My "Official" Attempt At A Build Thread
I finally got my wheel spacers from Motorsport tech, took a little better than a month to get here, but they look really good.
I have the whole weekend off and I'm going to try to actually get a bunch of little projects finished up and then wait for my watts link. I'm buying a DD car next week so I won't be getting my a arms like I wanted to, but the car will pay for itself in a matter of weeks with gas prices the way they are and my current DD getting 12 mpg.
So hopefully I'll be able to get something finished up this weekend and get some new pics posted
I have the whole weekend off and I'm going to try to actually get a bunch of little projects finished up and then wait for my watts link. I'm buying a DD car next week so I won't be getting my a arms like I wanted to, but the car will pay for itself in a matter of weeks with gas prices the way they are and my current DD getting 12 mpg.
So hopefully I'll be able to get something finished up this weekend and get some new pics posted
The wife had to use the camera for her side job this weekend, but I did manage to get my bag mounts 50% done. I still have to weld in the top side and throw some paint on it. I had to cut alot more than I thought I would. But it won't ever be seen and its not hacked at all.
I had to weld up some traction bars for my buddies F250 this afternoon, then I helped my brother with his S10 a little bit and cleaned up the car I'm buying next week after I took it for a test drive. It looked like someone had a smoking contest and ashed everywhere inside the car except the ash tray LOL that was spotless.
Anyway, enough rambling. In a couple weeks I should have most of the suspension parts bought so I can get this thing back on the ground
I had to weld up some traction bars for my buddies F250 this afternoon, then I helped my brother with his S10 a little bit and cleaned up the car I'm buying next week after I took it for a test drive. It looked like someone had a smoking contest and ashed everywhere inside the car except the ash tray LOL that was spotless.
Anyway, enough rambling. In a couple weeks I should have most of the suspension parts bought so I can get this thing back on the ground
Just talked to MWC and it sounds like the watts will ship out the first of next week I need to stop at a local machine shop and get some 3/16" steel plate for the 4 link and the hardware store for some bar stock (cheaper there than the machine shop) for my seat brackets. I forgot to mention that I almost have the drivers seat bracket finished up.
Now I feel like I should have bought more parts for my car rather than another car haha, but 28 mpg is alot better than the 12 mpg that I currently get. And next week I'm going to order the a arms and the front sway bar, then I need the tires and new brakes for the front. After those parts I'll get the exhaust fabbed up and finally get to take it for a drive and start tuning the suspension.
Stay tuned for more soon
I need to stop at a local machine shop and get some 3/16" steel plate for the 4 link and the hardware store for some bar stock (cheaper there than the machine shop) for my seat brackets. I forgot to mention that I almost have the drivers seat bracket finished up. Now I feel like I should have bought more parts for my car rather than another car haha, but 28 mpg is alot better than the 12 mpg that I currently get. And next week I'm going to order the a arms and the front sway bar, then I need the tires and new brakes for the front. After those parts I'll get the exhaust fabbed up and finally get to take it for a drive and start tuning the suspension.
Stay tuned for more soon
I go some more good news today, checked my checking account and Summit took some money out. Went and checked my email and sure enough, my rear sway bar had shipped, checked the tracking # and it should be dropped off today 
Now I'm pumped, hopefully next week I will have everything to complete the rear suspension (except brake calipers) and should have the front a arms ordered.
I still need power steering hoses, front sway bar, bump steer kit, tires, and exhaust. There is a few more small things, but my list of parts to buy is getting really short. I don't think I will make my May 15th deadline, but I think I'll only be a couple weeks off.
Now hopefully the UPS man will be here before I have to leave for work
Now I'm pumped, hopefully next week I will have everything to complete the rear suspension (except brake calipers) and should have the front a arms ordered.I still need power steering hoses, front sway bar, bump steer kit, tires, and exhaust. There is a few more small things, but my list of parts to buy is getting really short. I don't think I will make my May 15th deadline, but I think I'll only be a couple weeks off.
Now hopefully the UPS man will be here before I have to leave for work
The front I need 1/4" spacers to clear the spindle with 11" rims with a 50mm offset. The wheels barely touched before I ground down the casting nub on the spindle, but I got the spacers for that "just in case" they don't clear. The rear I'm building a 94-98 Mustang spec rear axle, the axle comes in just under 2" narrower per side. I don't know how I feel about the spacers, but I did a ton of research and feel comfortable with my decision. Later on down the road I plan on some CCWs or Fiske wheels, but I just can't bring myself to drop that much on a set of wheels. And I have to drive on a gravel road every once in a while, and those little rocks are horrible on wheels.
