SS SPRINGS NON SS SHOCKS - POSSIBLE?

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BIG-B-Barracuda

BIG-B-Barracuda

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1968 Barracuda - my question here is is it possible to fit ss springs with stock non-ss shocks.

ive seen people put on new regulars spring and shocks and get same lift and ss springs and shocks.

i currently have drag shocks with my ss springs and wanted to try and put normal shocks maybe get a softer ride.

thanks guys.
 
They FIT fine. The problem is that the stock shocks are not long enough to allow the SS springs to plant the rear of the car as far as they can. In order to work correctly, the shocks need to be about 2" or so longer than stock.
 
So they fit fine but they dont allow the rear of the car to plant as much as it has to?

does this mean that stock shocks eliminate ss stance?
 
the reason for SS shocks is that with ss spring the body lifts...the shocks need to be long enough so that they do not stop the body separation otherwise you get wheel hop
 
no the spring rate of the ss spring gives them their stance
 
Okay so the ss shocks are stiff because if they were soft like "stock" it would get wheel hop.

okay.
 
BIG-B-Barracuda said:
Okay so the ss shocks are stiff because if they were soft like "stock" it would get wheel hop.

okay.
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Sorta, yes. They are stiff in the front segment to double as traction bars and lift the rear of the body planting the tires. This is where the extra length of the shocks come in. If they are stock length, the springs cannot lift the body all the way and it will not plant the tires as much.
 
Not to highjack, but I just put 2800lb SS springs and Mopar long shocks on my car, the rear is very stiff...up and down...is that how its supposed to be? Just bc they are new? Also, the rear sits quite high, I hear that the springs will settle by about 1-1.5", is this true? Thanks!
 
mine were the same way at first,

settled about .5" and also got a bit more softer ride.

feels good when you put that peddle on the ground it just sticks and goes.
 
twayne24365 said:
Not to highjack, but I just put 2800lb SS springs and Mopar long shocks on my car, the rear is very stiff...up and down...is that how its supposed to be? Just bc they are new? Also, the rear sits quite high, I hear that the springs will settle by about 1-1.5", is this true? Thanks!
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Did you tighten all of the bolts with the wheels on the ground? Also the torque spec on the U bolt nuts is only 45 LB FT. Over torquing them will result in the rear suspension binding.
 
Mancini has a rear spring front hanger and backing plate, which will allow you to raise the spring, in the front, @ an inch and one half, which will lower the rear end of the car.
 
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70 DUSTER CRATE said:
Mancini has a rear spring front hanger and backing plate, which will allow you to raise the spring, in the front, @ an inch, which will lower the rear end of the car.
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Super Stock springs are stiffer than stock springs. I run a pair of 2800 lbs passenger side Super Stock springs on both my 3700lbs A-Body convertible and on my similar weight E-Body. The extra weight of the car really tames the ride harshness to the point of being firm yet comfortable and compliant. It also helps obtain a nice ride height.

Lubricating the attaching points of the rear suspension makes a noticible difference in ride quality and road compliance too. For optimum ride quality, lubricating the spring and shock bushings with a synthetic grease such as synthetic disc brake lube, which doesn't attack the rubber or poly bushings is crucial. It allows for a much more compliant and smooth ride.
 
I don't understand why you would put the wrong SS spring on your car to soften the ride .Why waste your time and money ? SS springs are designed to work in a specific way with a specific weight vehicle .They are not supposed to be soft riding they are supposed to plant the rear on launch .If you want a soft ride run stock springs arced for whatever ride hieght you want . If you want to launch the car at the track buy the correct springs for the weight of your car , get the correct shock for that setup , add a pinion snubber and go racing .

PS second gen Abodies are 3000-3200lb cars not 2800lbs .the 2800 lb springs will seem to work for a while but the extra weight of the vehicle will pound them soft in pretty short order .
 
Rusty I did torque the u bolts with the car on the jack, I will loosen them up and re torque them.
 
cannucky said:
I don't understand why you would put the wrong SS spring on your car to soften the ride .Why waste your time and money ? SS springs are designed to work in a specific way with a specific weight vehicle .They are not supposed to be soft riding they are supposed to plant the rear on launch .If you want a soft ride run stock springs arced for whatever ride hieght you want . If you want to launch the car at the track buy the correct springs for the weight of your car , get the correct shock for that setup , add a pinion snubber and go racing .

PS second gen Abodies are 3000-3200lb cars not 2800lbs .the 2800 lb springs will seem to work for a while but the extra weight of the vehicle will pound them soft in pretty short order .
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agree.you will never get a softer ride with ss springs not matter what shock.i have some longer shocks i you need them
 
If you ask some of the old SS and Stock Elim racer, it was fairly routine to run the 2800# springs on heavier A body cars. 4 speed cars tended to like the softer spring rate.

