Wheelbase measurement

[bearman]

Wheel base measurements from center hub to center hub front to rear correct?. Now after someone installs ss springs and have to install the newer front hangers does the wheel base measurements change or stay the same. I have noticed on the 64 dodge that seems that the rear wheels sit back further or is it all in my mind. I will measure it but was just throwing this out there.

 

[33 IMP]

Wow, now you made me try to remember..... All ss springs are a-body front length, 20 inches. I think my 62 B is also 20, but I think the dodges of that vintage are 21, and the later b's are 22.
I bought ss for my 62 Plymouth, and the long hangers I thought I needed..... and then found out that the springs I had (dodge?) moved the rearend back an inch, right where I wanted it.
So, I redrilled the hangers to move the axle back to where it was before the spring swap. My hangers look like a pin cushion
If I am wrong about the early b-body spring lengths (quite possible! ) someone will correct me, I'm sure, lol.
Edit: yes, my wheelbase is an inch longer than stock. I like it that way.

 

[Nate S]

33 Imp has the right idea. Thought on the Dodge you mention. Did it have late B body springs? Would have pushed the wheels back. E body would be 1” back. Rear side would have still been the right length with the E body.

 

[bearman]

Well that answer a lot of questions. Now that I'm really looking at this I'm finding the rear hangers are tilted more rearward then they should be. So like you I will remove the front hanger a drill it. This should move the complete rear diff to the correct measurement and center the wheel well. Thanks for your input

 

[bearman]

So I'm going to assume that the front hangers have different part numbers for dodge or Plymouth. Or is it up to us to make the extra holes to set this correctly.

 

[bearman]

33 Imp has the right idea. Thought on the Dodge you mention. Did it have late B body springs? Would have pushed the wheels back. E body would be 1” back. Rear side would have still been the right length with the E body.

Nate, need to get the part number off the springs to tell you what they are. These springs were on the car when I got it. The hangers were also on the car. I'm guessing that the rear shocks will not fit correctly or lower part of the shock will be very close to the diff also.

 

[33 IMP]

Nate, need to get the part number off the springs to tell you what they are. These springs were on the car when I got it. The hangers were also on the car. I'm guessing that the rear shocks will not fit correctly or lower part of the shock will be very close to the diff also.

The lower part of my shocks ARE closer to the rearend housing, but still plenty of clearance. First thing I would do Bearman, is crawl under with a tape and measure your front segment, and go from there.
A 62 Plymouth has the rear biased forward in the wheel well (in my opinion) and compromises the height of the tire that can be run. (and looks funny). Moving the rear back fixes both (again, imo).
Pics are my shackle, hanger, and a pic of a stock 62 savoy location (not mine)

 

[Fran Blacker]

My 65 Dodge rear shackles on the ground. SS spring 20" front segment have 2" extra length front perches. 65 Dodges had 21"(I believe) front segment so my wheelbase is 1" longer. Have correct perches but not on car.

 

[Dave6T4]

If you change your wheelbase, you have to change your driveshaft as well. There are separate hangers for Dodge and Plymouth, due to the 1" difference in wheelbase between them. The body structure was the same; the wheelbase change was accomplished with the different length front spring hangers. Those Mopar Performance front spring hangers for mounting the 2" shorter front segment Super Stock springs (A-body springs) were engineered for 1966 and up B-bodies and E-bodies. To put S/S springs under a '62-'65 B-body, you must modify the hangers by drilling new holes 1" short of the factory holes.
I had put S/S springs under my 1967 R/T using the Mopar Performace 2" longer hanger kit. I then found that the stock 1967 Dodge front hanger was the right length to install S/S springs under my 1964 Polara. The mount holes are out 1" farther on the 1967 Dodge hangers than the 1964 Dodge hangers. This makes up the difference between the 21" front spring segment on the1964 spring and the 20" front segment S/S spring.

 

[bearman]

This answer a lot of questions. So again I'm relocating my springs so I will have to drill them also. Which is not a big problem I'll just drill them before I mount them do you folks agree.

