Rear end alignment issue 1969 cuda

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Mike69cuda said:
Can it be rolled back with some heat, or do I just live with it, shim the other side, or replace it?
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Hardly any companies have the equipment to heat and roll the eyes. Then yes after heating the steel needs to be rehardened by quenching,
Eaton (Detroit Spring) can do it. May not be worth it.

If you liked how the car handled with those; with the springs off the car, you can make an estimate of the spring rate. Place something really heavy on them of known weight - like another person, and measure the amount it deflects. Have the person hold onto something or someone - they can throw you when shift your weight to step down!
That and the free arch will let you select similar springs.

Based on the Jeep Wagoneer springs we bought from Stengel, these are all Stanley Springs. But Triangle uses 78- part numbers as well.
You don't have to mail order, there may be a spring shop local to you that carries them.
Plymouth Valiant Leaf Springs - Stengel Bros Inc.
which overlap with
Plymouth Barracuda Leaf Springs - Stengel Bros Inc.

There also some specialty springs. The Super stock springs mentioned a few times earlier in the thread, and some companies like Firm Feel that have them for left - right handling builds.
 
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rednesss said:
Pretty sure heating them up hot enough to bend the steel easily enough, would alter the metallurgy of the spring steel and would do "bad things". Get a new set from Buy Quality Automotive Leaf Springs, Coil Springs and Suspension Parts for your Classic or Antique Auto and be done with it. They are good and relatively cheap to get the right set of springs under your car.
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I bought ss springs from summit racing November 2017 Arlington texas brand new 105.00 each. Had them in stock.
 
IMHO If this is a street car primarily and not a dedicated drag car, get some matched springs, they aren't that expensive and might solve a host of problems with the mismatched springs on the car now!
 
Just about any shop with an alignment rack can measure rear thrust angle. I make shims to correct this, but it sounds like the left to right measurements are quite far off.
 
inertia said:
One of our members had a diff that'd been shortened to A-Body.
His pass side wheel was toed in and thus forward by over 1/2 inch IIRC.
"String" the car, Google it, a quick, accurate trackside form of checking axle/wheel alignment.
Depending on the day of the week your car was put together, could determine how accurately it was assembled. Just saying. lol . Monday morn car ?
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Or "Fridays here and it's the end of the shift" lol
 
There is a spring shop in Kansas City. I am going to see if they can fix it reasonable. If not I will have to get new springs I guess. At an inch off, I think it is too far to shim.
 
Mattax said:
Front at minimum. Any spring shop will have 'em, maybe dealers or parts stores too, or you can make your own. Rear depends on what your using the car for.

The clamps are very important for reducing lateral movement within the pack (side to side) and on the front half help make it act more like a link.
The concept behind the SS springs for drag racing is when the axle housing rotates, the front segment of the spring pushes up on the chassis (along with the pinion snubber). This maximizes weight on the slick. Even more so as the front end rises with the back. The more downforce on the slick, the higher traction. Anyway they get more freedom of the spring for lifting by removing the rear clamps.
The initial pinion angle and shackle angle are important when doing this. They're always important, but more so.

Original SS springs are not equal left and right. Different arches, different spring ratio (the amount of spring rate in the front segment vs the rear) and different number of leaves. You may have someone's home made project. ???

I would get some measurements off of the frame before concluding its the springs. Fender sheetmetal and driver's perception who is following you are subject to too many variables. measure from the subframes and on the axle, measure to the backing plate or something like that.

1973 Service Bulletin with diagram illustrating a misperception of dog tracking.
http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/TSBs/1973/02-04-73C page1.jpg
http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/TSBs/1973/02-04-73C page2.jpg
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Very cool info
 
After having messed around trying to make "bastard pack" leaf springs I have something that kinda works but I don't really know the rates especially compared to the arch and the packs I picked from the junkyard had 2 slightly different thicknesses of the individual leaves even though they were the correct length and the arch "looked" close enough...

Point being, get some new spring packs from a good source. I plan on getting new ones for my Duster at some point. It's one of those things that seems to work OK until you get the "proper" setup and it's like daaang that's what my car is SUPPOSED to drive like! I realized that when I first rebuilt the front end with stiffer torsion bars and offset UCA bushings for more caster, then again when I installed adjustable strut rods (and still plenty more upgrades planned). The improvements you can make with simple suspension mods (changing spring and shock rates, better bushings, stronger parts) on these cars is pretty drastic especially when starting from bone-stock.
 
Spring and shock rates have all to do with good suspension. However, tires make the difference in overall grip. It's not the preference of most, but comparing your average 245 ish radial ta to 275 Rival S for instance is worlds if not dimensions in grip.
 
GMachineDartGT said:
Spring and shock rates have all to do with good suspension. However, tires make the difference in overall grip. It's not the preference of most, but comparing your average 245 ish radial ta to 275 Rival S for instance is worlds if not dimensions in grip.
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I was thinking of including tires too but I have yet to put a "real" set of performance tires on my Duster lol.
 
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