Cross-Country Road Trip in a '68 Barracuda

Chained_360 said

Holy cow, now THAT'S a haul! What caused the K member to crack? Did the suspension just bottom out too many times? And just for my reference how much weight do you think you were hauling? Did the air shocks help any?

Click to expand...

Car was way overloaded.

My car at that time weighed 3500 lbs w/driver on a grain scale.

Packed loaded in every crevice and car top carrier it weighed 5600 lbs w/driver.

The leaf springs were reversed arched and mufflers were about 3/4” off ground. So I dug into the trunk under the rear seat for used set of air shocks I had just in case of this. With the air shocks pumped up the rear was still lower than normally unloaded height for my 30 year old leaf springs.

The front was already lowered years before. But I had .99” torsion bars that were double stock rate. No problem when it weighed 3400 lbs. So I thought the big front springs would take care of me...

....Wrong. It now weighed 5600 lbs. Looking back I should have raised the front torsion bar adjusters. And I would have been fine.

During the trip on big bumps it bottomed out BAD in the front more than a few times.

About a week after the trip, I noticed the tire was slightly tilted wrong way!! .... time to upgrade to a 73-76 k- member !!