I've been running the torsion bars forever, I don't think it leaves a lot to be desired, my 67 Barracuda rides awesome, I do have tubular upper control arms and disc brakes with Hotchkis rear springs.
I've always wondered, are coil overs really an upgrade? The main benefit would be for engine swaps. I think performance wise the torsion bar set up is just as capable. But I'm just guessing and I'm no engineer.
@@improvisewitme I think it would be more for an engine swap. One thing people don't think about is the pressure moved into the inner fender area that was not originally designed to hold the concentrated weight, I wonder what kind if stress analysis has been done with this conversion.
@@carnut7615 With the Hotchkiss rear springs, do they bolt right up? And do you have to use the 1 inch drop bracket? I want to keep the stock height in the rear for my Dart.
You bet, It was miles ahead of Chebby and Ford, Chrysler Engineers put all the money into the suspension and performance engines, I would never change mine either,
@@improvisewitme The Hotchkiss bolt up, I did get a 1 inch lower spring which made it sit the same or little higher than my original worn out springs. I have my front torsion bars backed off too so the whole car sits a little low. You can catch a glimpse of the car in my GTO restoration video.
Total BS!!! Coil over puts all of the weight on the front end and it makes the turning radius bigger also and that’s a big No no for mopar b body’s especially with big blocks. It’s a total lie that you’ll gain better handling and performance. Ferrari used a torsion bar set up for years. The only real big advantage to a coil set up is the ability to to change out spring rate set ups a lot quicker.
@@user-wd3mv9kt7e for my 512” 70 RT Charger I currently run Qa1 upper and lowers arms, Qa1 strut rods, 1 1/8 Hellwig SA, upgraded to 11/16 tie rods, Viking shocks, 1.03 PST T-bars and Borgeson steering and I absolutely love it. Now if I had to change anything in the future I might would go with Adjustable a-arms and that would be it for my front end. My buddy runs Hotchkis 1 1/4 SA and 1.10 T-bars with a level 3 stiffening kit and and we think it’s too stiff and harsh in the front but some will claim to like this set up and I do like his 4 link rear.
@@thechestnutking736 thanks for the reply. I was looking at getting the level 3 kit from QA1 and 4 link in rear with wilwood brakes all around. I feel this would be too stiff but compensate for the power to the road. As for wheels & tires, wanting to tub it but is it worth it for street applications?
I have a Gibbons Cordoba IFS kit on my 53 F100 frame. The donor was a 78 Cordoba. I'd like to get a set of tubular upper control arms for it, so I can convert it to a coil over. Got anything that will work? Your website doesn't cover the Cordoba, or any Chrysler badged car.
Birthmark guy needs an education in the durability of the factory setup. "Adjustable ride height" advantage with the coil over setup? Is this your first day around a Mopar? The Mustang 2 based coil over setups are a huge step backward in durability compared to a stock Mopar. I do like the replacement parts that QA 1 offers. I have one of their hollow sway bars in my '70 Charger. There is no advantage to a coil over suspension in road race application. They are not faster than a properly sorted, upgraded torsion bar arrangement. I'm talking reinforced K member, bigger torsion bars, reinforced lower control arms, Bilstein or Koni shocks, a Borgeson steering box a good alignment. For less than half the cost, you have superior handling and factory durability.
We appreciate your feedback. Our coil-over systems do not use a Mustang II coil-over, just the spindles are a Mustang II style to open up a variety of brake options. The front coil-over system comes with new rack and pinion, k-member, engine mounts compatible with Gen 3 Hemis, ride height adjustability among other benefits. Depending on what people are looking to do with their car, a coil-over setup may be a better option which is why we now offer a front and rear system along with our torsion bar suspension components.
What happened to the rear suspension kit for the A-body. I don't see it anymore. I just see the coil over conversion for the rear. Has it been discontinued?
@@improvisewitme Depends on the specific vehicle, here is a link to the Mopar kits. www.qa1.net/automotive/suspension/mopar-coil-over-conversion-systems/mopar-rear-coil-over-suspension-system
@@QA1TECH Thanks! That was very helpful. The thing I like about the six link version was it was a truly bolt in. This one looks like you have to weld in a few areas.
Torsion bar cars properly set up are as fast or faster than coil over cars in all the AutoX events and road races. It’s not up for debate. Coil overs are not better when it comes to Mopars.
