Opinions on a good handling A body

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340fourspeedDuster

340fourspeedDuster

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Car is a 1975 Duster. Wanting a nice handling car on twisty roads. Such as the Apache Trail here in AZ.
Car put on a diet: Saved 120+ pounds of weight by installing fiberglass bumpers. Removing the 5 MPH steel bumpers, C channel supports, and shocks. Engine is a 340 +.040" with an 833
four speed and 3.91 gears. Changing from 14" x 5.5" to 15" x 7" rims. KYB shocks. I am NOT looking to be the autocross champ, just want a very nice handling car.
Please give suggestions on the following:
1) Are the tubular upper control arms worth the $400
2) Settings for the front alignment; camber and castor.
3) Polyurethane components
4) tire choice
4) other mods
Advancing my car with your experience!!
Thanks!
 

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My opinion is it would be nice to have a good handling a-body....
 
wracks71 has the answers you're lookin for I bet. Shoot him a pm.
 
Not sure you need to go that far man. Some bigger t-bars matching spring rates to the rear, offset bushings, good shocks and sticky tires are about all it takes to pull serious-g in these cars.
 
340fourspeedDuster said:
Car is a 1975 Duster. Wanting a nice handling car on twisty roads. Such as the Apache Trail here in AZ.
Car put on a diet: Saved 120+ pounds of weight by installing fiberglass bumpers. Removing the 5 MPH steel bumpers, C channel supports, and shocks. Engine is a 340 +.040" with an 833
four speed and 3.91 gears. Changing from 14" x 5.5" to 15" x 7" rims. KYB shocks. I am NOT looking to be the autocross champ, just want a very nice handling car.
Please give suggestions on the following:
1) Are the tubular upper control arms worth the $400
2) Settings for the front alignment; camber and castor.
3) Polyurethane components
4) tire choice
4) other mods
Advancing my car with your experience!!
Thanks!
Click to expand...

1) No. Not with the other of level of improvements/expectations. More improvement from better shocks and tires that only come with 16" and greater sizes.

2) 1/16 toe in, 3-5 deg pos caster, 1/2 deg neg camber with camber compensation for road crown: 1/4-1/2 deg split or with combination of some caster split.

3)Sway bar links

4) 225/60/15 Maybe Mickey Thompson tires. BFG's, Coopers, etc all are just regular passenger car tires with raised white letters on them.

5) Moog offset bushings installed for pos caster, frt and rear sway bars. And if you want a sizable upgrade, consider one 1" t- bars. They will give you a firmer ride that is not as cushy and smooth.
 
autoxcuda said:
1) No

2) 1/16 toe in, 3-5 deg pos caster, 1/2 deg neg camber

3)Sway bar links

4) What dia rims are you running?

5) Moog offset bushings installed for pos caster, frt and rear sway bars, 1" t- bars, bilstien RCD shocks.
Click to expand...

Yup. And some good tires.
 
Mods I would do in order...
1. Subframe Connectors (any brand)
2. 17 inch or bigger wheels so you can get a decent performance tire like the Michelin Super Sport.
3. Bilstein or Hotchkis shocks. All others including KYB are a waste of time. (sorry Pishta!)
4. Borgeson steering box.
5. Big front sway bar.
6. New Torsion bars (1.0 or bigger)
7. Rear sway bar.
8. Upper Tubular arms/offset bushings
 

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I hope you are talking about the paved part of the trail.:D

Have you ever been over 89A from Prescott Valley to Jerome?
It's one of my favorite roads for playing and it starts just 3 miles or so from my house.
They recently repaved it, so it's brand new black asphalt in most places now so it's nice and sticky.
The motorcycle clubs go up there a lot, and is why it's kind of famous.

Here's a vid of a guy on a bike, but you can get the idea of what it would be like in a decent handling car.
It's a blast and my Brother practically begs me to slow down when he goes with me on it. :)

 
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What kind of steering box are you planning on running?
 
Here is what I did and was very surprised.
1.03 pst bars
Poly bushings front and rear
good shocks
subframe connectors
rear disks from a Cherokee
It has a factory front sway bar so did the poly bushings
265/70/15 tires

Really does well for a more door!
 
TrailBeast said:
I hope you are talking about the paved part of the trail.:D

Have you ever been over 89A from Prescott Valley to Jerome?
It's one of my favorite roads for playing and it starts just 3 miles or so from my house.
They recently repaved it, so it's brand new black asphalt in most places now so it's nice and sticky.
The motorcycle clubs go up there a lot, and is why it's kind of famous.

