When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Well it looks like it will take some work to make this go on, but it looks like it can be done. I'll have to shift what watt's link clamp over on the passenger side to get the mounts in far enough. The center bend is pretty good, but it looks like I'll need to space it down from the tube to clear throughout the travel. The part that sucks about that is the U bolts in the kit aren't big enough to even fit the supplied lock washer on a 12 bolt axle, so it looks like I'll need more parts to finish. At least some U bolts and material to make a some spacers. I wonder if Strano has a kit to do this adjustment. I have to look up if the links are normally inside, outside, or one in and one out.
Just enough room for the Strano mount on driver side which is great since I can't move the watt's clamp on this side.
This side needs more room and is the side I can adjust the watt's clamp. :-)
I unfortunately have another issue, that I fortunately found now. Two of the 3 little pan hard mount bolts that go into the frame are stripped out. I need to make sure the wrong bolts weren't supplied with my watt's and I didn't blindly ram them in causing the issue. So, if anyone knows what they are suppose to be, please let me know. Looks like the ones in the kit were 5/16"-18, so at least I might be able to make them metric during the fix.
[I]Pretty sure I'm gonna need to space the bar down to clear the axle through suspension travel.
Damn...those axle clamps are really damn wide. I have Fay's 2 and did not have any issues you face. Just needed to make longer u-bolts out of all-thread for my rear sway bar after needing to space down the sway bar bushings.
Looks like you may need to move the PS axle clamp up against the axle tube/pumpkin to allow the sway bar u bolt to be vertical and off the radius of the sway bar. But I also believe you need to ensure the propeller arms are equal in length AND parallel when the car is sitting at ride height.
The more equal the the better, but I don't think a 1/4 or 1/2" will be a big deal. I could fix it all by taking some material off of the driver side to slide further inward. Luckily it should fix with close to a 1/4". I have to loosen the clamps anyways to level at my new ride height.
Anyone know the bolt specs for the panhard bar bracket to frame?
I would get the rods closer than 1/4"....IMO a 1/16 or 1/8 is how I would do it because you are physically able to do this via a tape meaure. Hell I have a MM tape measure I break out 90% of the time.
I would get the rods closer than 1/4"....IMO a 1/16 or 1/8 is how I would do it because you are physically able to do this via a tape meaure. Hell I have a MM tape measure I break out 90% of the time.
The only way to get it closer is if I can trim the driver side clamp or find a different sway bar. The driver clamp is as far in as it can physically go. It's not a matter of me me doing more exact work.
Originally Posted by psychosid30
Your build is coming along great bud! Lot's of detail work. Wish mine was this close to being completed...
Thanks, man. I'm ready to drive it some soon, but I guess it won't be much longer unless every thing possible fights me hard.
Finally got a hit on my google search for the panhard bar bracket bolts and it said they are M10 x 1.5 x 25mm. I don't see how this could be as the ones I tried felt to big, but I guess I'll find out soon. I remembered how I got the bolts in there now. I got yellow zink bolts that matched what came out of it. I guess the previous owner screwed that up for me.
Cut the slot larger in the axle clamp for the vent and then the side of the clamp started hitting the welds (as I though it was already doing earlier). So I cut off the whole end of the clamp within reason. Put some primer on it before coming in so I can check where things lay next time out. I was wondering how to check if everything is even since there is no obvious center point on the back and it dawned on me to measure from the outside like the wheels or rotors since in the end those are the parts that needs to be placed correctly.
Also, I called BMR today and they said they have another customer with a Moser 12 bolt having issues similar to mine and they should have the prototyping done in about a week or two. I'll keep going just in case and see what they come up with later. I think the best way to do this is the have a pad on the clamps where the sway bar can mount.
It won't be the MOST exact but you can tape a string with some washers on it from the outside edge of the fender. Then measure from the rotor faces to the string. You should be able to get them equal within a couple of millimeters.
Can also put the wheels on and measure from the inside of the tire/wheel to the inner fender to also verify those measurements are about the same.
