Technical Front Suspension/Steering Questions

Thanks

 

Honestly I have no idea, I have tried to read up on getting the angle measured. All that I read seems to indicate it's really easy to do it wrong and get a inaccurate degree reading.

 

Yesterday was the first time I took it for a drive with that new spring in it. Even with the issues and concerns about the rest of the set up, it drove 1000 times better than the old spring. I do agree it is close to the frame, however I did not feel it bottoming out. I am going to put back the two leaves I removed, hoping it will restore some of the arch and provide a little more clearance there.

 

They are, I only adjusted the one, kinda a trial and error deal. Wasn't sure if I needed to adjust there or push the spring back the inch or so to make it align with the perches.

D

 

I will do a search to look at diffrent shock orientations. Parrallle to the King pin left to right or up and down? It looks like the shock mount in the picture mounts to the frame behind the spring and the shock mount nut goes on from the front. Mine mounts in front of the spring with the mount boss facing the rear of the car. I think my shock sits roughly in the same location front to back as your picture shows, could be wrong. Should the lower shock mounts be splayed out outwards like mine are or should they be straight up and down or at least more straight up and down then they are currently. If so, are my lower mounts on the wrong sides. If I reversed them it would bring the lower shock mount inboard.

 

Aside from everything you have answered and discussed. When I take the frontvspring out and add the two leaves back, what is the best way to re install. As already stated, don't the spring to the axel and then up to the frame. Or considering the alignment issue I had with the bone length should I disconnect the bones at the rear mount, install the spring to the axel, mount to the frame and then connect the bones to the rear mount, deal with the length as needed. I just want to get this part done correct so that I am not making the additional fixes off of an initial setup done wrong.

Thank You all for taking the time to help.
D

 

Spring to axle with wishbones undone at rear. Spring/axle assembly up into crossmember, and install clamps. Then let a little weight on the axle to see how it squats, and adjust the wishbone joints to fit into the frame mounts. You need to have at least as many threads into the tube as the diameter of the joint. Hopefully double. Make sure to adjust the joints so the axle is square to the frame.

 

Just another question regarding your spark plugs and heads . I noticed in the picture that you may have the 5/8 taper seat plugs in it ? If so those heads require the 13/16 gasket plug .
I’m going from a picture so …
Beautiful car and good luck with it .

 

You could get a reversed eye spring, only need to buy the main spring . I’ve found them on Amazon and ebay for about $35 . They come in almost every length needed . You do need a slightly shorter one . How much clearance do you have between frame and spring ?
Measure the distance from front frame to bones mount , make sure its equal. Then with the bones off of the frame mount , measure from front perch to center of bones tie rod . Adjust them to be equal . Check to see if it’ll mount correctly. You need to have as many threads in the bones equal to its inside diameter. If 3/4” then you ideally need 3/4” of threads in the bones .

 

Blue, parallel
Pink, aligned
Green, approx position of top of shock, mount will need to be moved back to achieve this?

Without the keyway in the lower shock mount the bottom, unless the perch bolt is super tight the mount can rotate in use to an orientation similar to as you have it now, but that's not correct.

Chris

 

Parallel, looking from the side, with the wheel off.

Might be camera angle, or lens distortion, but it looks
like the shock is leaning forward relative to the axle.

 

Yes, that is a problem.
The upper and lower eyes want to be facing in the same direction.

 

After adjusting the tie rod ends for the radius rods, make sure the measured wheelbase is the same on both sides.

 

Excellent, Thank you. That gives me a solid starting point to work off of.

 

Thank you. The plugs are NGK OE Series V-Power Nickel Spark Plug: V-Groove Tip Design, XR5 13/16 gasketed.
D

 

Thank You. I suspect the bones may end up be a tad short to get the proper thread engagement. I guess I will know once I pull it apart and reassemble.

 

Thanks, the spring I removed was a reverse eye. I changed to the standard eye because it rode like a tank. I will have to try messing around with some diffrent options here.
D

 

Thanks. I will have to look for possible option that won't require drilling new holes. I don't so much mind new holes, I just don't want to have the old ones sitting out in the open. Maybe I can figure out a decent compromise.

 

Just relocate the bones mount , easier than changing the bones out . You can get speedways design that can bolt to the frame .

 

It is, If I can adjust the lowers I think it will bring the top and bottom online front to rear. This will not position them as described in the previous post though. I may have to find a decent compromise here, or not opt for form over function and just drill new holes and live with the old holes being exposed.
D

 

Thanks, I have some decisions to make here.

 

Will do thanks.

 

Once again, Thank You all. I have some work to do. I will update once I make some progress.

 

Copy that. Thanks

 

You had me doubting myself and I went out and double checked. They are the above stated plugs. Besides suspension I have been working through some engine tuning issues. 69 350 mild cam 700r4. The rest of the internals are unknown. Vac advance was disconnected when I got it. It ran decent for cruising but was gutless at wot. Had an off idle and light cruise stumble. One at a time hooked vac advance up, re-timed, adjust idle mixture, change advance springs, repeat initial tune, change advance bushing repeat initial tune. Improved slightly, still had a stumble. Put in a bigger squirter and 10.5 pv, this got it running good at cruise and light throttle, no stumble but not great a mid throttle, would break up and not recover at 3000rpm wot. Double checked float level, moved vaccum advance to ported vaccum and it runs great except initial hit at wot, it will take of hit 3000- 3500rpm breaks up for a half second and recovers. Due to the suspension issues, I haven't pushed it beyond that. I need to recurve the distributor after all the changes. I am off from where I think I want to be, 16 initial, 36 around 3000rpm. I need to go back to the blue msd bushing and/or try the purple bushing with a light silver and heavy silver spring. Current springs are blue. I have also tried every vaccum secondary spring they make, didn't cure any of the issues, just moved where the secondaries come in like their supposed to. The proposed timiming adjustments won't cure the break up but should improve it in all the other areas. I have to dive into the secondaries for the breaking up issue...I think. Honestly, I hate this carb, 570 Holley SA. I may just go to a mechanical secondary DP. After all of this, I need more gear and a 9 inch. Currently has a S10 rear-end and S10 drive shift, weak u joints.... ask me how I know
2500rpm 1 to second shift, chirped the tires caught traction hard and boom.

Take it easy
D

 

Maybe make a new upper mount, use the same holes.

 

Thanks, those front shocks were changed out for the Bilsteins in the pics. I have the rear sorted out, it had discontinued QA1 #7553 with the coilover conversion. When I got it there wasn't any preload on the springs, they were just sitting there basically loose. I changed those out for a set of Promastar Ds502's and 150# springs. The rear now handles washboards, bridge transitions etc. Great.
Thanks
D

 

My first impression was correct.

 

Sounds like the rear shocks were bottomed out.
Which should never happen.