Just ordered XV level II suspension

[MoparCar]

Do you get everything to work with the XV? About how long is the 3rd link? Do you have any detail pictures of that upper link?

Thanks,

[gkring]

short link below the aluminum control arm is the third link. Maybe a foot long?
No special locating instructions, which is kind of weird considering all the other engineering that went into this setup.
Most shops using a three link use one alot longer that has to be channelled underneath the rear seat. I don't understand what is so magical about a three link versus the easier to setup noparallel fourlink similar to the air ride bars. That would have eliminated the panhard bar which is causing the most trouble right now. I will have to have a custom tank made to clear the panhard bar and the dana 60 due to the size of the dana. Pushing the tank two inches further rearward is all the room you would need, but the factory tank does not have that much room to move before it hits the rear roll pan.
To those considering this I recommend using an 8.75 rear and putting ford 9 inch bearing ends on it due to the wide availability of brakes for them.

[MoparCar]

Thanks for the pictures. Wow, that is unusually short for a three link. I was wondering how they packaged that since like you said many cut through the floor and back seat. I wonder how they handle the panhard when they get a request for the Dana and stock tank? It appears they must treat it as a custom build and not as a kit?

Thanks, Wes

[jvike]

Any progress here? I'm installing the Level II myself, struggeling with the swaybar holes right now. Pictures on my fquick site.

[gkring]

Any progress here? I'm installing the Level II myself, struggeling with the swaybar holes right now. Pictures on my fquick site.

What pictures? I see tons of pictures, lots of women, but no XV stuff. I will tell you their template isn' worth the paper it was printed on. It is liek they made a copy, but enlarged it so it did not actually line up on the car frame rail anywhere. You will have to have it all mocked up at ride height and know where it ends up at maximum comnpression to make sure the sway bar clears. I used a piece of PVC tubing cut to fit inside the frame rails to check clearance before drilling the 2 inch holes in the frame rails. Measure twenty times, cut once!

['Cuda Hunter]

I saw the pics on the fquick site.  Lots of good ones.  Thanks jvike for the pics.  They showed alot of detail and explained alot. 
  The pics of the girls were good also.  Cool site. 

[gkring]

Found them.
I would be sure to mount your gas tank as well to check for panhard bar clearance as well. again, make a rod that fits inside the frame rails and you can slide the sway bar sleeves on them and check for clearances before cutting those large holes. PVC pipe is very cheap and easy to work with.

[jvike]

What women did you see??

Here's the link for the Rear suspension pics: http://www.fquick.com/garages/viewgallery.php?albumid=2&carid=10845

I've got an aluminium pipe to steer the sleeves with, but I might need a shorter one to go between the rails. The XV template is useless for sure.

[MoparCar]

Have you test fit a 335 tire on the Challenger? I'm interested to know if it can be done without notching the frame. I know XV shows the 335 with no mini tubs and their suspension with the lower arms tight to the frame rails, but they roll the fender lip and with the panhard bar's slight side movement with travel I'd like to know the real world clearance. This isn't really that much of a XV specific question, more or less I'd like to know what you've found for a Challenger which is slightly wider in the wheel tub than a Cuda. At top of suspension travel how close is a 335 to the sides of the top of the wheel housing and the fender lip?

Thanks, Wes

[gkring]

it is TIGHT.
tight enough the tire will not fit without rolling the fenders, so that gives you an idea of how close it is. Ideally the panhard bar cuts down on the side to side sway even if it does travel in an arc. From ride height to full compression you are talking about 2 inches of downward travel and it will still clear fine. XV's ride height is a little higher than what I am going to do. if you were to go full airbag or another type of slammed look there will not be enough clearance in the top of the wheelwell to accomplish it with 335 and no minitub.
I am only trying to go an inch or two lower at the rockers than the as setup XV design and it will clear at that height. If I remember right I am going for 7 inches from rocker in front of the rear wheels to the ground.

[MoparCar]

That's the info I was looking for. I want and will do 335s but I want a comfort zone on the clearance (no good to have an awesome suspension if the tire will rub under hard cornering.....) This is making lean more towards the mini tub and possibly notching the frame rail like Travis72 did. On the Challenger we do have about another 3/4 before the frame rail though.

Thanks. Post some pics if you have them.

Wes

[gkring]

One more thing I thought of. No room to minitub if you use the XV rear suspension due to the sway bar being in the way. if you use an airbar setup with a conventional swaybar or no swaybar then you will have room to minitub, but will have to move the lower links in even further like Travis72 did.

[gkring]

finished mocking the rear today. Pulled it back out and ready to ship to DR.Diff to get powder coated and finished out. I just tacked most of the welds and will let a pro finish out the welds. The steel cover is a must to clear the panhard bar. All aftermarket cast covers I tried did not even come close to clearing.

[gkring]

Panhard mount supplied was not going to work. I had to make my own that was about 1.5 inches longer to be able to get the correct angle on the panhard bar so it would fit between the tank and diff cover. The front mount also did not line up correctly. I don't know if this is a bracket problem or the Strange Diff is different than a stock Dana in this area. I just cut the cut the flange in half, doubled the flange, welded it, and redrilled the holes in the correct spot.

[gkring]

couple shot of the panhard bar and brace. Only have about 1/2 inch clearance between bars from each other or the gas tank. As long as they clear that is all that matters. I also had to make a new cross brace for the frame portion of the panhard bar mount. The one supplied was a very short J shape. Not only did it get too close to the shock springs it also was not going to allow very much exhaust clearance. I made it longer so it would connect right behind the diff center and give plenty of exhaust clearance. I'll see if I can take a picture from the rear showing the exhaust clearance needed.