i have a 1974 Scamp with a "225 engine and automatic transmission. what i want to know is if i want a stiffer suspension when cornering which is the best way to go? stiffer torsion bars or add anti sway bars. also, is there much modifying to adding anti sway bars? i also see there are poli urethane kits available. problem i had with them in the past was lubricating them without always having to take them apart. does drilling and adding grease fitting work? thanks, again.

Your first steps are to make sure the suspension's in good condition. Worn/rotten bushings, sloppy pitman/idler arms, sloppy ball joints, sloppy tie rod ends, dead shock absorbers, etc. will all seriously mushify the handling. Premium shocks and bigger torsion bars are the first steps up, closely followed by anti-sway bars.

Fix all the faults, aggressive alignment, gas shocks, good rear springs, sway bars front, torsion bars.....in that order .

Ive never bothered with the bars....I like a gentler ride on the front. I like poly bushings and sway bar mounts.

Without the tires too match suspension mods are kinda pointless.

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

I have to say that the number one mod, if you have stock tire size now, is wider tires/wheels.

Mostly, getting the suspension in top shape and going from there is good.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Well, i'm finally home again, i believe the chassis is in good shape having only 55,000 miles on her and she looks good (i bought the car off a school teacher). i have already put "KYB" gas shocks on. the bushings scream every time i go over a speed bump. i guess i'll go with the poli urethane kit. as far as wheels and tires, she has 5ea. new Michelin radials, so i'm gonna wait and get the wheels and tires together when these are gone. something a little wider, lighter, maybe an inch taller wheels. it looks like i would have to weld some mounts for the anti sway bars if i want them. this car is my daily driver and i will be making trips of about 130 miles each way about once a month. its mainly the freeway travel at 85 mph. that i want upgrade the suspension for, though the car does dip in corners. i'm wondering if after the new bushings and maybe .92 torsion bars, wider rims and tires, it might be all i need? i never did get an answer about putting grease fitting on for the bushings, would it work? by the way "Sandy in bc" i like your car. thanks.

It sounds like if you did wider tires, torsion bars (I personally think you might be over-doing it with .92 bars, but I've no personal experience to back that up) new bushings and sway bar you're good to go. Several swaybar companies make ones that attach without welding on tabs. They have designs that wrap around the LCA, etc. So you wouldn't *have* to weld if you didn't want to.

Here are some places to look:
Firm Feel
PST front/rear
Addco (cheapest)


Hope that helps

hey guys, i was thinking of going with the .92 torsion bars if i couldn't get anti sway bars that didn't need tabs welded on. i have no idea what size i will need, so thats why i'm asking for your feedback. is there a lot of difference between a 1" anti sway bar and a 1 1/8"? i noticed one company sells the 1 1/8" for a lot less than their 1". i was wondering if the 1 1/8" anti sway bar with stock torsion bars would do the job? seems like it would be the least expensive and still get the same results (??). i'm with you guys... first move is to clean up what i have and put on new bushings. i may have to wait to put the anti sway bars on until after i get wheels and tires because it sounds like it would be a rough ride otherwise. "NewLancerMan" thanks for the links! now i have a good starting place to do my homework. o/t: how do you get the smiley face to work? it keeps telling me to close tags. thanks![/img]

scamp why not try 1 thing at a time until you get what you like? Redo the front end, then go swaybar, then torsion bars? Torsion bars are $140 new from all the usual places--mancini racing, summit, jegs, or you can try to find them used. I just picked up a pair of .87s for $30. I have no idea how much difference 1 1/8" vs. 1" would be. What you really want to know is the spring rate on the bar. while size is an indication, comparing the rates is a far better way of assessing the swaybar.

What bars are you looking at?

btw--just used emoticons for arrows. To put an image in, do [img]link%20to%20image[/img]

NewLancerMan... a man of logic. build from scratch until i reach my goal...hmm. i forget that just because i had satisfactory results with another car, i seem to think the same will work for this one. thanks, for the wake up call. i also forget that it's 90 degrees outside right now and it will only get warmer, so it's best i keep my projects reasonable. dumb question: i'm pretty sure the torsion bars are only on the front, correct? will they have ANY effect on how the rear end handles? also, i have a feeling that i might need to wait until i buy the wheels and tires before i get a true "feel" of the effects of torsion bars or anti sway bars. i'm thinking that the wheels and tires will change things quite a bit. for now i will work on cleaning the chassis and new bushing. thanks!

You asked.
Rebuilt front end(fresh bushings).
Front sway bar
.890 torsion bars
Fresh leaf springs (fresh bushings)
KYB shocks all the way around.
205 or 215-70-14 tires.(white letter out of course).

I will personally guarantee this set up on your car for some fun driving.

JZ

JZ--

On the rear leaf springs, are you talking new rubber or urethane bushings in the eyelets? Just curious. I was looking at my springs the other night and they seem like they are in good shape. how can you tell if the bushings are pooped?

MJ

"Koin-n-n-n-nk!" noise from under the car on hard acceleration when it's dry out that goes away when it rains.

Appearance can go a long way.Are they dried and cracked looking?

Knowing the history of your car can help as well.In my case the bushings looked as though they were 40yrs old so it was pretty much a no-brainer.

With new leaf springs the fronts are already pushed in.Get a new set of bushings for the back and you have a freshly rebuilt rear.Boy that always sounds funny.

JZ

thanks, Johnny! that is exactly what i asked for. this Scamp is now the newest car i own, oldest being a 1947. so a lot of this is all new to me. i'm totally lost when it come to emissions! (o/t) the formula you sent me gives me a starting point (exactly what year and model is your car?). all the others have helped me with a "plan of attack", but i need some numbers to see what you guys have found to work best. i'm beginning to think that my main concern after bushings, wheels and tires is building up the front end being it has the engine weight. also, i'm not so sure i will need new rear springs if it only has 55, 000 total miles and was driven by a school teacher. i may also find that putting anti way bars on the back might be a bit too stiff, but then again thats why i'm here. i've had this car for 2 months and some of you guys bleed "Chrysler". but as "NewLancerMan" stated i should take it a step at a time until i get what i'm looking for. thanks, again!

I have a '67 A body frame based car. weights 3000 lbs.

My suspension setup is:

wheels: stock steel, 14x7"
tires: front 195 70 14 rear 225 70 14
torsion bars: 1"
shocks: firm hidraulic shocks, regulable units, I softened them a tad.
front anti sway bar
upgraded leaf springs in the rear wich will be upgraded with another anti sway

I'm pretty happy with it, though I'll like a wheel/tires upgrade.

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Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.