dodge charger suspension

[stephen]

Hi, I wonder if anyone out there has altered the upper A arm mountings to be the same as normally found on GM cars, ive done it and has simplified the castor camber setting to being able to shim it now far easier to set up .

 

[stephen]

I was referring to a 1973 dodge charger im restoring.

 

[WP29440SE]

mine is factory Mopar and it works great. I wouldn't copy anything from GM

 

[stephen]

Hi well I looked most places on how to set up the later susp when it was totally in bits and could find not a lot but plenty on the earlier system where the bushings and a cam move adjustment and bear in mind over here one has to think out side the box as no one in the trade has a clue how to deal with this adjustment system seems crazy that two bolts when loosened you loose all settings with no manual means of fine tuning the settings, as for using the GM as a example, well my fellow mechanic, just imported a dodge nascar strangly enough it also had the GM styled system so respectfully your missing the point all car companies copy each other its just a question what works the most efficient to suit the problem at hand.thanks for your reply, I still need a boot lid(trunk).

 

[furryfrog]

I have a 73 roadrunner, I purchased upper a arms from firm feel. I know the alignment guy was swearing, he could not fit the tool that keeps it from moving when the bolts are loosened, my turbo headers were in the way.
I'm curious what a arm u choose, and how much it changed the settings. Any after pics?

 

[WP29440SE]

well for the sake of argument, 90% of the alignment kids out there can't align any old Mopar. I do my own alignments. you are supposed to keep the bolts snug but loose enough to move the a arm while using the adjustment fork. all this is outlined in the FSM . they should be using it while doing the job instead of just using the parameters without procedure steps.

 

[stephen]

I have a 73 roadrunner, I purchased upper a arms from firm feel. I know the alignment guy was swearing, he could not fit the tool that keeps it from moving when the bolts are loosened, my turbo headers were in the way.
I'm curious what a arm u choose, and how much it changed the settings. Any after pics?

Hi I will post some pics for you ,so much easier to sort the castor etc, time wise we are at best 5 odd hours behind the USA so bear in mind my late replys,

 

[stephen]

Hi I will post some pics for you ,so much easier to sort the castor etc, time wise we are at best 5 odd hours behind the USA so bear in mind my late replys,

Hi I will post some pics for you ,so much easier to sort the castor etc, time wise we are at best 5 odd hours behind the USA so bear in mind my late replys,

well for the sake of argument, 90% of the alignment kids out there can't align any old Mopar. I do my own alignments. you are supposed to keep the bolts snug but loose enough to move the a arm while using the adjustment fork. all this is outlined in the FSM . they should be using it while doing the job instead of just using the parameters without procedure steps.

well for the sake of argument, 90% of the alignment kids out there can't align any old Mopar. I do my own alignments. you are supposed to keep the bolts snug but loose enough to move the a arm while using the adjustment fork. all this is outlined in the FSM . they should be using it while doing the job instead of just using the parameters without procedure steps.

Hi I will post some pics for you ,so much easier to sort the castor etc, time wise we are at best 5 odd hours behind the USA so bear in mind my late replys,

 

[stephen]

Hi, to help clarife what I did, I used the original upper A arm but turned the shaft 1/4 turn so the holes are now horizontal to the frame, re using the large bolts ,I then removed the bolts from the mounting plate off the subframe and the had a colleugue cut and press braked a 90 degree 3mm steel angle which was duly welded to the plate and drilled ,reassemble and horshoe adjustments to suit,

 

[WP29440SE]

I would like to see pics of exactly what you have going on. I'm still open minded enough to be interested lol

 

[stephen]

I would like to see pics of exactly what you have going on. I'm still open minded enough to be interested lol

I would like to see pics of exactly what you have going on. I'm still open minded enough to be interested lol

Hi,

 

[stephen]

 

[stephen]

I would like to see pics of exactly what you have going on. I'm still open minded enough to be interested lol

Hi, heres a couple of pics hope you can make it out ,im still needing a standard piston for my 413 imperial engine if you know of anyone with one to sell, car been off road 3 years now waiting for rebuild .

 

[YY1]

that's an awful lot of work to "make easier" a system that's designed not to need or keep track of any loose parts (shims).

Mopar front suspensions are the easiest ever.

Want to raise or lower? Turn a bolt.

Want to set alignment? Turn a bolt.

 

[stephen]

that's an awful lot of work to "make easier" a system that's designed not to need or keep track of any loose parts (shims).

Mopar front suspensions are the easiest ever.

Want to raise or lower? Turn a bolt.

Want to set alignment? Turn a bolt.

Hi, not that much work,but im alittle confused you refer to undo a bolt and turn it to settings but those types are a bush and a cam that turns to gain the reqd settings wich are found on eariler mopars and are easy to set up , this car has two vertical bolts in slots when undone the whole upper arm moves in every direction possible just the same as the 1988 fiero ,no amount of searching the net has shown me clearly how to set the system on my car, can you shed any light how its done, r even better for future ref for me can some one point me to a site that shows it .thanks steve gill

 

[stephen]

Hi, not that much work,but im alittle confused you refer to undo a bolt and turn it to settings but those types are a bush and a cam that turns to gain the reqd settings wich are found on eariler mopars and are easy to set up , this car has two vertical bolts in slots when undone the whole upper arm moves in every direction possible just the same as the 1988 fiero ,no amount of searching the net has shown me clearly how to set the system on my car, can you shed any light how its done, r even better for future ref for me can some one point me to a site that shows it .thanks steve gill

ive just googled the upper arms on a 73 road runner the image i looked at shows that car to have two horizontal bolts with cam that adjust against the a arm mount which then adjustment is made ,nothing like my car so i understand your comment about it being easier as clearly on that car it is your a arm mount are part of the inner wing.

 

[Kern Dog]

Holy RUN ON sentences, Batman !
I thought YOUR people invented this language???

 

[YY1]

Yep, you're right. ....and I'm a 73 guy!

The movement is the same, though- both in or out the same amount adjusts camber, front only or back only adjusts caster.


...and not to bust the OP's chops too much, but one of the last things I want is for my Mopar to be "more like gm".

 

[stephen]

Yep, you're right. ....and I'm a 73 guy!

The movement is the same, though- both in or out the same amount adjusts camber, front only or back only adjusts caster.


...and not to bust the OP's chops too much, but one of the last things I want is for my Mopar to be "more like gm".

yep ur right and i do ramble onLOL

 

[dvw]

I've done alignments on just about every car built. The trick on the bolt on arm style is to unload the front supension before loosening the bolts. Jack it up by the frame rail. Then crack the bolt you don't want to adjust 1/4 turn. Now loosen the opposite bolt where you want to move the arm. It will move easily. No special tool required. Anybody that doesn't know how far or which bolt to move doesn't have much alignment experience.
Doug