'69 Barracuda T56 swap, floor, cross member

[340sFastback]

Eng/trans has 4 degree down angle. Pinion is 0 degrees level. Garage floor is sloped down front to back. In the other garage (which I believe floor is level) with 8 3/4 I remember something like 2.8 degrees down for both eng/trans and pinion. So with 8 3/4 both pointed down around same amount, but no vibrations? Anyway I think pinion angle has been improved with the Dana swap.

 

[340sFastback]

I had local shop shorten driveshaft. I had to sand it down and repaint it afterwards.

 

[340sFastback]

Had to swap on a '72 up A Body brake Tee to angle flex line more inward to clear the tail pipe flange. And rebend 3/16 hard lines accordingly. Typical unexpected car project type bull ****.

Clamped emergency brake cable to Dana axle vent since Dana missing tang/tab/clamp thing that was on 8 3/4 axle tube.

 

[340sFastback]

Pressure bled brakes. Pedal seems solid. Going to do a test drive once weather clears. If rear end swap is good then swap on 11 3/4 front discs next.

 

[340sFastback]

The sun came out briefly and dried the roads off. So did a 20 minute test drive. Dana is smooth and quiet. Drove car easy but got it up to 60 mph and car is silky smooth like a late model car. I wasn't expecting smoother cause I thought it drove smooth quiet before. But its noticably smoother quieter at speed. Dana rear is quiet all the time zero noise at all.

Only issue is spongy brake pedal. I suspect air got trapped in master cylinder despite using a pressure bleeder.

Anyway, Dana rear swap is good. Next is to swap on the 11.75 inch front disc brakes and hopefully get all the air out of brake system.

 

[4spdragtop]

Looks great! Nice work

 

[340sFastback]

All the small bolt stuff is off the car now. Always fun getting ball joints apart....

 

[340sFastback]

Doctor Diff big bolt pattern 11.75 rotors bearings packed with grease are installed. Working on Caster and Camber adjustment. AQ1 upper control arms which require using upper control arm bolt for Caster Camber adjustment. Garage floor is perfect level side to side. Looking to set 1/2 degree negative Camber and 3 degree positive Caster. Apparently I can get 6 plus degrees positive Caster so I am not limited there. Having to adjust with upper control arm cam bolts is difficult time consuming but with enough trial effort time I will be able to dial it in.....

Oh and prior to tear down I measured 1/2 degree positive Camber and 1 degree negative Caster both sides exactly the same. Car seemed to drive fine though? Would have been nice to know of those crappy specs earlier? Had car aligned decades back never knew how it was set up until now....

 

[mygasser]

i assume you lift it up to make adjustments? when you lower it onto the blocks the suspension isn't settled so won't give a proper reading. you need to roll it back and forth a couple of times to do that. the only way to do it as you are is with 'grease' plates on top of the wood stands.
neil.

 

[340sFastback]

i assume you lift it up to make adjustments? when you lower it onto the blocks the suspension isn't settled so won't give a proper reading. you need to roll it back and forth a couple of times to do that. the only way to do it as you are is with 'grease' plates on top of the wood stands.
neil.

Yes you are spot on correct. I have greased plates for front tires to rest on and tire slides out a lot once I bounce suspension up and down. Also verifying ride height before measurements.

 

[340sFastback]

Slight toe in. Pipes with slits for string to sit in to get string square even to car.

Pass side had 1/2 neg camber and 2 degree positive caster. So made driver side match. Probably come back add more caster later but much better specs then what it had before taking it apart.

 

[340sFastback]

Typical second gen Barracuda tire clearance issue on forward lower edge of fender. 215-70R15 and wheel is 15x6 with 3.5 backspace. I wanted 27 inch tall tires front and back.

Used a dremel cut off wheel sliced a pie shaped piece out, bent forward, panel bond back side, touch up paint. Once wheel well molding on no one will ever know. Now a 1/2 inch plus tire to fender clearance.

