Buddy Arrington Chassis Question

[Iraceitall]

I have not found a definitive answer, and I may still just go curbside anyway, but does anyone know if Arrington and guys like Negre and Cecil Gordon had to use torsion bars and leafs under their Miradas and Imperials or if they got to use a Banjo or similar chassis? 

[bobss396]

Petty cars were probably similar, no? If Petty ran torsion bars, so did others. Petty cars should be easier to research.

[bobss396]

Down on the page it discusses the Petty front suspension that used a modified torsion bar suspension on a 1971 car. I forget what year that the torsion bar suspension was changed to a different design. Possibly in 1978 that Petty was not happy with, hence the move to GM cars.

https://www.motortrend.com/features/hrdp-0510-1971-plymouth-road-runner/

[Iraceitall]

The longitudinal torsion bars ended with the 79-81 R-Body St Regis and Newport, these cars (J-Body) were stock with the cross torsion bars like the 76-up Dodge Aspen. My hunch was these were cut down ex-Petty cars, there's just so little out there about it. Thanks for the info! 

[Mark]

The rule insisting on using the "factory/showroom" suspension design ended with the downsized cars in 1981.  But a lot of the early downsized cars' chassis were cut down from earlier ones, as the more modestly funded teams waited on the big dogs to sort out which chassis layout was best.  It's probably a toss up when it comes to the earliest downsized Mopars, but if I were guessing I'd go with a cut-down longitudinal torsion bar front/leaf spring rear setup.  Petty was the last bucks-up racer running a Mopar, after he switched he sold off a lot of his stuff to the other racers.

[bobss396]

8 hours ago, Iraceitall said:

The longitudinal torsion bars ended with the 79-81 R-Body St Regis and Newport, these cars (J-Body) were stock with the cross torsion bars like the 76-up Dodge Aspen. My hunch was these were cut down ex-Petty cars, there's just so little out there about it. Thanks for the info! 

When I was doing alignments I recall the newer bar set ups. The Volare also had them. Probably the Diplomat cop cars too.

One guy I know ran Mopars at Freeport, all the old style bars. He was quite a winner in the old Belvederes. The hot tip was to elevate the right front corner of the car when the roll cage was welded in. The dealer also had a certain part number torsion bar that was preferred.

[Iraceitall]

Just now, bobss396 said:

When I was doing alignments I recall the newer bar set ups. The Volare also had them. Probably the Diplomat cop cars too.

One guy I know ran Mopars at Freeport, all the old style bars. He was quite a winner in the old Belvederes. The hot tip was to elevate the right front corner of the car when the roll cage was welded in. The dealer also had a certain part number torsion bar that was preferred.

All the Aspen/Volare/Diplomat/5th Avenue/Mirada/Imperial shared that setup, it's a good swap for a hot rod or custom too. I've seen a few 40s and 50s cars and trucks done that way. 

[bobss396]

1 hour ago, Iraceitall said:

All the Aspen/Volare/Diplomat/5th Avenue/Mirada/Imperial shared that setup, it's a good swap for a hot rod or custom too. I've seen a few 40s and 50s cars and trucks done that way. 

I see a 48 Plymouth that has a Diplomat front stub under it with a 318.

[Iraceitall]

A friend of mine did the same on a 57 Studebaker pickup with a 360.