Suspension build out

[wsutard]

Thought I would start a thread for all you to tell me what I am doing wrong during my suspension built out.

I decided that it was a good idea to reseal my heads, change the cam, redo my suspension and add disk brakes all at the same time!

So far I have the engine almost done, 340.

Now I'm going to start on attaching everything to the k-member while I wait for my engine paint to dry.

Feel free to comment, suggest, ridicule while I do this for the first time ever.

The k member and sway bar have been powder coated. Have QA1 upper, lower and struts. Billstein shocks, PST rod ends, indies and outside.

Not sure what I am doing but I'm sure I will figure it out.

 

[1967coronet440]

Nice set up, I'm waiting on my qa1 lowers to come in, I got the Viking shocks, replaced strut rods with Mancini rods, poly bushings from pst and a summit racing sway bar. Here's a link to my mopar that has some nice diagrams to reference, also I would suggest getting a service manual.


http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/DC_Suspension_Race_Manual.pdf

 

[Zeppelin264]

Umm you do realize the QA1 setup is an E body sway bar which requires either A: Their K member or B: a 70 b body k member or an E body k member. Will not work with 69 and older k members.

I just went through all this and just said screw it and bought their k member. Waiting to install now...

Unless you know something I dont know?? Or your using a B body sway bar in which case your lower tabs will not be in the correct location.

 

[wsutard]

Umm you do realize the QA1 setup is an E body sway bar which requires either A: Their K member or B: a 70 b body k member or an E body k member. Will not work with 69 and older k members.

I just went through all this and just said screw it and bought their k member. Waiting to install now...

Unless you know something I dont know?? Or your using a B body sway bar in which case your lower tabs will not be in the correct location.

I guess I will find out when I get there! Right now I am contemplating the knuckles. My boots are gone, I ordered the wrong boots, the threads look...special, and the bolts could be in better shape.

 

[aldal]

Umm you do realize the QA1 setup is an E body sway bar which requires either A: Their K member or B: a 70 b body k member or an E body k member. Will not work with 69 and older k members.

I just went through all this and just said screw it and bought their k member. Waiting to install now...

Unless you know something I dont know?? Or your using a B body sway bar in which case your lower tabs will not be in the correct location.

Don't feel bad I have pretty much the same front set up as you and I also bought the wrong dang sway bar....I guess live and learn. Good luck

 

[1967coronet440]

Summit tech told me my sway bar will work with the qa1 lowers, see how it goes when I get to that point. Currently backordered until the 6th

 

[wsutard]

Summit tech told me my sway bar will work with the qa1 lowers, see how it goes when I get to that point. Currently backordered until the 6th

Amazon had all the QA1 parts at a lower cost that any other place. Sold by Amazon, not by some other vendor on Amazon.

 

[wsutard]

Anyone know where I can get the bolts with the cotter pin hole that hold the lower ball joint knuckle on to the spindle? I decided that mine weren't in that great of shape.

Im having a hard time finding them.

 

[1967coronet440]

Amazon had all the QA1 parts at a lower cost that any other place. Sold by Amazon, not by some other vendor on Amazon.

Interesting, wonder if it's too late to mention to summit since they price match

 

[Zeppelin264]

Yes, the QA1 sway bar will work with the lower arms. It's also an E body sway bar, which has a cut out in the k member to accommodated it. The B body sway bars will not work with the QA1 lowers because the mounting tabs are more inboard.

With the QA1 stuff you either go upper arms and that's it or you have to go all out on the kit for 69 and older(lowers, which means sway bar which means k member). On b bodys anyway. If you have a 70 b body you can get away with the sway bar, uppers and lowers and that's it.

 

[wsutard]

Ok. I have the lowers, spindles, struts all loosely connected.

Nothing is torqued except the lower ball joint, 100ft lbs, and the ball joint bolts, 120lbs. (I got those torque numbers from the FSM)

I'm wondering if it's easier to place the upper control arms now or wait till I get the unit back in the car?

 

[wsutard]

Yes, the QA1 sway bar will work with the lower arms. It's also an E body sway bar, which has a cut out in the k member to accommodated it. The B body sway bars will not work with the QA1 lowers because the mounting tabs are more inboard.

With the QA1 stuff you either go upper arms and that's it or you have to go all out on the kit for 69 and older(lowers, which means sway bar which means k member). On b bodys anyway. If you have a 70 b body you can get away with the sway bar, uppers and lowers and that's it.

Is there any way to use a 69 b body k member and custom fab mounts for the e body sway bar to work?

 

[Zeppelin264]

Is there any way to use a 69 b body k member and custom fab mounts for the e body sway bar to work?

I looked into doing that, and I found the angle would not work. If you are this far apart, why not find a 70 k member?

 

[wsutard]

I looked into doing that, and I found the angle would not work. If you are this far apart, why not find a 70 k member?

Because I just spent $190 having this k member and sway bar powder coated...

 

[Zeppelin264]

Well at this point, what's cheaper? A QA1 k member for 560$, a stock 70 and up K member, or just ditch the sway bar all together?

Trying to save you some head ache later on because I just went through all this.

The ONLY saving grace to using a 68-69 sway bar is if you have disk brakes with the caliper behind the rotor, and then you use the L bracket off the lower shock mount for mounting. If you have calipers on the front side of the rotor then the sway bar will hit.

 

[wsutard]

Well at this point, what's cheaper? A QA1 k member for 560$, a stock 70 and up K member, or just ditch the sway bar all together?

Trying to save you some head ache later on because I just went through all this.

The ONLY saving grace to using a 68-69 sway bar is if you have disk brakes with the caliper behind the rotor, and then you use the L bracket off the lower shock mount for mounting. If you have calipers on the front side of the rotor then the sway bar will hit.

Can you tell me more about the L bracket mounting? I am converting to a PST disk brake kit, I'm not sure if they mount behind the rotor yet but will find out.

Right now I am about $3000 deep on my simple front end refresh so anything I can do to not have to spend another +$500 would make me happy.

 

[Zeppelin264]

Well another helpful tip is you can swap your spindles side to side and move the brake kit to the front or rear of the rotor. So just put the spindles on the correct side based off the brake kit.

Now the L bracket is what is used on the Hellwig sway bar for the 64-69 sway bar. Check out this pic to see what I mean, note the brakes are drums so they work fine, its the disk caliper that would hit if on the front side of the rotor.

 

[wsutard]

Well another helpful tip is you can swap your spindles side to side and move the brake kit to the front or rear of the rotor. So just put the spindles on the correct side based off the brake kit.

Now the L bracket is what is used on the Hellwig sway bar for the 64-69 sway bar. Check out this pic to see what I mean, note the brakes are drums so they work fine, its the disk caliper that would hit if on the front side of the rotor.

This looks like it is exactly what I need. I will research it a bit more.
Funny thing is I dont remember actually unhooking my sway bar from anything connected to the LCA when I tore it down. I might have never had the sway bar connected to anything.

 

[wsutard]

Just called Hellwig, they don't sell the mount separately from their sway bar. Too bad because it looks like it would be perfect for me. I found this post over on ForABodies.
https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/threads/hellwig-front-sway-bar-install-with-pics.311823/

 

[rrTor-Red]

Not to rain on your situation but should've done homework prior to purchasing your parts. Also, it would've saved you headache and $$$. In the end, we ALL have been there and done that.