Author Topic: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - Passed the road test!  (Read 39205 times)

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - URETHANE??
« Reply #75 on: February 06, 2013 - 11:00:26 AM »
HP2 - thats a great  :2cents: worth! Thanks for the imput!

Brad - did your pins come with the bushings? It seems FF lists them seprate...  :clueless: Other wise it seams more cost effective to go w YO w  on the Hotchkiss w bushings included.
(unless the shipping is crazy?)

Same question for the T-bars.. clips and boots come with?  YO has the hotchkiss (granted 1.03)

https://www.yearone.com/Product/1966-74-a-b-e-body/1c77-3006

https://www.yearone.com/Product/1966-74-a-b-e-body/1c77-19367

All these websites are makin' me dizzy....  :faint:
« Last Edit: February 06, 2013 - 11:14:20 AM by BIGSHCLUNK »
70 Chally R/T Convertible- Yes she's really got a HEMI, no she's not a Charger!
                                             [o o o o]
                                                  OO
                                                  OO 
                                              [o o o o]
https://www.aanddtruckautoparts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-D-Truck-and-Auto-Parts/67427352555?ref=hl




Offline brads70

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - URETHANE??
« Reply #76 on: February 06, 2013 - 11:15:10 AM »
HP2 - thats a great  :2cents: worth! Thanks for the imput!

Brad - did your pins come with the bushings? It seems FF lists them seprate...  :clueless: Other wise it seams more cost effective to go w YO w  on the Hotchkiss w bushings included.
(unless the shipping is crazy?)

https://www.yearone.com/Product/1966-74-a-b-e-body/1c77-3006

No bushings were seperate. Never knew Hotchkis offered greaseable pins, that must be something new, never was an option when I did my front end?
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - URETHANE??
« Reply #77 on: February 06, 2013 - 12:53:52 PM »
Ordered up the pins from YO (hotchkis). I'll put up a pick when they come in to compare the FF
70 Chally R/T Convertible- Yes she's really got a HEMI, no she's not a Charger!
                                             [o o o o]
                                                  OO
                                                  OO 
                                              [o o o o]
https://www.aanddtruckautoparts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-D-Truck-and-Auto-Parts/67427352555?ref=hl

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - URETHANE??
« Reply #78 on: February 15, 2013 - 12:06:41 PM »
Just got off the phone with Bruce @ YO, they are still waiting for my pins to come from hotchkiss... not a big deal but I wanted to be able to compare w the FF one's
70 Chally R/T Convertible- Yes she's really got a HEMI, no she's not a Charger!
                                             [o o o o]
                                                  OO
                                                  OO 
                                              [o o o o]
https://www.aanddtruckautoparts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-D-Truck-and-Auto-Parts/67427352555?ref=hl

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - URETHANE??
« Reply #79 on: February 15, 2013 - 12:46:06 PM »
Ok, so I talked with FF today about the T-bars. (Dennis) He suggested going with the 1.06 bars for my typical driving style (nice day crusin' with the occasional BLAST OFF!  ::) ).   He felt any heavier would be too harsh? (Brad??) So here's my dielemma... FF1.06?? Hotchkis 1.03??    YO has a better price on the Hotch (not that I'm trying to cheap out here) And the come w new clips and boots....  :dunno:
70 Chally R/T Convertible- Yes she's really got a HEMI, no she's not a Charger!
                                             [o o o o]
                                                  OO
                                                  OO 
                                              [o o o o]
https://www.aanddtruckautoparts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-D-Truck-and-Auto-Parts/67427352555?ref=hl

Offline dodj

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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 brads70

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - T-BARS??
« Reply #81 on: February 15, 2013 - 02:15:30 PM »
Like I said mine has 1.120" and I don't find it harsh at all. Factor in you have 200-300lbs over the nose more than I do? Assuming you have cast iron heads, water pump etc...?
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - T-BARS??
« Reply #82 on: February 15, 2013 - 09:04:28 PM »
Ya its all iron thats for sure... I'm just LAZY. Want to do this ONE TIME.  :bigsmile:
70 Chally R/T Convertible- Yes she's really got a HEMI, no she's not a Charger!
                                             [o o o o]
                                                  OO
                                                  OO 
                                              [o o o o]
https://www.aanddtruckautoparts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-D-Truck-and-Auto-Parts/67427352555?ref=hl

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - T-BARS??
« Reply #83 on: February 15, 2013 - 09:05:25 PM »
http://www.p-s-t.com/s.nl/it.A/id.6907/.f?sc=12

$219  :2thumbs:


And I can get a discount on those from b-bods... good call..
70 Chally R/T Convertible- Yes she's really got a HEMI, no she's not a Charger!
                                             [o o o o]
                                                  OO
                                                  OO 
                                              [o o o o]
https://www.aanddtruckautoparts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-D-Truck-and-Auto-Parts/67427352555?ref=hl

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - T-BARS??
« Reply #84 on: February 22, 2013 - 10:36:31 PM »
http://www.p-s-t.com/s.nl/it.A/id.6907/.f?sc=12

$219  :2thumbs:


