66GTDART
Well-Known Member
Is the Front track width different between 1966 Dart and 1967 Dart?
Front track width
- Thread starter 66GTDART
- Start date
-
Oklacarcollecto
Life is an experiment
Yes.
vntned
Well-Known Member
Good question! Does anyone actually have the dimensions of the early A front track vs the later A?
Oklacarcollecto
Life is an experiment
There is a tech article about the 1973 up tracking different from 1972. 1972 track width is 57.74 so if you measure the early A as shown with original wheels you should have the answer.
66GTDART
Well-Known Member
Thanks for to info
69 340 dart
Well-Known Member
The best I can come up with my 65 Valiant is 56.5 ctc on the front.
Compared to what? And why?
The 73+ disk brakes added width compared to the 67-72 drums/disks, but that was a difference in the spindles and hubs, the upper and lower control arms were the same length and the K’s interchange. The 64-66 cars were slightly narrower in the k frame and frame rails, they also used the same length control arms.
As for narrowing it 4”, good luck! You can’t shorten the arms that much without causing some real grief when it comes to suspension geometry. Your only other option would be to move the suspension mounting points in, but, that would basically mean moving the frame rails in. Since there’s already barely any room for the engine, exhaust and steering box I don’t see how you’d do that either. And that would also change your suspension geometry.
The real question is, why do you need/want to narrow it that much?
I had my front control arms made an inch narrower on my Duster with 2.25 back spaced wheels. Didn't really see the difference. Thought I would try and go 2" on my Demon, going for the nostalgia funny car look on the street.
There’s no way in hell I’d do that without running a full suspension geometry analysis.
It’s not just looks you’re messing with, you’re completely changing how that car will handle. Roll center, camber and caster curves, bump steer, even the wheel rates will totally change. Maybe a “nostalgia funny car look” handles like crap already, but control arm length isn’t something you should just arbitrarily change to get a “look”.
The shorter you make the control arms the worse the handling will be.
when you say "narrower", do you mean the sides perpendicular to the frame rails, or you moved the ball joint toward the frame rail?
DionR
Well-Known Member
The AMA and MVMA specs show the following (I believe the governing body name changed, but the charts appear to match):
1964 Valiant tread - 55.9 front, 55.6 rear
1974 Valiant tread - 59.1 front, 55.4 rear
Note that wheels probably affect this some, as does the possible additional width due to disk brakes available on the 1974 model.
I narrowed a later k-frame to fit an earlier a-body years ago and I think I cut 2.5" out of the middle of it. Afterwards, I figured out somehow that it should have been 2.4", IIRC. Might have been some frame dimensions I found later. Thread should be on slant6.org if anyone cared to look. Still have the stupid thing (car was too rusty to save).
1964 Valiant tread - 55.9 front, 55.6 rear
1974 Valiant tread - 59.1 front, 55.4 rear
Note that wheels probably affect this some, as does the possible additional width due to disk brakes available on the 1974 model.
I narrowed a later k-frame to fit an earlier a-body years ago and I think I cut 2.5" out of the middle of it. Afterwards, I figured out somehow that it should have been 2.4", IIRC. Might have been some frame dimensions I found later. Thread should be on slant6.org if anyone cared to look. Still have the stupid thing (car was too rusty to save).
Sb449valiant
Well-Known Member
charles mill
Wildman68
any year any thing toe is set as two front wheels. stop a 4 wheel alignment sets 4 wheels straight. camber with strut cars is all most standard. on all cars today. go back where I was at SET caster with adjustable upper and lower A frames. caster is a relationship of both a arms. ? any body prove me wrong. aligned 4 over 30 years.most machines cant do caster today.
charles mill
Wildman68
set toe drives don't wear tires u good.
Shiny
Member
Have you narrowed your track width? I want to do the same thing on a prostreet A body car. Give it the Bob Glidden Pro Stock look!
I have been thinking about narrowing the rails to early A body width, then building 1" or 1.5" narrower tubular a-arms.
Bit may be just easier to put a strut front end in it eh...
-Shiny
Alignment machines "do" anything but measure the angles.
Caster has to be measured. It is not adjustable factory, on most cars but can be adjusted with a sliding top strut mount.
Whenever you change one angle on an alignment it affect the others.
King Pin Inclination is what it was called on early straight axles. Adjusted with wedge shims, this would also change the camber on turns. Remember doing Caster swings on the front wheels when getting your readings before and after making adjustment.
Most guys now think an alignment is just "Toe and go". Not really much of an alignment especially at todays prices.
Thrust angle is also an important factor on the alignment
Caster has to be measured. It is not adjustable factory, on most cars but can be adjusted with a sliding top strut mount.
Whenever you change one angle on an alignment it affect the others.
King Pin Inclination is what it was called on early straight axles. Adjusted with wedge shims, this would also change the camber on turns. Remember doing Caster swings on the front wheels when getting your readings before and after making adjustment.
Most guys now think an alignment is just "Toe and go". Not really much of an alignment especially at todays prices.
Thrust angle is also an important factor on the alignment
kesteb
Well-Known Member
The factory measured the "track width" from the center of the tire to the center of the opposite tire. So if you had 13x4" rims and 6.50/13" tires your "track width" would be different then if you were running 14x5.5" rims with E70 tires. Even thou the suspensions were the same on both cars.
If all of the wheels are the same size/offset, the front track would still be wider than the rear. the change would be equal front and rear.
The measured track width would only change is the offset of the rims changed. Changing the rim and tire width doesn’t change the track width, you’re measuring center to center.
If the 13’s and 14’s in the example are both +0 offset, the track width is identical because the centerline didn’t move.
-
