showcase your front setup variations

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InItSwingIt

InItSwingIt

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I was looking at all kinds of conversions people had done...lets see some more. What kinds of things have you all done to adapt coilovers or sacraficed to stay stock(ish). Has any body run T-bars and coils? Why is that a horrible idea? I figured if you all had the oppurtunity to show off you might take it.
 
A torsion bar and coils are the same thing......springs
The torsion bar is straight while the other is coiled

While some might run a coil over shock with leaf springs in the rear and use the additional (coil) spring as a helper.... you seldom see it.

I have never seen both on the front.....but I wouldn't put it past someone.
 
InItSwingIt said:
I Has any body run T-bars and coils? Why is that a horrible idea?
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It's a horrible idea because it offers no advantages. Why run TWO springs?

You lose the advantage of running the torsion bars (easily height adjustable, low center of gravity, suspension forces well distributed in the frame members) AND the advantages of the coilovers (easily tunable, compact-more room for headers, steering etc). All you end up with is a unnecessarily heavy suspension set up because of duplication, and one that you'll still have to reinforce the shock towers for (not intended to support the car in stock form!). It will be hard to tune, difficult to adjust, and difficult to even figure a true wheel rate for since you'll have two springs working in two different types of suspension at the same time, and possibly counteracting each other if they're not well matched.

I've seen coilovers used with leaf springs, but again, the far better solution would be to run the correct leaf springs and shocks. Or ditch them entirely and use just the right coilovers in the system you want (4 link, etc).

Suspension design is a compromise. ALWAYS. Using two different designs at the same time usually just takes away the advantages of both while combining the disadvantages, often while adding new disadvantages along the way.
 
Go ahead and use coil springs with your torsion bars. You'll see.
 
things you need to do, measure ride height, buy coil-over shocks, buy 350psi springs, buy adaptor for top of shocks, buy spring wrenches, jack hotrod up and put on stands, unwind T-bars, remove them, install coil- over shock with springs, sit hotrod down and measure ride height, jack and and tighten springs it height isn't correct, keep doing this until it is.
 
bOb shingler said:
things you need to do, measure ride height, buy coil-over shocks, buy 350psi springs, buy adaptor for top of shocks, buy spring wrenches, jack hotrod up and put on stands, unwind T-bars, remove them, install coil- over shock with springs, sit hotrod down and measure ride height, jack and and tighten springs it height isn't correct, keep doing this until it is.
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Don't forget "weld in reinforcing structure tying the upper shock mount to the firewall and frame".

You know, seeing as how the upper shock mounts were never intended, or designed, to carry the weight of the car. Just the load from the shock, which is significantly less.
 
HemiDenny said:
A torsion bar and coils are the same thing......springs
The torsion bar is straight while the other is coiled

While some might run a coil over shock with leaf springs in the rear and use the additional (coil) spring as a helper.... you seldom see it.

I have never seen both on the front.....but I wouldn't put it past someone.
Click to expand...



Iv seen single and double adjustable coilover "shocks" like the viking and coplea others. they look like they would bolt in where the helper shock goes, knowing that without Tbars the weight falls upon flimsy tower mounts i thought (foolishly perhaps) that a cheap alternative to a whole conversion would be to run stiffer Tbars, and have asjustable shocks to help cope with the windy mountian roads we havewont here in my part of cali
 
InItSwingIt said:
Iv seen single and double adjustable coilover "shocks" like the viking and coplea others. they look like they would bolt in where the helper shock goes, knowing that without Tbars the weight falls upon flimsy tower mounts i thought (foolishly perhaps) that a cheap alternative to a whole conversion would be to run stiffer Tbars, and have asjustable shocks to help cope with the windy mountian roads we havewont here in my part of cali
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Cheap alternative to what? Suspension that works properly?

Why the fascination with the coil overs? Installing them like that offers ZERO additional benefits. You still have the same geometry as the torsion bar setup, you still need the torsion bars, you've added weight, you're still overloading the shock towers, and you're going to lose adjustability.

Just install larger torsion bars to get the spring rate you want, and upgrade the shocks to something that can handle the larger bars. The result will be far superior to what you're suggesting.

Or, if you really have something against the torsion bar suspension, replace it completely with a coilover set up. At least that way you get the tuning benefits and additional room for headers/steering components by going to coil-overs.
 
Ridetech uses shockwave airbags along with torsion bars in their front suspension system for E-body mopars.
 

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blown71duster said:
Ridetech uses shockwave airbags along with torsion bars in their front suspension system for E-body mopars.
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why?....just asking.

I'm guessing....just guessing.... for the ones that want to lower the car further than the ride / driving height when sitting still and possibly with the assist of a small(er) torsion bar a larger / more PSI Shock Wave is not needed.
 
blown71duster said:
Ridetech uses shockwave airbags along with torsion bars in their front suspension system for E-body mopars.
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That's horrible. The only purpose of that is to look cool parking the car on the ground. From a handling standpoint that's a complete disaster. Apparently no one at RideTech has the foggiest idea of how a torsion bar works. Or they don't care. And here I thought they were a decent company.

Sure, it'll lower the car with a switch. It could also put too much load on the shock towers if they aren't reinforced, and it will be darned difficult to even figure out how much load the bars or shock towers are carrying at any given moment.

And all of the other issues stand. Increases the unsprung weight, makes the torsion bars difficult to adjust, retains the torsion bars and their space limitations, puts two springs in competition with each other, places load on the original chassis in places it wasn't designed to carry it, etc, etc.

That's just a cheap shortcut. Only purpose is to look "cool".
 
Currently in the middle of my front suspension install. It's a Hotchkis TVS (UCA's, adjustable tie-rods, and adjustable strut rods), with 1.06" T-bars, Hotchkis adjustable shocks (apparently they're on a back order), and Dr Diffs 13" disc brake kit. So far the only change I've had to do is front mount the calipers as they hit the UCA's (going to need to move some brake lines too). Besides that, it's a pretty smooth transition. No need for coil overs and tubular K-members. The original suspension design was a pretty bulletproof design.
 

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I am not sure how well the ridetech system works, my guess is they are not flying off the shelves. But it would give a guy a bolt on option to control the front up and down which would be nice if you have oil pan,headers hanging down low and meet up with a speed bump, more of a show car thing .
Kind of like this cuda in the video although its probably not this exact setup he is able to raise the front end for clearance if needed :

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLWvTUK8cZ0&index=53&list=PLZ-W5W1qD3icxUeIzV7TCvgCWKJ1VRekQ"]1971 Hemi Cuda Street Rod - YouTube[/ame]
 
man...that is one cool 'Cuda.

and a special shout out the weed wacker dude next door....way to fook up the audio
 
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