Mopar Muscle Association UK

Hi folks, on my return from my trip North I brought more parts back to refurbish here. Lower and upper control arms and the leaf springs.
After dismantling one of the springs I've decided they're not worth the time refurbishing as the rust pitting/scabbing is excessive, so I have decided to buy new. Thinking of Mopar performance

https://www.jegs.com/i/Mopar-Performanc ... 4294829081

At $138 each, free shipping to Ron Fenton's and £80+taxs it just seems a no-brainer.
So my Charger being a 73 is blessed shall we say??? with the Iso bushes between the springs and the axle and after removing the clamps from the springs, the top saddles are also heavily corroded.
Options I have are
Clean up, replace bushes and use,
Try to find replacement saddles, replace bushes,
Or delete the bushes, forget the saddles and make appropriate spacers to relocate the springs.
Now FirmFeel do a Iso delete kit for $275+shipping+taxs for what to me seems to be a new lower plate and shorter Ubolts which seems crazy for a plate with a smaller location hole.
From researching the net it seems pre73 B body lower plates do the same job.
I'm still new to all this so thought I would ask the wiser old hands at this game what your opinions are?

Thanks Dave

Well looks like I might have asked an odd one
Righto I've been doing a lot searching on thee old web, not much out there but the gist of it appears to come down to,
Spring perch is shorter on the 73/74 axles
Location holes are larger on 73/74 perches and shock plates
Not all 73's had an oval front spring eye (mine doesn't) and it was a 1 year spring, 74's are 1 year also apparently
The spring lengths are the same 22" front 36" rear

Image found on dodgecharger.com
You can fit 72 and earlier springs either by tacking a washer/spacer into the 73 axle perches and shock plates
Or tack a washer/spacer to the perch and fit pre 73 B or E shock plates from 8 1/4 or 8 3/4 rear ends.
Or buy an ISO delete kit which is basicly a new pre 73 style shock plate a few washers and shorter U bolts $275 ish plus shipping etc

The upshot of doing the above is:
You end up with a higher rear ride height due to the shorter spring perch unless you use spacers between the axle and spring
Pre73 8 3/4's are easier to find if you want to uprate your rear end in the future

The original spring part number I mentioned looks to me to be a Superstock spec with a 20" front segment for cars weighing in at 3800bls and would need the extended front hanger bracket.
Mines a small block car and looking at the curb weights online it should be around 3600bls, so I'm thinking of going with the Mopar Performance XHD Leaf Springs P4452982 & P4452983 which are listed for 68-72 B-Bodies with a lenght of 22" front 36" rear.

The blurb
"These extra heavy-duty O.E. Leaf Springs are just like the bias design production springs that were stock on 1968-72 A-Body vehicles with 340 high-performance engines, 1967-71 B-Body vehicles with 440 or 426 manual and automatic transmissions, and 1970-74 E-Body vehicles with 440 or 426 manual or automatic transmissions. Springs will fit any A-Body (1968-72), B-Body (1966-72) or E-Body (1970-74), regardless of engine size, and come with front bushings installed in assembly. B-Body: front 22", rear 36"."

The one question I have about these and could do with some help on is:
Would buying a Left & Right pair make the car sit leaning to one side, if so being as its a small block should I get 2xLefts or 2XRights or just accept the lean?

Cheers Dave

I've got the A body Superstock springs to go on my Dart (next few weeks hopefully). They are just as per the XHDs in which they are staggered for torque. I had the same concerns, i dont want the car to look like its leaning when driving normally.

The US forums were non to helpful with many saying it leans and many saying that it did not.

You can buy two lefts or rights, so at least you have level springs......Worlds your oyster!

Non to helpful, but i should be able to update you on mine for ref, when its done.

As fer changing it so you have more parts interchangeable (springs etc).......Yep go for it!
Silly that Ma Mopar decided to do 1 year only mechanical parts.

Dave81 wrote: Tue Apr 24, 18 1:11 pm I've got the A body Superstock springs to go on my Dart (next few weeks hopefully). They are just as per the XHDs in which they are staggered for torque. I had the same concerns, i dont want the car to look like its leaning when driving normally.

