RMS vs XV front/rear suspension upgrades - what's better?

[Fish Tale]

I've heard about XV Motorsports but never heard about RMS (Reilly Motorsports) until I was watching an episode of Chop Cut Rebuild and the suspension work they were doing on a 69 Charger.

So now I have tons of questions. 

First, has anyone used or know of RMS's products?  Like their AlterKtion front suspension system?  How about their rear suspsenion (Street Lynx) system?

How are they compared to XV's products?  Based on their websites, RMS has lower prices compared to XV.  I also noticed that XV lower their prices.

Thoughts?

[Fish Tale]

If it helps, the car that I have is a 71 383 Cuda 4spd. 

[Confederate Cuda]

There are lots of us here running the Alterkation front set-up. I think that it works well and it was one of the best aftermaket parts that I bought for my car (and I bought a lot of them). Search the old threads, there are some with install pics included.

[IMNCARN82]

I have RMS front and rear. It is a great set-up. Performs very well.  The RMS is easier to install and costs less. it's based off MII stuff. where as the XV is more expensive,Slightly harder to install,And based off the C5 vette. I couldn't afford XV.But wanted something different. RMS is the best for the coin IMO.  The handling is better all around. Lighter front end,rack steering is precision. Coils can be upgraded. Lots of brake choices.  It really depends on what you want. For street it is a tad harsh of a ride,But I corner.     The car responds quicker. I had factory stuff with sways/shox,SS springs,discs up front.  Now it's flatter through the turns for sure. The rear lynx set up is a quick weld in. The coils cannot be compared to the leafs IMO. No contest.  Got 16K on her since.Never a problem.Did bust a sway bar mount. Oh,I'd really recommend power steering too.

[Fish Tale]

I have RMS front and rear. It is a great set-up. Performs very well.  The RMS is easier to install and costs less. it's based off MII stuff. where as the XV is more expensive,Slightly harder to install,And based off the C5 vette. I couldn't afford XV.But wanted something different. RMS is the best for the coin IMO.  The handling is better all around. Lighter front end,rack steering is precision. Coils can be upgraded. Lots of brake choices.  It really depends on what you want. For street it is a tad harsh of a ride,But I corner.     The car responds quicker. I had factory stuff with sways/shox,SS springs,discs up front.  Now it's flatter through the turns for sure. The rear lynx set up is a quick weld in. The coils cannot be compared to the leafs IMO. No contest.  Got 16K on her since.Never a problem.Did bust a sway bar mount. Oh,I'd really recommend power steering too.

I'm going the route of resto-mod on my 71 Cuda and so better brakes and suspension are what I'm thinking of... going for a better ride overall and the occasional corner. 

What brakes are you using?
Tranny?
You using any body stiffening components?
With your RMS, how hard would you think it would be to say put it all back to stock?

Thanks for your input.

[IMNCARN82]

I went with the Baer track series brakes front and rear.A TKO 5 speed trans.
Frame connectors,engine bay brace,front rad. Brace.

A well set up stock system can be made very comparable. There's lots of options. Shocks and tires.
To install the front unit requires the removal of the bottom out bumpers and bracket. And two holes through the frame each side. It uses the factory k bolts.

So,yes you could go back easy.The rear is a weld in upper shock mount. If you leave the old one in there,you could return to the leafs.

If I had the money and the time,The XV is a higher
end kit. Not sure on it's performance vs. Price.there
is a member here from over seas who has recently
finished an XV install.








There's lots of info. And great resources here. I could not have done it without these guys here.

R/T

[HP2]

I should preface this with the statement that I do not have either system, nor have I done exentensive analysis on either system. With that...

RMS has been around longer and is a very well designed system that has many thousands of customers and I have never heard anything bad from anyone who has installed them. By contrast, XV was developed exclusively for a more exclusive clientele who preferred turn key cars,and it was only after numerous suggestion to sell it in pieces that they began selling kits.

Without examining them closely and comparing side by side, I can't say one is clearly supperior to the other, and in all actuality, they maybe very close, although their designers may disagree. Things I do know, XV is based off Corvette parts, RMS uses Mustang 2. The XV three link may be a better and more adjustable rear set up than the multilink AlterK Street Lynx. 3 link rears have been used extensively in road and oval racing, whereas the Street Lynx is more closely related to GM A body design. Coil overs are great for their ability to quickley and easily adjust spring rates and ride height compared to leaf springs.

