Coilovers???

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wigsplitter74

wigsplitter74

The Mopar Kid
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Just a little while ago I saw an 65 coronet on ebay that had adjustable coilovers up front in place of the shocks. From what I could see in the pics everything else looked stock. My question is can I do this to my Duster to save weight and lose the torsion bars ?? will coilovers support the weight?? Would I have to worry about my LCA's coming loose or off without torsion bars or would that "king pin" bolt keep em in there ?? I've seen coilovers made by Afco that look like they would work. but IDK. Anyone here done this?
 
Boy I dont know about that one. I would be hesitant to change the suspension design that works so well on these cars. I wonder what the real weight difference is between the two. I would guess that its not all that much.
 
Putting the coilovers mounted into the front innerfenders would be suspect. It's just double wall sheetmetal. I dont think there is much weight cut just going from a torsion bar to a coil over, while keeping the factory arms/K.

an aftermarket system like the AlterK or XV's (Possibly to be out for Abodies soon) would be a much safer/better idea. Mounts the coilsovers to part of their Kframe, in double shear. The alterK cuts 80-90lbs from the front of the car.
 
I agree - the stock shock mounting point was not designed to support the weight of the car, and I wouldn't put coil overs on there without reinforcing the mounting point at the very least.
 
MadScientistMat said:
I agree - the stock shock mounting point was not designed to support the weight of the car, and I wouldn't put coil overs on there without reinforcing the mounting point at the very least.
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Ah good point I hadn't thought of that, like I said I saw it on something on ebay and it got me thinkin. I wasn't sure so I asked lol if it would work it'd be pretty cool tho
 
Someone here on the forum has a coilover conversion on their car. Don't remember who or what kind of car, seems like it was a Duster. I saw a kit, I think on ebay, but it was the coilovers and adjustable LCA's. I don't remember if there was anything as far as a better top mount or not.
 
cool havent seen that kit before, though would it really be a huge improvement over stiffer torsion bars and thick swaybars?
 
wigsplitter74 said:
Just a little while ago I saw an 65 coronet on ebay that had adjustable coilovers up front in place of the shocks. From what I could see in the pics everything else looked stock. My question is can I do this to my Duster to save weight and lose the torsion bars ?? will coilovers support the weight?? Would I have to worry about my LCA's coming loose or off without torsion bars or would that "king pin" bolt keep em in there ?? I've seen coilovers made by Afco that look like they would work. but IDK. Anyone here done this?
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The 65 may have had helper shocks, (basically a shock/spring combo) I've seen them on a valiant in a junk yard before. Maybe like these:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/GABRIEL-HE...GS/GP_2006170_N_111+10209+600018837_10109.jcw
 
Talk to a good alignment/frame shop; I wouldn't do it w/o a top-rated, high dollar shop engineering building something very stout and standing behind the product. Too many grey areas
 
do i have too use tubular upper control arms when using coil overs or can the factory upper arm be modified for clearance?.......cheers.....69 440 valiant.
 
kev singh said:
do i have too use tubular upper control arms when using coil overs or can the factory upper arm be modified for clearance?.......cheers.....69 440 valiant.
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I am in the process of swapping over to coilovers on my '67 Barracuda. (Magnum Force kit). I don't think the coilovers will fit through a stock control arm. I bought the tubular ones made with a bow in them for clearance. I just weighed the stock shocks, slant 6 T-bars, and the small miscellaneous parts Vs. the coilovers, and I will lose about 5 pounds going to the coilover setup.
 
BBBCUDA said:
I just weighed the stock shocks, slant 6 T-bars, and the small miscellaneous parts Vs. the coilovers, and I will lose about 5 pounds going to the coilover setup.
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Thats it? Is that 5 pounds a side or 5 pounds all together?
 
Personally, I wouldn't use a kit that a coil over mounts in the stock location without a pair of snout bars which tied into a full roll cage. Cheater bars that run to the firewall only don't appear sufficient.
 
Burntorange70 said:
Thats it? Is that 5 pounds a side or 5 pounds all together?
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5 pounds altogether, about 2.5# per side. If you had thicker T-bars, it would be a bit more, but it's not much of a weight saver. The big thing I am looking forward to is a big block swap with no T-bars in sight...
 
wigsplitter74 said:
Just a little while ago I saw an 65 coronet on ebay that had adjustable coilovers up front in place of the shocks. From what I could see in the pics everything else looked stock. My question is can I do this to my Duster to save weight and lose the torsion bars ?? will coilovers support the weight?? Would I have to worry about my LCA's coming loose or off without torsion bars or would that "king pin" bolt keep em in there ?? I've seen coilovers made by Afco that look like they would work. but IDK. Anyone here done this?
Click to expand...
You can use coilovers on front but have to modify shock towers by welding to rollcage down bars or welding supports underneath. Have them on my 64 dart 528 hemi &72 duster with 528 hemi.
 
http://hemiduster.com/coilover.htm


RMS and magnumforce sells the kits. you will need to brace the shock tower somehow.


magnumforce sells this..

doubt you'll save any weight at all but you will open up a ton of room with out thet torsion bars..

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