Now I received my rear sway bar today and I guess I will say that I'm less than impressed. I'm missing 2 bolts, the end links look like they were threaded by a 2 year old. I threaded them together and the one threaded fine, but the other one went good until halfway through then felt like it was cross threading. Pulled it back apart and sure enough its messed up. Then on top of that the powdercoating is peeling off of the bar. WTF, suppose to be the best sway bar you can buy, but I just don't know. I'm thinking about shipping it back and getting the Hotchkis bars and dealing with them being a little too stiff and with their end links being pieces of crap.
But I guess I'll think it over during the weekend and see how I feel on Monday. So far I'm not sold on them
Now I received my rear sway bar today and I guess I will say that I'm less than impressed. I'm missing 2 bolts, the end links look like they were threaded by a 2 year old. I threaded them together and the one threaded fine, but the other one went good until halfway through then felt like it was cross threading. Pulled it back apart and sure enough its messed up. Then on top of that the powdercoating is peeling off of the bar. WTF, suppose to be the best sway bar you can buy, but I just don't know. I'm thinking about shipping it back and getting the Hotchkis bars and dealing with them being a little too stiff and with their end links being pieces of crap.
But I guess I'll think it over during the weekend and see how I feel on Monday. So far I'm not sold on them
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Verdad Gallardo This weekend I pressed in the wheel studs changed out the rear u joint, found out I got the wrong flange adapter for the 8.8, tried to find my ride height but ran into a handful of problems. My shocks don't seem long enough, my drop brackets from moser don't look like they drop the LCA enough, and I may have some clearance issues with the diff and the gas tank
But Friday I will be ordering the front a arms and then I can get that all back together.
But Friday I will be ordering the front a arms and then I can get that all back together.
And for the 4 link/watts/8.8 has been a pain in my *** so far, I have been questioning my decision about it for some time now, but I have decided that I have gone too far haha. Other than having to wait 4 months (so far) for my watts link to be built everything seems to be going well.
This weekend I'm taking the camera and I'll get some more pics posted up
The front I need 1/4" spacers to clear the spindle with 11" rims with a 50mm offset. The wheels barely touched before I ground down the casting nub on the spindle, but I got the spacers for that "just in case" they don't clear. The rear I'm building a 94-98 Mustang spec rear axle, the axle comes in just under 2" narrower per side. I don't know how I feel about the spacers, but I did a ton of research and feel comfortable with my decision.(
On the rear wheel adapters, I haven't seen the ones you got, but I want to stress the importance of the inner and outer parts both being hubcentric. That's what supports the majority of the weight and the wheel studs are just there to hold everything together. Without those hubs, the studs will be supporting the weight and they have been known to break resulting in the wheel seperating from the car. Other than that they should be super strong. Their only downside to me is weight, but with a solid rear axle it shouldn't be any big deal.
Looking at the pics, is that k-member low enough to protect your oil pan?
How is the watt's link going to connect to your axle? Usually they run a rear cover with a threaded stud in it, but your cover doesn't have that. Do you have a picture of what you plan to make? I'm really curious about it.
Lastly, why do you think your rear shocks are too short?
I gotcha.
On the rear wheel adapters, I haven't seen the ones you got, but I want to stress the importance of the inner and outer parts both being hubcentric. That's what supports the majority of the weight and the wheel studs are just there to hold everything together. Without those hubs, the studs will be supporting the weight and they have been known to break resulting in the wheel seperating from the car. Other than that they should be super strong. Their only downside to me is weight, but with a solid rear axle it shouldn't be any big deal.
Looking at the pics, is that k-member low enough to protect your oil pan?
How is the watt's link going to connect to your axle? Usually they run a rear cover with a threaded stud in it, but your cover doesn't have that. Do you have a picture of what you plan to make? I'm really curious about it.
Lastly, why do you think your rear shocks are too short?
On the rear wheel adapters, I haven't seen the ones you got, but I want to stress the importance of the inner and outer parts both being hubcentric. That's what supports the majority of the weight and the wheel studs are just there to hold everything together. Without those hubs, the studs will be supporting the weight and they have been known to break resulting in the wheel seperating from the car. Other than that they should be super strong. Their only downside to me is weight, but with a solid rear axle it shouldn't be any big deal.
