Restoration of an origonal owner 73 Challenger Rallye

[burdar]

Big day today!  The rear axle assembly is installed and the car is stitting on its rear suspension for the first time in 14 years.

[ChallengerHK]

Outstanding! Your car is much like a time machine for me; that's a lot like what mine looked like when I bought it.

[burdar]

I had some 15x8 Rallye wheels sitting around with 235-60 drag radials mounted up so they went on for the time being.  They do look good on there but the Road Wheels will look a lot better.






The only thing I noticed right away is that I don't want to use the poly swaybar bushings in the rear.  They are soo stiff that I'm sure the studs will bend/break in no time.  Does anyone have a brand new set of rubber bushings they want to trade?

[71gogreen]

The car looks great!I love that modern black top with gray combo.I bet centerline rims would really compliment the package nicely. What are your plans for the rims?

[Jamiez]

Grats   Looks like all that hard work is starting to pay off.

[burdar]

What are your plans for the rims?

Stock 14" Road Wheels(Magnum 500 style) with reproduction Polyglass tires.

[GranCuda1970]

Really lookin good man!

[dutch]

Really lookin good man!

what he says... 

[EB3-GranCoupe]

   The black vinyl top, and strobe stripes really look nice against the metallic gray paint!! magnum's are the way to roll!

[ChallengerHK]

The other option for the bushings would be bigger links, but as I recall you're trying to stay as stock as possible.

[burdar]

Yep, the bolts that came with the bushings were 3/8" and a grade 5 I think.  The stock links taper down and use a 5/16" nut.  They'll break for sure.  A lot of them bend with the stock rubber bushings. 

[Slotts]

Hey Darren,

Nice work. It's really coming along! 

Slotts

[Grec]

I love reading the updates in this thread, but invariably they end up making me notice all the flaws in my car. Thanks, dude!

Kidding aside, it's looking awesome...

As for those studs breaking with the extra rigidity of ploy bushings... is this something you've heard happening on other e-bodies?

I ask because at some point I'll be going through the rear suspension and would prob have gone poly, as I have with everything else so far...

[burdar]

I've seen the stock links bend just from the rubber bushings the factory used.  I really had to pull on the links hard to get the stud up into the swaybar hole.  Now that the car is on the ground, the angles are better and I'd be able to get the link hooked up.  However, with the suspension unloaded, you can see that there would be a ton of stress on the link.  I guess I don't know 100% sure I'd have a problem but I'm fairly certain.  "Moparal" sent these links to me and I really don't want to snap them in two the first bump I go over.

Now I'm thinking about the front strut rod bushings.  I reused the original bolt and spacer up front.  It went together fine but isn't as beefy as the bolt/spacer that came with the poly bushings.

[hooD]

Yep, the bolts that came with the bushings were 3/8" and a grade 5 I think.  The stock links taper down and use a 5/16" nut.  They'll break for sure.  A lot of them bend with the stock rubber bushings.

factory rear links