Here's a vid of a guy on a bike, but you can get the idea of what it would be like in a decent handling car.
It's a blast and my Brother practically begs me to slow down when he goes with me on it. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCo7wfowuWM
Click to expand...

I'm jealous being an Indiana boy we have been in that area several times and love it eat at the haunted hamberger several times was out there one time at halloween and the hotel was really neat since Jerome was a ghost town would love to move out that way
 
1) Yes

2) 1/8" toe in, 3-5 deg pos caster, .75 deg neg camber right, .5 right.

3)Sway bar links, shackle bushings.

4) I like MT tires. But any performance sticky handling tire will do. 17's have a nice look on these cars and they're are a lot of handling ties available.
 
I have power steering and manual brakes on the car.Semi metallic pads with drilled rotors.
Somewhere I saw an article where some of the "power" of the PS could be reduced with a second restriction. That would give more road feel to the steering. Anyone do this?
I have frame connectors, and a rear sway bar.
Still have not decided on a size wheel. Swapping out the B body 8 3/4 for an A body axle so there will be more room for a wheel in the well.
 
dodge71demon said:
I'm jealous being an Indiana boy we have been in that area several times and love it eat at the haunted hamberger several times was out there one time at halloween and the hotel was really neat since Jerome was a ghost town would love to move out that way
Click to expand...

Yea, it's pretty nice in this area, and lots of little roads that are a blast to drive.



340fourspeedDuster said:
I have power steering and manual brakes on the car.Semi metallic pads with drilled rotors.
Somewhere I saw an article where some of the "power" of the PS could be reduced with a second restriction. That would give more road feel to the steering. Anyone do this?
I have frame connectors, and a rear sway bar.
Still have not decided on a size wheel. Swapping out the B body 8 3/4 for an A body axle so there will be more room for a wheel in the well.
Click to expand...

Here's that "Pump it down" article you mention, and yes it works.
The basics are that adding another sealing washer to the pressure valve lowers the pressure output of the pump.

[ame]http://www.moparaction.com/tech/beep/PUMP_IT_DOWN-re-v1.4.pdf[/ame]
 
I agrees with autoxcuda, but I'd strongly recommend the reinforced k- frame.

I run poly bushings all around front n rear. I've got two super stock springs(can't remember right or left. Per green brick), bigger, t bars, and stock front roll bar. Car handles really well and I've never had good tires on it!
 
340fourspeedDuster said:
I have power steering and manual brakes on the car.Semi metallic pads with drilled rotors.
Somewhere I saw an article where some of the "power" of the PS could be reduced with a second restriction. That would give more road feel to the steering. Anyone do this?
I have frame connectors, and a rear sway bar.
Still have not decided on a size wheel. Swapping out the B body 8 3/4 for an A body axle so there will be more room for a wheel in the well.
Click to expand...

Rich Ehringburg from Mopar Action came up with an easy way to reduce the pressure level of the PS pump. You just pull the high pressure line off of the pump and remove the assembly it attached to. The washer mounts on that assembly. You can vary the amount of reduction with a thicker or thinner washer. You don't even have to remove the pump from the car. No need for a modern pump, the results are dramatic. I can turn the wheel with one hand when stopped but it feels like manual steering while rolling.
 
jos51700 said:
I agrees with autoxcuda, but I'd strongly recommend the reinforced k- frame.

I run poly bushings all around front n rear. I've got two super stock springs(can't remember right or left. Per green brick), bigger, t bars, and stock front roll bar. Car handles really well and I've never had good tires on it!
Click to expand...


Could you reference where you saw the article on SS springs?
I'm looking at replacing one of mine and would like to read
this article.


I also am using autoxcuda's advice for a good handling street car, the only difference
in mine will be a flaming river 16.1 box and frame ties.
I have KYB shocks, every thing I've read about them leads me to believe they
are a good compromise between low end and high end shocks.
I'm aiming for the higher middle as I'm not able to go high end at this time.
Possibly down the road I will be able to do more, and just starting the handling build there is plenty of places to throw money at like the braking system.
 
on a side note......

have you thought about painting the front of the core support satin black? makes the car look better when the grill goes in.
 
younggun2.0 said:
on a side note......

have you thought about painting the front of the core support satin black? makes the car look better when the grill goes in.
Click to expand...

maybe, I'd probably agree
 

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GMachineDartGT said:
Apache trail is nuts! I did the unpaved part...
Click to expand...

I have been over it twice, and the first time was in a 70's Lincoln Mk4 towing a boat with a weeks worth of camping gear in it.

The second time was a lot more fun on a 500cc dirt bike. :D
 
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