Pinion angle/spring clamping?

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JoeDust451

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I'm starting to do something with the rear on my 71 dart, i measured the pinion angle, its sitting around 0*, what i'm wanting to do is set it around -3*, then clamp the front section of the springs in 2 areas on each side, should i take out the "straps" on the back section of the springs or leave them be, what is a good over the counter parts house shock to use, i've heard ones for a ford truck would work, is this true? If anyone can throw me some part #s that would be great, not looking for any high $$ shocks like Ranchos, just a decent "heavy duty" shock, its an 8.3/4 with stock springs, also, what have some of you guys done with your rear suspention on the cheap, looking for ideas.

Also thinking about the "brute force" U-joints, should i get the solid ones or the others?
 
Hi Fellows, when you refer to the negative reading.. Is that pointing down from drive-line plane, or from ground plane, or pointing up from a different reference point, or ..? Thanks much..
 
You will here all kinds of answers on how to set pinion angle, from it being in relation to the transmission tail shaft, or relation to the driveshaft, mine is pretty much at a straight line.
 
bOb shingler said:
i'm thinking that the angle between the driveshaft and pinion.
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Thats how i see it, you basically are looking for a V, if i can get the pinion pointing around -3 (towards the ground) or there abouts thats what i'm after, then the rear of the driveshaft will angle up from there to the tail shaft creating a V from those 2.
 
ricernuker said:
Hi JoeD, a straight line with the ground or with the driveshaft? :) Thx!
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The pinion is at 0 too the ground, the driveshaft maybe angleing upward 1 deg., but know more, so if anything, i'm at -1, still not good.
 
green1 said:
Measure the angle on the end of the tailshaft and the pinion angle, and do the math.
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I here this alot too, that its in relation to the tail shaft, but then i've ask chassis builders, most say NO its not, you 1st. need to set your transmissions tail shaft at 0, you don't want the T shaft high or low from 0 angle, nothing of coarse is ritten in stone, there is some movement at the T shaft, but nothing compaired to the rearend, this is the area of main concern, thats why i feel its between the pinion & the driveshaft.
 
Drive shaft angle in relation to tailshaft is mainly affected by the vertical positioning of the rear end as well as pinion angle, since both jack up and down the drive shaft as they move. Pinion angle must be a relationship between either horizontal ground or driveline linage.
 
If you use the driveshaft, get the angle using a finder, most point down towards the rear on a leaf car.

Lets say that number is 7*

Pinion is pointing level... 7 - 0 = 7* down in relation to the DS.

If pinion pointed up 2*, it would have an angle of 5*

Pointed down 2*, would be 9*
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Using the trans output, get the angle x* up or down.

Get the pinion reading.

Get those two numbers equal in opposite directions... If trans is 2* down, you want the pinion 2* up to get in the same plane. Then turn it down whatever number you are looking for. If you wanted 7* down, the pinion would have to be 5* down from level. You'd take the 2* that it would point up to get back to zero since it's point UP, then roll down the other 5 to get your 7 total...
 
crackedback said:
If you use the driveshaft, get the angle using a finder, most point down towards the rear on a leaf car.

Lets say that number is 7*

Pinion is pointing level... 7 - 0 = 7* down in relation to the DS.

If pinion pointed up 2*, it would have an angle of 5*

Pointed down 2*, would be 9*
----------------------------------
Using the trans output, get the angle x* up or down.

Get the pinion reading.

Get those two numbers equal in opposite directions... If trans is 2* down, you want the pinion 2* up to get in the same plane. Then turn it down whatever number you are looking for. If you wanted 7* down, the pinion would have to be 5* down from level. You'd take the 2* that it would point up to get back to zero since it's point UP, then roll down the other 5 to get your 7 total...
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I'll check & see where the T shaft is angled.
 
I run nothing fancy,just a set of xhd springs,$25 Summit racing shocks,pinion snubber,and the front section of springs have 2 clamps none on the rear sections..1.40's in the the 60'..............
 
stroked 340 said:
I run nothing fancy,just a set of xhd springs,$25 Summit racing shocks,pinion snubber,and the front section of springs have 2 clamps none on the rear sections..1.40's in the the 60'..............
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This is what i'm looking to do, nothing fancy but affective, i'm almost positive my car will never see those kinds of 60fts., so if its working for you, it should work for me, are you running any special shocks up front like CE 90/10s?
 
JoeDust451 said:
The pinion is at 0 too the ground, the driveshaft maybe angleing upward 1 deg., but know more, so if anything, i'm at -1, still not good.
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You can't really know what the angle is to the ground, unless the car is on jack stands sitting on a chassis plate, or you do the math to see what the distance is from the front to the ground, and the rear to the ground.

The angle of the ground the car is sitting on, the difference i front and rear ride height, and the different in front and rear tire diameter will all affect a degree reading if compared to the ground. For instance, your garage floor slopes back-to-front, so any fumes will roll out the garage door. If you've got the car lowered two inches in the front, and it's backed into the garage, measuring the pinion angle in relation to the ground is going to have a different reading than if you pulled the car in forward and took the reading.

Measure it from the tailshaft of the trans, and the pinion.

Now, what that measurement is supposed to be depends on how many different people you ask. I've always heard 3-degrees down pinion, as the rear will point slightly up under acceleration and drive.

-Brad
 
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