Moparts Tech Archive
Front Suspension
Challenger Suspension Parts
From:Montclaire
Reged: 02/18/03
I have a 73 Challenger with a 440, still wearing it's 318 suspension and no sway bars, so as you can image it will be a whole different animal when I get all this stuff bolted on. You are about to benefit from months of research here, so print this out for later use. My goal was to have Hemi spec suspension, front and rear sway bars, remain stock in appearance but work in all the factory tricks, and use quality parts. A great deal of stuff I bought from Moog, and you'll want to shop around because prices will vary. You can look up any moog part on the Summit Racing site by typing MOG- and the number.
K781..... ball joint, lower, RH
K783..... ball joint, lower, LH
K7262....upper ball joint (need 2)
K791... lower control arm bush. (need 2)
The off set UCA bushings are pn K7103, and you'll need 2 of those. Check out and Ideas" for a pic on how to install them. K772 can be substituted for K7262. The difference is that K7262 is a HD part.
74-77 C bodies used a beefy 11/16" tie rod setup. These will bolt right up to your Challenger and give some added strength but look completely stock. These are also Moog numbers.
ES352R.....outer tie rod, 11/16 (need 2)
ES355RL.....inner tie rod, 11/16 (need 2)
ES440S......adjuster sleeve (need 2)
On police cars, taxis, and some hi-po models, sleeves were pressed onto the rear upper control arm bushings to add strength. The mopar pn is 1857840, and although they are NS1, you can still get them through some dealerships. If you can't find them, Back in Time Car Parts reproduces them.
Like I said, I wanted Hemi spec suspension. The MP torsion bars are good pieces, and I ordered the .920" set. Don't forget the balloon seal and clip package, pn P5249609. The Hemi/440+6 rear springs, shackles, and poly shackle bushigs I got from ESPO. The MP rear springs suck, so stay away from them.
I wanted to use stock style sway bars, and found a company that reproduces them (see ad at bottom). They make both front and rear bars in all the factory sizes, plus an additional, larger size. The front bars use the factory mounts and come with poly end links. The rear bars come with poly bushings in high quality frame brackets with poly end links. They do not make the rear mounting plates that bolt over the leaf spring pack, so you will have to source those. You can get reproduction retaining straps for the front bar through the paddock or year one.
The LCA/strut rod relationship is crucial here. That's why I bought 30% over stock strut rods from Just Suspension. They make aluminum and adjustable ones too, but I would rather they bend than break, and I won't be adjusting them all the time, so I went with steel. Pick up a copy of mopar muscle magazine and check their ad on the inside. They have all kinds of HD suspension parts and tools. The current issue also has a great article on rebuilding lower control arms. I decided to use MP's strut rod bushings, pn P4529184.
For shocks, I'm going with KYBs, because I really can't afford anything better right now. They perform like konis, but the ride is more harsh.
For handling, you want +3.0 caster and -.5 camber but this is not always possible. Get as much + caster as possible keeping within the +.5 or -.5 from 0 camber.
Here are some links to check out:
Firm Feel
Tech Index