HELP, getting a dart hooked..

[mopower440]

I got a 1972 dart swinger with fairly strong 440/727/ 8 3/4 combo. The rear suspension is ALL stock. Naturally it doesnt hook up all that great with the stock 30 year old leaf springs and the small 235/60/14 tires on it. What can i do to get her hooked up without tubbing it? I dont have the money to tub it and all that, can i get a bigger tire in their by using the offset spring hanger kit? i know that only moves them in 3/4", but will that help much? I cant roll the lip of the fender because there is body fill in that area..what do i do? what springs should i run?whats the biggest tire with the springs moved in 3/4 inboard?
HELP!!
thanks

[signet]

getting it to hook usually takes away from it's ability to go around a corner.

but putting the battery in the trunk helps but not much.

small bars and worn shocks up front help,again not much.

a Sure-Grip helps.

and the special spring kits help too 002/3,863/4.

but you can't beat more rubber on the ground.

[mopower440]

Is it worth it to use one of those MP kits that move the springs inboard 3/4 inch?

[tubtar]

I used it in my '65 and got 255 / 60 -15's in there with room to spare.
S/S springs raised the tail enough that I might have been able to go with a 275 , but that would have involved different back spacing and a bit more work.
Getting a car to hook is more than just a fat tire.......look at what a stock eliminator car does on a 9" slick.
But you will definately sacrifice street drivability and cornering if you get too fixated on planting the rear.
                                                              J.S.

[mopower440]

Just want to be able to beat the newer mustangs and GTO's..

[383man]

My boys Dart is all an stock body. No tubs , no springs moved at all. It just has the 002 and 003 SS springs with 90/10 shocks up front. He used Hoosier QTP tires that are 26 x 9.5 and it hooks good.  Its a stock stroke 400 and runs 11.50 @ 116 with a best 60 of 1.61.  Ron

[383man]

The hook was good enough to leave this Z06 wondering why he was 3 car lenths back after 60 ft.     This Vette did run 12.31 but got spanked by about 5 car lenths as it was a hot day and he only ran 11.70' that day and every one was off about 3 tenths and 3 mph.  This was great as it was a muscle car race put on by this Vette club and Ron jr spanked every Vette he ran that day old or new.   Ron

[tubtar]

S'What I'm talkin about !  Muy cool.   It won't corner with a Z06 , but if you dumped 56,000.00 into it , it would be damned close.
Nice car. Nice job.
                                                           J.S.

[abodyjoe]

are those tires you have slicks or just a run of the mill street tire??? i run the 14" version of what rons dart has and my car hooks enough to pull the front wheel about 2"..  i'm only running a small block though...     26/9.5- 14"

[A13Dart]

Some observations I have about getting bigger rubber on my 68 Dart. It has stock 1/4 panel lips, 002/03 springs mounted in stock location but moved back 3/4" and up 1-1/2", Strange axles with B-body brakes.

1. distance from the spring to 1/4 panel lip is 11".
2. distance from frame rail to front spring hanger 1/2". I can't see how Mopar Perf can move the springs in 3/4"
3. I have some BFG 255/60-15's that I borrowed off my roadrunner on it now, they have a cross section of approx 10-1/4", so clearance is 3/8 to the spring and 3/8 to the 1/4 panel lip.
4. I have some 30x9 hoosier radial slicks, but the 1/4 panel lips will have to go to fit these. I also suspect that the nhra stocker darts have their 1/4 panels "jacked" out just a touch.


mike.

[Rolling_thunder]

are those tires you have slicks or just a run of the mill street tire??? i run the 14" version of what rons dart has and my car hooks enough to pull the front wheel about 2"..  i'm only running a small block though...     26/9.5- 14"

yes - im up a creek on this one...      i think it will be a little more difficult for me to pull my front wheel up 2"....      damn B-body....   

[mopower440]

are those tires you have slicks or just a run of the mill street tire??? i run the 14" version of what rons dart has and my car hooks enough to pull the front wheel about 2"..  i'm only running a small block though...     26/9.5- 14"

A-body joe, im also running 14" ralleys, they are the 6", is that what yours are? where did you get the tires? also, are your springs moved inboard or any of that?

Ron, is that 400 stronger than the old 383 from before? how wide and whats the backspace on the rear wheels? thats awesome that it will beat those new vettes!

