'72 Duster "AERO DUSTER"

[Bjkadron]

Those kind of projects make you feel alot better about the car!

Yes, I drove it for the first time in a while today to check the brakes. I forgot how much I love driving it! I can hardly wait until I get the new suspension installed. and a fresh engine would be a nice update as well.

[Bjkadron]

Today I got what is pretty much the last remaining hardware for my front suspension. I now have to make a T-coupler and I will be ready to install my front suspension! Here are some pictures from my mock-up. Obviously the bolts would be a little tighter on the finished product.





in this picture you can see where the T I am making will go.



Thanks again for looking!

[dusterbd13]

what did you use for the taprersd joint in the rear?

[Bjkadron]

what did you use for the tapered joint in the rear?

On the control arm? that will be a modified grade 8 bolt.

[zero g]

Thanks, I have to fab a couple more pieces and get some more bolts, then it should start to look like something.



Well I have all the brackets, but they are for a camaro. So I will be making new ones.



Not quite. It is a powerdyne. They actually make ford racing's superchargers as well as their own. And actually you are really close to my plans for it. I have a smog 360 with some nice J-heads, but I'm looking at a couple 318's too because I wanted to stroke the 360 for my other car. I can't afford the cam right now and the intake will be whatever I can come up with. I already worked out a deal for most of the stuff I'll need for the EFI and I was thinking megasquirt or a hacked mustang ECM( that is why I got a laptop instead of a desktop, so I could tune on the fly). I'm switching to a 4spd overdrive (though I have a five speed from a Dakota sport R/T that I will use if I can find a T-56 for my other one) and the "other" rear-end I am trying to get is an 8.8.

That is almost scary that we think so much alike. Bullet wheels and all.

So, a ford 8.8 will fit a duster? What mods are necessary other that moving the spring perches, assuming it comes from a leaf spring rear?

[dusterbd13]

really depds on wheel choice. check out forabodiesonly.com theyve got a few threads about it over there.

[Bjkadron]

So, a ford 8.8 will fit a duster? What mods are necessary other that moving the spring perches, assuming it comes from a leaf spring rear?

really depds on wheel choice. check out forabodiesonly.com theyve got a few threads about it over there.

Like Michael Said, FABO has several threads on it. I couldn't tell you exactly because I haven't done it yet

[Bjkadron]

As I showed you before, I am making adjustable strut rods for my Duster.

Here is one partially done (I ran out of time) with the bolt going through it so you can see how it will work.



And here is a screenshot of my 3d Model of the whole assembly.



Thanks again for looking!

[chunger]

Why the fine threaded bolt? Or is that just a mock up?

[ronald55555]

Nice build. I have a 70' Dart and I am in the same stage as your are. I made a set of strut rods similar to yours in the summer. Pics here:
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/...=101622&page=2

Word of advice, for the clevis that mounts the rodend to the k-member, save yourself the trouble and just order them from Hotchkis, they sell them for dirt cheap. Good call on using rodends on the lca side. The axis of the lca strut rod mount thru hole is not always coincident with the k-member side pivot, and it will bind if you only use rodend on one side (ie hotchkis). The stock one can get away with it only because they use a compliance bushing on the front. I can confirm this, since when i tested mine, the lca side rodend does in fact move slightly, especially near full compression.

[Bjkadron]

Why the fine threaded bolt? Or is that just a mock up?

I went with the fine threaded bolt because it is the same thread as the rod-ends I am using. I I don't like mixing thread counts in sub-assemblies. As that is a recipe for disasters when changing stuff. I could have used either.

Nice build. I have a 70' Dart and I am in the same stage as your are. I made a set of strut rods similar to yours in the summer. Pics here:
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/...=101622&page=2

Word of advice, for the clevis that mounts the rodend to the k-member, save yourself the trouble and just order them from Hotchkis, they sell them for dirt cheap. Good call on using rodends on the lca side. The axis of the lca strut rod mount thru hole is not always coincident with the k-member side pivot, and it will bind if you only use rodend on one side (ie hotchkis). The stock one can get away with it only because they use a compliance bushing on the front. I can confirm this, since when i tested mine, the lca side rodend does in fact move slightly, especially near full compression.

