Stability/handling with springs moved in?

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fshd4it

fshd4it

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'64 Barracuda, springs were moved into the frame when someone was going to make a "race car" out of it. I'm slowly putting it back together, rear is complete sans shocks, but it sure feels "wobbly". Mustang Bullitt wheels with 245 45/17 tires, new springs, 8.8 from a Ranger ( just a tad narrower than a '68-'70 B body rear), I think I can make enough room to fit Dr Diff's relocation kit if the car feels too unstable. But of course, at this point that means welding new perches on and making new brake lines...Thoughts?
 
With the springs moved in the sprung weight of the car now has more leverage in corners. A higher rate spring can help resist this, but will obviously effect more than just body roll. If the car isn't too nose heavy you can play with rear sway bar rates to control the roll without having to rely on overly stiff springs.
 
I have my springs moved into the frame on a 65Cuda, now I didn't drive it long before taking it apart for final body work and paint but the car never felt wobbly at all.

Do you some pics of the rear suspension?
 
No rear sway bar (and probably won't end up with one), so that's a tuning option I'm not going to have. Just a mild 318, and it will be my wife's car, so anything that makes it feel "quirky" has to go.
 
Keith Mopar said:
I have my springs moved into the frame on a 65Cuda, now I didn't drive it long before taking it apart for final body work and paint but the car never felt wobbly at all.

Do you some pics of the rear suspension?
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No pics, but it's out in the shop so I can take some. I want to measure where the front springs ended up elevation-wise in relation to the stock location, as the rear sits too high for my liking. But since the stock front hangers are gone, I'm gonna be guessing.
 
fshd4it said:
No rear sway bar (and probably won't end up with one), so that's a tuning option I'm not going to have. Just a mild 318, and it will be my wife's car, so anything that makes it feel "quirky" has to go.
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Yeah, I know it doesn't have one. You have a welder and have already done a rear end swap. It's well within you're skill set then. Get one out of a junkyard from a mustang and fab it up, and see how you like it. Then you'll have a million aftermarket options for rate changes.
 
Pascamp said:
Yeah, I know it doesn't have one. You have a welder and have already done a rear end swap. It's well within you're skill set then. Get one out of a junkyard from a mustang and fab it up, and see how you like it. Then you'll have a million aftermarket options for rate changes.
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Hmm, never considered the Mustang option. I'll go look in the local yard and see what they have, gotta admit having all that room for tires is sure nice.
 
fshd4it said:
Hmm, never considered the Mustang option. I'll go look in the local yard and see what they have, gotta admit having all that room for tires is sure nice.
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Yeah, use your imagination a bit when you look at it. You don't have to use it exactly as it's mounted on the mustang. There may be a long pack of spacers, bushings, ect that won't work in your application. Just ditch it and do what you gotta do. You can make tabs off the rear crossmember or rails, tuck it up, flip it, whatever. A soft rear spring rate with a sway bar for control is actually a really nice setup on the street as long as you don't have a **** ton of front weight.
 
Definitely go with sway bars front & rear you will be glad you did
 
The S cars came with sway bars, correct? Not that I expect to find stock pieces, but there should be some images/info out there for them?
 
fklskv said:
Take the shocks off of any car and its going to feel wobbly. IMHO
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Agreed. I haven't fit the right shock plates to it yet, and I'm not sure if the shocks I need for the inboard setup will work if I push the springs back out.
 
fshd4it said:
The S cars came with sway bars, correct? Not that I expect to find stock pieces, but there should be some images/info out there for them?
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You actually have to look at it the other way. You can fab everything but the sway bar. So you gotta be checking out mustangs. The bar fits the rear...you gotta make it fit the car. The bar will tell you what it wants to do.
 
fshd4it said:
'64 Barracuda, springs were moved into the frame when someone was going to make a "race car" out of it. I'm slowly putting it back together, rear is complete sans shocks, but it sure feels "wobbly". Mustang Bullitt wheels with 245 45/17 tires, new springs, 8.8 from a Ranger ( just a tad narrower than a '68-'70 B body rear), I think I can make enough room to fit Dr Diff's relocation kit if the car feels too unstable. But of course, at this point that means welding new perches on and making new brake lines...Thoughts?
Click to expand...
put some shocks in it before you go spending money and time on other things. You may find it rides and drives just fine as is.
 
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