Using E-body SS springs on a A-body?

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694spd

694spd

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I have a mid 70's set of Chrysler E-Body SS springs #3571088-9 that I thought I would install on my 69 Dart. The length of them is right with a 20" front segment and a 35" rear segment. Where I ran into a problem is the rear spring eye. The E-body spring uses a larger diameter shackle bushing. Is there anyway to adapt the E-body larger bushing to the A-body shackle?
 
Or will the e-body shackle adapt to the a-body?

I haven't compared them myself. Is there a difference in the bushing ID or OD?

Maybe mix and match the bushings to see if you can get one of them to work with one of the shackles...
 
694spd said:
I have a mid 70's set of Chrysler E-Body SS springs #3571088-9 that I thought I would install on my 69 Dart. The length of them is right with a 20" front segment and a 35" rear segment. Where I ran into a problem is the rear spring eye. The E-body spring uses a larger diameter shackle bushing. Is there anyway to adapt the E-body larger bushing to the A-body shackle?
Click to expand...

I ran into a problem with the springs on the rear of my Dart with the spring eye being larger but I'm not sure what springs are in it.
The eye is 1" ID and I wanted to use the stock A body shackles with the 1/2 inch shackle pins. I used Energy suspension 2.2117G bushings but they sell a few sizes.
http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/universal-link-flange-type-bushings.asp
 
The A-body shackle bushings have a 7/8" OD and a 1/2" ID and the E-body bushings have a 1" OD and a 9/16" ID. It seems in order to use the E-body spring on a A-body. I would need a shackle that was 1/2" on one end and 9/16" on the other end. I wonder if there is such a thing?
 
Or a way to get an a-body bushing to open up to 9/16" ID...


Maybe with a "cookie cutter" or some sort of 9/16" bar that you heat up and gradually try to open up the ID of the bushing a little at a time....


I had to "tweak" the fit of a gas tank grommet with the help of my toaster oven and a few "mandrels" to get it to open up on the ID and squeeze down the OD...
 
Kman521 already gave you the answer, Energy Suspension 2.2117G's will solve your problem.

Use the regular A-body 1/2" shackles and those bushings, which have a inner diameter for the 1/2"" bolt and an outer diameter for the 1" spring eye. The upper part of the shackle will use the regular A-body bushings.

I had the same bushings on my car before I went to spring sliders because the AFCO springs I run use a 1" rear eye.

As far as the E-body SS springs, all of the SS springs are the same length (almost A-body length). They'll move your axle center back about a 1/2", but the same goes for any SS spring. That should actually center your rear wheels in the wheel opening. They also all have the same diameter spring eyes. The difference will be that those springs were intended for a heavier car, so more than likely the rear of your Dart will end up sky high, with a buckboard like ride quality. I'd say exactly how bad they'll be, but I don't see that part number listed with the current SS spring offerings, so I'm not sure what weight they're rated for.
 
72bluNblu said:
Kman521 already gave you the answer, Energy Suspension 2.2117G's will solve your problem.

Use the regular A-body 1/2" shackles and those bushings, which have a inner diameter for the 1/2"" bolt and an outer diameter for the 1" spring eye. The upper part of the shackle will use the regular A-body bushings.

I had the same bushings on my car before I went to spring sliders because the AFCO springs I run use a 1" rear eye.

As far as the E-body SS springs, all of the SS springs are the same length (almost A-body length). They'll move your axle center back about a 1/2", but the same goes for any SS spring. That should actually center your rear wheels in the wheel opening. They also all have the same diameter spring eyes. The difference will be that those springs were intended for a heavier car, so more than likely the rear of your Dart will end up sky high, with a buckboard like ride quality. I'd say exactly how bad they'll be, but I don't see that part number listed with the current SS spring offerings, so I'm not sure what weight they're rated for.
Click to expand...

You are probably right about the back end being sky high with the E-body springs. I found the specs on the springs in a old Direction Connection Performance book. They listed them for a 3600 lb approx. car weight with a 125 lb./in. spring rate.
 
694spd said:
You are probably right about the back end being sky high with the E-body springs. I found the specs on the springs in a old Direction Connection Performance book. They listed them for a 3600 lb approx. car weight with a 125 lb./in. spring rate.
Click to expand...

Interesting. My understanding of the SS springs was that they started around 140 lb/in and went up from there. But I haven't seen much of anything for published data on spring rates for those.

If they truly are 125 lb/in springs, the rate isn't bad at all. I run 121 lb/in springs on my Duster and still use a 7/8" sway bar. The only issue then would be how high the arch is. And of course, the usual SS spring issue with the car not sitting level side to side.
 
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