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Pete Vanderlaan
 Post subject: unibody chassis flex
PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2001 8:53 pm 
Back in 1980 I had a modified 66 Mustang that had a brace across the engine bay connecting one shock tower to the other. I could understand why - this car has the coil springs mounted on the upper control arm, and the Mustang is also a unibody/subframe car. The brace helped control chassis flex during cornering.

I never thought about installing one on an A body Mopar because of the torsion bar/ K frame setup. But some Mopars, particularly later models have them - I remember my 75 Dart and 77 Diplomat having a brace that runs from the cowl area to each side of the engine compartment. Perhaps they were there for a different reason, but I can't imagine why else Chrysler would do it.

I have my 63 Valiant setup for handling with B engine torsion bars, sway bars, and 205/60/15" tires on 7" cop wheels (it has the disc brake conversion too). Would there be any benefit from installing such a brace on an early A body?

pmvdlaan@picusnet.com
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DusterIdiot
 Post subject: Re: unibody chassis flex
PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2001 10:15 pm 
Quote:
: I never thought about installing one on an A
: body Mopar because of the torsion bar/ K
: frame setup. But some Mopars, particularly
: later models have them - I remember my 75
: Dart and 77 Diplomat having a brace that
: runs from the cowl area to each side of the
: engine compartment. Perhaps they were there
: for a different reason, but I can't imagine
: why else Chrysler would do it.


I've seen them on gold dusters and some early 70's C-bodies, and usually were included to stabilize the uni-body that had to cope with the stress of heavy duty front mounted drum brakes (weight, or braking impact I'm not sure...)
I've added them to disc brake cars with no adverse affects (and can't prove any benifits toward handling of the 75 Dart Sport I modified either...)

-D.Idiot


res0aus2@verizon.net
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S/anted
 Post subject: Re: unibody chassis flex
PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2001 8:49 am 
Quote:
: Back in 1980 I had a modified 66 Mustang that
: had a brace across the engine bay connecting
: one shock tower to the other. I could
: understand why - this car has the coil
: springs mounted on the upper control arm,
: and the Mustang is also a unibody/subframe
: car. The brace helped control chassis flex
: during cornering.
:
: I never thought about installing one on an A
: body Mopar because of the torsion bar/ K
: frame setup. But some Mopars, particularly
: later models have them - I remember my 75
: Dart and 77 Diplomat having a brace that
: runs from the cowl area to each side of the
: engine compartment. Perhaps they were there
: for a different reason, but I can't imagine
: why else Chrysler would do it.
:
: I have my 63 Valiant setup for handling with B
: engine torsion bars, sway bars, and
: 205/60/15" tires on 7" cop wheels
: (it has the disc brake conversion too).
: Would there be any benefit from installing
: such a brace on an early A body?


My 74 Dart Sport has them but by the size (small less than an inch) and the locatation (cowl to fender) I can't really see them doing much for the overall structural stability. I think the extra unsprung weight of the 10" drums had a tendency to shake the fenders and I think the braces damp that out.

The biggest help to the structure of these cars is to tie the front and rear subframes together. That stiffens the car longitudinally and laterally a bunch. Cornering and Drag Strip performance are enhanced tremendously!

My $.02

Mike


msimpson@millenicom.com
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John Rewind
 Post subject: Re: unibody chassis flex
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2001 10:25 pm 
Quote:
: Back in 1980 I had a modified 66 Mustang that
: had a brace across the engine bay connecting
: one shock tower to the other. I could
: understand why - this car has the coil
: springs mounted on the upper control arm,
: and the Mustang is also a unibody/subframe
: car. The brace helped control chassis flex
: during cornering.
:
: I never thought about installing one on an A
: body Mopar because of the torsion bar/ K
: frame setup. But some Mopars, particularly
: later models have them - I remember my 75
: Dart and 77 Diplomat having a brace that
: runs from the cowl area to each side of the
: engine compartment. Perhaps they were there
: for a different reason, but I can't imagine
: why else Chrysler would do it.
:
: I have my 63 Valiant setup for handling with B
: engine torsion bars, sway bars, and
: 205/60/15" tires on 7" cop wheels
: (it has the disc brake conversion too).
: Would there be any benefit from installing
: such a brace on an early A body?


I put subframe connectors on my 2 '66 Dart wagons and it made all the difference in the world. I already had front & rear sway-bars and gas shocks w/ fatter tires, but this addition made them handle like a real cars. My latest addition was a better condition steering box on my SL6 wagon(the other is a 360).I guess at 430,000 miles, I got my money's worth. A well adjusted steering box really helps.

raywayne@webtv.net
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