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Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,190
Likes: 2
From: Riverside, So Cal
Snake -
The link below is to the website of one of our Gurus here, John Niolon. He has installed both style front ends on his 53, which has a 460 in it. Sounds right up your alley. His articles are an easy and instructional read, so you'll get a very good idea of the difficulty involved in the project.
It would be of interest to us to know why you want to change from the Volare to an MII.
http://www.clubfte.com/users/jniolon/
The link below is to the website of one of our Gurus here, John Niolon. He has installed both style front ends on his 53, which has a 460 in it. Sounds right up your alley. His articles are an easy and instructional read, so you'll get a very good idea of the difficulty involved in the project.
It would be of interest to us to know why you want to change from the Volare to an MII.
http://www.clubfte.com/users/jniolon/
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
From: jersey shore
Thanks for your reply. I am thinking of change because front end feels extremely soft. I have to admit I have a 03 Cobra as daily driver and like the firmness. Could there be a method to beef up front end without change?
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 8,813
Likes: 13
From: Littleton, New Hampshire
Originally Posted by 03Snake
Could there be a method to beef up front end without change?
Vern
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,328
Likes: 124
From: Iowa
These shocks made a VERY big difference on my 53.
KYB P/N KG4528 I believe they are the "Gas Adjust" line. About $30 each. Summit, among others carry them. Do not substitute the GR2 line from KYB. The GRs are softly valved like the standard Monroe and Gabriel lines.
Koni no doubt offers an adjustable shock, if you want to pay the price. I had every intention of upgrading to a 1 1/4 sway bar, but the shocks cured me so I didn't have to once I installed the firmer valved shocks.
You can try adjusting the torsion bars up for more firmness. Whether that will in fact firm up the ride has been debated ad nauseum here. It seems to help, but nobody has offered up a sound explanation of why. Trust me we tried.
KYB P/N KG4528 I believe they are the "Gas Adjust" line. About $30 each. Summit, among others carry them. Do not substitute the GR2 line from KYB. The GRs are softly valved like the standard Monroe and Gabriel lines.
Koni no doubt offers an adjustable shock, if you want to pay the price. I had every intention of upgrading to a 1 1/4 sway bar, but the shocks cured me so I didn't have to once I installed the firmer valved shocks.
You can try adjusting the torsion bars up for more firmness. Whether that will in fact firm up the ride has been debated ad nauseum here. It seems to help, but nobody has offered up a sound explanation of why. Trust me we tried.
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 426
Likes: 0
From: Queanbeyan Australia
Larger diameter torsion bars is really the only way to firm up a torsion bar front end.
Aftermarket "fat bars" are available for most MoPar products....maybe including the ones you guys draft with
Aftermarket "fat bars" are available for most MoPar products....maybe including the ones you guys draft with
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Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
I think you are going to be hard pressed to get it to handle like the cobra or the lighting but I would suggest changing the shocks like fenders said. You may want to install dropped spindles then you can tighten the bars a bit and still keep it in the weeds or like mine it just gets lower.
I have installed the shocks this winter hopfully that will be the answer and I am going to replace my modified lower arms with stock arms and dropped spindles.
Chuck
I have installed the shocks this winter hopfully that will be the answer and I am going to replace my modified lower arms with stock arms and dropped spindles.
Chuck
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,489
Likes: 5
From: Valley Center, CA
'fenders is right. We did go through this very thoroughly about a year ago. My volare IFS feels stiff and I have it raised much higher than most. I would suggest following the cheapest course of action:
1. Do you want the front end higher? Try adjusting it and see if it helps. Once you find a height/stiffness scenario that you are happy with, take it to an alignment shop.
2. If raising the front end isn't effective or desirable, then spend some money on the new shocks as suggested above.
3. If that doesn't do the trick, maybe spending money on a beefier anti-sway bar would be the ticket.
Good luck, and come back with your solution. Jag
1. Do you want the front end higher? Try adjusting it and see if it helps. Once you find a height/stiffness scenario that you are happy with, take it to an alignment shop.
