Duster mini tubbing project

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392Mopar

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Hey guys, I used sites like this to get all the ideas and knowledge for mini tubbing my 72 Duster so I figured I'd share in my experience to help anyone else out there looking to do the same. When I got my Duster it already had the springs moved into the framerails but without the tubs to support it, it did no good. So I did some reserch and started cutting, heres some pictures of the project. Thanks to all that have listed there build projects, your guys really helped...

Butch


Heres before, and the 325/50 15 Nittos I wanted in there...
 
Here it is all finished up..... I used a little filler on the tubs to smooth them out and painted them with trunk paint (was already like that when I got it so I figured I'd stick with it for now). I intstalled a narrowed( 5" I think) 8 3/4 and mounted the drag radials on Greg Weld DragStar wheels. As you can tell I also put on a go wing and I painted the rear tail stripe on. I think it sits a little to hight with the ss springs but it will do for now. Hope you enjoy the pix


Butch
 
great job, your car looks amazing! :D thanks for sharing the pics.
 
Looks great, will be doing a mini-tub soon on my son's Duster
Is that a stock width 8.75 rear ?

What size rims and backspacing did you use ?
340
 
Looks good, nice work.

Nothing a 1" lowering block won't help cure the high tail look. It'll help with making it hook too...
 
340kid said:
Looks great, will be doing a mini-tub soon on my son's Duster
Is that a stock width 8.75 rear ?

What size rims and backspacing did you use ?
340
Click to expand...


Thanks good luck, time consuming but not too bad. No its actually a 5-6"(Have the measurements somewhere) narrowed rear I picked up off craigslist for $400 (thought it was a great find) so I used 15x10 wheels with a 4.5" backspacing. I think with a stock rear you need around 7" BS. I like the deep dish look myself.


And Crackedback, thanks alot, you were one of the guys that inspired me to do the mini tubbing, I studied you pictures. And yeah I was thinking about 1-1 1/2" lowering blocks, it wouldnt hurt the strength of the rear setup at all? Maybe I'll go for it.

Butch
 
that looks great Butch! Now you can fly out here to Texas and do mine, you know, to practice on and keep your skill sharp :-D. I want mine minied (sp?) too but #1 I don't own a welding rig, #2 I can't weld even if I did own one, and #3 I'm a big chicken when it comes to cutting up a car!:sad1:
 
392Mopar said:
And Crackedback, thanks alot, you were one of the guys that inspired me to do the mini tubbing, I studied you pictures. And yeah I was thinking about 1-1 1/2" lowering blocks, it wouldnt hurt the strength of the rear setup at all? Maybe I'll go for it.

Butch
Click to expand...

Glad I inspired you and the pics were helpful. Appreciate the thanks.

A 1-2" block would be about right depending on your taste in ride height. You could also drill a new set of hole in the boxes higher up to lower it as well. Only issue there is your pinion angle will change a bit and usually not to the good side. I'm not fond of the stinkbug look and it hinders hooking up.

One thing on the rear that you might want to do is box the perches. If you are hitting the rear pretty hard, the perches/welds will sometimes give up. Boxing them give more area to spread the load.

Again, nice work! :cheers:
 
Yeah I'd like the top of the rear tires flush with the wheelwell or just a hair tucked in. I have 2" blocks that might work from a truck I had, maybe I'll get some longer U-bolts and see how that makes it sit.

And thank for the tip on the perches, right now I'm not running enough power to worry about it but I plan on droping a good high HP motor in a couple years. Next I think is some sub frame conectors and some new paint, got a little body work to do over the winter first. I showed the good side, the drivers quarter has a hole in it, shhhhhhhh!!!!!
 
Nice job 392. You make it look so easy. I liked the way you did your filler strips.
 
Thumbs up on the work, very nice. I have removed enough undercoating from cars, I would have left that out, but it looks great.
 
Thanks everyone.

Yeah I was aiming for a stock looking truck, wanted it to look stock to anyone not familiar with an A body.

Fot the filler strips, I just made cardboard templetes, cut them out of sheetmetal, and flanged the edges with a hand flanger(looks like vice grips with a flanging jaw from Eastwood). Didnt want to mess with a butt weld.

As fas as de-arching the springs, I dont think it would work because the rear shackle would rotate to close to the frame rail seeing as its mounted in the frame, so I think blocks or new springs are my only option, think I'll go with the blocks for now.


And the undercoating, well the entire car was undercoated when I got it so its easier to re-undercoat then strip the entire thing, not a show car so I'm not woried about it.


Thanks again for the coments, and for anyone wanting to do this, if you can do a simple spot weld (easy), and you take your time, its really not that bad. Very time consumming, but definatelly not imposible. This is the first time I've cut up a car like this and it was a little scary making that first cut, but after that it was all fun!!!!


Butch
 
Thanks so much for the pics! what a great job you did!
 
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