HDK Tubular Coil Over for Stock Steering

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I now have a set of the HDK LCA stuff to add to the HDK upper shock mount. The LCA is a work of art, as is the bolt-on rear pivot support with all that interlocking going on. The engineer/hotrodder in me immediately wanted to change things, and after a few beers I got to thinking about sealed bearings in the LCA to rotate on the pivot, like a motorcycle swing arm. I will try the lubed bushings for now.

My car is that green KOS Demon I bought from Mike Robbins (see mag cover from Feb 97). It was famous for doing huge wheelies and it did them on stock LCAs and torsion bars. The LCAs weren't even reinforced with those Mancini plates on the bottom and surprisingly the pivot point wasn't spread out. The pivot pin on the stock deal is cantilevered out without support. While the stock K frame may waller out at the pivot attach holes, I have never seen a bent pivot pin. I will be dropping the K frame (my motor is on a plate) and make sure the pivot attach point is good, then beef it up more so it is rock solid. Probably will do all the usual K frame beefups and my K is already pretty heavily modified for the 499. The motor in it now is a very heavy Mega block 540 and I plan to keep doing wheelies.

My intention is to NOT use a rear support. The way I see it, the worse that can happen is I bend the pivot, and I bet that won't happen. If it does I'll copy Denny's pin in a stronger material like heat treated 4130.

mopar-action-magazine-february-1997-hot-n-sexy-street-machines-ee909f09ce8fa1b9f2b78b303706ed31.jpg
 
And oh yeah, I will also get the pivots plated locally like I always do.

Keep 'em shiney...

657-cnc-pivot-shaft.jpg
 
airwoofer said:
I now have a set of the HDK LCA stuff to add to the HDK upper shock mount. The LCA is a work of art, as is the bolt-on rear pivot support with all that interlocking going on. The engineer/hotrodder in me immediately wanted to change things, and after a few beers I got to thinking about sealed bearings in the LCA to rotate on the pivot, like a motorcycle swing arm. I will try the lubed bushings for now.

My car is that green KOS Demon I bought from Mike Robbins (see mag cover from Feb 97). It was famous for doing huge wheelies and it did them on stock LCAs and torsion bars. The LCAs weren't even reinforced with those Mancini plates on the bottom and surprisingly the pivot point wasn't spread out. The pivot pin on the stock deal is cantilevered out without support. While the stock K frame may waller out at the pivot attach holes, I have never seen a bent pivot pin. I will be dropping the K frame (my motor is on a plate) and make sure the pivot attach point is good, then beef it up more so it is rock solid. Probably will do all the usual K frame beefups and my K is already pretty heavily modified for the 499. The motor in it now is a very heavy Mega block 540 and I plan to keep doing wheelies.

My intention is to NOT use a rear support. The way I see it, the worse that can happen is I bend the pivot, and I bet that won't happen. If it does I'll copy Denny's pin in a stronger material like heat treated 4130.

mopar-action-magazine-february-1997-hot-n-sexy-street-machines-ee909f09ce8fa1b9f2b78b303706ed31.jpg
Click to expand...

sweet. I'm curious to see how you like it. Looks good
 
airwoofer said:
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My intention is to NOT use a rear support. The way I see it, the worse that can happen is I bend the pivot, and I bet that won't happen. If it does I'll copy Denny's pin in a stronger material like heat treated 4130.
Click to expand...

Airwoofer.....

Thanks for the call today and the valuable feedback. I greatly value your opinion and suggestions.

After we spoke, I unbolted the rear brace....just to see if I could get any movement....I got a very , very slight bit (could have been my imagination, but I do not think so).

If you wanted to re-sleeve the K....as you suggested with a larger , thicker piece of tubing (perhaps chromoly)....I could see about swapping your pivot shafts. The tapered sleeve in the K limits the size....and as they say bigger is always better.

In the meantime, I am a fan of the bolt on brace.

I do have the original.....smaller rear brace (pictured in the thread) if interested.
 
Denny, I want to do the tube thing with the K frame. It will need a beefer section where the pivot pin goes into the K frame.

IMO this will also allow people with wallered out K frames to get up to spec for the beefier pivot if you put this option in production.

I like this ginnie pig stuff.
 
what do you think?.....the shaft is made from 1.25" and I would like to see a little shoulder to stop on.

what od / thread would you like to see for what was the tapered section?
 
Gears are spinning in my head on that, got the max dia - and unlike others, these ideas are free to the Mopar community so there won't be no you know what.

