Putting SS springs on my 63.

I decided to get SS springs and put them on my 63 before I go to the track on Nov the 8th. Now I can get a nice stance without air shocks. And on my launch you can see the R/R squats more then it should with the weak original springs. Now I can't wait to get them on and try them at the track. :) Ron

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n429/383-manallmopar/the%2063/meatmd2.jpg

I agree. Getting rid of the air shocks is a good thing to do. The framework for attaching the shocks wasn't built to support the weight of the car. I got rid of the air shocks on my '64 Belvedere by getting a set of springs from St. Louis Spring Co. They had 6 leaves on each side, and I had them made with 2" of extra arch. That put the rear end as high as it was when I had the old air shocks fully extended. I used the longer rear shocks from MP along with the new springs. Good luck with your project.

Don't forget to reset your pinion snubber

Don't out trick yourself and spend a lot of money unless you want to! Get yourself a set of Mopar Perf. SS springs! #002 & 003. Period! They bolt on, no mods and really kick as$. You might have to use a shock extension! Don't forget to use A body rubbers in the rear spring eye, and B body on the upper frame mount! The car will hook on gravel! I've done it to a bunch of my early B, bodys. 002's & 003's were for A body 68 's originaly.... John Lang

John,
I thought that those springs are 2" shorter than the B body springs, and require a longer front hanger to get the correct center bolt distance for the early B body cars.

John,
I thought that those springs are 2" shorter than the B body springs, and require a longer front hanger to get the correct center bolt distance for the early B body cars.

Histoy, this sounds real familiar. I have read something like that.

Super stock springs ARE A body length. But that is the same as an early B body as well. Also a lil shock trick. Use some for a B or C body station wagon. They're longer.

Alright guys, listen up ! I'm pretty old so here we go ! 63 B bodys have a 20 in front spring segment and a 36 in rear. 64 B bodys have the 2 in longer front segment which is 22 in, and a 36 rear segment ,which means the 002,003's will bolt in a 63 ply as an A body has a 20 in and a 36 rear, and a 64 needs a spacer because they have a 22 in front and 36 rear segment Clear as mud? John. I still race a SS/CA HEMI car

Thanks for the clarification John. I didn't know that the '63 & '64 springs had a different length. My car was a '64 Belvedere, that's why I didn't use the 002/003 springs.

Here's the stance I get with my 63 with SS springs:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/2993033845_a2b3e28520_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/2613652565_ebe41b428e_o.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa217/scatpack440/1963_Dodge_Polara_Hemi284.jpg

That's an awesome car!

Here's the stance of my '64 Belvedere with the 6 leaf springs with 2" of additional arch.

That's an awesome car!

Thanks, your ride is great too!

Steve,
I see that your '63 made the Mopar Style 2009 Calendar. Way to go!

I knew the A-body springs will bolt right in. But my car goes 3700 with me so I bought the Mancini 3400 lb SS springs. They came with new U-bolts , rear hangers and bushings all for $219. I did not get any pics yet but it sits about the same as before when I had air in the air shocks which is like this. But now I dont need air shocks. :)
I went to the track last Sunday but it was a windy and damp day. It did drizzle a little but they did race. It was only about 50 out and the sun was not out much and it was very windy. So they made us run the 1/8 mile. :sad: I hate the 1/8 mile but it was better then no racing. I ran 7.36 @ 93.84 mph with a 1.62 sixty ft. My best ever on my 11.52 pas was a 7.33 @ 93.88 mph in the 1/8 so I figure that 7.36 was about an 11.58 pass. The 1.62 sixty is about normal for my car but it launched nice and straight which it did not do before with the old worn out springs. So I am happy with the launch and hope to work on getting a bit faster next year in some good air. Ron

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n429/383-manallmopar/RonJohn015.jpg

It sits just like in these 2 pics. Oh and it was also nice to stop on my way to the track and fill up with 93 pump. And when most all the guys I raced against were loading their cars on the trailers I just drove out of the track and then drove the 45 miles home. :) Ron

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n429/383-manallmopar/RonJohn003.jpg

Ron, that's a great looking ride. Glad the SS springs are working out for you.

Good stuff Ron, they do hook nicely.

I'm glad the springs work for you, but i wish you would have tried the 002, 003, Only because iv'e tried going according to the weights with the springs, and always went back to the 002,003 combo, and went faster. I went 10.40's with my absolutly street legal, NHRA legal, Max Wedge 63 Spt Fury, on 9x30 tires at Union Grove, Wis at 127.00 mph. I'm glad yours works for you John Lang

The 1.62 sixty is about normal for my car but it launched nice and straight which it did not do before with the old worn out springs. So I am happy with the launch and hope to work on getting a bit faster next year in some good air. Ron


With this base line, now add 6 cyl. torsion bars and loose shocks....:yes:

What is the Brand name of the front wheels on your car? They look like the old and rare Centerline ProStock wheel from the mid 80 's.. When the came out a buddy of mine Al Corda (not name dropping) had a set first and really pissed me off, kind of childish i guess but, trye story! John Lang................PPSS I did buy a set of those wheels in a 3.5x15, and 10x15 and still have them

Steve,
I see that your '63 made the Mopar Style 2009 Calendar. Way to go!