The shocks are not stiffer. Most of the recommended shocks were generally truck or C body items. It's the length of the shock that matters, not how stiff. I had a saying, you can run junk springs or junk shocks, but not both.
 
cannucky said:
I don't understand why you would put the wrong SS spring on your car to soften the ride .Why waste your time and money ? SS springs are designed to work in a specific way with a specific weight vehicle .They are not supposed to be soft riding they are supposed to plant the rear on launch .If you want a soft ride run stock springs arced for whatever ride hieght you want . If you want to launch the car at the track buy the correct springs for the weight of your car , get the correct shock for that setup , add a pinion snubber and go racing .

PS second gen Abodies are 3000-3200lb cars not 2800lbs .the 2800 lb springs will seem to work for a while but the extra weight of the vehicle will pound them soft in pretty short order .
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My springs have been on both cars for years. They function and ride better than any other spring I've tried including various other SS springs and Calvert's Caltracs with split mono-leafs. I was lead to this simple and effective solution by Dr Diff, and it works brilliantly.

I recently beat a Hellcat with my set-up during the Drags at Willow Springs Track Day, so it launches pretty well, rides better than ever and corners great. Although, I am using slapper bars that suppossedly don't work on Mopars either.

JohnRace2 (Large).jpg
 
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crackedback said:
If you ask some of the old SS and Stock Elim racer, it was fairly routine to run the 2800# springs on heavier A body cars. 4 speed cars tended to like the softer spring rate.

The shocks are not stiffer. Most of the recommended shocks were generally truck or C body items. It's the length of the shock that matters, not how stiff. I had a saying, you can run junk springs or junk shocks, but not both.
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Yes Crackedback I know it's about the length of the shock not the stiffness , my point was if you want a soft ride why run the SS springs at all if you want soft run stock , I can see where running a 2800lb spring in a stripped down race car would be the way to go because then the car might only 2800-2900 lbs. We all know there's a ton of old school tricks out there some do work some really don't , heck lots nof things will work for an hour or a day , my 2800lb springs lasted less than 2 years before they started to sag but I put a lot more miles on my car than most , All that said, my point to the OP still stands his Duster is probably 3400lbs and he claimed at first to have 002/003 springs which would be the right ones for his car so now he just needs the proper shock and a snubber .

PS I did also state to the OP that a lot of guys use the C Body shocks but that I don't know enough about parts interchange to say which ones so I recommended the Mopar Performance shocks designed for the SS spring , I've been using a pair of these shocks for 4 years and 20k miles .
 
Not stripped down, legal stock eliminator weights and not close to 2800#. My comment re: stiffness was to the OP about shocks as he stated that in one post.

I agree that a soft ride and SS spring may not go together. As I say... pick your parts pay your money. What works for one person may not work for another.

I'm one to run two driver side springs too... hate the right side high look. 002/003 work. don't like it high up, put lowering blocks on them. :)

All good. Lots of ways to skin a cat!
 
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Them springs don't magically know which side to be on. It is all in the setup of the car, which your car proves. I've run traction bars on several Mopars. It's not the Mopar thing to do but they can work very effectively. Not that you need anyone to tell you. lol

jbc426 said:
My springs have been on both cars for years. They function and ride better than any other spring I've tried including various other SS springs and Calvert's Caltracs with split mono-leafs. I was lead to this simple and effective solution by Dr Diff, and it works brilliantly.

I recently beat a Hellcat with my set-up during the Drags at Willow Springs Track Day, so it launches pretty well, rides better than ever and corners great. Although, I am using slapper bars that suppossedly don't work on Mopars either.
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Mrpatel said:
My stock shocks actually pulled apart after I put the as springs on. Andrew
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Mine wouldn't go on the passenger side without putting a jack under the shock plate and compressing the spring so thats when I became a believer lol .
I know I'll probably take flak for saying it but I always believed traction bars worked instead of the Mopar setup instead of conflicting with it , I know Pettyblue Scott had real good luck with the Comp Engineering Slide-a-Link set-up , my car see's to many miles on the street to lock up the rear end that tight , the SS set-up is tight but will still travel if you slam a pot hole in the dark.
 
cannucky said:
Mine wouldn't go on the passenger side without putting a jack under the shock plate and compressing the spring so thats when I became a believer lol .
I know I'll probably take flak for saying it but I always believed traction bars worked instead of the Mopar setup instead of conflicting with it , I know Pettyblue Scott had real good luck with the Comp Engineering Slide-a-Link set-up , my car see's to many miles on the street to lock up the rear end that tight , the SS set-up is tight but will still travel if you slam a pot hole in the dark.
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Tom Hoover said, "in a mopar drag seminar" in okc one time, that imperial shocks worked well, and to always ere to the light side when buying s.stock springs. we ran 002-003 springs on a hemi belvedere. they are shorter than b body springs, and the car was way heavier than they were designed for. they moved the rear end forward too, because they`re shorter. they worked well, but didn`t last too long under that kind of stress. no pinion snubber, it just tore them up. no clamps on the back half of the springs. had many chevy guys tell us that our springs were coming apart, because they were separating so much on take off. If I remember right, we used 3 sets in about 12 yrs. of hard racing. wish we would have had todays tires back then ! jfyi also have a set of 002-003 springs for sale right now. I think if I were going to use them on a street car, I`d run two driver side(003) springs.-bob
 
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