But I have to think that there already are a ton of repair/beef-ups out there for the pivot pin attach in the K frame. Does that wheel need reinventing and a new sh*t storm from the last guy who thought of it? Cause if not, this mod could also repair/beef a car back to a stock configuration LCA pivot pin with the stock LCA version of the kit.
 
I'm just concentrating on your current needs....the rest will work out.
 
Denny, for the part of the pivot that goes throug the K frame I think 1" OD where the taper is now, maybe for 3/4" and the 3/4" OD the rest of the way to the 1/2" threads. I will use 1 1/4" OD 0.125 wall 4130 and insert some 1"OD 0.125 wall 4130 in the larger tube for the small end. Both the 1.25 and 1.00 side of the tube assy will be welded into corresponding size holes on the K frame, with reinforcements where they pass through. I would hone/ream the inside of the tube assy to be sure it was round/right dia. so the pivot would fit tight. May need maybe 1/8 longer on the pivot shaft so the shoulder at the threads was flush with the outer edge of the small side K frame reinforcement, and of course the big side would stick out like it does now, but that would be the reinforcement plate on that end which I would weld to the reinforcement plate before honing. That way the ID wouldn't be changed from welding it to the K frame as the heat would then be on the outside of the reinforcement plate.

I am going to try to rig up a pilot (probably make it from a stock pivot pin) for a hole saw to cut the 1 1/4 hole. I think a step drill could do the 1" hole. I have a scrap K frame here to test this on.
 
yes....but the brackets I had pre-made are not satisfactory....they were made to fit in the same spot as the QA1 LCA.

QA1 LCAs must not use a factory anti-sway bar. My machinest / fab guy is working on a set that will jig the same as yours / factory.
 
So how much is the cost of this setup? And will it work on a '65 Barracuda? Seems there was so much discussion about whether or not the idea was stolen or copied, that no one wanted to discuss price.
 
HemiDenny said:
I should be picking up the new support brackets tomorrow.....just need verification they are to spec.

Then pictures , description and prices will go on the HDK website. ....www.moparsuspension.com

Intial pricing will be $695 .... without UCA's (additional $295)
Does not include coil overs

Basic package....

Upper shock mount
Chomoly upper shock mount support
Adjustable UCA bump stop
Chromoly LCA
Ride height simulators
LCA detachable (100% bolt on) rear brace
Click to expand...


post 184
 
As a newbie it was a bit like watching a monkey F:(& a football putting the HDK under the 72 Swinger...thanks Denny for answering 50 questions, calls, emails and pics on that. Picking up a V8 front suspension this week for the Demon.....you ready for another 50 questions?
 

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If this is going to be cheaper than buying a full tube k member system I'm in. I am one of the many that have drooled over the websites with the only realization that the full k member conversions were just out of my financial reach. I'm in!
 
Bumping this thread... Between Denny and I we have an idea how to put the LCAs and coil-overs on my Demon and repair/beef up the K frame at the front, without removing the K frame from the car.

The way I am doing it on my KOS car will be lighter than stock, but I don't drive through potholes. The added space where the torsion bars used to be will be helpful for headers.
 
From what I see at this point the biggest decision is if they want the front K frame hole opened up to 3/4" (do it with a $30 Harbor 90* air drill and 3/4" step drill bit, both things a man should have anyways). Denny can make that size as easy as the stock dia shaft he is selling now to match the stock hole, which is probably wallered out cause of age / weak point. Mine were. This can be done on jack stands.

We'll see if my 18 yr old UCAs will clear the shock / springs.
 
I mocked up one side with the pivots that came with the set (they are being changed), and this fits like a glove with the stock strut. My existing UCAs will clear a spring almost 4" OD so they will work. Looks like QA1 double adjustables P/N DD303 which will support the 3" travel of the shock bump to bump. I like the way these look on the car.
 
Ya'll are gonna get pics, don't worry...a promise I made to HDK. This old turd has to get up higher on that technology scale thingy. A pawn shop cam should work, or a no longer needed phone that will transfer pics to laptop.

Way over my understanding of the current level of tech.
 
Just raggin ya man....no biggie. :prayer: I'm chompin at the bit for Denny to get my LCA's done so I can get my kit. This should help the 5.7 Hemi live a little easier in my Duster.
 
I currently have a heavy iron Mega block motor instead of the alum B KB block sitting on the motor plate. Gonna be a bunch heavier and maybe need different front springs than the 500 KB low deck..

You using a stock/modified K frame ?
 
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