SS/B and SS/A Chassis and Suspension

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NHRA Drag Rules 1972, TIRES: May use any rear wheel/tire combination that will fit into the original wheel wells. Internal wheel-well modifications are allowed; however external fender alternations are not permitted.
These are the same rules as for 1971, and for 1972 this is added (my remark)

Minor movement inboard of shock and spring mounts is allowed.

As I see it 1972 may have been the year when leaf spring were moved in under frame rail ...

So what was the national record for these Super Stockers in 1971?

I´ll try look it up, but may be someone know...
 
SSing said:
Minor movement inboard of shock and spring mounts is allowed.

As I see it 1972 may have been the year when leaf spring were moved in under frame rail ...
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I don't know the answer, but if you're wanting accurate info, i would suggest a little more research. "Minor" could be interpreted relocating into the frame rails, but that does involve "surgery". It might mean something like the 3/4" offset leaf spring brackets that Mopar sold.
 
Locomotion said:
I don't know the answer, but if you're wanting accurate info, i would suggest a little more research. "Minor" could be interpreted relocating into the frame rails, but that does involve "surgery". It might mean something like the 3/4" offset leaf spring brackets that Mopar sold.
Click to expand...


Yes, well the SS/B-cars came with the offset kit already installed from Hurst...

So like I say, till one of the guys who actually raced one of these cars back them step in... May be by claiming ´72 is the year, I can provoke someone to do :)

I have lend a picture from the web. It is from ´72, showing what I thing looks like some more rubber underneath...

by the way, some impressive racing there, Locomotion...
 

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SSing said:
Yes, well the SS/B-cars came with the offset kit already installed from Hurst...

So like I say, till one of the guys who actually raced one of these cars back them step in... May be by claiming ´72 is the year, I can provoke someone to do :)

I have lend a picture from the web. It is from ´72, showing what I thing looks like some more rubber underneath...

by the way, some impressive racing there, Locomotion...
Click to expand...

looks like rubber sticking out too. always thot that looked dumb as he-- !
 
I would guess the wheels in the photo on the back of Judy Lily's barracuda are 10" wide.
That puts them 2" wider than the 8" wheels that were being used when the
cars were introduced. 10.50 X 15 slicks were used on the 8" wheels which were 29" dia.
Cragars for Landy and Keystones for Sox & Martin.
11.00 X 15 were commonly used on a 9" wide rim.
The Crager super tricks became available in 71 and could be had in 16" X 10" and
used 12.00 X 16 slick. The super tricks were also made in all the 15" sizes.
The axle still appears to be the stock B-body width and I would say her car may still
be on the offset hangers same as the cars were delivered.
Hard to tell if she's using 15 or 16 dia. wheels in the photo. Both were possible in 72.
 
After reading an article in MotorTrend July ´68, on Landy´s Dart, he ran 10.5 X15 on 6 X 15 wheels, I´m a bit puzzled here. But you can´t be sure an article is 100 % correct I guess, and of cause they may have done some testing with different size wheels.

On first photo Jilly has to have more than 1.25" positive offset, that came original with steel wheels. And car still have tires well in line with the body, which is very obvious on black and white photo. Could it be she ran an A/body 8 ¾ rear end. It was available for the ´73 modell A-Body in summer/fall of ´72. Other vise I cant see how 10" wheels fit so well... with original rear axle and springs not moved in further.
Photo must be ´72 as she become Miss Mighty Mopar in ´73, and also ran other brand wheels then.
Don´t laugh, I need help here… :) But will not take this any further now...
 

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That picture makes the wheels look like 8" width. All we can do is guess.
 
1967formulaS said:
Check the rear out
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Well nice action pic there... I would say this is a great pic showing how the rear springs working at take off... lifting the body, pressing the rear axle down.

But 1967formulaS, I´m not saying such device you mention wasn´t used, haven´t heard of it though...

Thanks
Stefan
 
SSing said:
Well nice action pic there... I would say this is a great pic showing how the rear springs working at take off... lifting the body, pressing the rear axle down.

But 1967formulaS, I´m not saying such device you mention wasn´t used, haven´t heard of it though...

Thanks
Stefan
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tires certainly look better in that pic. the fender wells had to be stretched or the rear end moved back to run a 29" tire on a 67-8-9 barracuda tho.
 
famous bob said:
tires certainly look better in that pic. the fender wells had to be stretched or the rear end moved back to run a 29" tire on a 67-8-9 barracuda tho.
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Looks like the leaf spring pad locating pad head,(possibly bolt head?) ,got some relocation love ,there. My '67 Cuda with 002,003 springs,& Imperial shocks were a lot closer to the front of the fender radius.
 
Well the photo of the S&M-car is taken April. ´68.
I draw the conclusion nothing has been tempered with yet, on these cars...
Thanks, I appreciate your input...
 
