New racer here

[racerpm]

New to the board. I race a Dart Sport street stocker. I'll be racing at Coastal Plains Raceway in Jacksonville NC in 2001. David D here on the board helps me as a mechanic. We're hoping to kick some GM tail this year. Anyone else running and A-body car on asphalt? I'd like to hear any experiences or problems. We ran the car this year at Friday Night Thunderdome in Goldsboro with only limited success, but all in all, can't complain considering it was the first stock car I'd built myself.

[MOPARVANN]

We have been racing a Dart Swinger on 3/8 mile asphalt for the last three years. We have bought many sets of springs and torsion bars and the best combination that we have to date is a set of worn out original 318 rear springs(the ones that were in the car originally). For the torsion bars, after buying several sets from MOPAR and still not getting the push out I went to the builder of the Kings cars in the 60's, Mr. Ray Fox. As soon as I told him what type of track and body I was running he stopped me and told me exactly what my car was doing. He said go to lighter bars and get the car as low as possible, that headers would hit in the turns, but car would turn. He was right! He said"Dodges like it soft in the turns". We made more power and passed everyone on the straights but lost positions in the turns, after doing everything he said we became competive. Planning on becoming "THE HEARTBREAK OF THE HEARTBEAT" this season. Remember one thing , MOPARS are not chevies and don't react to suspension changes like they do. Good luck! and keep us posted on how you do.

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Originally posted by racerpm:
New to the board. I race a Dart Sport street stocker. I'll be racing at Coastal Plains Raceway in Jacksonville NC in 2001. David D here on the board helps me as a mechanic. We're hoping to kick some GM tail this year. Anyone else running and A-body car on asphalt? I'd like to hear any experiences or problems. We ran the car this year at Friday Night Thunderdome in Goldsboro with only limited success, but all in all, can't complain considering it was the first stock car I'd built myself.

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MOPARVANN---C & V Racing-Middle Georgia Mopar Club

[daren44]

Wow! How did you get that treasure trove of information? Sounds like you've got to know the right person. That's very interesting about the softer settings he recommended. Where I race I'm only 1 of 2 mopars. All the advice I get is from chevy guys. They all tell me to get a heavier front right torsion bar. I'll have to experiment this winter with some softer ones. Thanks for the info. Keep us posted here on any other tips, please.

[Rich33]

A while ago I played the game of going with what the MP catalog specified for 1/4 or 3/8's tracks in terms of torsion bars. After many races pushing like a pig on turn entry, I figured out that they were way off.

I'm racing dirt, but the 1.04" bars seem to work for me. They equate to a 1000 lb wheel rate and seem to couple up well with rear springs that are around 170 lbs. I have to set these bars pretty low as well. I started last season with some AFCO 145 lb rear leafs, but they were too soft...I was dragging the right side of my underslung rear bars from the apex of the corner on. I agree with the earlier post that if you've got a set of good condition stock rear leafs they're about the right rate and work well.

I even went back to the stock torsion on the left side, but found that it was too soft. I'd like to try a front split between the .990 bars and 1.04 one, but don't have .990 bars right now.

[sanborn]

Just want to pass along info some of you may not know- You can change the rate of a torsion bar(weaken it) by reducing the diameter in a lathe. Use a carbide cutter, take small cuts(.020-.030") and polish the bar after the last cut.

Also, spring split across the front/back effectively(not mechanically) moves your roll center. In other words, if your right front bar is heavier than the left, you effectively move the roll center of the front to the right. So if you have the right front and rear spring heavier than the left then your roll centers are to the right of tread centerline. This is fine for dirt if you race on high banked, tacky tracks. But, if you race on slick, low banked tracks, then you want your roll center as far to the left(and as low mechanically) as possible. If you don't already know how to determine your roll center mechanically then learn. There are several good oval track books to show how to determine roll centers. I know this sounds like preaching but we spent several years learning this lesson. It isn't the driver that can't get in the bottom, it's the car. Don't be as hard headed as we were. My $.02 worth.

[daren44]

Do any of you guys run rear sway bars? I took mine off and it tightened up the car a bit.

[Rich33]

I don't run sway bars, front or rear, on my Dodge. Not particularly opposed to them, but I prefer to keep the chassis simple and minimize any possible binding...especially in a stock class that sees a lot of contact. Plus I've always been able to get the chassis to do what I wanted without them.

Good info about the rolls centers. Racing in Nevada pretty much dictates that you have to do everything possible to improve dry-slick performance. I for one will get smarter on it.

[racerpm]

Thanks for the info I am currently using MP
torsion bars 1.09 left 1.14 right and in the
rear I have Landrum Springs 225 on the right and 200 on the left I have a little push in the middle of the turn and I am coming out loose. I added wieght to the right rear about 50 pounds and 30 to the left side the car handled alot better I am going to take a bunch of wieght out of the front , such as inner fenders,radiater support, and the frame under the hood. I hope it will handle
better next season, as I will have a stronger motor in it. Thanks for all information If anyone has any other suggestions I would really apprieciate them.Thanks Guys.

[AVENGER29]

for what its worth,we have struggle a great deal and not always very successful.but we have found that listening to the chevys guys got us no where fast. mopar with torsion front ends do not behave like chevys!!!!
ours seems to like a very soft suspension,we simply could not turn with out it. we run a .99 on right and a .89 on left. 175 on left rear & 150 on right rear,we run a 2 inch lowering block on right side and only 1 inch block on left. the car is usually on the loose side which is what i prefer as driver. 55 rear weight, 53 1/2 cross and 54/55 left weight.on any given nite we are fast enough too win!!
luke

[Dart Magnum]

If, your rules allow like ours ... We used spindles, Control Arms and Calipers from a '92 Dakota. This allowed us to change camber easily and cleanly. Another plus we have is running a '95 360 Magnum, but yes, a carb. intake WAS hard to find.

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Chevy? Heh, "Like a Rock" They don't move much!

[David D]

In defense of Racer PM. He really did a lot better than he gives himself credit for. There were a lot of circumstances that were out of his control that worked against him. To his credit, he dove into this project with very little money, no experience, and little to no good help or advice in the beginning, chose a class that was out of control, at a track that was out of control, racing with friends who were out of control. In the end though, he had one of the few cars in the class that was closest to the rules, probably had less in his car than everyone but a couple of real POS back runners, and for the cars' level of development, would turn front runner times. Thankfully, Wayne Co. is going dirt with a new promoter, Racer PM has decided to step up to Coastal Plains' Street Stock class, and I've been honored to be his "crew chief" this year. The Dart is getting extensively reworked(Wayne Co.s' bomber cars weren't allowed to move or remove anything, only allowed a basic four point cage, and the cars had to be relatively heavy, 3300#)adding more cage, major gutting, moving, him and a host of other things around in the car, a new engine/tranny combo, and basicly turning it into a real race car. He's getting better as a driver, and I think the professional atmosphere of CPR will suit our effort better. I'm looking for better things this year.