Super Stock/Pro Stock Springs Installation

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MB43

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Is it as easy as it seems to install the Mopar SS or Mancini PS springs?

Jack up the car, put jackstands under the frame. Jack up the rear a bit to take the tension off the springs. Unbolt the shocks and u-bolts, unbolt the front of the spring, unbolt & remove the rear shackles.

Installation is the reverse. Snug up all the bolts, lower the car and tighten everything up to spec.

Is that it? Anything to watch out for?
 
Watch the size of the front bolt. The springs will likely have a 5/8" (or 9/16"-memory fading) id front bushing. My 70 duster has a 1/2" front bolt, so I had to drill larger holes and buy bolts. I think they went to the larger bolt in 73 or 74, so you may have that already.
 
340duster said:
Watch the size of the front bolt. The springs will likely have a 5/8" (or 9/16"-memory fading) id front bushing. My 70 duster has a 1/2" front bolt, so I had to drill larger holes and buy bolts. I think they went to the larger bolt in 73 or 74, so you may have that already.
Click to expand...

Good information. Thanks.

Anything else? Or is it as simple as it seems to be?
 
(#&(*#(*@!^!#@@!#)(#!!!!

3 hours to get one side done!

Before:
P6110029.JPG


After:
P6110031.JPG


There's a bunch more room for bigger tires now!
P6110032.JPG


Those are 28x9s on there now. They look small!
 
Looks good! Hmmm, I wonder what a set of those would look like on my Dart.
 
Mike, looks like you did a nice job, but I couldn't help but notice the shackle angles. I did mine last year and I read somewhere that the angle of the shackle in relation to the leaf was critical to the leaf functioning correctly. I had to reposition the upper bolt on the shackle foward to get a workable angle. This tech article covers it.

http://www.moparts.com/Tech/Archive/race.html
 
sickt7cuda said:
Mike, looks like you did a nice job, but I couldn't help but notice the shackle angles. I did mine last year and I read somewhere that the angle of the shackle in relation to the leaf was critical to the leaf functioning correctly. I had to reposition the upper bolt on the shackle foward to get a workable angle. This tech article covers it.

http://www.moparts.com/Tech/Archive/race.html
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know the angle is wrong... How did you "reposition the uppper bolt"?
 
Well, I got the other side installed. Much easier, the u-bolts broke when I was trying to take the nuts off. Then the shackle bolts broke when I was taking them off. Took it all apart in about 15 minutes.

Then my wife came out while I was installing the new shackle. My 3 year old was running around, I was trying to keep him from going near the car. The wife was yelling at me about the work she needed to get done in the house, I shouldn't spend all weekend working on the car. I didn't check the setting on the torque wrench while I was installing the new shackle bolts... Should be 30 ft/lbs, I had it set for 85. SNAP. That's what happens when you get distracted, I guess.

!@#&($(*@!&(#@!!!!

:twisted: :evil: :twisted:
 
I e-mailed Wess at Mancini asking for the part number for the shackle that I broke (they came free with the springs, I didn't know which one they had sent), he told me they'd send me a replacement no charge.

Without a doubt, Wess is the man! :thumleft: :thumrigh:
 
Mike, don't know what happened, must of got lost in space. Anyway, what I did was to move the leafs inboard ~3" so they're repositioned directly under the frame rails. Draw an imaginary line from eyebolt to eyebolt, then position the shackle 90 degrees to that line. That is the point which your upper shackle bolt should be. I drilled through the frame rail and welded a piece of pipe through the rail with welded washers on each side for added strength. Slap some grease in the pipe and attatch your upper shackle bolt. Make certain you have some freedom of movement, but not too loose either. Since your's are in the stock position, if you plan on leaving them there, you're gonna have to fabricate a foward bracket; no biggie if you're handy with a welder.

How wide a tire are you going to run?
 
Ah, ok.

Me? Handy with a welder? C'mon. I'd wind up welding my hand to my rear bumper. :dontknow:

I'm probably gonna stick with 28x9 tires for the time being.
 
In some magazine (maybe mopar action) I remeber something about getting the SS springs dearched to get the ride height back to normal levels. This would likely cure the shackle angle problem too. Those pictures bring back bad memories of my SS spring install (years ago). I now have a three year old helper too, I can understand how you can be distracted.
 
Done, finally. Actually it's been done for a while, I just got around to taking some pictures.

P6190001.JPG


P6190002.JPG
 
Mikel, the look and ride height seems better. so hopefully the new springs makes for a better ET.
 
shg340 said:
Mikel, the look and ride height seems better. so hopefully the new springs makes for a better ET.
Click to expand...
Not this past weekend. But hopefully soon.
 
So what did you end up doing to the rear shackles? Did you fab up some spacers to move the mount forward?

Pretty dramatic difference on the height of the rear end on launch.
 
GotDart said:
So what did you end up doing to the rear shackles? Did you fab up some spacers to move the mount forward?.
Click to expand...
No, not yet. I just used the stock mounts for the time being.

GotDart said:
Pretty dramatic difference on the height of the rear end on launch.
Click to expand...
You're telling me! ;-)

Here's a video from the in-car camera. Doesn't really show much about how the suspension is working, but it's kinda cool anyway.

http://www.elite-computing.net/racing/Movies/Mikel - June 27 2004.wmv
 
Mike, great video ! I could feel myself reaching for the shifter :lol:
BTW, I never got an Email from you so I can log on to the Northeast site.

2004747711796462954568.jpg
 
sickt7cuda said:
Mike, great video ! I could feel myself reaching for the shifter :lol:
Click to expand...
Thanks!

Watch what you're grabbing when you reach for the shifter that isn't there! :jocolor:


sickt7cuda said:
BTW, I never got an Email from you so I can log on to the Northeast site.
Click to expand...
Check your PM on this site.
 
Has anybody who's already gone through this had any problems afterwards with their driveshaft loop?

It looks like my driveshaft dropped about 1/2", it's very, very close to rubbing inside the driveshaft loop. That's bad, so I'm guessing I'll have to either move the loop or adjust it?
 
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