Anyone use the Firmfeel tubular UCA? I want to upgrade my front end and this is one of the companies I was looking at.
I have a '64 Dart. I want to have a nice improvment from stock, but I won't be running LeMans anytime soon.
I will be converting to disc, so since I need UCAs anyway, I thought I might go with tubular. The website said they have built in improvment in caster?
Should I just get all new Moog bushings and a sway bar? Will that be a big improvement? How were the early A bodies (new) in the handling dept.?
Thanks for your input.

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"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

I'd try out the tubular if you are going to spend money on different ones anyway. You'll be able to get more caster out of them than stockers, and +caster what you want more of. You can get it with the offset bushings, but not a great amount. The more + caster you have, the harder it is to steer the car, but it is more stable at higher speeds, and the wheel will return to center quicker when you come out of a turn. I'm not sure where the "enjoyable" range is for the A body, (+8 degrees?)... Dart270 Lou may know...

I have +2.25 deg caster and -0.75 deg camber in my '64 Dart and that feels very good, at least up to 130 MPH... You don't need more than that for a street car and that's easy to get with the problem solver bushings. If you have pwr steering, you can run more caster, and about 3-4 deg is the max using stock UCAs and MOOG offset bushings.

My advice is to get the MOOG prob solver bushings ($30) and 73+ UCAs (can get from either drum or disc car) and save your money for other stuff. You can spend that $200 on a good sway bar, or shocks, or good tires/rims. You can outhandle most cars if you just get a sway bar, KYB shocks, and rebuilt bushings, BJs, tie rods and some good rubber.

http://www.slantsix.com/UBB/Forum4/HTML/000051.html

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

I agree with Lou! The best aftermarket improvement on my Valiant is the PST sway bar. Next is gas charged shocks.
Nothing works as well as having everything "dialed in".
My car uses the well designed Mopar UCA and eurathane bushings. 20000 miles and no issues.
I worry more about the suspension mounting points than the suspension components themselves. Its seems quite possible to overload our ancient unit body. I would tie subframes before going for the after market UCAs.
There have been a number of threads about UCA woes.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

well, sixty4dartgt, there it is, spend your $ on the extra stuff and keep the stock '73 up arms with eccentric problem solver bushings... who needs that new fangled tubular stuff anyways? +8 degrees could you even steer it???

I've been running Addco sway bars and welded in frame connectors for many years and the difference was phenominal. I'm still planning to try the tubular arms by Bill Reilly, www.bigblockdart.com , (not Magnum Force) some day soon.
Bob D

Thanks to everyone!
I will get the new Moog set up with front sway away. I guess if I buy an aftermarket sway bar, I don't need the stock "tabs" on my LCAs???

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"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

Really check out the swaybar befor you buy, some bars mount to the strut rod, not great but it works. Addco bars are like this, they also have what looks like a weak K member mount. A friend reciently purchased a bar from Quickor. It will be more work to install than the Addco ( weld on tabs for the control arms ) I will report if it is worth it. Another friend has the addco bar and it works fine (last 20+ years) I just never liked the mounts but it has never failed.

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1966 Signet
Turbo Slant Six

I second the motion on the sway bar brand. I've heard the ones from Perf Susp Components (or PST?) have better mounts.

I have Addcos on my two Darts (64,68) and the mounts are very weak. I had to weld and gusset the heck outta mine to get them to last. BTW, the 64 did not mount to the strut rod, but to the LCA (earlier Addcos went to strut rod, I believe).

I ordered a Quickor kit for my '66 V100 and it had much better mounts (I welded, but they would probably be OK w/o it - 2 bolts on each side of K). So, I'd spend the extra $40-70 and get a Quickor bar unless you like extra fabrication.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

The PST bar has excellent control arm mounts. Every thing needed is included. The body mounts are made for the late A body and are excellent. For an early A body the mounts could use a little work. I just used them the way they were and promised to update later. Never did.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

I just acquired a set of the FFI upper control arms. I had mine powder coated gold. They look great! I'll be hanging a set of Porsche twin turbo disc brakes on my car with these arms. I don't have a picture of the arms yet but here are the brakes.

I gotta save up for a pair of those rotors...

I just had the V aligned yesterday. My "eyeball" alignment gave +4 to +6 caster and -2 camber with stock UCAs and offset bushings. More than I needed. Just gives an idea of what you can get with the (almost) stock parts if you want it.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988