If the price is right, I might be persuaded. I'm a bit of a manual trans hoarder. haha
My new Beretta LS swap RWD conversion 4.8/5spd
- Thread starter woody80z28
- Start date
Started mocking up steering and it's kind of a mother. Most of the RWD stuff has been going pretty well, but this is a pain in the ass! haha
Driveshaft came in and didn't fit...and I couldn't chuck it in the lathe to trim it down, so it went back to Texas to get fixed.
Driveshaft came in and didn't fit...and I couldn't chuck it in the lathe to trim it down, so it went back to Texas to get fixed.
Got it all connected from V8 crankshaft to rear tires. Put the Camaro clutch in it, fixed the trans yoke that Texas "fixed" and put it back on the ground.
The old man has to get a junk Cuda parted before Mopar Carlisle, so he needed his lift. The nerve!
Getting it outside really shows how high the front is with less weight in front of the tires. RWD distribution is so much better... Gonna have to cut the coils though.
Still fighting with the steering. And I'm at the point now that I might be cutting out the engine mounts I welded in to fit the rack better. I knew it was going too smoothly. haha
The old man has to get a junk Cuda parted before Mopar Carlisle, so he needed his lift. The nerve!
Getting it outside really shows how high the front is with less weight in front of the tires. RWD distribution is so much better... Gonna have to cut the coils though.
Still fighting with the steering. And I'm at the point now that I might be cutting out the engine mounts I welded in to fit the rack better. I knew it was going too smoothly. haha
Yeah, it's a little sketchy...but you can lift an engine from the bottom with a cherry picker.
I had to cut the engine mounts out and change them to make the steering rack fit better. After butchering the stock subframe, I welded some structure back in and made my rack mounts.
Once my rod ends and steering arms come in from Speedway, it should steer!
I had to cut the engine mounts out and change them to make the steering rack fit better. After butchering the stock subframe, I welded some structure back in and made my rack mounts.
Once my rod ends and steering arms come in from Speedway, it should steer!
Ok, it's connected from steering wheel to tires now. 6061T6 tie rod sleeves are done and just finished my firewall bearing bracket where the rack was and pushed it around outside. A lot easier with the tires pointing the direction you want and not flopping all over!
It does look to me like I have some reverse Ackermann, so the arms will need some more modification...bring the tie rod hole just outboard of the ball joint hole. Right now with the mostly unmodified Ford steering arms it is just inside the ball joint location. I just built a steering angle gauge to see where I'm at so I'll know what to modify. Looks like 35ish degrees of angle right now, but I'll know a lot better once I use my DIY gauge. And when I move the steering arms laterally I'll also move them down. They have a slight angle up at the current ride height, and I'm going to bring the ride height down by inches...so they'll need to be better.
It does look to me like I have some reverse Ackermann, so the arms will need some more modification...bring the tie rod hole just outboard of the ball joint hole. Right now with the mostly unmodified Ford steering arms it is just inside the ball joint location. I just built a steering angle gauge to see where I'm at so I'll know what to modify. Looks like 35ish degrees of angle right now, but I'll know a lot better once I use my DIY gauge. And when I move the steering arms laterally I'll also move them down. They have a slight angle up at the current ride height, and I'm going to bring the ride height down by inches...so they'll need to be better.
Ok, it's connected from steering wheel to tires now. 6061T6 tie rod sleeves are done and just finished my firewall bearing bracket where the rack was and pushed it around outside. A lot easier with the tires pointing the direction you want and not flopping all over!
It does look to me like I have some reverse Ackermann, so the arms will need some more modification...bring the tie rod hole just outboard of the ball joint hole. Right now with the mostly unmodified Ford steering arms it is just inside the ball joint location. I just built a steering angle gauge to see where I'm at so I'll know what to modify. Looks like 35ish degrees of angle right now, but I'll know a lot better once I use my DIY gauge. And when I move the steering arms laterally I'll also move them down. They have a slight angle up at the current ride height, and I'm going to bring the ride height down by inches...so they'll need to be better.
That's looking really good!!!
Oof...the Ackermann is bad. 27 degrees outside wheel and 15 inside. And that only averages to 21 degrees steering angle. So I'm going to cut those arms and offset toward the outboard side, while sliding underneath the stub. That will move them down for better tie rod angle, out for the better Ackermann and back for more angle. And to get 40+ degrees steering angle, I'll have to cut the distance in half from balljoint to tie rod hole...so I may actually cut the lower control arm and move the balljoint forward. That will keep the tie rod angles happier, and also add some caster. Which would be welcome since FWDs have less caster than their RWD counterparts typically.
But I did get pedals mocked up! Gotta make a seat mount and tack the front floor in to see how the ergonomics are. Then it can go back inside on the lift to mess with the steering. Project keeps dragging...I was really excited when it seemed like I was making fast progress. I went from fully FWD to rear axle, engine & trans mounted than I have with these little steering and pedals...
But I did get pedals mocked up! Gotta make a seat mount and tack the front floor in to see how the ergonomics are. Then it can go back inside on the lift to mess with the steering. Project keeps dragging...I was really excited when it seemed like I was making fast progress. I went from fully FWD to rear axle, engine & trans mounted than I have with these little steering and pedals...
cool stuff!!! keep it up.
Pedals in, seat in, column moved, shifter sorted. All seemingly minor things that eat up time.
