Cornering Ideas????

[Andrew]

i was under, well actuily, looking where the engine should be which made me go under and look. i was just wondering, does anyone make larger sway bars for our trucks? also. the airbags for heavy loads and towing, would these help with cornering? i would think that they are, but before i go and think to hard about droping 3 hundred plus whatever it will cost for brackets to be made, id like help from the knowledgeable people on this site. thanks for any help!!

[wideblock]

getting one of our top heavy trucks to corner takes a lot of money, as baddeeds on that one. you want a slolum racer, better get a car.

[Andrew]

well i dont really want something to keep up with vipers or or anything like that. i would just really like to not lean so much. im picky about my vehicles. this is off in the plans aways down the road, just thinking up ideas...

[cudajimmy]

Lowering it would help quite a bit. And so would lower profile tires, maybe on bigger wheels?

[MountainMoparRobin]

Andrew,
Just getting good shocks does a Hell of a lot of good, I put on Ranchero 5000 and they took away the lean, night and day.
Here's another idea, get a longer base spring, with only 1.5 positive arch, then look at adding the small firestone air bags between the leaf and the frame where your rubber stoppers are, you should be able to torque hard through the corners!

[WD]

Even with dead shocks and original rubber bushings, my 69 handles like it's on rails. 235/75/15 tires on factory L'il Red Express rims. Going to add urethane bushings, considering adding the rear sway bar out of a heavier truck. Kingpins are worn out, so straight line sucks (wanders, lots of bumpsteer), but she screams through the corners.

Just increasing the tire footprint seems to really improve the truck's handling. I'll never put the stock skinnies back on it. More steering effort with the wider front tire, but the improved ride and control is worth it.

These trucks are a LOT like motorcycles. Lower/softer suspension and wider tires on same or lower profile sidewalls just seems to really wake them up. I can't get mine to slide or light up the tires if I have too. Hooks up and turns like a tracked vehicle. Each truck is going to respond a bit differently, so try different combos until you find what works best for your truck. FYI, I've had a couple of these, the truck with factory smallblock front springs definitely outhandles the big block truck I had.
-WD

[Andrew]

hey thanks for all the ideas!!!! i will definatly think of all all of those. my trucks a d200, and it will sometimes get used as a real truck, with towning helping people move, taking loads to the dump, whatever. so i dont really want to lower it, even though i LOVE that look on these old dodges. id like to try to get some 17s or even 18s if i can find some rims that i like and will work in the wheel wells. again thanks for all the help everyone!

[WD]

Go to Les Schwab. I saw some very classic/classy 18" with the right backspacing at one last night. Look like the Salt Flats Special from American Racing, kind of a Halibrand/Fiat cross. Very nice rim, 5 center ribs and kidney bean cutouts. Wasn't an AR wheel, but the look, with the right backspacing, for around 200 a corner, is not bad. There is a set of 18's with Toyo Proxis 245 front/265 (I think) rear meats at the local wrecking yard for $750. Came off a 72 Dodge custom van that rolled (black ice). Damned shame, the paint alone on the van was over $10K. Nicest van you could ever hope to find. Wheels and tires are perfect, the guy had less than 100 miles on the rig when it rolled.
-WD

[andrw]

see, i only hear about good deals when im dirt poor. when i have the money, i can look, but i dont find. thats like i guess (being 19, thats what im told anyway) thats one of those situations where i wish i could get a small loan, get alot of the stuff i need, than pay if off slowly...