I'll try to explain this where everyone can follow along. My frame has the front suspension and engine mounts installed. To Z the rear of the chassis and still have the driveshaft line up I mounted the rear crossmember to the rear spring on the axle and tires and rolled it up to the back of the cut off chassis. Using a dummy driveshaft, I set the pinion angle to line up with the trans tailshaft. With the carb base level and the pinion angle lining up, I tacked the rear crossmember to the frame. Tacking the trans crossmember in was next. When I removed the jack stands from under the frame rails, the pinion angle changed and now it doesn't line up. I think I screwed up because the car wasn't at ride height with weight on the rear spring but how was I to know that height without being able to actually put weight on the spring? Another thought, when the radius rods are bolted to the rear end and to the torque tube might they pull the pinion angle back into position? Where do I go from here? Anyone have the number for AV8 and the Prune Orchard Garage? Seriously. Thanks, JH
Dont see many options. I think I would cut the cross member free. Anything else would be just as hard or a compromise. Dont get frustrated, this kinda***** happens when you build an entire car from nuthin. BTW Chassis is lookin great! Does Boyd know what your doin with his old pickup?
[ QUOTE ] this kinda***** happens when you build an entire car from nuthin. BTW Chassis is lookin great! Does Boyd know what your doin with his old pickup? [/ QUOTE ] For my first ground up build, this has been a booger. I started with rails and a center X member and no fixed points to work from. BC wouldn't be surprised. He knew where my heart was all along. JH
If I understand you correctly, the tube has dropped, but it's still lined up side to side. You don't have any wishbones hooked up from the looks of the pics. The weight of the chassis is pulling the spring down. Put a jack under the front of the rear end, and see if you can line up the tube with a few pumps. Then check the spring for binding. It's probably binding now with the weight on it. Mutt.
you need some thing ta locate that rear end , the spring doesn't locate it. I think you are close. Get some wishbones on there.
Mutt, you got it. With weight on the chassis, the spring is in a bind and the driveshaft isn't lined up. A few pumps under the rear lines it back up. NOT putting the spring in a bind was a goal. With it lined back up (jack under the front of the rear) the spring is no longer in a bind. Am I to believe the torque tube and wishbones will solve this problem (and carry this weight)? Let's hope so. Thank, JH
I'm an obsessive compulsive detail FREAK. Really. After all the thought, planning, and measuring I put into this, I guess I just flipped out when I set it on the ground and it all seemingly went to*****. Next project: Shortening the torque tube/driveshaft and mounting the wishbones. Thanks guys, Jim
The TT controls everything here. Put on the TT BEFORE final crossmember location, if you can't settle TT length accurately enpugh at this stage make up something temporary that securely holds that line and holds the rear end in its proper arc of travel.
I'll second what Bruce just said. I found shortening the tube to fit was a huge pain - maybe there's a trick I'm missing but after trimming, tacking, fitting, and removing to repeat several times I just decided to weld the tube up, cut the rear spring perch off, and lower everything into place letting the spring and perch come to rest where they want. No spring bind and I didn't have to wrestle anything into place.
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