 

[mosleyme]

Typical second gen Barracuda tire clearance issue on forward lower edge of fender. 215-70R15 and wheel is 15x6 with 3.5 backspace. I wanted 27 inch tall tires front and back.

Used a dremel cut off wheel sliced a pie shaped piece out, bent forward, panel bond back side, touch up paint. Once wheel well molding on no one will ever know. Now a 1/2 inch plus tire to fender clearance.

View attachment 1716409140

View attachment 1716409141

View attachment 1716409143

View attachment 1716409144

Well... you already sorted it out. But here is another reference for folks.

1968 Barracuda Front Fender Modification for 26" Tires

 

[340sFastback]

Well... you already sorted it out. But here is another reference for folks.

1968 Barracuda Front Fender Modification for 26" Tires

Excellent write up

 

[340sFastback]

Took for 15 minute drive. Got it up to 50 mph its smooth. Steering feels great. Brake pedal long travel but stops with authority without much leg effort. Toward end of drive brakes seemed to get a lot stronger.

 

[340sFastback]

First tine running AC since last year. Added a tad of R134. Its blowing cold:

 

[340sFastback]

Recent picture after Dana, 4 wheel disc, and big bolt 15 inch wheel swap

 

[340sFastback]

Drove my car the 1 1/2 hour drive to Carlisle on Saturday. Left my house at 6:30 am and drove windows up AC on. On Rt 15 in PA could cruise 75 - 80 mph silky smooth low RPM engine was quiet. AC ice cold and it starts blowing cold right away.

Left early around 2 in afternoon due to other commitments. Wound windows up and ice cold AC right away. Car was cold inside had to turn fan speed down despite heat index over 100 degrees. AC gets so cold it gets uncomfortable like your out in winter weather.

Hit an unexpected pop up monsoon down pour on way home. Could feel car hydroplane on highway, the tires lost contact with the road due to excessive water. Was able to pull into truck stop where I sat for 45 minutes. I would periodically start car run AC for a while. Entire truck stop full of motorcycles and other cars who pulled off highway. I would say hardest rain I had ever been in inside a car my entire life. Eventually rain slowed. I drove home wet roads moderate rain wipers on majority of ride home. My normal 1 1/2 hour drive was close to 3 hours due to stopping and slow speeds.

All the mega dollar parts under car probably dirty TTI headers probably rusting again ect. But car got home damage free luckily. The monsoon rain storm was not something I wanted to be driving in. I was not happy about having car in extremely high risk dangerous situation at all.

Carlisle was crazy insane awesome despite excessive heat and pop up storm on way home.

I havent gotten around to washing car yet due to excessive heat and other things in life. But its all good sitting in garage till I get around to it

 

[A_VAS]

saw your car at the show, wow it is a beauty and now just read thru the whole thread....great write up and details. I plan to do a lot of these same items to the '67 I recently got ahold of.

 

[340sFastback]

Met my son and daughter at a Cars and Coffee. I butt welded 1/4 panel patches, dent repair, block sanding, full paint prep ect on both Civics myself and had a shop spray them base clear. Both Civics were 2+ year body work projects due to excessive 1/4 panel rust and excessive dents. The white Civic entire under side stripped and painted 2.4L engine swap Accord 5 spd new AC ect. Black Civic is an Si. Both cars rebuilt power moon roofs ect.

 

[340sFastback]

Put up on lift to adjust torsion bars. Underside has dirt on it from driving in monsoon rain storm coming back from Carlisle. At some point later I'll give underside a sponge bath and rinse.

With fat tires on back pinion snubber smacks floor pan if I bang gears. I haven't run it too hard cause Dana not fully broken in yet. Light mark on floor brace where snubber hits.

Nothing is leaking under car and no issues exist right now. So take it off lift go put on some more miles.

 

[340sFastback]

Finally got around to cleaning up the engine bay. A lot of dust dirt was starting to build up under there. Plus I don't have any good pictures of it completed done...