Winter Project - Rear End Conversion

To Do List:

Finish up the upper shock mount and install shocks/springs....DONE
Install brakes.....DONE
Rework brake lines from front wheel well all the way back.....DONE
Relocate fuel pump and rework fuel lines......Done
Rework water lines for IC.....DONE
Paint and undercoating welded areas....Done
Rework exhaust.....Done
A little fabricating in wheel wells where tire clearance is tight.....Done
Rework trans cross member with new poly mount.....Done
Rework driveshaft loop......done

I finished up the exhaust this weekend 3" stainless with x-pipe and 12" Borla mufflers. I took a minimalistic approach to the exhaust and expected it to really sound like azz but on the short drive around down it didn't sound to terrible (crappy pic and poor camera angle).

20140517_185931_rsz.jpg

Started the car for the first time since last October and took it for a short drive in the neighborhood on slicks and skinnies. Drove ok, seemed to track straight, new breaks worked, no horrible noises or vibrations at low speed. Only thing I have to say is I need to really man up on the wheel at low speed with manual steering and no differential.

Lots of tuning, testing and adjusting in my future.
 
Wow Brian, that's awesome. Bet it feels great to feel the car move on it's own power again. That will look cool sticking out the hood too!
 
It's always great to turn the key for the first time after a big project and have it start right up.

Looking at the pic of the exhaust it almost looks like a TBU stick man.
 
It's always great to turn the key for the first time after a big project and have it start right up.

Looking at the pic of the exhaust it almost looks like a TBU stick man.

Can't wait to see it go and this year I might actually have that chance! Kids are settled in Worcester and I am led to believe that is on the way to NH ;)
Now, I only have to convince grandma to visit her grandson some time and let me take them with us to the track! :rolleyes: lol

Ira
 
Can't wait to see it go and this year I might actually have that chance! Kids are settled in Worcester and I am led to believe that is on the way to NH ;)
Now, I only have to convince grandma to visit her grandson some time and let me take them with us to the track! :rolleyes: lol

Ira

Now you're talking.....I drive right through Worcester going to New England Dragway
 
I packed up and took the car to a street night last night to beat on the new rear end and ladder bars.

I made 5 passes mostly just to make sure everything was working OK building up from a foot break pull through 1st and second to an attempt at a trans brake launch full pass.

Car went straight everywhere, brakes worked fine everything felt stable even at the top end. I hit it off the trans brake a couple of times, everything seemed ok.

I crawled under the car a couple of times to make certain everything looked OK and it did.

The only bad thing was the track was garbage and it wouldn't hook even just rolling off the foot brake so I didn't get to really load everything at the line best 60' was 1.60 spinning through 1st gear.

Anyhow it seems like everything is working and safe, now to get some seat time and get it all dialed in.
 
I now have about 10 passes down the track on the rear end. I spend yesterday afternoon crawling under the car and carefully inspecting every weld, nut and bolt. Everything seems to be holding up perfectly. The only thing I noticed was that the Heim joints at the front of the ladder bars now have a tiny bit of play in the ball/socket.

Not sure if that is normal, the play is pretty minimal but they are not super tight like they were originally.

I haven't be hitting it super hard on launches yet but best 60' is 1.45, I've been launching of the trans brake at about 4100 rpm which is maybe 500rpm from where I expect to be when I'm all out and the tune up in the car has been conservative but I now feel safe to go at it 100%.
 
The only thing I noticed was that the Heim joints at the front of the ladder bars now have a tiny bit of play in the ball/socket.

If possible I would contact the joint manufacturer to find out the tolerance allowed. If possible I would also measure the various size of the the joint with an eye toward future measurement comparisons to see if the joint is growing in any particularly direction. This would help identifying if the size of the joint is too small or the wrong type for the application.

Are those teflon lubricated joints?
 
I would also check to see if they're teflon joints or not. Usually the kits do not come with the greatest joints. Aurora joints are about the best quality you can get.

I was thinking about your car and the 60 foot. You have plenty of power to be in the mid-1.3x's. The converter has the largest impact at the starting line. It sounds like yours needs loosened up. What does it flash to and what's your gearing? Also, do you have a dyno chart handy?
 
The joints are two piece (no Teflon) and were supplied with my QuarterMax ladder bars. I contacted them and they pointed me to Aurora the maker of the joint. QuarterMax did say that the joints loosen up a little bit but didn't want to comment on a spec of any kind, no word back from Aurora yet.
 
The joints are two piece (no Teflon) and were supplied with my QuarterMax ladder bars. I contacted them and they pointed me to Aurora the maker of the joint. QuarterMax did say that the joints loosen up a little bit but didn't want to comment on a spec of any kind, no word back from Aurora yet.

In general such joints should not have much if any tolerance for gap in the major motion directions. I assume they are steel joints, and not aluminum. I also assume they have grease zerks and have been greased?

Heim joints are essentially wear joints and will wear over time. Quick searches indicate that it isn't unusual to have to replace a couple heim joints each season.

Aurora has a catalog with dimensions for their joints, not the misalignment restrictions.
http://www.aurorabearing.com/pdf/aurora-bearing-610-catalog.pdf
 
Thanks for the info.....the joints are steel and do not have grease fittings. No word back from Aurora yet and no real info in the catalog other than manufacturing tolerances.

We'll see I guess


In general such joints should not have much if any tolerance for gap in the major motion directions. I assume they are steel joints, and not aluminum. I also assume they have grease zerks and have been greased?

Heim joints are essentially wear joints and will wear over time. Quick searches indicate that it isn't unusual to have to replace a couple heim joints each season.

Aurora has a catalog with dimensions for their joints, not the misalignment restrictions.
http://www.aurorabearing.com/pdf/aurora-bearing-610-catalog.pdf
 
After playing around some more I discovered that the jamb nuts on the shafts of the joints were not tight. I tightened them up and virtually all of the play is gone. I'm not sure if they were not tight during assembly or if they worked loose, I'll need to keep an eye on them. They are a ~~~~ to check and tighten since there is a safety loop around the joint but until I know exactly what's going on I'm going to need to check them frequently I guess.
 
The big thing I notice is no wiggle at the top end....it seems very stable. I've got a couple of passes at 12 psi so I've had the tires pretty soft.

I dont know if it still pulls the tires....no good video from outside the car but it's been launched hard 4 or 5 times. It doesn't squat the way it used to....I know that.
 
What length ladder bars did you use? From what I read a 36" bar should work best for our cars but I don't know lol.
 
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