Still havent made my T-BAR desision, but got a little info on the PST bars in this link. THEY ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. They are being reworked / reclocked and should be in production in the next month or two. This is coming right from James from PST
70 Chally R/T Convertible- Yes she's really got a HEMI, no she's not a Charger!
                                             [o o o o]
                                                  OO
                                                  OO 
                                              [o o o o]
https://www.aanddtruckautoparts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-D-Truck-and-Auto-Parts/67427352555?ref=hl

Offline 72bluNblu

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - T-BARS INFO
« Reply #85 on: February 23, 2013 - 04:29:30 AM »
Just caught up with this thread, can't believe I missed this one!  :faint:

Anyway, some info on my car's set up, might help with your torsion bar decision. I run 1.12" torsion bars, poly LCA bushings with FF's pins, boxed LCA's, Hotchkis UCA's, and XHD rear springs. I think it rides great, and I put close to 10k miles a year on it most years. Closing in on 40k miles since I bought it, almost all of that with the 1.12" torsion bars. I also run 17" rims with 275/40/17's all the way around, so I don't have much sidewall cushion either.

And here's the kicker, my car's a 318/auto with an aluminum intake, headers, etc. So, my car will be lighter in the nose by quite a bit. Car handles well, even though I'm still running it without my sway bars and frame connectors. Body roll is actually pretty minor already, and the 275/40/17's don't give anything up on the ground.

As far as the adjustable strut rod conversation, they help. One of the big reasons is that they allow you to make up differences in the LCA bushings. The poly bushings do not have the same exact dimensions as the originals, so using the stock strut rods can be an issue- everything will not sit in the exact same place. It's a bigger problem still on A-bodies, because the re-pop strut rod bushings are not the same as the originals for the A's. Needless to say, the adjustable strut rods allow you to adjust things to where they should be with no binding. They shouldn't be used for caster adjustments, but that doesn't mean they don't need to be adjustable.

And check Summit for prices on Hotchkis parts. They're usually WAY better than Hotchkis, and still better than Year One. Although, even if they weren't cheaper at Summit I still wouldn't give Year One my business if I could help it in any way. When I order from Summit, I usually get my parts the NEXT DAY. Before noon even. Year One, well, they get around to it eventually.

Offline dodj

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - T-BARS INFO
« Reply #86 on: February 23, 2013 - 08:14:53 AM »
so using the stock strut rods can be an issue- everything will not sit in the exact same place. It's a bigger problem still on A-bodies, because the re-pop strut rod bushings are not the same as the originals for the A's. Needless to say, the adjustable strut rods allow you to adjust things to where they should be with no binding.
Hopefully not a stupid question, but how do you determine where they 'should be'? I'm guessing since it was not originally adjustable, there is no alignment spec out there from the factory? :clueless:
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 wiging19

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - T-BARS INFO
« Reply #87 on: February 23, 2013 - 01:28:26 PM »
 :popcorn:

Offline drewcrane

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - T-BARS INFO
« Reply #88 on: February 23, 2013 - 02:49:30 PM »
Hopefully not a stupid question, but how do you determine where they 'should be'? I'm guessing since it was not originally adjustable, there is no alignment spec out there from the factory? :clueless:

Factory setting say to keep castor at 0 degrees I have about 3.5 positive castor and at high speeds like 90 mph the car is so much more stable ,I can take my hands off the wheel and it just glides straight and true

Offline 72bluNblu

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Re: Its lookin' like it time for an upgrade - T-BARS INFO
« Reply #89 on: February 23, 2013 - 08:19:17 PM »
Hopefully not a stupid question, but how do you determine where they 'should be'? I'm guessing since it was not originally adjustable, there is no alignment spec out there from the factory? :clueless:

The idea behind the strut rods is that the LCA's shouldn't move fore/aft but should still move freely up and down. No different with adjustable strut rods, just that you actually get to adjust them so that the LCA's move freely without binding. Easiest way to accomplish this is to install the LCA's and leave the shocks and t-bars out, you want to have the spindles and UCA's installed and attached. Install the strut rods, then move the LCA's up and down with the suspension. If everything moves freely, tighten the strut rods. I do this like adjusting wheel bearings, I tighten the strut rods until I start to feel a little resistance moving the LCA's up and down. Then I back them off a bit so everything moves freely. With the poly LCA bushings its important to check that the LCA's are all the way forward against the bushings, because unlike the originals the LCA's can slide fore/aft on the bushings if everything isn't tight.

As far as the caster setting goes, you should adjust that with the camber bolts on the UCA's, not the strut rods. Get the strut rods right, then get the alignment. If for some reason your alignment specs are WAY off, you may need to revisit the strut rods and make sure they're installed properly (no bind!). But again, they're not for adjusting alignment, they're for locating and supporting the LCA's.

And stock alignment figures should be thrown in the trash if you're not using bias ply's. That's what they were for, and they're horrible for modern tires. I suggest something along the lines of -.5 degrees camber, around +3 degrees caster if you can get it, and about 1/16-1/8" toe in. With stock UCA's and bushings you'll have a hard time getting more than a few degrees of positive caster, with offset bushings or tubular UCA's its not hard. I run more negative camber, -.9 degrees, but I have the same size tires all the way around so I can rotate them. Otherwise when you get close to  -1 degree camber on the street you start seeing edge wear on the tires. I also run +5 degrees of caster, but that's with Hotchkis UCA's. Also, if you have manual steering, you won't want that much caster, probably more like +3 otherwise it will get hard to steer.