'59 Plymouth Forum

So, looked around and found a few tid bits here and there, but other basic questions. So, i've noticed that they don't make much in the way of upgraded parts for performance handing. Which isn't too bad, i am not wanting to make a road course car haha, but i would like to find ways to make the handling better.

But, as i try to figure out what i want to do. What are the benefits of the torsion bar suspension? I read some excerpts that back in the day, it had excellent handing. So, what about by today's standards? Is it still really good, or are there any other options?

Sway bars? Bigger, better stronger?

Again, just kicking around ideas still in the very early stages of seeing what i want t do. As usual thanks for all the useful info

Many of today's cars use that method. Works well. Sometimes A little creaky noise at times. Mark

One major upgrade is replacing the rear shocks.
Get the shocks with helper springs on them.

Helps the whole car handle better

I went with air shocks in the rear and have had no problems. I can add A little air if we go to A show (cooler,chairs friends in the back seat etc.) and remove air to get back to normal.Very little air is needed and it still rides great.As Matt said helpers works well too.As far as the front I left it stock I don't think much can be changed with that,still rides great. Mark

On the front you can put a sway bar on from another 59 mopar.

The rear makes so much difference though!

So I have been wondering this same thing, how to improve handling. I did a lot of parts book research and found out the all 59 Plymouth's with factory V8 came with "HD" torsion bars. The flat head six's came with standard bars. I have also been searching high and low for a factory front sway bar set up which were standard only on wagons but occasionally were on other models.

In my hunt I have found a possible solution! http://www.firmfeel.com/c_body_mopar_torsion_bars.html Firmfeel who is most noted for their 60's MoPar muscle car up grade parts advertises custom length torsion bars in a number of heavy duty diameters, which I think would work for our cars. If the hex ends are the same. I have been told they can also make custom sway bars to fit as well. Might be worth giving them a call and see what they can do. I would like to call but I'm not home to take measurements off my car so I am not sure if the Hex ends of the T-bars are the same. If they are then should be easy to have them make up some custom length bars in a larger (HD) diameter.

One other upgrade I am looking at, is dropped spindles. Fury Jim has a really good photo album on his Facebook showing that spindles from later transverse T-bar cars ( F,M,J body cars) 76-late 80's Aspens, Cordoba's and 5th Avenues will work to put disk brakes on a 59 Plymouth. I pulled a set off a 76 aspen in the junk yard last time I was home but never had time to fit them up to compare with the original's.

http://www.magnumforce.com/magnumstore/ ... x?itemid=5 offers dropped spindles that I "think" would work. and give your some options for modern performance disk brakes. Let me know if any one else has tried these.

Always enjoy posting questions as i tend to get a lot of good responses. I did think about dropped axles as well, just not sure how it would look. I am not looking to really lower it too much. Hard to picture it unless someone has some pics of one dropped a couple inches?

So there are a couple ways to improve handling, but noting too drastic it seems?

for a little drop you would probably be ok just using the torsion bars to adjust height, as long as its not drastic (1 inch maybe 1.5) before it really affects the spring rate. This red 59 was listed for sale few months back (with a blown trans if i remember correct) any way it looks low in the front to me or maybe the rear is high, not sure but just looks like it has a forward lean stance to give you an idea. Just keep in mind that front valance is already only a few inches off the concrete at stock height, part of the reason its imposible to find one that is not mangled all to hell :/ of course then there is always the other way to go hahah strait axle and sky high hahah .

I can't say I'm crazy about the chrome hub caps, Will. But, how the wheel paint matches the body, well...

...that's a real eye-catcher!

The caps look like repro 57 Dodge 4 bar lancer caps (one of my favorite hub cap designs) so I kinda dig them.

Dan....those wheels!!! Blasphemy!!!! Are your trying to start a fight! I will have you know Sir that this is a good clean forum, we will have none of this dirty "painted wheel" talk here!