Looking at the pics, is that k-member low enough to protect your oil pan?
How is the watt's link going to connect to your axle? Usually they run a rear cover with a threaded stud in it, but your cover doesn't have that. Do you have a picture of what you plan to make? I'm really curious about it.
Lastly, why do you think your rear shocks are too short?
The oil pan is a touch lower than the k member. I don't really care for that all too much so I think I may fab up a "skid plate" to direct anything away from the bottom of the oil pan.
I ordered a watts from MWC and the propeller mounts to the car and the bars attach to the axle with clamp on mounts, but I think I might be getting weld on stands for the bars now, which is what I wanted in the first place (long story)
And as far as the shocks, I don't know whats going on. I think I may have the axle too high or I was just not thinking right. I'm going to look into this more this weekend after I got an axle measurement from 99Bluz28 for a start with my ride height. I'm going to try to get the rear wheel well about 26 1/2" at the apex and the front to match, but that should be alot easier than the rear.
I ordered some lower a arms today, I couldn't afford to get uppers and lowers this week
I hate it when life happens. I spent more on my work beater than I expected to and had to recover from that. But I should have the watts next week from the sounds of it and will get some pics posted when it gets here What are you using for bumpstops?
Oh yeah, your doing a 4 link, right? Where are you running the upper arms?
Last edited by JasonWW; May 6, 2011 at 04:42 AM.
Rear bumpstops are going to be ground controls that mount on the shock. I'll also be adding limiting straps so when the car is on the lift the shocks aren't what holds the axle in place.
Now the 4 link is still being worked out. I have some 3/16" steel plate and a bunch of brackets from ballastic fab as well as the Auroa heims. The upper bars will end up being ~6" center to center and the lower arms are ~19" so it won't be the perfect setup, but only having a few inches of suspension travel will help me out there. The upper brackets for the axle will have 2 mounting holes so I can change the amount of antisquat. But my plan is to get the upper and lower bars to sit level at ride height. That way the rear end doesn't want to lift or squat, then I can adjust from there. My lower mounts have 5 holes so I have plenty of adjustment there, I just hope I can get enough out of the top bars.
I have been messing around with a couple 4 link calculators but I don't know my cars exact weight or center of gravity. I just hope I can make the 4 link work, I have wanted to do this for such a long time. I know the TA is better for handling but I still like the way a mustang rear suspension works vs the f-body. But thats just my .02
I'll be sure to take the camera with me this weekend and get some pics of how everything is coming together. Hopefully sometime in June I will be able to get back behind the wheel
Fingers crossed the watts should ship the early part of next week. The main bar is welded and powdercoated, propeller is made, bars done, and the stands for the bars will now be weld on My front lower chromoly a arms are ordered, next week I want to order the upper a arms and 2 tires, but I don't know if I can swing it. But the last week of May I should kill 95% of the parts I need to finish this damn project.
So sometime in the first few weeks of June I should have it aligned and ready to go carve some corners. I just hope my exhaust setup won't be TOO loud, I want it mellow but aggressive, loud but not so loud I get pulled over everyday. I guess I can always change them out if I don't like them
Ok enough rambling, I'll get some new pics tomorrow
My front lower chromoly a arms are ordered, next week I want to order the upper a arms and 2 tires, but I don't know if I can swing it. But the last week of May I should kill 95% of the parts I need to finish this damn project.So sometime in the first few weeks of June I should have it aligned and ready to go carve some corners. I just hope my exhaust setup won't be TOO loud, I want it mellow but aggressive, loud but not so loud I get pulled over everyday. I guess I can always change them out if I don't like them
Ok enough rambling, I'll get some new pics tomorrow
Limiting straps? The shocks are supposed to limit the axle. They are made to do that.
Maybe your overthinking that part?
Make sure you get long bumpstops. The 55mm Koni's are what I use (cost about $12ea). Just make sure the shocks can never be over compressed. Use packers if you need to. Here's the bumpstops Koni offers:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...umpRubbers.jpg
Limiting straps? The shocks are supposed to limit the axle. They are made to do that.
Maybe your overthinking that part?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...umpRubbers.jpg
Limiting straps? The shocks are supposed to limit the axle. They are made to do that.
Maybe your overthinking that part?
I know the shocks are "suppose" to hole the axle in place, but you should have seen the bushings on my old shocks. The rubber was all mushed over and the washer cut one side almost in half. Do I need them, probably not but I may add some to make me feel a little bit better.
