Lavron's '64 Build Thread

[poboyjo65]

Cool!! Does your steering box have a 1" or 1 1/8" sector shaft? If the latter, you'll need a '67 Mustang power steering pitman arm.

Ya mine is a V8 car I knew about needing the 'stang piece.
Fred

Hey Fred are you going to do the quick steer kit? or is it available for the bigger pitman shaft? or will the v6 motor be in the way? would go great with your electric power steering! it would be about 1 turn LESS from stop to stop & feel better in the curves ,tighter, on slow maneuvers,parking & stuff!

[lavron]

So was researching building the adjustable front strut rods and came across this picture,



I kinda like mounting the front this way, I would even consider cutting out the original mounting location (the center part) and welding a piece of c-channel inside before drilling the hole so the metal would be 3 layers thick (leaving the flanges of the original mount) looks like there would be room and the heim joint would be centered where the original pivot point was.

This is where that picture came from http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/suspens ... -rods.html and it looks like that is how the struts from here attach http://store.cobraautomotive.com/compet ... s-1965-66/ there are no instruction links on the website.

In the Daze strut rods I have seen pictures where the clevis broke because it is cast, this would avoid that completely.

See Ya,
Mike

[SASSY]

Mike, the location of the front mount for the strut rod is important.
It dictates what the lower arm does under bump and as you stated I also believe the instant
Center should be the center of the original mount. BUT, maybe there is a better location for it
and now is the time to find out!

Poboy,up to this point I hadn't thought about a quick steer setup. Will add that to the process.
The pan may need alteration for the 65 stuff,, wouldn't be the first time I cut the oil pan
Fred

[poboyjo65]

Mike here's how I did mine. I got the brackets from jegs, though they could be made.
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performance+ ... 2/10002/-1
welded it to a pc of square metal so it cant rotate & used 3 big washers to fill the gap where it goes thru the old mount hole on the car. I also had to grind the bolt head so it didn't rub the heim. & welded the bolt head in the bracket.



I used the washer from a new bushing kit to give it a stock appearance from the front & rounded the square metal washers that I made so they didnt hang down & look funny

as a bonus, the bolt going thru the heim joint had to be slightly trimmed ,what was sticking out of the nut a little , to fit in brace so it is trapped & cant loosen up or come out. the rest of it is like dazecars.

Fred just remember the QS puts it higher as well as longer. I think (my theory) the reason it is higher is with the shelby drop changes the line that the linkages are in relation to the spindles at ride height & the QS's higher pitman & idler puts the linkages back in a straight line.

[SASSY]

Nice work Poboy.
I don't think the Shelby drop affects the steering linkage but I do agree that the QS is higher because it straightens out the linkage.
My pan is close to the centerlink now so a mod will be necessary. I raised the motor significantly cause the car is so low so the pan will be the only interfence.
Fred

[poboyjo65]

Here is how I thought about it Fred. If the body is lowered then the spindles are raised , putting the tierod ends higher than they were so that is why I believe they made the QS higher to straighten out the linkage as you said, & keep it all in line at ride height just as it was at stock ride height before the Shelby drop. I just cant think of any other reason why they would want to raise the center link.

[poboyjo65]

Hey Mike if you do all the floor work/welding,grinding,drilling & trunk work FIRST, you might be looking to do more stuff UP on the work bench vs under the car! It certainly influenced some of the things I did, & would be one reason I wouldn't do the kind of mounts that you are thinking of doing. I was SO ready to get off the floor & do some stuff standing up. Will yours be done like mine the hard way or do you have a rotisserie or a lift?

[lavron]

Center should be the center of the original mount. BUT, maybe there is a better location for it and now is the time to find out!

I was looking at these but can't find anyplace that actually sales them anymore, I had read someplace they were better because they used the original center, so I got to thinking that maybe direct bolting and moving them to original center might be a good thing.

http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/mod-c ... -rods.html

See Ya,
Mike

[poboyjo65]

Mike those kinda look like Johnny Joints.

Some good info in this thread on tffn, I did a lot of the things he did;
http://tffn.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f= ... se#p142887

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

Mike;one thing I see is that Calverts strut rod stuff is for drag racing,wonder about rough roads and daily driving,plus all the crud dailing driving incures!Will they be to harsh?How will they handle the crud?Wear issues?Rubber is used in many suspension and mounting of accessories for noise and vibration issues!Do you plan on A LOT of road driving?Just curious on these items,they do look stout!! ROY.

[lavron]

I don't intend to use the Calvert struts just was what I saw about them being centered in the original location as a positive

See Ya,
Mike

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

Mike;Got ya,sorry for the confusion!! ROY.

[lavron]

Will yours be done like mine the hard way or do you have a rotisserie or a lift?

No but I have a pair of tongues off of a doublewide trailer that are begging to be made into something.

I am too old and fat to lay on the floor with rust, hot sparks and slag falling on my face

Some good info in this thread on tffn, I did a lot of the things he did;

Yes I read that thread already pretty interesting, he was good about posting his trials and errors.

Hey Mike if you do all the floor work/welding,grinding,drilling & trunk work FIRST, you might be looking to do more stuff UP on the work bench vs under the car! It certainly influenced some of the things I did,

I can agree with that, that is one reason I have been tinkering with the engine stuff, I can keep everything out of the way and it is fairly easy to work on the bench with the head and like. I have the interior of the car gutted already except the dash and the headliner that is hanging down, I thought some stuff was safest remaining in the car for now, most the chrome is off the car and stowed safely away.

As soon as I get my basement/tornado shelter room done (my current project) I hope to get some stuff moved out of the shed so I can see if I can get stuff reorganized and move my Comet inside. once I get it inside I will most likely pull the rest of the body chrome and drivetrain.

That reminds me, it appears most people pull the doors off when doing repair work, it that necessary, I was thinking of leaving mine on the car to help keep the body straight and my floor rust repair will not be too major (all things being relative to some we have seen done here) all my window glass, windshield etc will have to come out because the rubber is all dry and rotten on my car, not looking forward to pulling the windshield and back glass I would like not too break them and figuring out where I am going to store them for the duration.

See Ya,
Mike

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

Mike;I built racks for my glass,I used conduit and covered it with Air Conditioning Line Insulation,cheap and easy to find!!If you cut the rubber on the inside,you can easily get the glass out!If you don't need complete floors and or subframe work,leave to old floors in,that is how I did my wagon!! JMO , ROY.

[poboyjo65]

The only reason I pulled my doors was because my shop is so small & crowded with junk. I just got tired of shutting the doors to walk by & then opening them to work. I was wearing out the hinges