[383man]

Yes the 400 is a stronger combo then the 383 was. It has the .557 cam vs the .484 in the 383 and stock Eddy heads vs 452's on the old 383.  Best in the 383 was 12.31 @ 110 and the 400 is 11.55 @ 116.  The wheels are steel 7" wheels with a 4.5 back space.  The Hoosier are listed as 26 x 9.5 but thats the width as the tread is only 8.5.  But they fit fine in the stock wheelwell and hook great.  Ron

[383man]

This pic gives a better idea of how they fit and you can see they aren't that wide but hook fine. Can't beat these tires for  stock location springs and wheelwells on a mid 11 second Dart. Work great and fit fine.  Ron

[mopower440]

Ron,
The wheels on your  dart are 15x7 with 4 1/2 backspace..tell me this, if i ran the same wheel but  with 4 1/4 backspace, would it work in the stock wheel wells also or does it have to be 4 1/2 backspace?

[383man]

With the 26 x 9.5 Hoosier QTP tires it should work. We have about a 1/2 room on the inside and outside with the wheelwell lip cut off.  Ron

[mopower440]

Dang, i thought you still had the lip still on there..i cant cut mine off because there is bondo in the area..i bet this combo wont work on mine then..dang

[383man]

I think even with the lip the 26 x 9 Hoosier QTP's will work.  Ron

[abodyjoe]

are those tires you have slicks or just a run of the mill street tire??? i run the 14" version of what rons dart has and my car hooks enough to pull the front wheel about 2"..  i'm only running a small block though...     26/9.5- 14"

A-body joe, im also running 14" ralleys, they are the 6", is that what yours are? where did you get the tires? also, are your springs moved inboard or any of that?

  yes i have 14 X 6 rally wheels.  stock spring position,100% stock wheelwells..  heck it even has the stock slant six springs on it..     the tires are hoosier QTP  i bought them from summit.

[mopower440]

now are those hoosier QTP tires a drag radial or strictly track only?

[abodyjoe]

now are those hoosier QTP tires a drag radial or strictly track only?

  its a dot approved slick..  not a radial.


  here ya go..   

 http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=HOO%2D17410&N=700+300778+115&autoview=sku

Hoosier Quick Time Pro D.O.T. TiresUltimate race traction that's street-legal.

Looking for the ultimate race traction in a DOT-approved tire? Hoosier Quick Time Pro D.O.T. tires feature an ultra-soft drag race compound and a minimal tread design. With just two ribs and water ports, these Hoosier Quick Time Pro D.O.T. tires are the way to go.

[mopower440]

Have they held up on the street for regular driving pretty good/ Ive heard slicks like to chunk apart when regular driving..

[tubtar]

I don't know about chunkin.....I've had a few occasions to drive down the boulevard with a set screwed on.  They don't wear like an all season radial , so it gets a bit expensive........and a worn slick doesn't hook nearly as well.  But ya got that whole cool factor workin in spades.
                                                                            J.S.

[mopower440]

so with these tires, you can get on the interstate and stuff and its no problem as long as its dry out?

[abodyjoe]

i don't drive on the street with mine but yes you can drive with them anywhere on the street that you want..  they are pretty soft so i would imagine that they would wear fast..

[AdamR]

Ron werent you running a 28X9" M/T before ?

[2815spd]

I got a 1972 dart swinger with fairly strong 440/727/ 8 3/4 combo. The rear suspension is ALL stock. Naturally it doesnt hook up all that great with the stock 30 year old leaf springs and the small 235/60/14 tires on it. What can i do to get her hooked up without tubbing it? I dont have the money to tub it and all that, can i get a bigger tire in their by using the offset spring hanger kit? i know that only moves them in 3/4", but will that help much? I cant roll the lip of the fender because there is body fill in that area..what do i do? what springs should i run?whats the biggest tire with the springs moved in 3/4 inboard?
HELP!!
thanks

I run a 318  bored out to 4.0 bore with a 2.8 stroke making a 281 cuin. I made a set of caltracs using adjustable torque arms from a semi trailer. I made all my own brackets etc. I run a stick shift and launch at 8500 and it hooks with 28/10.5/15 m/t et drags. This eng has ported j heads, m1 intake, proform 750 carb, .557 cam with 1.6 rockers, 1 7/8 headers and runs 6.90 @97+ mph in the 1/8 @3250lbs

[AdamR]

Mopower440, I did some measuring today opn my Scamp. There is 12" from the wheel lip to the edge of the wheel well. That gives you about 10" of section width to play with wich isnt much. Im going to move my springs in with the offset kit to be safe and run a 255-60-15 M/T drag radial on a 15X7" rim with 4.5" backspacing.

[joes68340s]

This is how my Dart gets hooked for now.

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