Author Topic: Ride Height On My 71 Challenger Convertible  (Read 808 times)

Offline daveh

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Ride Height On My 71 Challenger Convertible
« on: April 06, 2009 - 10:56:45 AM »
Hey guys I have a few questions about the height of my 71 Challenger convertible.  The complete front and rear suspension has been restored a few years ago but not ridden much.  I didn't do the work.  The heights on each corner is off and I'm trying to figure out the best way to correct everything.

Below are the current heights:
Driver Front 25-3/4"
Pass Front 26-3/8"

Driver Rear 28-1/8"
Pass Rear 29"

Now the front I would like to raise to the 26-3/8".  I figured adjusting the torsion bar would accomplish this.

The Rear I would like to lower to the 28-1/8". 

I didn't know if adjusting the front torsion bar would have any effect on the rear height.  I have reg shocks in the rear and I don't particularly want to install air shocks especially since I want to lower the car a bit.

Any and all suggestions you have for me would be great.

Thanks guys I appreciate it
Dave




Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: Ride Height On My 71 Challenger Convertible
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2009 - 11:01:21 AM »
the opposite T bars will lower the rear of the car so the left front T bar needs to be tightened to lower the RR

Challenger - You`ll wish You Hadn`t

Offline cudamax2343

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Re: Ride Height On My 71 Challenger Convertible
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2009 - 06:13:52 PM »
First off, don't ever put air shocks on the darn thing. It will ride like crap and ruin the leaf springs. You really can't take ride height from a fender or Quarter panel lip. You should be going off say for in the front, the lower control arms pinion snubber area (not off the pinion snubber itself say right next to it) of the control arm up to any point, and in the back maybe from the floor up to a spot just before the rear wheel. If you do mess with them your gone-a throw off your front end specs.

Like toe in toe out and caster and camber. By the way its really hard and expensive to get an Mopar into the right spec for handlling. You really want 4-6 degrees positive caster and your lucky if you get 1 degree positive with your average joe. That's for high speed stability for speeds over 70mph, makes a real big difference even if you can get it up to 1 degree positive.
 
Then you need about a 1/4 to 1/2 degrees negitive camber. Staying closer to a 1/4 will not chew up tires and toe at about a 3/32 out if you can put up with a little wandering. The slight negitive camber and slight toe out with make her handle a lot better and it will allow slight lean in on turns.

With the right tires and sway bars and in your case (a Rag top) the right platform support you can get-em to pull 1 g or more on a skid pad

Offline ShelbyDogg

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Re: Ride Height On My 71 Challenger Convertible
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2009 - 10:16:22 PM »
I couldn't read that last post because I got hypnotized by all of the bouncing. :bigsmile:

Rob
Rob

3 E-bodies, Megasquirt-1v3.0, Edelbrock Pro-Flo-1, Holley C950, FAST EZ-EFI; say no to carbs...yes to throttle bodies

My Pace Car restoration thread:
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=44869.0


Offline cudamax2343

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Re: Ride Height On My 71 Challenger Convertible
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2009 - 10:24:35 PM »
Yea she hot as a Hemi and purrs like a kitten and bounces a lot at Idle. :bananasmi :bananasmi :bananasmi :bananasmi :bananasmi :bananasmi :bananasmi :bananasmi :bananasmi :bananasmi :bananasmi :bananasmi :bananasmi