Front suspension issue on 71 Chally

[71Challenger318]

Its odd there is no "steering/suspension" section under tech here.

Anyway I have noticed a problem with the front end on my 71 Challenger. I have had it aligned and installed Just Suspension's 1in Torsion bars to lower the car without turning it into a marshmallow. I have sway bars coming for both the front and the rear. I am trying to make this into a handling car without going to crazy with coilovers and such. Anyway, I have 17X9in wheels and tires on the car (not staggered) and the left tire sits out 1in farther then the right one. Thus when I turn going up a hill the left tire drags on the fender. My alignment man tells me there is no way to change that unless the K frame can be moved around. Looks to me like doing that will put my headers into the inner fenders! Anyone else come up against something like this? The body looks to right for the fender to be the problem. It is really noticeable if you walk from one side directly to the other and look at the overhang.

Any help or ideas/advice would be VERY much appreciated. :angel5:

 

[burntorange70]

Will have to ask the boss man about getting a steering/suspension section. Don't know how that was missed. Thanks for pointing that out.

As for your front end.

Tolerences on these old cars was not that great but I don't think they were that loos.

Only thing I can think of is the car may have been in an accident at some point. May be damage to the front suspention or frame.

Not saying that is the case but is some thing to look in to.

I am not sure but I think the K may have a little wiggle jiggle room n it but I would not think it is 1 inch worth.

 

[71Challenger318]

Sounds good on the steering/suspension forum. Move this thread once that is done.

Does anyone know if the K frame moves or now if you take it loose? The car has been in the family since 76 and we knew the previous owner. No one can remember the car ever being in a crash. One of the fenders was a replacement we got years ago before reproductions and I know it was damaged and questionable when we got it. But I just can't see any variation in the fender that would cause that much of a difference in the wheel opening. I might roll the inside of that fender in to try to minimize the dragging but frankly it just looks crappy even if it didn't hit. I will get some pics of it later and post it is pretty amazing.

 

[burntorange70]

There you go. Thread moved to the new steering/suspension section.

 

[71Challenger318]

I installed a set of swaybars and the greatly reduced body roll all but cured the tire hitting fender issue. Now it old happens if I am making a very fast right turn out of a parking lot.

 

[71solo2challenger]

What's your alignment set at? Negative camber helps. What is the backspace on the rims? 9 inch is VERY tight

 

[71Challenger318]

What's your alignment set at? Negative camber helps. What is the backspace on the rims? 9 inch is VERY tight

Tell me about it! There is not much space for those wide tires under the front. It is set "in spec" and then I lowerd it a bit so I would imagine it has some negative camber at this point. I might have it adjusted some more but for now the sways seem to have got it mostly solved.

 

[71solo2challenger]

again, what is it set at?

Lowering the car changes ALL the settings.

ride height is the first thing to set. Then adjust the UCA to get as much positive Caster while going to at least -.05* camber. it is possible to LOSE camber with lowering, depending on how high the car was when initially set at.

Also, are those aftermarket rims? Factory Mustang "Bullitts" are only 17x8

 

[71Challenger318]

again, what is it set at?

Lowering the car changes ALL the settings.

ride height is the first thing to set. Then adjust the UCA to get as much positive Caster while going to at least -.05* camber. it is possible to LOSE camber with lowering, depending on how high the car was when initially set at.

Also, are those aftermarket rims? Factory Mustang "Bullitts" are only 17x8

I will have the alignment adjusted sometime in the next weeks I am getting ready for my wedding so I can't really work on the car at all this week. It is 3/4in lower then it was when the alignment was done. It was already low and now it is lower still. When you say "at least -.05" how much do you think would be max before it starts to cause bad tire wear? The rims are not OEM mustang rims they are American Racing Torq Thrust M's.

 

[71solo2challenger]

I meant -.5° camber. (negative half a degree)

Bad toe settings cause more tire wear than negative camber.

 

[73 kooda]

Might seem like a dumb question but could it be the rims if back spacing is different ...might make a difference... Before you roll, unbolt or move anything take ten minutes and check to make sure wheels are same size. Good luck... Let us know

 

[Big Jim]

Well said, kooda. Sometimes after you're into this a while it's easy to overlook the simple-"gotta chase them oddball gremlins"...

 

[71Challenger318]

Might seem like a dumb question but could it be the rims if back spacing is different ...might make a difference... Before you roll, unbolt or move anything take ten minutes and check to make sure wheels are same size. Good luck... Let us know

Not a stupid question! I thought of that to so I swapped the wheels front to rear and the condition remains the same....but wait...I only did the one side. Maybe the one that sits back is the different one. I will look at that later today. :eusa_think:

 

[71droptop]

I would blueprint all the measurements i could take of the good side. Example
From torsion bar socket to center of lower ball joint (possible incorrect lower control arm) Check rotors -both the same.? Check upper control arms same way. This would drive me nuts..... Good Luck

 

[Chryco Psycho]

I would pull both front wheels check the backspacing as suggested & also look at the rotors to see if the hub was made differently on them

 

[Big Jim]

New idea to me Psycho- but entirely possible with aftermarket parts. Thanks, will add to mental notebook!

And for Ray- I HAVE the answers, now who changed the questions????

 

[Ray]

New idea to me Psycho- but entirely possible with aftermarket parts. Thanks, will add to mental notebook!

And for Ray- I HAVE the answers, now who changed the questions????

Well Jim if you have the answers you would know who changed the questions.Lol. I was finally able to post pics in the new members section let me know what you think.

 

[Ray]

If the fender is the issue, it just may be the fender.

 

[71Challenger318]

Ok, so I checked all 4 wheels and they are all the same. I measured the front rotors, same. Checked the control arms...measure the same. Everything up front measure the same but one thing.

Fender to inner fender. The close side is 1/2 to 3/4 farther in then the well spaced fender. Not quite enough to make them the same but enough to make the problem stop.

I noticed that one of the fenders has a cutout in the front and the other does not. I did a little sleuthing and it turns out that the left front fender (the problem side) is from a 1970 Challenger....so I think there-in lies my problem. Was there a difference between 70-71? I know 72-74 are the same but I see AMD offers one for 70 and one for 71 but no pictures. Its hard to imagine that cutout in the front is the only difference. What do you guys know that I don't? THANKS!

 

[Chryco Psycho]

I doubt the 70 fender would be a different line , the 70s were used with bigger tire combos & raced in Trans Am , it would make sense that the 70 if anything would have more clearance . I am sure that as with anyhting there will be variences .
the only difference I am aware of is the notch in the front edge of the fender under the hood