The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Hi Dave,
I’ve just started first part of restoration of my Challenger and also I have met first problems.
I have problems with rear suspension – it means with mounting of leaf springs.
Dimension between front mounting bracket is different then between rear shackles. Distance on the front is smaller than on the rear- leaf springs “creating” V letter.
Is it possible that leaf springs are not parallel? There is no mark of any accident on the car.
Do you have drawings or floor pan or maybe do you know the right dimension?

Thank you in advance
Jarek

Don't worry Jarek. They are supposed to be like that.

I have to reinstall my rear shackles as they have been reversed. Does anybody have some pointers on this? Also, I need to replace the wheel studs because the ones on the car are long ones for racing and cannot accept the stock Rallye nuts. My car is a 1970, so which side gets right hand thread and which side gets left-handed thread studs? It's been too long since I changed tires on my Dad's 62 Chrysler and I can't remember which is which.

I am not sure what you mean about the rear shackles being reversed. They are the same no matter which way around you have them. The correct way to install them is with the bolts coming in from the outside of the car and the nuts on the inside edge. The top bolt goes through the frame rail which is different to the A-body cars which have a rear hanger like the front hanger.

The stock 1970 Challenger had left hand thread wheel studs on the drivers side. I do not use these myself as it is easy to forget and turn the wrong way! I get confused easily you know!

My rear leaf springs have become old and worn. My question is what type you recommend me to buy. I plan to build a 13 sec. street/strip stormer. I know there are different types on the market like R/T, Hemi and Superstock leaf springs. Which one is the best choice for my car.

If you uprate the rear springs you will also need to uprate the front torsion bars or the car will oversteer in fast corners. For drag racing you need stiffer rears but I would not worry about it to much in the speed bracket you plan to run. 440 and 426 rear springs will be plenty tough enough. Most drag racers (and far too many Americans!) do not seem to mind a car that does not corner well.

Super Stock springs are built to A-body dimensions and so are too short in the front section. Mopar Performance sell front spring mount extensions to get around this on E-bodies.

So if I upgrade my rear springs from small block to big block springs it's pretty much a must that I upgrade the torsion bars to big block? would that do it?

Not quite that simple because the back end is about the same weight but your front end is much lighter than a big block car so the balance is different. I would guess (because the maths is pretty hard for a thickhead like me to do) that if you used 440/426 rear springs you would need to upgrade the front torsion bars by a smaller amount.

There were several ront bars used on Challengers with small blocks anyway. You could have anything from a bar 0.86" diameter to 0.90" on the T/A.

Small block rear springs were all 4 1/2 leaves I think. The 440/426 springs are 5 1/2.

My gut feeling is that I would try a 0.90" front bar with the 5 1/2 leaf rears.

If you want to do the sums try getting hold of a copy of Mike Martin's "Super Street Mopar" book.

you wouldn't know who might have one would you?

The book? I just looked on Amazon.com

Looks like it changed its name.

Dodge/Plymouth Performance (Former Title : How to Build the Ultimate Super Street Mopar)
by Mike Martin $16.95

hi I just sign up on a new account here and e-mail. I i'm 14 and my dad bought a 1973 dodge challenger for my brother and I. In fact it's being brought to the house friday. So my main point or question is where to buy a good new suspension. respond to me a hogarth83@hotmail.com oh be the way sorry for any misspells.

For rear springs and bushings I would use http://espo.com/

For front torsion bars and sway bars I would use PST http://catalogs.dailyshopper.com/pst/ or Just Suspension 800-872-1548