Quick checklist of work underway to run by my Racers Hangout "friends"...

[biomedtechguy]

Kiwi, thanks for checking in.
Other than highway driving and cruising around, I'll be turning right after braking at the end of my 1320 runs, so no, not really looking for "handling" per se.
Having said that, I sincerely believe that the stiffening, strengthening, bracing, and all new improved suspension parts and QA1 tubular K-member as well as the Borgeson power steering box and fairly high end shocks in the rear (and pretty darn good ones up front already) are going to make a significant, substantial immediately noticeable improvement in how the car rides and corners.
Look, my front suspension, in particular the UCAs, that are being replaced with SPC UCAs, and the rushed, kinda half assed work that was done 2 years ago October, have all contributed to a very sketchy death defying experience every time I've driven my car since. It was Cruisin the Coast 2018 that I heard a squealing sound and found the nut on one UCA had stripped off. My nearly new tires were showing the belts on the inside treads of both tires!! So the shop found a nut that fit, but they didn't know that a previous shop had put my steering wheel in unclocked, so he tried to make the wheel align straight by making tie rod adjustments and that was all WAY OFF of true center. Knowing I was going to revamp my front suspension, I didn't do anything about it. Last October, once again, the front tires had the same wear pattern, so on went another set.
Much to my surprise, those have also worn VERY badly in the few miles I put on them. So yes, it's going to track and handle and turn much better than ever, better than a dialed in factory original car too I think, and hopefully the tires I put on the front this time will last a few years!

 

[biomedtechguy]

Another good idea is bracing and triangulating the firewall to the front of the chassis.That really stiffens the front of the car.

I hear ya, and I think that too can be part of the stroker, blow proof bellhousing, dual disc clutch setup process.
Doesn't USCT have some parts for that, or what would you recommend?
Since I'm adding front and rear torque boxes and subframe connectors NOW, I'm thinking of doing these when the stroker goes in:

I'm going to have to do some kind of roll bar too, so that may help??
I also may go to an engine plate to replace the motor mounts, IF I HAVE TO.

 

[biomedtechguy]

@kiwigtx
I already had these with everything else at the shop to be installed. I'm replacing practically EVERYTHING in the front suspension!
QA1 strut rods

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

They are called "J" bars or snout bars.Goes from a welded plate on the firewall to the front of the chassis. Mine goes through the firewall to the front hoop.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

@kiwigtx
I already had these with everything else at the shop to be installed. I'm replacing practically EVERYTHING in the front suspension!
QA1 strut rods
View attachment 971433

Those might be better,but I stole a pair of aluminum powder coated strut bars for part 3 of my Jenny Craig diet.

 

[biomedtechguy]

Description of the QA1 strut bars:
QA1 dynamic adjustable strut bars offer improved performance for your Mopar suspension. These lightweight bars are made from of 6061-T6 aluminum and are anodized....they're fully adjustable and include rod ends. Maintain alignment of your lower control arm and eliminate binding for faster weight transfer with QA1 dynamic adjustable strut bars.

 

[biomedtechguy]

They are called "J" bars or snout bars.Goes from a welded plate on the firewall to the front of the chassis. Mine goes through the firewall to the front hoop.

View attachment 971434 View attachment 971435 View attachment 971436 View attachment 971437 View attachment 971438 View attachment 971439 View attachment 971440 View attachment 971441 View attachment 971442

Honestly, after seeing those, and I've seen that done before, I'd be a lot more inclined to do the USCT bracing here:

and I'd only do the kind of braces you did if I had to, or absolutely should, and that would be when I put the roll cage in.

 

[Hemirunner]

Sump the tank and set it up for a return line. You’ll need to upgrade for the big engine.

I finally did that for the twin turbo combo but I went 9.50 on a 3/8 stock style pickup hooked to a Holley black pump feeding a 1/2” line. It was a deadheaded system and fed two regs. One for the carbs and one for the spray. No problems ever. I ordered a stock style 1/2” pickup to use as a return for my sumped tank. Something like that would be more than enough for his setup. I’d ditch the mechanical pump though for sure. Those conduct way too much engine heat into the fuel.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

You can NEVER have too large a fuel pump!

 

[68 HEMI GTS]

I finally did that for the twin turbo combo but I went 9.50 on a 3/8 stock style pickup hooked to a Holley black pump feeding a 1/2” line. It was a deadheaded system and fed two regs. One for the carbs and one for the spray. No problems ever. I ordered a stock style 1/2” pickup to use as a return for my sumped tank. Something like that would be more than enough for his setup. I’d ditch the mechanical pump though for sure. Those conduct way too much engine heat into the fuel.

I’m gonna do returns on both my street cars as well. Probably use the pickup for a return on one of them as it’s already set up that way. Just to help with vapor lock. The RVP and IBP if this pump gas sucks..

 

[biomedtechguy]

Thanks guys.
Maybe in the future, when I do a fuel system upgrade, I may switch the main part of my ⅜ line to return duty and put a ½ in to feed fuel, OR maybe the ⅜ will still feed fuel and the vapor return line can be the return line for fuel? Anyone done that?

 

[Hemirunner]

Thanks guys.
Maybe in the future, when I do a fuel system upgrade, I may switch the main part of my ⅜ line to return duty and put a ½ in to feed fuel, OR maybe the ⅜ will still feed fuel and the vapor return line can be the return line for fuel? Anyone done that?

I have it that way on my friend’s resto hemi RR. Ditched the vapor sep and put an aeromotive return style regulator in its place. Works fine at 500hp.

 

[moparedtn]

Suggested alternative thread title:
"There Must Be...50 Ways to Leave Ma Mopar".

 

[Cranky]

You can NEVER have too large a fuel pump!

