bodydropped72
New Member
found a really nice 67 newport im buying and interested in putting it on airbags. ive search this site and didnt come up with much. who has done one of these TIA
new to forum and chrsylers. need some info
- Thread starter bodydropped72
- Start date
Possibly ONE reason you didn't come up with much is that torsion bar/rear leaf spring suspension vehicles take LOTS of changes to install air bags. Much more than a coil-spring GM or Ford vehicle might. With the Brand X and Y, you are basically replacing the coil springs with air bags, not so on these cars. It can be done, including a relatively-easy way to put a control-arm rear suspension on them, as I recall from a post on such (probably on an older version of this website or another one).
Another issue with bagging a C-body is the rear body length between the rear axle and rear bumper. That can lead to lots of "tail dragging" of the rear bumper and tail pipe(s). Which means learning how to drive across drieway entrances and aprons for best results, which can also mean putting the unit body into diagonal torsion modes, which are not good for ANY type of body construction from my experiences with 3/4 ton box trucks.
Personally, the biggest "sin" to me of doign away with the torsion bar/leaf spring factory suspension is just how it feels (not worrying about how it might look to others) driving it on the open road. Until you have spent hours behind the wheel, learning how nice and precise the controls feel, how the engine responds to minimal throttle input, and how the suspension acts with HD shocks in how it corners at "faster speeds", you can't really appreciate how good these cars are, when compared to the "blah"-feeling similar Ford and GM cars can be.
I came to realize these things as I grew up with our '66 Newport Town Sedan (which I still have), which my parents bought when it had 7100 miles on it. Then spending 4-hour stretches of time in it going back and forth to college, once a month. Learning the little things about what made Chryslers the great road cars they were designed to be in the process.
Another side issue is that adding your proposed suspension will probably NOT increase the value of the car, going the other way, instead. It might be "a rolling piece of art" nobody else wants.
Why not seek out a '67-'68 Buick LeSabre Wildcat 4-dr hardtop instead? Nicer exterior styling and easier to "bag", too. Less rear sheet metal length past the rear axle, too.
Regards,
CBODY67
Another issue with bagging a C-body is the rear body length between the rear axle and rear bumper. That can lead to lots of "tail dragging" of the rear bumper and tail pipe(s). Which means learning how to drive across drieway entrances and aprons for best results, which can also mean putting the unit body into diagonal torsion modes, which are not good for ANY type of body construction from my experiences with 3/4 ton box trucks.
Personally, the biggest "sin" to me of doign away with the torsion bar/leaf spring factory suspension is just how it feels (not worrying about how it might look to others) driving it on the open road. Until you have spent hours behind the wheel, learning how nice and precise the controls feel, how the engine responds to minimal throttle input, and how the suspension acts with HD shocks in how it corners at "faster speeds", you can't really appreciate how good these cars are, when compared to the "blah"-feeling similar Ford and GM cars can be.
I came to realize these things as I grew up with our '66 Newport Town Sedan (which I still have), which my parents bought when it had 7100 miles on it. Then spending 4-hour stretches of time in it going back and forth to college, once a month. Learning the little things about what made Chryslers the great road cars they were designed to be in the process.
Another side issue is that adding your proposed suspension will probably NOT increase the value of the car, going the other way, instead. It might be "a rolling piece of art" nobody else wants.
Why not seek out a '67-'68 Buick LeSabre Wildcat 4-dr hardtop instead? Nicer exterior styling and easier to "bag", too. Less rear sheet metal length past the rear axle, too.
Regards,
CBODY67
bodydropped72
New Member
I’ve done plenty of fab work. Hydraulics/airbags etc. I’m aware of the difference I was just looking for some ideas. Looking at the car space is limited to the “normal” bag placement you’d typically see. I saw somewhere how someone placed the bag on upper control arm which I’m not really keen on doing. I may come up with something out of the norm.
Just Carbs
Well-Known Member
The C body flat rear leaf spring setup rear axle steers to the left on left turns and to the right on right turns. The outside tire moves forward on the frame when the car leans to the outside in a hard turn. This prevents snap oversteer.
The front outside tire goes to aggressive negative camber in a hard turn, to reduce understeer.
Would a bag setup defeat that engineering?
These cars are a dream to drive. Would be nice if they road like a 1975 Towncar too.
The front outside tire goes to aggressive negative camber in a hard turn, to reduce understeer.
Would a bag setup defeat that engineering?
These cars are a dream to drive. Would be nice if they road like a 1975 Towncar too.
3C's & a D?
Senior Member
Yeah, not alot of people opt to do this mod. There was this guy, who appeared to be doing a well researched build. Never did find out how it turned out. Perhaps you could ask? I'm curious myself.
Anyone interested in bagging their 70 C body stub frame without removing the torsion bars or the whole stock front end?
Anyone interested in bagging their 70 C body stub frame without removing the torsion bars or the whole stock front end?
Biggredd2069
Active Member
I posted a long while back for same thing with my 68. Cost prohibitive for now for me unfortunately. Maybe if it was Chevy easy but sadly it's not.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
Bagging Mopar C-bodies is absolutely not worth the rediculous amount of effort and money that it will consume. Several have tried, all have failed.
300rag
It's Not Going to Shift Itself
Wasn't there one of our members in OZ that did a slab? Can't think of his handle though.
rags
Senior Member
'66 Monaco Resto-Mod really doesn't get much better than the work @Jack-Stand is doing.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
I remember maybe one that made it to completion but the car itself was never completed.
Also, now that I'm thinking about it, I believe a couple of Forward Look cars are floating around on the show circuit but I'm guessing they had tube frames.
3C's & a D?
Senior Member
I concur. I missed that thread, and just went through it. That man knows what he's doing! Thanks for bringing it to my, and others who may have missed it, attention.
3C's & a D?
Senior Member
I think you mean, "maybe if it was a Chevy easy, but luckily it's a Chrysler" ?
fury fan
Senior Member
One must truly admire taking out parts that were engineered by folks with a collective of 100s of years of suspension and steering experience/testing and throwing a bunch of different stuff in. Who the hell is that Ackerman guy anyway, and why did he think he was so special???
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