2. If raising the front end isn't effective or desirable, then spend some money on the new shocks as suggested above.
3. If that doesn't do the trick, maybe spending money on a beefier anti-sway bar would be the ticket.
Good luck, and come back with your solution. Jag
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
First you must isolate the source of your complaint. Is it that the truck "floats" too much over undulations in the road while going straight? Is it the body rolls too much when turning or changing lanes? Does the suspension bottom out when hitting a good bump, i.e. railroad tracks? Is it a feeling of not responding quick enough or feels "numb" to steering inputs?
First thing I'd check: is the lower control arm parallel to the ground at rest?
Are the tires bias ply or radial, do they have enough air in them?
First thing I'd check: is the lower control arm parallel to the ground at rest?
Are the tires bias ply or radial, do they have enough air in them?
Last edited by AXracer; Jan 20, 2006 at 12:07 PM.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,328
Likes: 124
From: Iowa
Originally Posted by AXracer
First you must isolate the source of your complaint. Is it that the truck "floats" too much over undulations in the road while going straight? Is it the body rolls too much when turning or changing lanes? Does the suspension bottom out when hitting a good bump, i.e. railroad tracks? Is it a feeling of not responding quick enough or feels "numb" to steering inputs?
First thing I'd check: is the lower control arm parallel to the ground at rest?
Are the tires bias ply or radial, do they have enough air in them?
First thing I'd check: is the lower control arm parallel to the ground at rest?
Are the tires bias ply or radial, do they have enough air in them?
Does it feel like your front bumper is going to grind asphalt when you hit the brakes firmly, even when driving slow?
We went round and round about the 14 things that could cause my all around mushiness. The dive was the giveaway that it was mostly a shock problem. My shocks may not have been 100% of the problem, but they were 100% of the cure. I've been changing out shocks with OEM quality stuff my entire life, and the results were always underwhelming. I was amazed what a decent shock can do. And that's all the KYBs I mentioned are. Just a decent shock. Not even close to an expensive and truly HP shock. I can only imagine what neat things a suspension tuner can accomplish with some adjustable Konis, on a suspension that's perhaps not otherwise perfect.
Regarding Merc546's comment that you aren't going to have a Cobra when you're done: He's surely correct, but there is no reason it won't stay flat in the curves, and ride smooth and straight done the road. Only disclaimer I might add is a BB-Auto combo. That might be pushing the capabilities of a Volare to the edge?
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
Originally Posted by fatfenders
Add one more symptom Chuck's list.
Does it feel like your front bumper is going to grind asphalt when you hit the brakes firmly, even when driving slow?
We went round and round about the 14 things that could cause my all around mushiness. The dive was the giveaway that it was mostly a shock problem. My shocks may not have been 100% of the problem, but they were 100% of the cure. I've been changing out shocks with OEM quality stuff my entire life, and the results were always underwhelming. I was amazed what a decent shock can do. And that's all the KYBs I mentioned are. Just a decent shock. Not even close to an expensive and truly HP shock. I can only imagine what neat things a suspension tuner can accomplish with some adjustable Konis, on a suspension that's perhaps not otherwise perfect.
Does it feel like your front bumper is going to grind asphalt when you hit the brakes firmly, even when driving slow?
We went round and round about the 14 things that could cause my all around mushiness. The dive was the giveaway that it was mostly a shock problem. My shocks may not have been 100% of the problem, but they were 100% of the cure. I've been changing out shocks with OEM quality stuff my entire life, and the results were always underwhelming. I was amazed what a decent shock can do. And that's all the KYBs I mentioned are. Just a decent shock. Not even close to an expensive and truly HP shock. I can only imagine what neat things a suspension tuner can accomplish with some adjustable Konis, on a suspension that's perhaps not otherwise perfect.
Last edited by AXracer; Jan 20, 2006 at 04:00 PM.
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
From: jersey shore
AXRacer- air is fine/radial tires. It tends to float as you mentioned and sway in the turns. I've always had good luck with QA 1 adjustable shocks. Will try them and sway bar adjustment. Front bumper is about 4'' off the ground right now so it most likely help a little.