I found this in my archives, thought it might be of interest. This is how they came from the factory back in 1968( Hemi Barracuda Super Stock).Check out the price back then. Love those Super Stock A-Bodies,if I ever win the lottery Lol.

IMG.jpg


IMG_0001.jpg


IMG_0002.jpg


IMG_0003.jpg


IMG_0004.jpg
 
Thanks Moparmaninc, sure is interesting reading...
I fund these pictures from a 1976 Super Stock DI.
First of Carpinet Bros. record holding A automatic. They still relied on what the SS A-Body Program guys came up with, eight years earlier. Car ran 9.7,s 140 mph. How impressive is that... with plain leaf springs. Wheels are now 13" and Dana 60 probably the 44,5" unit DC offered. Leaf spring has been moved in under sub frame, as well as the wheel well have been moved in, to make room for the 15X32" slicks.
20161018_163502[1]Carpinet0776Forum.jpg

Second picture however, show the Livingstone McCandless new SS/J entry (´71 Cuda 340 ) We see some more work has been done here, to support the front segment of the springs...
20161018_163630[1]McCandlessSSJCuda0776Forum.jpg
 
As a mater off fact, and even more impressive is, even ten years later racers like in this case, DeFrank and Cohen relied on the original rear suspension. Car as a whole though, had been updated to a full cage and leaf springs had been moved inboard by Ron Butler. Record is now 9.53…
Picture is from Popular Hot Rodding, June 1978

20161022_230538[1] DeFrank953.jpg
 
Maybe this'll help. My clone car (see thread on them) has the springs moved in & is mini-tubed as is so popular with these cars. Using regular rear shackles, S/S springs & shocks and a 10x15 rim with 4.5 in backspacing I can fit a 10 in wide tire without cutting the quarter panels as the S/S cars did. And this is without rolling the inner lip. So back then with the quarters cut, on a T&T day they could play with almost any size tire/wheel combo they wanted. And since the factory cut the quarters the racers couldn't be accused of "body modifications, something NHRA didn't allow.
 
Yes that´s nice and all but mine is a year one and two SS/B configuration, so for me every thing is a lot easier.
No sure I follow you on the last sentence though. About the factory cutting the quarters... I´m working on a Barracuda remember.
Well my posts and pictures above is basically an observation, and a contribution to Bob Tarozzi who, from what I understand, was responsible for the rear suspension on the Mule Car when testing at Irwindale...
Picture from the net.
ae7a8a95147f124bbc569fe0697d5229 Mule Car.jpg
 
sscuda said:
Stefan,

Please note that the sanctioning bodies (NHRA, IHRA and AHRA) kept a tight reign on the S/S car rules and still do today It wasn't until the mid 70's that the rules were relaxed so it's a sure bet the suspensions were "improved" shortly after the rules changes and continued as the ET's dropped. I'm sure if a racer was "creative" he wasn't going to advertise. The AH cars of today run on the ragged edge of poor handling as seen by the number of on-track incidents in 2015.


The LO / BO cars were delivered to Hurst with cheap OEM shocks. Hurst installed the longer heavy duty shocks . I do not know what brand they were but there weren't many shock makers at the time to choose.

Roll bars and frame connectors were added by the new owners to meet tech (safety) requirements. I'm not sure when torque boxes were first put into play.

As far as the record on a stock suspension I don't think anyone noted the record or cared to at the time. The LO and BO cars were delivered from Hurst with SS spring and HD shocks so technically they weren't "stock" to begin with.

For what it's worth: I had a 10.50 car on 3000 lb SS springs, HD Drag shocks, 3 inch inboard spring relocation, and a mini tub. I decided to move up an index to 10.0 and it was a handful on the launch. I also broke the 8 3/4. I found 10.0 secs. to be my limit, and quickly changed to a 4 link, coil-overs, and a DANA 60. The changes made the car fun to drive again and more consistent.


I hope this helps.

:glasses7:
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they installed imperial shocks, race manuals even recommended them w/ s.s. springs.
 
famous bob said:
they installed imperial shocks, race manuals even recommended them w/ s.s. springs.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have a set of those, 25" extended length. But very hard to pull out. Much easier to press together.
Is this how they should work?
 
My car was first set-up by Jack Arnew who still works on chassis' today. Thanks for reminding me to contact him to get more info on my car.
 
HemiSSDart said:
My car was first set-up by Jack Arnew who still works on chassis' today. Thanks for reminding me to contact him to get more info on my car.
Click to expand...

Well, that's almost like a favor isn´t it :) Maybe you can returen it by asking Mr. Arnew about the rear shocks. The front shocks are often referred to as 90/10, I suppose that´s fine...
The NOS 1970 Imperial Shocks I have are more like 10/90. I would like them to more towards 50/50, but that do a Pro say?
Thanks, Stefan
 
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