70 duster: updating, and a no-dough pro-touring makeover
had a little time in the shop tonight, and a little space now that the s10 has been paid for and is gone.
a while back, my rear end began to get very, very noisy. like a very amplified, very pissed off handheld plunge router. used to be that any throttle over 55 would get it to howling. after maxton, any speed with load made it howl, from idle on up. i got a quote from a local shop that does most of our drive train work for 600 bucks max, and that was with gears, clutches, bearings, everything. fair enough. more than i really WANT to spend, but.....
also started redoing the front suspension. plans are to go to 3/8 taller FMJ spindles for better negative camber gain, and offset UCA bushings for better alignment specs. I'm thinking of going with the recommended specs from hotchkis, which are -1.5 camber, +7 caster, and 1/16 toe in.
to get there, other than the offset bushings, i had heard reference in some older forum posts about using spacers between the lower ball joint and spindle. plans are to do about .25 inch spacers for my alignment numbers.
while i have the front apart, id like to make sure things are as right as they can be. to that end, I'm planning on adjusting the strut rods to where there is minimal bind, checking these crappy ADDCO mounts to make sure they are not binding, and setting the t-bar ride heights equally without the sway bar attached this time. also fixing the ackerman by getting the tie rod ends the same length as one another. anything else I'm missing in the general tune up and
optimization?
the spindles are already purchased from a mid 80's M-body that had only 54000 miles on it (and it was at pull-a-part!)
heres a pic to show the height difference.
assuming this works as i think it will, ill be selling the a-body pieces to offset some cost.
got the passengers side torn down tonight for the most part.
and my growing pile of removed parts
this Sundays Ill finish getting the drivers side taken apart.
Tuesday i have a half day at work. ill be dropping my UCA's off to get the bushings pressed (i could do it, but for the 30 bucks it will cost me, its worth the money for me not to have to) and my hogshead off at the drive line guys.
hoping to get it all back together in time to make the Sanford autocross next month.
cost as of tonight is still the same.
michael
had a little time in the shop tonight, and a little space now that the s10 has been paid for and is gone.
a while back, my rear end began to get very, very noisy. like a very amplified, very pissed off handheld plunge router. used to be that any throttle over 55 would get it to howling. after maxton, any speed with load made it howl, from idle on up. i got a quote from a local shop that does most of our drive train work for 600 bucks max, and that was with gears, clutches, bearings, everything. fair enough. more than i really WANT to spend, but.....
also started redoing the front suspension. plans are to go to 3/8 taller FMJ spindles for better negative camber gain, and offset UCA bushings for better alignment specs. I'm thinking of going with the recommended specs from hotchkis, which are -1.5 camber, +7 caster, and 1/16 toe in.
to get there, other than the offset bushings, i had heard reference in some older forum posts about using spacers between the lower ball joint and spindle. plans are to do about .25 inch spacers for my alignment numbers.
while i have the front apart, id like to make sure things are as right as they can be. to that end, I'm planning on adjusting the strut rods to where there is minimal bind, checking these crappy ADDCO mounts to make sure they are not binding, and setting the t-bar ride heights equally without the sway bar attached this time. also fixing the ackerman by getting the tie rod ends the same length as one another. anything else I'm missing in the general tune up and
optimization?
the spindles are already purchased from a mid 80's M-body that had only 54000 miles on it (and it was at pull-a-part!)
heres a pic to show the height difference.
assuming this works as i think it will, ill be selling the a-body pieces to offset some cost.
got the passengers side torn down tonight for the most part.
and my growing pile of removed parts
this Sundays Ill finish getting the drivers side taken apart.
Tuesday i have a half day at work. ill be dropping my UCA's off to get the bushings pressed (i could do it, but for the 30 bucks it will cost me, its worth the money for me not to have to) and my hogshead off at the drive line guys.
hoping to get it all back together in time to make the Sanford autocross next month.
cost as of tonight is still the same.
michael
