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how to get better cornering on our b bodies

davek

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what to improve how the car gos into corners,upgrades? thanks
 
Firm Feel for aim. Bilsteins. USCartool. Part of a good recipe.
 
Also include bigger torsion bars, heavier sway bars and add a rear bar with some sticky treads , good bilstien shocks tie it together with sub frame connectors, poly bushings front and rear, firm feel box stage 2 or 3 , box lower control arms, quick ratio idler and pitman arm and new springs in the rear and hang on! Also include heavy strut rods!
 
Ergo helps too. Smaller diameter MoMo steering wheel and late model (1989!) seats. Got the firm feel stage 2. Wouldn’t want a 3. 11” drums ok for me. Tires. These cars handle pretty good for me without discs, coil overs and other radical changes. Always warns me when disaster is approaching. I like that.
 
Reduce weight of the Car, especially front end
Reduce unsprung weight: get rid of 15x8 steel wheels and 11” rear drum brakes.
Get rid of the radial T/ A tires and KYB shocks
Koni or Bilstein shocks
Aluminum wheels
Bigger sway bars
Take a driving class(seriously)
 
B body is a bit ambiguous; what year, body style, drive train etc? or is this just an general question? When I did my Cuda, this was something I was after this seriously. I built a 4 link for it, stiffened the crap out of it, added bog sway bars, Strange adjustable rear shocks and Bilstien front. Boxed in the LCAs, used FF tubular UCAs, 1.14" T bars, FF stage 3 steering box, close ratio pitman and idler arms, adjustable struts, poly bushings everywhere and then put a stoked 340 (416) with a roller cam, EFI pack, etc. The car handles like a go cart but rides pretty hard.
 
Stiffer bars and leafs, poly bushings, good shocks, lowered stance and lower profile tires help immensely but of course most don't want the last 2. On my ride this did wonders, was going to add sway bars but don't see the need.
 
B body is a bit ambiguous; what year, body style, drive train etc?
I agree....The picture he has shows a '70 Coronet so I'll just figure that is the one.

R T 25.JPG

THis car has been an ongoing development process. It handles quite well. I didn't do everything at once though. I've owned the car 20 years. I've tried different shocks, sway bars, torsion bars and tires.
First up, where and how you spend your money depends on what your overall goal is for the car.
A man that just wants to be able to drive it safely and have it respond well can get great results with a factory stock front end rebuild, a good set of shock absorbers and some good tires.
If you are looking for much more, it is going to get much more involved.
As stated, weight is an enemy. The lighter the car, the less mass that the suspension, brakes and steering have to work with.
The suspension works best when it has a rigid platform to work with. The addition of frame connectors is a great way to add stiffness. The added weight is worth it here. I have them along with home made torque boxes.
The stock torsion bars are between .88 to .94" It has been said that the Mopar spring rates were too soft up front and too stiff out back. I agree. I run 1.15 torsion bars on that red car above. The leaf springs are Mopar Performance 440/Hemi spec. Shocks are Bilstein RCD from Firm Feel. For sway bars, I have a 1.25 up front and a .75 (3/4") in the back.
Tires are a subject that always has critics. The really good handling tires are in a larger rim diameter than these cars ever had. The sticky tire selection in 15" rim size is very limited. 16" isn't good either. Mine are 18", a size that I picked because it allowed some sidewall for a reasonable ride.
If you are just looking for improved stock, as I stated, a good quality standard front end rebuild is a great start along with good shocks and tires. The torsion bars and sway bars can be added later.
 
I don't think it is all that hard to get a Mopar to handle reasonably well, by "reasonably" I mean better than anything back in the day.
 
My 68 Satellite is all stock with a 318. No sway bars at all. Everything in suspension is near new. Would I notice a substantial difference If I put a front sway bar on? I don't want to take curves hard, but just want it not to lean so much going around a corner..............................MO
 
Sway bar, good shocks and good tires will completely change how it handles and feels (assuming all of the front suspension is good).
 
My 68 Satellite is all stock with a 318. No sway bars at all. Everything in suspension is near new. Would I notice a substantial difference If I put a front sway bar on? I don't want to take curves hard, but just want it not to lean so much going around a corner..............................MO

Yes, absolutely. Best bang for the buck single thing that you could do.
 
My 68 Satellite is all stock with a 318. No sway bars at all. Everything in suspension is near new. Would I notice a substantial difference If I put a front sway bar on? I don't want to take curves hard, but just want it not to lean so much going around a corner..............................MO


I thought front sway bars were put on most cars, but the last 3 cars I’ve bought didn’t have them. I think Sway bars should’ve been standard, it’s by far the best thing you can add for better handling.

I think Helwig are good bars for the money, they have a hammered finish, look nice, perform well, and are reasonably priced.
 
Hi,
I did QA1 stage 3 handling kit, Borgeson steering box, Hotchkis 1,03 torsion bars, sway bar, weld in subframe connectors, SS springs.
It‘s a night and day difference but still a big car;)
 
ADDCO sway bars.

The rest of the story.
Only added the bars, Monroe gas shocks, 15 x 8.5. ET mags, 255 Radial t/a tires. Battery in the trunk kit. Those big rubber bumper guards got tossed.
Left the torsion bars and leafs stock to maintain ride quality.
My 74 Charger SE ran circles around my buddies 77 Trans Am.

I see many guys beef up the bars and springs. I never did because I didn’t want it to ride like a lumber wagon. I’d recommend the bars first and evaluate it before making other changes.
 
Thanks to all :thumbsup:,Yes for the Bee just want it to not lean so much.
 
In my '63 one of the first things I did was upgrade to HD leafs, an OEM sway bar (police package item), new shocks, and put on radials. These adds made a significant difference. Later went with firm feel, and new/better suspension components and bit larger size wheels. I like how the car handles for what I think I need. Could be better? Absolutely, as posted above...larger dia sway and T-bars, etc. The alignment has to be done right by a shop that knows what they're doing with the steering upgrades as OEM alignment will result in crappola.
 
I you had a 73 or later I'd highly recommend Firmfeel Aluminum Sub frame Isolators. Big difference in cornering.
 
Buy the b-body performance upgrades book that ANDYF made. Look on arengineering.com. Another is the old and hard to find, because its out of production, SA Design book that is my avatar. It may be old, but the info still rocks.
 
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