I am surprised that QA1 doesn't go into any details about the main drawback of torsion bars: they can never be progressive. Or to put it more precisely, they can only be made to "load up" in a way that forces a compromise. The diameter and pre-load stiffness (that also determines ride height), has a direct bearing on ride softness vs handling (like any suspension). BUT...there is never any way to make the bar type "spring" give you the right sort of progressive stiffness as a coil. So it terms of handling, the torsion bars don't "communicate" to the driver any sort of moderate feedback. They only tell you when you've exceeded them. Cars with torsion bars are quite dangerous at their limits, not because they are "too soft", but because they don't tell you anything about how far you are pushing it, until it's too late. They never bind-up at the limit of travel, and they can't be made to increase their stiffness near that limit point. Standard coil springs (not even coil-overs), are typically made to get harder to compress under very heavy loads. They have different spring rates under lower travel than higher travel. A torsion bar CAN'T do this. It twists the whole bar. You can't make part of the bar a different diameter (or different stiffness) because it will just make the whole bar weaker (effectively putting in a failure point). So to get a torsion bar to actually communicate, it has to be way more massive, and you lose all your low speed (low travel) subtly/comfort. And tightening up a stock torsion bar raises ride height (something nobody wants). Torsion bars are really just a very cheap production solution for cars that cruise around town through school zones and cul-de-sacs. Any sort of country driving where you are having some fun, and you will quickly discover that you really can't tell where the safe limit of that fun is... More videos need to be made to get people to understand why torsion bar suspension is genuinely inferior and potentially much too limited for any sort of engine upgrades. QA1 doesn't need to go "on the attack", but some sort of real world (closed circuit) demonstrations showing what the torsion bars are doing would be very helpful for people, especially those who think "I've never had any problem..." It is a fine line (if you are worried about haters), but done right, with real information (not just dumbed down generalizations), is exactly one of the best uses of youtube. I love my mopar, but there are facts about "torsion air" that could be demonstrated by careful and considerate presenters such as yourself. Cheers!
Thanks for the video guys! Have a great day.
Thanks! You too!
I've been running the torsion bars forever, I don't think it leaves a lot to be desired, my 67 Barracuda rides awesome, I do have tubular upper control arms and disc brakes with Hotchkis rear springs.
I've always wondered, are coil overs really an upgrade? The main benefit would be for engine swaps. I think performance wise the torsion bar set up is just as capable. But I'm just guessing and I'm no engineer.
@@improvisewitme I think it would be more for an engine swap. One thing people don't think about is the pressure moved into the inner fender area that was not originally designed to hold the concentrated weight, I wonder what kind if stress analysis has been done with this conversion.
@@carnut7615 With the Hotchkiss rear springs, do they bolt right up? And do you have to use the 1 inch drop bracket? I want to keep the stock height in the rear for my Dart.
You bet, It was miles ahead of Chebby and Ford, Chrysler Engineers put all the money into the suspension and performance engines, I would never change mine either,
@@improvisewitme The Hotchkiss bolt up, I did get a 1 inch lower spring which made it sit the same or little higher than my original worn out springs. I have my front torsion bars backed off too so the whole car sits a little low. You can catch a glimpse of the car in my GTO restoration video.
I love my torsion bars in my duster.... that car handles great!!
Happy to hear it!
ive been thinking about buying a duster and have been looking at what i can do to it so to hear that you had success with yours is good to hear.
I like torsion bars for drag racing, but would like the rack and pinion steering.
Torsion bars are the best
Total BS!!! Coil over puts all of the weight on the front end and it makes the turning radius bigger also and that’s a big No no for mopar b body’s especially with big blocks. It’s a total lie that you’ll gain better handling and performance. Ferrari used a torsion bar set up for years. The only real big advantage to a coil set up is the ability to to change out spring rate set ups a lot quicker.
What front & rear would you recommend for a 68 charger with a 572 hemi?
@@user-wd3mv9kt7e for my 512” 70 RT Charger I currently run Qa1 upper and lowers arms, Qa1 strut rods, 1 1/8 Hellwig SA, upgraded to 11/16 tie rods, Viking shocks, 1.03 PST T-bars and Borgeson steering and I absolutely love it. Now if I had to change anything in the future I might would go with Adjustable a-arms and that would be it for my front end. My buddy runs Hotchkis 1 1/4 SA and 1.10 T-bars with a level 3 stiffening kit and and we think it’s too stiff and harsh in the front but some will claim to like this set up and I do like his 4 link rear.
@@thechestnutking736 thanks for the reply. I was looking at getting the level 3 kit from QA1 and 4 link in rear with wilwood brakes all around. I feel this would be too stiff but compensate for the power to the road. As for wheels & tires, wanting to tub it but is it worth it for street applications?
I'll always stay, with Factory style suspension setup, The Mopar Ride is like no other , due to this engineering choice,,
True Daily Driver 68 Dart,
@@user-wd3mv9kt7e I kind of wished I would have put a mini tub in mine cause I like that fat tire look but I’ll never race it so I didn’t.
Does QA1 have front suspension for 2000 Dakota that will change it to 5 lug?
What’s the weight difference complete change over from k-frame?
I have a Gibbons Cordoba IFS kit on my 53 F100 frame. The donor was a 78 Cordoba. I'd like to get a set of tubular upper control arms for it, so I can convert it to a coil over.