I've been using a building square on the studs to the fender and when I get 7/16" gap on both sides it's pretty close (this is how I did it the first time), but I was talking about aligning the axle clamps even by measuring out. I tried from the rotor, but found I like making both arms as short as possible, then making the axle square by moving the clamps. I'm within a 1/16" of an inch now and it's good enough to know I want a little more room.
I've got the driver side modified as far as I can go with the stock bolt locations, so I'm going to contact BMR for a new one with out the clamping holes and no powder coating. I'll then modify it to allow each side to come in at least an 1/8" more. This will be enough since I'm pretty sure it would work as I have it now. Since, I'm waiting on longer U bolts and the front sway bar. I might as well do a better job on things.
I also need to get one of Strano's new brake master brackets for firewall flex when the front sway bars get back in stock.
This works the same way. The clamps are for the large axle and comes with smaller pieces to adapt to the stock axle. To be honest this looks like an upgraded in strength copy of the Fays2, so along with the more strength the axle clamps are 6 bolts instead of 4. If I knew then what I know now, I would have ordered the Fays and been done. Now I have to make this work or spend more money. There are some things I like better about this one and things I like less (clamp size is a negative).
You had to align the clamps on the axle with that one also so everything is even and your car turns the same way in both directions.
So the mounting bolts are screwed up enough, but I'm going to tap them to M11 x 1.5mm and use LS Flywheel bolts.
Got to finish changing the clamp and get it powder coated. I ordered the longer U bolts and can work on spacers once they show up. I'm hoping about the same time the front sway bar will show up and I can get it aligned at the end of the month.
With the amount of issues you have had and that BMR is aware of the issues I would have returned it then went Fays2...sometimes I go with the "proven to work" setups/vendor selection lol
But keep chugging along, I'm sure you will get it worked out.
It's pretty normal when you change almost all the parts. I've had an issue of some sort with just about every brand at this point. How wide are the axle clamps for the Fays2 watts link?
Tapped the Pan Hard bar bracket bolts to M11 x 1.5 and they look like new, so that is a great way to fix M10 x 1.5 threads. Had to open up the holes on the watt's link with a carbide (had the sharp steel bits that come off) and got primer on the open metal. Would like to change the vertical bolts on the other side, but they are M12 with an M14 shoulder on them.
I also measured and if the Fays2 clamps are larger than 3" it would be just about impossible to mount on a Moser 12 bolt. There is only 1-3/8" between center and vent and 3" from vent to sway bar bracket to the outside. Then you get into the factory suspension brackets. Moser should put the vent on the other side where there is far more tube. If they put it on the inside of the passenger side it wouldn't likely get in the way of anything ever.
Fays2 clamps are 3" wide, just measured. Never heard of any issues in terms of them being too narrow which would justify a company to beef them up and make them wider.
My car after the install:
Looks like the BMR is easily TWICE as wide. They gusseted the clamps 90* from the way Fays2 did which required them to make the clamp wider...
You can see the "vertical gusset" in this pic.
Last edited by smitty2919; 03-23-2017 at 05:10 PM.
Then yes the Fays2 would be easier. I don't know about the need to beef it up, but I sure would like to see a video of a car running on track with wide sticky tires to see what is going on down there.
Can's see much from that view, but can tell the link bolt is flexing. Like to see it from above or the front to see how far the head of the bolt deflects. Not sure where the camera would have to be to see the axle tube clamp deflection better. Something I'll have to play with one day, but first finish car. Thanks for the vids.
No problem. It's tricky to get camera views without welding/modify thing things to get a camera mount. I didn't care enough to go nuts with camera mounting.
Only way to eliminate that is to shorted the bolt length which would be to move the pivot arm closer to the watts link frame or narrow the propeller arm (which then you are making your rod ends smaller).
BMR propeller arm design looks more sturdy since they have that brace plate in the front. Too bad the axle clamps are so damn big LOL
03-15-2017, 09:44 PM