Yeah ya can lol. As far as $$$ goes. I do like the return systems since they help keep the fuel cooler by recirculating hot fuel away from the engine.....


I scanned this thread kinda quickly (just now seeing it) and see a lot of good comments but man, not sure if you are over engineering it. I like to stick with stock suspension stuff....well, I modify mine but it's still stock designed and has stock location points still. You're spending a lot more money on it than I would lol because, imo, the stock suspension just isn't a bad design and if you know the negatives of it, you can make it better and it works pretty well. Heck, there's been plenty of cars in the 9's that ran the stock stuff and one of them was a car that I owned. It went straight and actually handled well on a slick track and it was a freaking A body even. As for a roll bar with 'J' bars to the front.....if you can, incorporate them into the build of the body stiffening job. It'll be easier and cheaper over all if you do that before the car is together. Only thing different than HEMI-ITIS's J bars is I like mine inside the inner fenders because brackets can be welded to them and are usually more solidly mounted than welding them to the sheet metal. Heck, temporary stuff can be easily zip tied to the bars too.

 

[biomedtechguy]

Suggested alternative thread title:
"There Must Be...50 Ways to Leave Ma Mopar".

I know the song by Paul Simon you reference, but the only guess I can make to your veiled one-off is because I'm moving away from "stock/original"?
Non-numbers matching drivetrain gave me the green light on that from the date of purchase, and because of my experience with 2 local brothers, friends of mine, both with 70 Roadrunners, both who are always in pursuit of "correct or "OEM"________" even though one is a Hemi clone of an original 383 RR, both gorgeous examples of OEM, no way could I compete, and that's not what I have ever wanted to do. Bad *** cruiser, and kick some *** on GMs and Fords on test and tune night, and stay faster than the wife's GTO. That's what I'm looking for and working towards. I'm mindful of the "V" in the VIN, but not to the detriment of my goals...
Or you may have meant something else altogether..

 

[biomedtechguy]

I like to stick with stock suspension stuff

First off, thanks!
My leaf springs and UCAs were shot. I replaced a LCA with a used stock LCA, but that was before I discovered QA1.
I was going to get a triangulated 4 link, so I'm closer to stock than I planned.
Calvert split mono leaf springs go in the stock location, but I did swap the rear attachment array for the sliders. One video of them in action was all I needed to see! That was truly a "ah ha!" moment, because the beauty of their function was self evident.
I hear ya Cranky, but I'm not sure where over engineering is happening? These are all of the common stiffening and strengthening parts used by hundreds of people, I mean they're readily available from the vendors known for those products, and I'm sure hundreds of people have done the same thing I'm doing, right?
Keep in mind, I've got a 700HP/TQ engine coming, and I'd hate to buckle a quarter panel or pop a windshield out on the launch...

As for a roll bar with 'J' bars to the front.....if you can, incorporate them into the build of the body stiffening job. It'll be easier and cheaper over all if you do that before the car is together. Only thing different than HEMI-ITIS's J bars is I like mine inside the inner fenders because brackets can be welded to them and are usually more solidly mounted than welding them to the sheet metal.

I'd like to know more about that. Does that mean I wouldn't have to remove the fenders? Can I skip the USCT fender braces if I do the J bars?
Any of you who can go into more detail on this, I really want to know more. For one thing, I don't see this happening now, as I don't see how that can be done without removing my front fenders, and I'm running out of money. I also don't want to keep adding to the job my mechanic has agreed to, and I'm lucky that he's taken a personal liking to my car and this project, and told me just a few days ago not to worry about having added the torque boxes, spring hanger plates, the subframe connectors (he recommended) because he wants to see this done right.
I have to draw the line somewhere though, and if nothing else, I can't afford to add anything else to this "stage".
I am making notes for the future though, and if I should do J bars, OK, but maybe when the USCT inner fender braces go on, because that requires the fenders to be removed, that makes sense to do both then. THAT is how I do stuff too-if I'm in "an area" or working with "a system" I try to do whatever is in that space while I'm at it.
Capiche?

 

[Cranky]

Sliders are good, just use White Castle Seriously, sliders are good but the closer you can get to 50/50 weight distribution, the better the CT's will work and will be easier to dial in....based on past experiences. If you do the inside the inner fender J bars, the outer fenders shouldn't need to be removed.

 

[biomedtechguy]

sliders are good but the closer you can get to 50/50 weight distribution, the better the CT's will work and will be easier to dial in....based on past experiences.

Well, the stroker is a BME aluminum block, and it's going to have aluminum TF270 heads, aluminum intake, and it looks like a fiberglass hood. I already have TTi headers, and a mini starter, aluminum radiator. I'm sure my bucket seats are way lighter than the bench was, and so forth. The Wraptor may be a "break even" between the addition of a smallish A/C compressor and power steering, but aluminum pulleys. However it turns out is how it may just have to be, but I'll keep that in mind.
The only Calvert components are the split mono leaf springs and sliders, the traction bars are Smith Racecraft Assassins, and the rear shocks are triple adjustable Viking B517HF XS

 

[biomedtechguy]

If you do the inside the inner fender J bars, the outer fenders shouldn't need to be removed.

So can I skip the USCT inner fender braces?

 

[Cranky]

So can I skip the USCT inner fender braces?

Well, in the early 80's I ran a car with the inner fenders removed, no J bars and didn't have the inner fender braces. The front end could be flexed by hand when up on jack stands with the front stands just behind the kickups. Ever heard of the 'flexie flyer'? Well, that was another car but mine would have been the runner up on that one lol. Funny thing is the car was the most consistent 'fast' car I ever had that was in the 10's. It was nuts and it drove straight as an arrow! Ladder bar car on 12.5w's......and it was consistent all season long. If I left on the converter, 10.68 but off idle, 10.69. The car would go 10.50's but not consistently. Go figure.