Very nice work!

As for the rod-ends on both sides, I hadn't planned to do that. But I noticed the misalignment issues you mentioned when I was doing the mock-up (See previous pictures). This is a fairly big concern for me because of how hard I will be pushing it and the lower spring rates I wanted to use. I am not sure what I am going to do about it yet. I might have to flip my current design and do something different on the k-frame end. I have some poly bushings that I got in a kit that I could use to give me a bit of room for error. But I would rather not have to use them. I think I will be switching to rod-ends on both ends as in the drawing above. But I may have to get a new rod as this one may be to long. I'll be sure to post more when I figure it out.

Also, Welcome to the forum! Lots of great stuff on here!

[Bryce]

Looks like you found the rodend CAD files! Nice work.

[Bjkadron]

Looks like you found the rodend CAD files! Nice work.

Yes, I did! Thanks for the tip!!!

Thanks! It took me a while to remember how to mate the parts cause it has been a while! But I'm almost ready to start on the whole Suspension now. If I just had solidworks at home!

[Bjkadron]

If their is one thing that you can be sure of in life, it is that things are going to change. While that statement is somewhat Philosophical for a automotive update thread, it does apply to car builds. Plans change. My plans for my Project(s) have slowly evolved as I have worked on my cars and gathered parts (beggars cant be choosers) so I decided to basically re-introduce my projects so you all would be on the same page as I am.

Project one: Named "Aero Duster". Tube frame race-car. Right now stalled because of the sheer cubic volume of Money required to build an all out unlimited racecar. But basically no holds barred.


Project two: My Show car, Currently has not name. I will be using the Green Body shell that I started the thread about for this one. Full interior, Street car with the suspension that Is now being designed (A-arm with t-bars, Three link w/ watts) and a street-able engine.

Project three: My "Daily Duster" Has been freed from the limitations of being a daily driver so I can go a little bit crazier with it. Almost stock looking body with race-ready/stock style (Bolt on parts and leaf springs on the rear) suspension, a Centrifugal Supercharged small block with a 4-speed and a 8.8 rear-end. Four wheel discs with Viper brakes on the front. Stock looking interior even with the bench seat if I can figure out how to stay in it through the corners. Very sleeper car. Main goal is to have a bulletproof driver that I can flog anytime, anywhere without worry.

So now you are up to speed with the plans, time for more updates! Thanks again for following my progress!

[Bjkadron]

I am sure you have all been breathlessly waiting for this post, So I will get to it without much fanfare. Some of the videos from my Aero testing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s4PXoZfQZM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRAkF72KH9s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI7dzRtbg78

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok-z566QAw4


Thanks again for looking!

[dusterbd13]

I am sure you have all been breathlessly waiting for this post, So I will get to it without much fanfare. Some of the videos from my Aero testing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s4PXoZfQZM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRAkF72KH9s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI7dzRtbg78

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok-z566QAw4


Thanks again for looking!

lots of code. got a link?

[Poorhousenext]

Looks like you need to try a small Lip spoiler on the deck lid to try break the air off the rear.

[Bjkadron]

lots of code. got a link?

Yep, Sorry about that. I was fixing it as fast as I could.

Looks like you need to try a small Lip spoiler on the deck lid to try break the air off the rear.

Yes, I have a bunch of stuff to do to it, I just wanted a baseline to see where I was working from.

[Bjkadron]

Quick update: My Duster is currently serving as my Daily driver again. Because I hit a rather large deer with my VW.

[dusterbd13]

deer suck.

but its always nice when you have a backup.

and dusters arent too bad to daily, even with a car seat. i had to do mine a couple of months ago. only car that would fit three that we had running.


it also reminds you of the things you want to change and upgrade, as well as deficiencies to design out.



Michael -