74 Duster, resto mod 6.4 conversion in Australia
- Thread starter Ozyduster
- Start date
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They have some good gear spoken with him a few times they only use high grade spring steel
O wow they are some serious upper arms!!!
So my diff is ready for pick up its a been a while as my diff guy moved shop. Its an 8 3/4 from a B body. Mods are as follows:
Ill get it fitted asap, once i have the box in we will line diff and box up properly and fit the spring perch. Dropped all my suspension bolts off to a plater and having all replated as only few bucks a bolt and lot cheaper than buying new.
My mate came over and laughed at how simple the wiring is, i have reconditioned looms so all new plugs etc. We will be hiding all the front loom, battery in the trunk etc. Once i get the Holley terminator we will start laying out how the wiring will run.
- Running a Eaton Truetrac centre with the standard 3..55 gears which we have kept as were in good condition and once motor combo is finished ill change gears to suit down the track.
- Has been shortened to accommodate my 275 rubber without it sticking past the guards as my wheels have quite a decent back set
- Running 30 spline Ford XR6 turbo axles (from an m86 diff) as they run the same stud patern as a mopar (xr6 turbo was the barra)
- Because of this axle i can run a Ford Ba disk brake set up, so cheap to purchase and off the shelf. The ford also run Brembo's so i could fit brembo callipers if i wanted lol. (Mopar a body with brembos be something different)
Ill get it fitted asap, once i have the box in we will line diff and box up properly and fit the spring perch. Dropped all my suspension bolts off to a plater and having all replated as only few bucks a bolt and lot cheaper than buying new.
My mate came over and laughed at how simple the wiring is, i have reconditioned looms so all new plugs etc. We will be hiding all the front loom, battery in the trunk etc. Once i get the Holley terminator we will start laying out how the wiring will run.
forged, factory are stamped steel.
not yet
Great work on the car ,
Thanks slower than i would like because i get so ocd with things
Popped the inner bushes out of the lower arms and got some washers to weld to the outers to press them out. Then will weld on the ladder brace and get them powder coated. Whilst i was procrastinating with the bushes i chucked one of the spindels in my sand blaster. After few minutes made a huge difference. Not sure if can get them powder coated due to all the bare metal surfaces. Trying to make all my items i am reusing look as pretty as i can for when the wilwood gear gets here
Removing pivot arm bush in the lower arm was murphies law to the letter...... first one welded washer on and pressed out like a dream. Second one welded washer and the press blew the washer off the cup........... so cold chisel it is to slit it and roll it out. Of course the first one made it feel all too easy.
Ill take a few items to powder coater tomorrow and get them done. As all my bolts ready to pick up from the plater. Then next mission is to modify the fuel tank.
Ill take a few items to powder coater tomorrow and get them done. As all my bolts ready to pick up from the plater. Then next mission is to modify the fuel tank.
mygasser
Well-Known Member
i take apart my hacksaw, poke the blade through the 'bush' hole and reassemble. then carefully cut the sleeve. you know when you're through as the cut closes up and jams the blade. remove the blade and the cut sleeve taps out easily. 
neil.
neil.
How do you pass the blade all the way through as the back of the torsion bar locator stops you from passing through?i take apart my hacksaw, poke the blade through the 'bush' hole and reassemble. then carefully cut the sleeve. you know when you're through as the cut closes up and jams the blade. remove the blade and the cut sleeve taps out easily.
neil.
I then mashed the bush in and i re welded the washer and pressed it out.
Sand blasted all the inside section of the pressed arms, then tac welded the stiffener plates on to the arms. I sand blasted first, as once the stifener plate is on it will be hard to prep for powder coat.
Ill get my fabricator to weld the braces and then arms and few other pieces off to the powder coater. Then i will pretty much build the front end as will have all the parts other than upper arms as they are in transit.
Note in the pic, holley gearbox bracket not powder coated. For some reason holley were selling un powder coated parts dirt cheap a year ago. So got my engine mounts and gear box mounts for 1/3rd of the price
Sand blasted all the inside section of the pressed arms, then tac welded the stiffener plates on to the arms. I sand blasted first, as once the stifener plate is on it will be hard to prep for powder coat.
Ill get my fabricator to weld the braces and then arms and few other pieces off to the powder coater. Then i will pretty much build the front end as will have all the parts other than upper arms as they are in transit.
Note in the pic, holley gearbox bracket not powder coated. For some reason holley were selling un powder coated parts dirt cheap a year ago. So got my engine mounts and gear box mounts for 1/3rd of the price
mygasser
Well-Known Member
doh! forgot that, lol. works for 'most' bushes though
Just chipping away slowly, got the lower arm braces all welded up. Now all the front end reused items can go to powder coater that are not brand new. Only item from the front end i am missing is the upper arms as they are coming from overseas due to my threads being cooked in my originals. Hopefully the ones i have purchased are ok once i remove bushes.