 

[33 IMP]

I drilled mine in a vertical mill against a stop, so both sides were identical. Necessary to keep the rearend square in the car.
Also, if you are using the extended hangers and redrilling new holes, you can put them higher or lower than stock too. I placed mine lower for two reasons. It gives more body height for tire clearance, but primarily I wanted to change the instant center height, to reduce the ridiculous rear body lift I had with the stock springs.

 

[Dan64]

I got crossed up on this issue also. When I got my 64' it came with 002/ 003 springs and unknown re-drilled front hangers. The front/ back spacing of the wheel looked fine in the wheel well but apparently was off because when i switched to split monos and the correct front hanger it moved the wheel forward just enough that the 29 3/4"ish tire height of the bias cheater slicks became an issue requiring the purchase of slightly shorter drag radials that wouldn't grow in height and catch the front side of the quarter panel. Thankfully i hadn't bought the driveshaft yet. Bearman, if you need it, i can get you any measurements if you want them. Might be interesting to compare a couple measurements from different cars.

 

[bearman]

I agree I have Blake's machine shop close to me will have them do the setup and drill. One thing for sure you learn something new every day on these cars.

 

[bearman]

I got crossed up on this issue also. When I got my 64' it came with 002/ 003 springs and unknown re-drilled front hangers. The front/ back spacing of the wheel looked fine in the wheel well but apparently was off because when i switched to split monos and the correct front hanger it moved the wheel forward just enough that the 29 3/4"ish tire height of the bias cheater slicks became an issue requiring the purchase of slightly shorter drag radials that wouldn't grow in height and catch the front side of the quarter panel. Thankfully i hadn't bought the driveshaft yet. Bearman, if you need it, i can get you any measurements if you want them. Might be interesting to compare a couple measurements from different cars.

Thank you will hit you up later on this issue. Right now going to get everything cleaned up on the undercarriage. To get it squared is the most important and putting sliders out back I need to make sure the sliders are also correct for the hit. Don't need axle or spring troubles. Once this is done then I can get my diff measurements correct.

 

[bearman]

I drilled mine in a vertical mill against a stop, so both sides were identical. Necessary to keep the rearend square in the car.
Also, if you are using the extended hangers and redrilling new holes, you can put them higher or lower than stock too. I placed mine lower for two reasons. It gives more body height for tire clearance, but primarily I wanted to change the instant center height, to reduce the ridiculous rear body lift I had with the stock springs.

Did you use a pin snubbed also or just depend on the shocks and springs to do the work. I have many questions about the snubber.

 

[33 IMP]

Did you use a pin snubbed also or just depend on the shocks and springs to do the work. I have many questions about the snubber.

I have no use for a pinion snubber. With the rear body lift my car has, a pinion snubber would be waving in the breeze, four inches away from doing anything at all. Just my opinion. Some swear by em, I swear at them. I saved four pounds by pitching mine in the trash.

 

[bearman]

That was one of my questions with the way the body lifts on these cars how does it even work. Also if your twisting the diff up like that I would think you would do some heavy body mods to make that happen. I would think you would change up pinion angle or shim the diff. Seems to me at the point a ladder bar or 4 link system would be put in it. But watching the different suspension setups and et's I won't have to worry about that.

 

[bearman]

Thanks for the input everyone.

 

[bearman]

OKAY folks here is the skinny I have p3630454 and 455 on the car and have 21 inches on the front side. So if I'm correct the redrill on the mounts is a must to center axle etc.

 

[33 IMP]

OKAY folks here is the skinny I have p3630454 and 455 on the car and have 21 inches on the front side. So if I'm correct the redrill on the mounts is a must to center axle etc.

Those are the 3800lb superstock springs, should be a 20" front segment. I'm pretty sure they are an inch shorter than stock, so if you have the extended spring hangers, you would need to drill your new hole one inch forward of the factory holes to get stock location. If you use the holes Mopar put in those hangers, you will move the axle rearward an inch.