Amazing Chrysler Unibody and Suspension System Torsion Bars and Leaf Spring Configuration

[DoomRunner]

Well now that escalated quickly...

 

[Kern Dog]

Believe me ************* I'm no snowflake.
This site has no use to me, if not for the exchange of information , parts and ideas

I don't like water but I like it in my drinks, my food, I use it to bathe and to wash my clothes.

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

Well crap I'm late to the party !

 

[AR67GTX]

I always liked the smooth, solid, isolated ride of the late 60s, early 70s GM intermediates compared to Mopars and wondered how tuff Mopars really were. But then I read a magazine article about the filming of Bullet and all the engine and suspension reinforcing they had to do on the Mustang to get it to stay ahead of the Charger and survive all the bumps and jumps - and for the most part, except for a few extra hubcaps, the Charger was relatively stock for all the stunt work. Pretty impressive.

 

[diesel_lv]

Yea the NASCAR Indy 500 guys of old were stuck in there ways.
They were under attack so I don't blame them. They weren't just battling on the track.
But it took a while to realize, that yes technology has moved on. They all went mid engine monocoque after struggling to stay with the old chassis, so just because one man has his opinions at one time doesn't mean they don't adjust over time.
Look at 1964-1966 what happened.

You seem to be mixing up the racing categories. NASCAR, as in Winston, Nextel etc.. Cup, never used mid engine nor monocoque bodied.

 

[WileERobby]

I don't watch reality shows. I read threads like this on FBBO.

 

[YY1]

There’s a few writes ups on this in a few threads but this is what I meant

View attachment 1376043

I've never seen that happen either, and I've driven some mostly stock suspension unibody cars fairly hard.

That paint looks awfully thick to me, maybe even a bondo skim-coat.

 

[mrmolding]

Just wanted to share my experience with cracking/flexing. I've owned two b body convertibles and almost bought a third a few years ago but didn't due to the trunk cracking. Even with the factory torque boxes, all of them cracked in this exact same location around the trunk. I had a 70 sat convertible in the 80s and recently a 69 RR convertible that I sold in 2020 because it had a 5.7 and I just wanted something stock. I came really close to finally getting my dream 69 RR convertible last year, but after I paid a guy to inspect the car, yet another crack in the exact same location so I bailed. I made this side by side to let the seller know why I was bailing on the sale. Oh well! So not apron cracks, but really wish they'd done a better job from the factory with b body convertibles!

 

[Don Frelier]

Well at most demolition derbies these are specifically prohibited or they run a class just by themselves:
Fragile - I don't think so.

 

[RemCharger]

There’s a few writes ups on this in a few threads but this is what I meant

View attachment 1376043

That's a bondo Crack. Likely the front-end was compromised in an accident.

 

[mrmolding]

That's a bondo Crack. Likely the front-end was compromised in an accident.

All three cars (even the 70 sat in the 80s with original paint) in the exact same spot. None had frame or structural damage. Still should not flex that much to break bondo. The red car was a garage queen and still had a crack in it. Anyway, just wanted to share. My 70 sat with a full load of people felt like it was twisting at times. If I ever get another vert, I might try frame stiffeners.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Believe me ************* I'm no snowflake.
This site has no use to me, if not for the exchange of information , parts and ideas

 

[YY1]

The most common cracks I've seen that I attribute to torque on the uni-body, are where the lead on the cowl by the windshield is.

Not necessarily a deal killer, though.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

My car has them. Something else I’ve noticed a lot of b bodies have, that has nothing to do with torsion bars, just an observation. A dent on the driver side front fender next to the headlight, always in that same spot, always about the same size.

 

[dadsbee]

Interesting as I passed on a QQ1 '68 GTX last year with this crack in the drivers quarter, thinking it was probably bondo but now that this "apron" crack thing has been stated...

 

[YY1]

That is not a "normal" looking quarter to dutchman seam.

 

[YY1]

Now that I think about it, do convertibles have that seam?

I seem to remember my friend's 69 Sat 'vert not having them.

Maybe that's why vert's crack there...

The "regular" seam acts like a stress relief?

 

[WileERobby]

I had a windshield crack from a power-shift during a race due to unibody flex. I was in awe. Because... " I GOT THE POWER !! "

 

[WileERobby]

Opinions vary. Richard Petty, for one, wasn't impressed. In his words, to make the cars raceworthy;

"...the first thing we did was cut away all the "unit-body" frame they all bragged about in their advertising. It was a joke, if you want to know the truth. It wasn't safe for going to the grocery store, let alone flipping down the racetrack at 180 mph."

I'm a Richard Petty fan from way back. I'm wondering if/when that statement was made. Safety ? GM's X-frames were a deathtrap, just like the early corvettes. Unibody construction is far safer for going to the grocery store... is that why all modern vehicles have since changed to this technology ?

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

I thought Richard Petty said his 71 charger was his favorite race car.