Got anything that will work? Your website doesn't cover the Cordoba, or any Chrysler badged car.
At this time, no we are not able to offer a control arm setup for this vehicle. Hopefully it is something we can offer in the future!
I'm looking to keep the torsion set up. Do you offer the k-frame for the 74 dodge dart? If so is there a part #
We currently do not offer the k-member for the 74 Dodge Dart.
67-72 k member will fit on the 74 but you'll need different motor mounts
@@ridetheresetwhat mounts would you recommend, got a 74 dart I’m working on as well
Do the coilover system come in RHD for Australian vehicles?
They do not at this time.
@@QA1TECH thanks for the feedback
Birthmark guy needs an education in the durability of the factory setup. "Adjustable ride height" advantage with the coil over setup? Is this your first day around a Mopar? The Mustang 2 based coil over setups are a huge step backward in durability compared to a stock Mopar.
I do like the replacement parts that QA 1 offers. I have one of their hollow sway bars in my '70 Charger.
There is no advantage to a coil over suspension in road race application. They are not faster than a properly sorted, upgraded torsion bar arrangement. I'm talking reinforced K member, bigger torsion bars, reinforced lower control arms, Bilstein or Koni shocks, a Borgeson steering box a good alignment. For less than half the cost, you have superior handling and factory durability.
We appreciate your feedback. Our coil-over systems do not use a Mustang II coil-over, just the spindles are a Mustang II style to open up a variety of brake options. The front coil-over system comes with new rack and pinion, k-member, engine mounts compatible with Gen 3 Hemis, ride height adjustability among other benefits. Depending on what people are looking to do with their car, a coil-over setup may be a better option which is why we now offer a front and rear system along with our torsion bar suspension components.
The QA1 front kit is lighter than the stock k member set, isn't it?
In this video that's a slant 6 kit isn't it?
Now it's time and money . Lol
What happened to the rear suspension kit for the A-body. I don't see it anymore. I just see the coil over conversion for the rear. Has it been discontinued?
We now offer a triangulated 4-link for the rear of the A, B and E-Body. If you are asking about the 6-link we used to offer, we no longer carry that.
@@QA1TECH is there a part number for the four link? Thanks!
@@improvisewitme Depends on the specific vehicle, here is a link to the Mopar kits. www.qa1.net/automotive/suspension/mopar-coil-over-conversion-systems/mopar-rear-coil-over-suspension-system
@@QA1TECH Thanks! That was very helpful. The thing I like about the six link version was it was a truly bolt in. This one looks like you have to weld in a few areas.
@@improvisewitme Yes, there is some minor welding involved with this one.
Torsion bar cars properly set up are as fast or faster than coil over cars in all the AutoX events and road races. It’s not up for debate. Coil overs are not better when it comes to Mopars.
I am surprised that QA1 doesn't go into any details about the main drawback of torsion bars: they can never be progressive. Or to put it more precisely, they can only be made to "load up" in a way that forces a compromise. The diameter and pre-load stiffness (that also determines ride height), has a direct bearing on ride softness vs handling (like any suspension). BUT...there is never any way to make the bar type "spring" give you the right sort of progressive stiffness as a coil. So it terms of handling, the torsion bars don't "communicate" to the driver any sort of moderate feedback. They only tell you when you've exceeded them. Cars with torsion bars are quite dangerous at their limits, not because they are "too soft", but because they don't tell you anything about how far you are pushing it, until it's too late. They never bind-up at the limit of travel, and they can't be made to increase their stiffness near that limit point. Standard coil springs (not even coil-overs), are typically made to get harder to compress under very heavy loads. They have different spring rates under lower travel than higher travel. A torsion bar CAN'T do this. It twists the whole bar. You can't make part of the bar a different diameter (or different stiffness) because it will just make the whole bar weaker (effectively putting in a failure point). So to get a torsion bar to actually communicate, it has to be way more massive, and you lose all your low speed (low travel) subtly/comfort. And tightening up a stock torsion bar raises ride height (something nobody wants). Torsion bars are really just a very cheap production solution for cars that cruise around town through school zones and cul-de-sacs. Any sort of country driving where you are having some fun, and you will quickly discover that you really can't tell where the safe limit of that fun is...
More videos need to be made to get people to understand why torsion bar suspension is genuinely inferior and potentially much too limited for any sort of engine upgrades. QA1 doesn't need to go "on the attack", but some sort of real world (closed circuit) demonstrations showing what the torsion bars are doing would be very helpful for people, especially those who think "I've never had any problem..." It is a fine line (if you are worried about haters), but done right, with real information (not just dumbed down generalizations), is exactly one of the best uses of youtube. I love my mopar, but there are facts about "torsion air" that could be demonstrated by careful and considerate presenters such as yourself. Cheers!
If you want a modern handling car, buy a modern car.