body twist and subframes

[jwilson13b]

I have a 318 4 barrel in a 73 duster. The motor is a dog, and the car has no sub frame connectors. The doors close perfect and the body lines seem to match up. when the car is put into drive the driver side front feels like it lifts a little. when I stomp the gas it really feels like its pulling up. under slow acceleration it does not do it that much. when the car is put into reverse it seems to do the opposite just note as bad. I searched the forums and didn't find what i was looking for. I under stand body twist. I am going to use the mopar performance bolt in connecters and weld them in. I know this will probally take care of most of the lift feeling issues caused by twisting. the front end seems to be sitting level when the car is off. the back end seems the passenger side is a little higher. The guy who i got the car from put B body shocks in the rear so he says. car has the little rear end if that makes a diffrance. there is no cracking in the paint near windows or anywhere else I can see ok my qestions are
1. could the rear springs be what is causing the lean, do springs wear out like that. Dosnt the passenger side tire lift under accelration?
2. after thirty plus years will/could the uni body be trashed.
3. when in reverse and brakes on the rear seems to level out a little. should i bolt the sub frames on with the car in reverse holding the brakes and then drive it real gentle or tow it to where im getting them welded.
4. or should i shim the rear end on one side to level it out. is that dumb, dangerous or wont do a damn thing?
5. could the lifting be a worn out front end.
Im gonna build a mild 360 or 383, that will see street strip use. i want the car to launch strait and i dont want the problem to hurt the car furthure so im doing sub frames before anything else. and want to get it right.

thanks guys

 

[NorwayCuda69]

mmm hey.

i have done the same modifications u talking of.. i have some pictures in my album.

first u need to do.. find a floor that is perfectly level check it with a straight hold (best u find even better a car lift with running boards, dont know what they called in america) i beleave there was a little bias in the driverside spring originaly.. at least the ss springs had it.. so i beleave they could wear different.. anyways messure the distance from the front spring hangers to the floor.. do the same to the rear hangers. u should get the same difference f to rear on both sides. now messure from the bolts that connect the front K-frame to the framerails front and rear bolts. these should also give the same mumbers front and rear bolts but maybe not from side to side, these should also give the same diference.

now u can try to lift the car with a jack on the centre of the rear axle.. c if the trires leave ground at the same time.. when lifted in the back the car should be level from left to right in front. if it is not u could start with adjusting 1 of the front thorson bars until its level. if the car is straight after lifting.. and the rear tires dont go off the ground at the same time.. u have a problem with ur rear springs.. replace em with to left super stock springs (ull get the hard spring on both sides) oh yea.. i allmost forgot.. disconnect the shocks when doing all the measures.. and check for rust where the front rails are coneckted to the body and where the thorsion bars go trough the frame.. i had to weld alot on my cuda there..

until u have ur car standing level on a straight floor u must never ever ever weld anything to the frame.. this is important.. if u weld something with tention against the body, something will crack up and do damage... when u weld em on the car should best be on the wheels on a level floor or some. if not u can have it leveled up on stands with engine and tranny out

i hope this helps..

 

[Brad4406]

I have a 318 4 barrel in a 73 duster. The motor is a dog, and the car has no sub frame connectors. The doors close perfect and the body lines seem to match up. when the car is put into drive the driver side front feels like it lifts a little. when I stomp the gas it really feels like its pulling up. under slow acceleration it does not do it that much. when the car is put into reverse it seems to do the opposite just note as bad. I searched the forums and didn't find what i was looking for. I under stand body twist. I am going to use the mopar performance bolt in connecters and weld them in. I know this will probally take care of most of the lift feeling issues caused by twisting. the front end seems to be sitting level when the car is off. the back end seems the passenger side is a little higher. The guy who i got the car from put B body shocks in the rear so he says. car has the little rear end if that makes a diffrance. there is no cracking in the paint near windows or anywhere else I can see ok my qestions are
1. could the rear springs be what is causing the lean, do springs wear out like that. Dosnt the passenger side tire lift under accelration?
2. after thirty plus years will/could the uni body be trashed.
3. when in reverse and brakes on the rear seems to level out a little. should i bolt the sub frames on with the car in reverse holding the brakes and then drive it real gentle or tow it to where im getting them welded.
4. or should i shim the rear end on one side to level it out. is that dumb, dangerous or wont do a damn thing?
5. could the lifting be a worn out front end.
Im gonna build a mild 360 or 383, that will see street strip use. i want the car to launch strait and i dont want the problem to hurt the car furthure so im doing sub frames before anything else. and want to get it right.

thanks guys

1. If you have S/S springs, it will lean and the passenger side will sit higher in the rear, at least on the older sets. Actually it is the drivers side that ussually raises higher when launching a leaf spring car. If when you say lean you meant that it leans to the back right when launching, that is typical, but maybe your leaf springs are worn out if its doing it with your current power plant.
2. I doubt it. Unless you are running a high horsepower engine and slicks, it shouldn't be twisting the unibody enough to trash anything.
3. You are going to get all kinds of answers on this one as this has been a debate in the MOPAR community for a while. I say install them when the doors open and close easily so the body is obviously unloaded. In other words, when you put it up on jacks and the body twists enough where you have problems with door interference, don't put it on jacks and do it with all 4 wheels on the ground. I haven't installed mine yet as I'm still considering whether or not I'm going to backhalf the car.
4. If it is a look thing for you and it irritates you, sure, why not. I always thought it looked cool so I left it. Besides it didn't sit that much higher on the passenger side.
5. Rebuild the front end if it needs it, but if everything is in good shape, spend your money and time on something else. For the front end, take a look into other high performance options as in coil over shocks.

 

[toolmanmike]

The best place to have subframe connectors installed is at a body shop on a frame machine. The chassis can be leveled and cross checked before welding
the connectors in. Once welded, they are permanent. Just like the guys that
weld floor pans in while the car is hanging sideways on a rotisserie. You set it on it's wheels and the doors won't close. LOL toolmanmike

 

[NorwayCuda69]

1. If you have S/S springs, it will lean and the passenger side will sit higher in the rear, at least on the older sets. Actually it is the drivers side that ussually raises higher when launching a leaf spring car. If when you say lean you meant that it leans to the back right when launching, that is typical, but maybe your leaf springs are worn out if its doing it with your current power plant.
2. I doubt it. Unless you are running a high horsepower engine and slicks, it shouldn't be twisting the unibody enough to trash anything.
3. You are going to get all kinds of answers on this one as this has been a debate in the MOPAR community for a while. I say install them when the doors open and close easily so the body is obviously unloaded. In other words, when you put it up on jacks and the body twists enough where you have problems with door interference, don't put it on jacks and do it with all 4 wheels on the ground. I haven't installed mine yet as I'm still considering whether or not I'm going to backhalf the car.
4. If it is a look thing for you and it irritates you, sure, why not. I always thought it looked cool so I left it. Besides it didn't sit that much higher on the passenger side.
5. Rebuild the front end if it needs it, but if everything is in good shape, spend your money and time on something else. For the front end, take a look into other high performance options as in coil over shocks.

actualy the old leafspring on my cuda was so worn out that they had installed air shocks on the car, just to help it up from the ground.. mm these days u install adjustable shocks to fix the launch.. mmm like rancho 9000 series or so.. so 2 passenger s/s springs will rock on the street.. if u dont like the height.. turn the hanger upside down...