If cost is a factor, the full blown XV set up will run you around $10k, Alterk will be in the $7k range. An improved stock set up can be built for $2-3k. For your intended usage of better overall ride with occasional hard cornering and much improved braking, you can get there with any of the above. I would also recommend that before dropping any coin on suspension, you pursue bracing and reinforcement to firm up the unibody structure. Often times doing this alone can improve the responsiveness of the orginal parts so much that you'll find you don't need to step up significantly in other components.

For brakes, your wheel size will help determine the options available for you. For simple cruising, the stock 11.75 will work more than adequately for anything you throw at it. if your serious about autocross, you may want to consider smaller 10.5" rotors for less weight. If you do any open track day events, you may want to look at 12.19 or 13" rotors to avoid fade. Wilwood, Baer, Mopar and others all have options and prices can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

[IMNCARN82]

HP2 here is the local expert.When I was asking questions,He helped explain.
He might not run either set up,But knows volumes more than most. His advice was honest and unbiased. Don't underestimate the factory stuff. It can perform quite well.I just wanted the custom aspect. When you look
down in there you can see the ground easy.Not like the
huge factory k.  And steering box. I got a ton of pics...

[mopardave]

i have installed the RMS front and rear kits and the install went well. As for the XV stuff i have a couple cutomers complaining of fitment and Lack of instructions to assemble, IMO. Bill has customer support as to XV doesnt. From what i have heard once you buy the parts your done, If you have fitment issues thats your problem. I have heard this from 2 other that are installing the XV stuff now. 

dollar vs customer service and product?

[ragtopdodge]

I don't think you can go wrong with either system.

If you got w/XV's Level II front suspension, get the billet upper a-arms.  Noticed that the welded steel ones had broken on an occasion in one thread.

[MoparCar]

I don't think you can go wrong with either system.

If you got w/XV's Level II front suspension, get the billet upper a-arms.  Noticed that the welded steel ones had broken on an occasion in one thread.

It was the welded aluminum uppers that broke, not the steel. Presently the base package includes welded steel UCAs like most other companies and the option is the billet aluminum.

Wes

[aris_unlimited]

I personally am going to get some parts from hotchkis and upgrade the stock suspension. But if I were choosing between the 2 you have listed, I would go with RMS. XV has horrible customer service (if you ever manage to get them on the phone!), and in my opinion it's not worth tossing that much money at something only to have a problem with it and not be able to get any help.

[72hemi]

I will be upgrading stock components with better aftermarket (ie SPC upper control arms, larger diameter torsion bars, boxed lower control arms, larger sway bars, etc). But if I were going to the extreme and installing a completely new suspension system for me I would go with XV. The system is better engineered, a lot of time and research went into the development in that product (not saying that there wasn't any R&D in the RMS system). But being an engineer and looking at the 2 systems its an easy decision. The only reason I don't go with them is the cost factor, I can upgrade my suspension and brakes for less then $5k versus over $15k for all of the XV stuff.

[Devil]

Ah here we go again.  I'm not going to re-hash the previous thread, but the XV setup is far superior then the RMS.

I've driven the Hotchkis Challenger and it is an awesome setup, feels like a new Challenger, but lighter.

[IMNCARN82]

The XV is better.    easily.   And Hotchkis makes a great product.I almost went that way.Seriously considering them for my other cars. RMS seemed like the right choice for me and what I wanted. A "perfect storm" of money,time,space all came together. Otherwise I'd of gone with the factory stuff. I've put the RMS  through quite a thrashing up in the canyons.And a few parking lots.One night I drove up to NCAR and they had repaved the road and left cones down the middle spaced about every 25 yards apart. Nobody around...  You bet I went for it!  In fact,I started tossing her around just to see. Sure I took out more than a few cones.     I have a vibe issue I'm working on,otherwise High plains is where I'd be. The canyons offer close testing grounds,But not the safest.Almost died twice. Next year I'll get out there and give her some juice.