Thread: My From-Scratch project

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If your goal is to have triangulated four-link that doesn't need a trac-bar, you should take a good look under coil-sprung GM cars....... A difference that I notice is that while your upper bars angle inward to the differential (as they should), you lower bars also angle inward from the chassis to the axle tubes. I think the lowers should mount more inboard on the frame and angle outward toward the ends of the axle tubes.

Originally Posted by AzDon

If your goal is to have triangulated four-link that doesn't need a trac-bar, you should take a good look under coil-sprung GM cars....... A difference that I notice is that while your upper bars angle inward to the differential (as they should), you lower bars also angle inward from the chassis to the axle tubes. I think the lowers should mount more inboard on the frame and angle outward toward the ends of the axle tubes.

I just looked at the pictures that I have posted, and the lower bars do look like they're angled, but it's just the pictures make them look like that. They're actually perpendicular to the axle/parallel to the frame and each other. the balls in the links swivel a few degrees each way for side movement of the links, but the top ones are mounted at an angle that makes all four balls on the top ones swiveled to their maximum angle, so there isnt any movement. also, when I push sideways on the frame, there's no movement. There is good up/down movement and no binding that I can see for the movement of the springs/shocks/links. I'm hoping that means it's okay.
Thanks for your thoughts, and if you think I might be wrong in my reasoning, please let me know.

Sam

Originally Posted by bluefishfoot

I just looked at the pictures that I have posted, and the lower bars do look like they're angled, but it's just the pictures make them look like that. They're actually perpendicular to the axle/parallel to the frame and each other. the balls in the links swivel a few degrees each way for side movement of the links, but the top ones are mounted at an angle that makes all four balls on the top ones swiveled to their maximum angle, so there isnt any movement. also, when I push sideways on the frame, there's no movement. There is good up/down movement and no binding that I can see for the movement of the springs/shocks/links. I'm hoping that means it's okay.
Thanks for your thoughts, and if you think I might be wrong in my reasoning, please let me know.

Sam

I'm putting a Willys wagon body on a GM "metric" chassis (82 Cutlass) because the steering and suspension will work as if GM engineered it!
Also because it fits....I'd love to have the confidence needed to attempt to design, engineer and build my own chassis and suspension, but I don't.
It's great that you have the cajones and ambition to just "go for it"!
Good Luck!
Don

Originally Posted by AzDon

I'm putting a Willys wagon body on a GM "metric" chassis (82 Cutlass) because the steering and suspension will work as if GM engineered it!
Also because it fits....I'd love to have the confidence needed to attempt to design, engineer and build my own chassis and suspension, but I don't.
It's great that you have the cajones and ambition to just "go for it"!
Good Luck!
Don

My oldest brother and a couple other guys keep trying to convince me that I should buy a fiberglass body and put it on a S10 chassis or just buy a t-bucket kit. I found some detailed build journals on some other sites, and that's what got me interested in the first place.
I don't think I have any special "cajones",I think if I had a specific design for anything, I'd probly screw it up and get discouraged, and give up. I don't really have money for kits and special parts and stuff like that. For instance,
a radiator for a 32 ford is like $450, but if you get a "generic" radiator with the same basic dimensions but just doesnt have the "32 ford" name stuck with it, you can get it for $200. I just use what I can find, and use ideas that I find around on the internet and figure out how to make them work.
If I dont like something, I can always change it, because I don't have any special design I have to follow. Some people might think it's more of a "ratty old rod" when it's done, but who cares?
I dont care if I win any prizes or anything with it.

Sam