I have not had time to pick my diff up even tho its beind ready for a while. Got my U bolts in the mail, handy as they are calvert by sheer dumb luck everything in the rear end is Calvert so everything has bolted together perfectly. I have the larger bolt front bushes in the leafs etc that are a solid bush no rubber etc. Super keen now to get diff in and few shiney parts all bolted up to feel like i am going in the right direction.
Got distracted at my factory and decided to make the smoko room like an American diner for something different. The seating arrived mid week and then i spent few hours collecting old stuff from around the factory to give it that feel. Found exerts from a magazine one of dads race cars was in and framed them to go on the wall. Only another 200m2 of flooring to epoxy and she pretty much done.
I have not had time to pick my diff up even tho its beind ready for a while. Got my U bolts in the mail, handy as they are calvert by sheer dumb luck everything in the rear end is Calvert so everything has bolted together perfectly. I have the larger bolt front bushes in the leafs etc that are a solid bush no rubber etc. Super keen now to get diff in and few shiney parts all bolted up to feel like i am going in the right direction.
Got distracted at my factory and decided to make the smoko room like an American diner for something different. The seating arrived mid week and then i spent few hours collecting old stuff from around the factory to give it that feel. Found exerts from a magazine one of dads race cars was in and framed them to go on the wall. Only another 200m2 of flooring to epoxy and she pretty much done.
I done mine just taped up the spindle & a bit of masking tape over the holes when they come back cleaned the nut surfaces with a scourer disk
Yep spoke to my powder coater who does a lot for me said they have a heat proof masking tape for all the machined surfaces etc
Guess going little overboard but have been getting all the specialised bolts etc that cant easily be replaced plated in a black zync so they all look like new etc. Even got the old rusty torsion bar adjusters done, came up like new and have saved a bomb on buying new. Decided rattle caning them was not going to be up to scratch for the level of build....... or should i say amount of money dumped into it so far
Finally last part of the front end arrived! Wilwood kit came today, same day i have sent the spindels and other bits and lower arms etc to powder coater. Very keen to bolt the front end together. Too see how much more room i can create with the pipes etc. As without the torsion bars in its hard to see if holley have optimised the space. Think i will bring the fuel line up and over the gear box to keep away from the pipes. Getting the brake lines out away from pipes will be another issue. But one thing at a time
Good size caliper just as well i have 17inch front runners as fills it up nicely
Good size caliper just as well i have 17inch front runners as fills it up nicely
So getting a lot of parts in the post..... but not getting much bolted on hahah. Have to pick my diff up still. Been smashed at work as my company (construction company) has grown hence can buy lots of parts but no time to fit parts. Also moved into new home so still moving etc
Got all new brake lines bad pick, and got the kit thats for the 8 and 3/4 i will use some lines and modify the others to give space around pipes and fit through chassis connectors etc They look to be pretty good quality, anodised fittings and the tube has the wire coil to protect them in many additional places to the original lines.
Another purchase in the back ground got them months ago, Walker Evens with bead locks and 37s...... not had time to bolt them on to the gladiator haha Will pull apart and clean them up as worth big money just a but rough.
Got all new brake lines bad pick, and got the kit thats for the 8 and 3/4 i will use some lines and modify the others to give space around pipes and fit through chassis connectors etc They look to be pretty good quality, anodised fittings and the tube has the wire coil to protect them in many additional places to the original lines.
Another purchase in the back ground got them months ago, Walker Evens with bead locks and 37s...... not had time to bolt them on to the gladiator haha Will pull apart and clean them up as worth big money just a but rough.
So the steering shaft has arrived looks like a good bit of kit. This forum has made the build ten times easier i would nbever ever have known about this part otherwise. Think its going to free up a lot of space, just the coupler delete and no need for the fat adapter for power to manual steering boxes should make huge difference alone.
Ill fit that next and then piss about with the Holley pipes to get better clearance to keep old mate the engineer happy.
Got lot of my suspension parts powder coated because why not i just throw them in with stuff from work so its cost neutral.
Fianlly picked up the 8.3/4, its been fully built with trutrac centre, Ford xr6 turbo axles which means the Ford Falcon disk brakes fit. The Australian fords were mopar pattern well into the 2000s. I have gone the Ford Au disk as its thinner and lighter, it runs a internal drum hand brake. The BA Falcon had brembos so i could even fit the Brembo callipers haha.
The 275s fit "just" however they measure a lot bigger they are the Nangkang semi slick which measure much wider they are around 295, much bigger than the ET 275s etc. By shortening the diff and the Dr Diff ofsets i have a near perfect fitment
The 275s fit "just" however they measure a lot bigger they are the Nangkang semi slick which measure much wider they are around 295, much bigger than the ET 275s etc. By shortening the diff and the Dr Diff ofsets i have a near perfect fitment
By shortening the diff have pulled the wheels over as much as i can. With the mods done to the outer quarter lip i should have next to no scrubbing hopefully. On a side note wow the 8 3/4 has some weight to it compared to the standard diff
mygasser
Well-Known Member
there's tons of tyre to leaf spring clearance there, i've scalloped the leaves with a grinder for tyre clearance before, lol. every little counts
neil.
neil.
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