The US forums were non to helpful with many saying it leans and many saying that it did not.

You can buy two lefts or rights, so at least you have level springs......Worlds your oyster!

Non to helpful, but i should be able to update you on mine for ref, when its done.

As fer changing it so you have more parts interchangeable (springs etc).......Yep go for it!

Cheers Dave, yeah being a late 3rd gen it can be a right pita for parts So what did you go with in the end? a left and right or 2 lefts or 2 rights?

Dave81 wrote: Tue Apr 24, 18 1:11 pm
Silly that Ma Mopar decided to do 1 year only mechanical parts.

and do it 2 years in a row

I've fitted super stock springs to loads of cars over the years and never had them look lopsided. I de isolated a friends '73 years ago, I used shock plates and U bolts from an earlier B body. A sliver of 1/8" plate with a smaller hole drilled in it welded to the spring perch on the axle sorted that bit out. I used 3800lb super stock springs with longer front hangers for an earlier car which I seem to remember I had to alter to get the wheelbase to '73 specs. I also had aluminium spacers made to de isolate the K frame as well.

Blue wrote: Tue Apr 24, 18 5:00 pm I've fitted super stock springs to loads of cars over the years and never had them look lopsided. I de isolated a friends '73 years ago, I used shock plates and U bolts from an earlier B body. A sliver of 1/8" plate with a smaller hole drilled in it welded to the spring perch on the axle sorted that bit out. I used 3800lb super stock springs with longer front hangers for an earlier car which I seem to remember I had to alter to get the wheelbase to '73 specs. I also had aluminium spacers made to de isolate the K frame as well.

Blue thanks, you've just comfirmed what I have read and what I was thinking of doing.
I'll go with the XHD's at the moment rather than the Super Stocks as they have the same segment lengths as mine, also probably get a left/right pair and I'll keep my eyes open for a pair of earlier shock plates to make things easier. Got about 6mths before I'm planning on heading back north.
As for the K Frame I already have Poly's to fit in there.

Thanks Dave

I went through all this, too Dave. Decided to replace all bushed with poly inc rear springs, But, my kit was all in good nick and worth doing. Sounds like you have the rear springs idea right and as Blue advises.
Replacing the k frame and torsion bar frame bushes is easy as long as you have a sawzall or whatever they’re called.

MilesnMiles wrote: Wed Apr 25, 18 7:28 am I went through all this, too Dave. Decided to replace all bushed with poly inc rear springs, But, my kit was all in good nick and worth doing. Sounds like you have the rear springs idea right and as Blue advises.
Replacing the k frame and torsion bar frame bushes is easy as long as you have a sawzall or whatever they’re called.

Cheers Miles, I'm following the same route as you it appears
I've got Poly's to replace all the rubber bushes, even got poly for the leaf spring eyes but was yet to buy the poly iso clamps, glad I hadn't because once I'd taken it all off... well I wasn't sure if I'd be happy putting them back in.
K Frame and Torsion Bar Xmbr are already on the floor
Only thing left on the body suspension wise is those gawd awful extended shackles.

ScottyDave wrote: Tue Apr 24, 18 2:21 pm
Cheers Dave, yeah being a late 3rd gen it can be a right pita for parts So what did you go with in the end? a left and right or 2 lefts or 2 rights?

Went with the advised setup, and bought one of each. Quite a difference when you offer them up next to each other.

Well ordered my springs tonight...but as its a stock 318 2BBl motor I had a rethink and went with 2 drivers LH springs

ScottyDave wrote: Wed Apr 25, 18 9:57 pm ....but as its a stock 318 2BBl motor....

I give it less than twelve months after you get it home.............

Dave81 wrote: Thu Apr 26, 18 12:58 pm

ScottyDave wrote: Wed Apr 25, 18 9:57 pm ....but as its a stock 318 2BBl motor....

I give it less than twelve months after you get it home.............

I know, you know, your right

Get it home first then see which way it goes