Thanks much.

What is the Brand name of the front wheels on your car? They look like the old and rare Centerline ProStock wheel from the mid 80 's.. When the came out a buddy of mine Al Corda (not name dropping) had a set first and really pissed me off, kind of childish i guess but, trye story! John Lang................PPSS I did buy a set of those wheels in a 3.5x15, and 10x15 and still have them



They are American Racing wheels. I plan to replace them soon with Torque Thrust wheels up front soon. Thanks again for the kind replies. Ron

these are nice,

Yes I will be going with the bottom style that have the gray on them. They are the vintage looking ones that I want up front on my 63. Ron

Do yourself a favor and totally rebuild the front end while you are at it....if you haven't already done so. Six cylinder torsion bars are the ticket, and 90/10's are what I have used for years.

When you use the SS springs, stick the front segment up into the frame as far as you can. If you have spring hangers with two holes, use the upper one. Make sure the rear shackles are tilted with the upper part toward the front of the car, this way when they pull down it will pull straight.

For the money, SS springs can't be beat. We've found over the years that 10.50 is about the break.....after that you run into handling problems and that can make your life more interesting than you need it.

Thanks for the info Steve. I rebuilt the complete front end when I went over the whole car in 2005. Everything in the suspension was new other then the rear springs. Ron

Steve 1118, Maybe you should look at some NHRA stockers, and check the times they are turning with leaf springs. As in the 9 sec range! Legal AA/SA, or A/SA Ply and Dodges..........Later John Lang

John, most of those guys are running Caltracs, and SS springs are not legal in Stock Eliminator. The springs must have the original number of leaves, and be of the original length. No one that I know is running the conventional leaf spring set up that you and I are familiar with. Quite a few, if not all, are now running radial slicks that certainly helps. In addition, an awful lot of them have thier stuff massaged by Greg Luneak at Tri City Competition.....they work real well but are pricey.

What happens with the SS spring setup, especially with the snubber, is that the car tends to pivot on the snubber when it is up against the floor. It usually lifts the left side a bit more, causing the car to drift to the right. Like I say, we have been racing this setup for over forty years, and over the course of the years we have found that right around 10.50 it starts to get somewhat hairy for a set of out of the box SS springs.

The NSS Hemi 65 that I race now (I have been racing it since 1969) runs 10.80-10.90, 10.70 on a good day, and is getting close. It still short times at around 1.52-1.54, and I don't think that a ladder bar setup would help it. I still think that for the buck, the SS springs are the way to go.

A couple of years ago, they had a Mexican outfit making the springs for them and they did not work. Now, though, they seem to have that pretty much straightened out and they are now back to the quality in the old days. In the old days, many a Modified Production Camaro with a high winding small block used the SS springs developed by Chrysler.

I,m gonna be running the 3400 lb. springs too. 456 and 457. Glad to hear they are working good for you as my 66 bb coronet will probably weigh close to the same with me in it.

IT sounds like you guys are really up on this subject so I would like to run this by you...Way back in the day (1973) at a Direct Connection seminar in Ohio we were told by the techs when using S/S springs do not use the pinion snubber.Now over the years I have run both ways and never saw a difference.Also my cars were never faster than 11.90's to 13.00 so I figured the power wasn't there to make a difference.Anyone else ever heard this or is it something for a episode of MITHBUSTERS ??

I too remember when the hot set up for a Camaro or Nova was the Dana 60 and S/S springs. Most guys scattered the stock 10 or 12 bolts behind a big block or high reving small block stick car and were calling us Mopar racers for rears. Some even went with the 8 3/4.

If you take the locating pin brackets for the rearend and oblong the holes and put the u blots back on, the rearend will plant it`s self to the ground with stock springs. The rear will tilt a bit which plants the rear wheels. I also heard if you do a lot of street driving 6 cyl torsion bars was unsafe because they will break.

I can tell you I dont run a pinion snubber. I ran no faster and hooked no better with a snubber so I took it off. I have had a best 60 of 1.57 wich is not to bad for a mid 11 car. Ron

Look in the history book and check out the setup Dandy Dick did with the perch wedges on his Charger.

After messing with a snubber in the 70's....I took it off and never used another.

These are SS Springs with extended front hangers from Mancini on my '65.

Hello all. Is the 002 & 003 spring the same for a 65 Coronet.