Author Topic: Front End Rebuild / Improvments  (Read 5401 times)

Offline jimynick

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Re: Front End Rebuild / Improvments
« Reply #15 on: February 27, 2014 - 09:57:40 PM »
Jas, did you take it to Tommy? If you did, take it back and tell him exactly what you want and didn't like about the present setup. He's a decent guy and should help you. Ian




Offline CUDA JAS

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Re: Front End Rebuild / Improvments
« Reply #16 on: February 27, 2014 - 10:01:19 PM »
Hey thanks for posting and the link to your other thread!  :2thumbs:

Do you have a sense of how much of a benefit the poly bushing provide over a stock type?  Or is it important to include when making the other upgrades? 

Did you make any of the frame upgrades?

Its tough to make a comparison between stock and the new pieces, my stock stuff, was pretty worn out (especially the hard parts).  So everything seems to work better.

I did reinforce the K-member in the usual spots.  I have not noticed a huge difference, for a number of reasons, mainly I have only drive the car a few 100 miles, and the manual steering sucks, you do not want to get too aggressive in the corners, so I have not really pushed it to notice any difference.

One of these days I will get some frame connectors too.

As I said, I am in the process of switching to power steering, so I am hopeful that will make the car more fun to drive and I will notice the benefit of the new parts.

Jason
74 'cuda 360/727



Gearhead: car nut, automotive enthusiast, one who loves hot rods, muscle cars, hot trucks, burnin' rubber and neck snapping performance. 

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Offline dodj

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Re: Front End Rebuild / Improvments
« Reply #17 on: February 27, 2014 - 10:24:48 PM »
No not exactly.

He was supposed to be the muscle car guy.
When I had my most recent alignment. I told him the numbers I'd like him to try and get. He was a bit skeptical as he pointed out the factory numbers. I said I won't hold him responsible if he gets the numbers i want and I'm unhappy. So he said "it's your car" and aligned it like I asked.
All the positive caster you can get, which turned out to be 3.5*,  -.5 camber, and 1/16 toe.
Scott
1973 Challenger  440 4 spd 
2007.5 3500 6.7 Cummins Diesel, Anarchy tuned.
Good friends don't let friends do stupid things. ........alone.

Offline Road_Runner

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Re: Front End Rebuild / Improvments
« Reply #18 on: March 04, 2014 - 01:50:29 PM »
When I had my most recent alignment. I told him the numbers I'd like him to try and get. He was a bit skeptical as he pointed out the factory numbers. I said I won't hold him responsible if he gets the numbers i want and I'm unhappy. So he said "it's your car" and aligned it like I asked.
All the positive caster you can get, which turned out to be 3.5*,  -.5 camber, and 1/16 toe.

Any issue with tire wear?  What specs did you ask for exactly?  I seem to remember someone here saying to ask for the same setup as a Musang GT, but don't remembert the year they specified.  Hopefully, I'm going to start installing some of these same upgrades later this year.

Thanks, Jim
1970 383 Roadrunner Tor Red
1973 318 Barracuda Mist Green
2014 Mustang GT/CS Convertible All Black

Offline dodj

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Re: Front End Rebuild / Improvments
« Reply #19 on: March 04, 2014 - 03:51:20 PM »
Any issue with tire wear?  What specs did you ask for exactly?  I seem to remember someone here saying to ask for the same setup as a Musang GT, but don't remembert the year they specified.  Hopefully, I'm going to start installing some of these same upgrades later this year.

Thanks, Jim
No excessive wear noticed but only have about 1000 mile put on since the alignment. I asked for 4* caster, -.5 camber and 1/16 toe. Recommended to me by CP, 72blunblu and a few others. I'm happy with it.
I don't know enough about front end geometry for this to be a conclusive answer, but I don't think just putting the alignment numbers of a Mustang on our e-bodies will make them handle like a new Mustang. :2cents: If that was the intent of the poster you are reffering to
Scott
1973 Challenger  440 4 spd 
2007.5 3500 6.7 Cummins Diesel, Anarchy tuned.
Good friends don't let friends do stupid things. ........alone.

Offline HP2

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Re: Front End Rebuild / Improvments
« Reply #20 on: March 05, 2014 - 09:45:53 AM »
I've made recommendations like that.  Subaru too.  The intention is not to make them handle like a late model car, well... in the bigger picture it is but that requires more than just alignment, although it helps, a lot.

The problem is many of the young "toe and go" alignment techs of today are unable to punch in specific numbers for an old car that are outside of the database recommendations, if they even have a database that goes back far enough. If you give them a late model car to punch up specs to, then they have a target to shoot for. Granted, a modern car will have even more aggressive specs, but when your mopar ends up a few degrees short of 2005 specs, you thank the kid, pay for the job, and head out down the road with an improvement over the Mopar factory spec of negative caster, positive camber.

However, you need to be somewhat cognizant of what your after to make decisions like these work in your favor. If you just walk in the shop and say "slap a 2005 WRX alignment on my car" and can't walk the kid through it, he will be confused by the lack of rear adjustment and think You are an idiot and you will be frustrated by his lack of ability and think He's an idiot. You're trying to provide a target point for them to shoot for knowing full well he probably can't hit it, but knowing that reaching a percentage of that goal is better than the 1970 specs you would otherwise get.