backspace setting in the front should be the same for any 67-76 A-body running 73-76 disk spindles or F/M/J body disk spindles. And might only be slightly different for OE 67-72 4 piston brakes. This is because the suspension and frame side is the same for all 67-76 A-body. You may run into sway bar interference with high backspace rims with an original 67-72 wide style front sway bar.

Remember backspace doesn't care how wide the rim is. Backspace in the front gives you an idea of the clearance between the rim to the suspension pieces and clearance between the frame/innerfender and tire.

I have 5.6" backspace 17x8 rims with 275/40/17 tires on the front of my Barracuda right now. That tire is too wide for that rim. Should be a 17x9 rim. But that is what I had for mock up purposes. My top of the fender lips are rolled and the bottom front corner of the lip is bend in about 2". And you MUST run "flat roof" type upper ball joints.

You could run that much backspacing in the front of your Dart IF you run Hotchkis or Hellwig front sway bar that are more narrow or have bent arms respectively. But you will rub/smash on the stock bottom front fender lip. A 245/45/17 on that 17x8 with 5.6" backspacing rim would work on your Dart, but you need one of those sway bars and the bottom front fender lip bent in 2 inches.
 
The maximum backspace setting in the front should be the same for any 67-76 A-body running 73-76 disk spindles...
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Is this what you are running?

And might only be slightly different for OE 67-72 4 piston brakes.
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Just out of curiosity how does the brake setup change things? I'm using a 74 front suspension.

Remember backspace doesn't care how wide the rim is. Backspace in the front gives you an idea of the clearance between the rim to the suspension pieces and clearance between the frame/innerfender and tire.
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As i understand it the outer fender space varies. I believe Dusters have a wider fender than Darts and Demons. No idea where Cudas fit in. Does this not make the backspace requirement different for these cars?

I was thinking in terms of the effect of backspace on outer fender clearance when I talked about an 8" rim needing 1/2" more backspace than a 7" rim. This should put the tire in the same place relative to the outer fender.

Regarding the suspension side I am under the impression that an 18" rim clears any ball joints so my focus has been on the outer fender clearance.

You may run into sway bar interference with high backspace rims with an original 67-72 wide style front sway bar.
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I was unaware of sway bar clearance issues and had planned to run the bar that comes with the 74 suspension that I'm using. Changing to one of the aftermarket ones should not break the bank.

My top of the fender lips are rolled and the bottom front corner of the lip is bend in about 2".
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I was planning to roll the fenders. I'll do the fender bender too if needed.

I hope you don't mind all the questions. This info is hard to come by. I was emailing with Coys wheels but I think they got tired of my questions and quit replying. So... Many thanks!
 
Tire diameter is why I'm relocating my inner fenders. I also have rolled my fender lips for the 8" wide wheels. The other reason I'm moving the inner fender is so that when I let the air out of the bags they won't get in the way.
 
Here's my 68
 

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5258 said:
Pics of the dart, Lowering blocks in back and torsion bars lowered in front, rides fine when driven...
Mike
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Great looking car. Nice stance. Flat black is cool :)
 
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try again
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This is my old car before I sold it to VitaminC.....

23.5" to the center of the front wheel lip. All stock suspension accept Caltrac 90/10's up front. Rear had 1.5" De Arched MP Springs, no blocks and Rancho 9 way adjustable shocks with Caltrac's.

View attachment IMG_1544.jpg
 
Mad Dart said:
This is my old car before I sold it to VitaminC.....

23.5" to the center of the front wheel lip. All stock suspension accept Caltrac 90/10's up front. Rear had 1.5" De Arched MP Springs, no blocks and Rancho 9 way adjustable shocks with Caltrac's.

View attachment 1714577113
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Are those 14" front rims? What was the tire size if you remember?
 
Mad Dart said:
Thanks. Those are 325/50/15's , tucked they look a lot smaller. The rear will go alot lower than that. So much that the front wont keep up without major modifications to allow for steering down that low. Triangulated 4 Link and a Coil over conversion on the front.
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Dang! Some fat meats!
 
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