Rear Suspension Questions

[74 340 4speed]

My 'Cuda's springs are sagging pretty bad in the back now.  Almost everytime I pull out of my driveway my exhaust scrapes the ground.  I have been looking at 2 setups for my car.  The super stock springs and the cal-tracs.   I've been reading the catalogs on the SS springs, but I'm not certain what all I would have to purchase to make them work correctly on my car.  If I go this route, I just want to have all the parts and pieces so that when I start, I can finish it in a weekend.  Right now the car has an original E-Body Dana 60, rear sway bar, and stock 1974 springs.  I believe that the SS springs would be better for me since the car isn't an all out drag car, but I know that I will eventually put a stroked 440 or a Hemi in it so when I upgrade the rear suspension, I want to do it correctly the first time. 



older pic, better angle.



also, anyone know a source for rear sway bar bushings and end links?

[Chryco Psycho]

SS springs require a different front hangar so as long as ytou buy new front bolts no issue just bolt the hangers onto the springs & bolt them into place with new U bolts over the diff & reuse the rear shackles
 Energy suspension has the end links , the rear bushing would need to be squeezed into place or cut the welds to install them

[Dragula]

Don't shoot me on this, but I have never liked any of the SS springs I have purchased. In my bick block car, it flatened them, or de-arched them shortly after buying them. My small block car road like a truck, and it raised it over 2". Neither of which I wanted in a spring. The best bang for the buck are the mono's with Caltrac's. Car launches hard and straight, no sagging, no one side is higher than the other requiring you to re-adjust all the front suspension to correct, which makes the car drive funny under hard accel. Customer service is top notch as well. And now that the chinese have got into manufacturing them, good luck getting a good set.

Last set I took off one of my cars was almost a 6" difference leaf to leaf.....

Actually, I might have a brand new set for an E-body in the garage if interested. I can go find them tomorrow and get you the numbers off them if you want. LMK.

Here is a link to the pics:
http://s427.photobucket.com/albums/pp357/cudahalr/70HemiCuda/?start=all

[carguybradd]

 

[74 340 4speed]

The best bang for the buck are the mono's with Caltrac's. Car launches hard and straight, no sagging, no one side is higher than the other requiring you to re-adjust all the front suspension to correct, which makes the car drive funny under hard accel. Customer service is top notch as well.

How do the cal-tracs do on the street ride quality wise, or do you drive your car on the street any?  I don't want something that will rattle my teeth out.  What type of shocks are you running with yours, rancho's?  I've got the drivetrain to take the abuse, so why not have a suspension that will plant the power to the ground.   

[Chryco Psycho]

Cal Tracs do not hurt the ride quality at all . My experience is they don`t make any 60' difference either though

[Bullitt-]

From the pics your springs don't appear to actually be sagging, almost flat is normal, lot of members have been happy with add-a-leaf approach...ck these posts
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=51119.0
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=44537.0

[ksierens]

I bought a nice set or reproduction end links and bushings for a member here, farmboy70

[Dragula]

I have a set of Mono's out in the garage that fit an E-body, brand new only mounted on the car once. Iif you want them. $200+ shipping. I will get the numbers off them later today if nothing else comes up.

As for the ride, I was politely surprised. My last set of small block SS springs road like a 1-ton. These ride smoother than any other leafs I have bought new. The big block used to take the springs and wrap them up really hard, broke two pinion snubbers, while the monos with the bars, there is no spring wrap, it just hits...The feel on the launch is very much like a ladder bar car. I have both, and actually drive the ladder bar car more, but both ride and drive on the street very well.

[74 340 4speed]

I bought a nice set or reproduction end links and bushings for a member here, farmboy70

Thanks for the info!

[74 340 4speed]

As for the ride, I was politely surprised. My last set of small block SS springs road like a 1-ton. These ride smoother than and leafs I have bought new. The big block used to take the springs and wrap them up really hard, broke two pinion snubbers, while the monos with the bars, there is no spring wrap, it just hits...The feel on the launch is very much like a ladder bar car. I have both, and actually drive the ladder bar car more, but both ride and drive on the street very well.

Thanks for the information.  I've got a 69 D300 so I know how rough they can be .  I think I will give the cal-tracs a try in the near future.

[Dragula]

Calvert P#'s as labled:

Fronts LF120-345
Rears LR237-450