Front suspension up grade parts Advice needed

[Bill76]

I want to upgrade front suspension on my 67 coronet r/t to get it to handle better and a stiffer ride.
Please don't flame me for not using search feature but I am computer challenged.
My plan is rebuild lower control arms with stiffing plates and new bushings-- do I want poly or rubber bushing?
Larger torsion bars ? if so what size. Rember ride stiffness don't bother me.
Larger front sway bar ? again what size (rear will be added later).
Strut bushings poly or rubber ?
I have all new ball joints , tie rod ends, QA1 tubular upper control arms , borgeson quick ratio box and recent front end alignment , I got to get away from this mushy rubber band handling--I cant take it anymore.
Any advice will be most appreciated---and thank you in advance Bill76

 

[Dennis H]

Make sure everything is right then, tubular UCA’s, Firm Feel Box and Bilsteins. Don’t get carried away.

 

[440Coronet500]

I'd recommend rubber bushings over poly for a street car. 440'

 

[hunt2elk]

I've been satisfied with my ride quality using all rubber bushings, lca stiffening plates, Bilstein shocks, PST 1.03 torsion bars, and 11/16" tie rod ends.

 

[coloradodave]

If you're ready for a stiff ride, go with the poly bushings, 1"+ torsion bars and Viking double adjustable shocks so you can control the suspension settings. I would normally recommend the rubber bushings for a street car as well, but you said you don't mind a stiff ride. I run all the above in my car in addition to QA-1 upper and lower control arms, a 1 1/8" Firm Feel anti-sway bar, and adjustable strut rods with poly bushings. No mushy handling here...

 

[Kern Dog]

The poly bushings came along and seemed to be popular in the mid 1990s as an answer to the soft and soggy feel of the stock, worn out front end these cars had. It reminds me of putting on Flowmaster mufflers after removing an exhaust system that produced absolutely no engine noise. After awhile though, the vibration and squeaks gave the poly bushings a bad rep.
Achieving good handling takes more than just front end upgrades but it is a good start.
These cars had soft spring rates as built and even the popular 1.03 torsion bars are below the rates than new Challengers and Chargers have. I run a 1.15 size and it is by no means too stiff. I have an iron 440 block, aluminum heads, intake, water pump housing, radiator and headers. My car rides about the same as the Wife's 2015 Challenger R/T with the "Track Pack" option group.
Some will argue that the lower control arm stiffening plates are just dead weight until you step it up with big torsion bars, anti-sway bars and wide-sticky tires. Unless the car is really pushed, the control arm doesn't twist enough to be a problem.
Some believe that these cars need a stiff chassis to perform well. The theory is that a flexy chassis is basically another spring in the system and that the torsion bars and leaf springs never reach their potential if the frame flexes around. This makes sense to me. Frame connectors and torque boxes connect the front frame rails to the rear and the rails to the rocker panels. A car with frame connectors can have softer spring rates and still handle well.
Hotchkis has developed a reliable system that works. Bigger torsion bars, stiffer leaf springs and bigger anti-sway bars. Firm Feel has sone great stuff as well.
Just to recap, while it is easy to think of just the front end when the subject of handling comes up, it is actually a matter of proper balance between the front and rear suspension that determines how well the car handles. A car with a stiff set of torsion bars and a big sway bar will feel decent at low speeds but understeer under higher speed turns as if the tires are on ice. A stock front end with stiff leaf springs and a big rear bar will be twitchy and want to spin out with a quick turn of the wheel at road speeds.
In short, either follow the suggestions of Hotchkis, Firm Feel or copy what they sell by buying stuff elsewhere a piece at a time.

 

[Bill76]

Sounds like rubber lca bushings are the way to go. Bilstein shocks also sound good , Have to check the roundy round race supplier down the street for my 40 year customer discount price.
By the way the front of the R/T is a tad lighter with aluminum heads and intake and headers.
Thanks for the advice guys -Bill76