4inches and growing...

Yep thats right.... the internet pill I bought really works..







Got officaly started on the chevette rebuild today. The old welded leaf springs are trashed,as well as the ghetto long front shackles... She's now equipped with a set of replacment rancho springs ( gives about an inch of lift) and back to the stock 3inch long shackles. Also got a good start on the soa on the front, nothing is welded on, but the spring perches are on and everything is clamped down.. Waiting to weld anything until I get the new tranny and tcase installed, so I can tilt the axle a little if needed. She now sits 4 inches higher up front and ill be repalcign the 31's with 35's....

Got the old sammi case removed, and all the mounts, and tranny mounts cut off of the frame and smoothed off.

Starting work on the custom headers tommorrow, and installing the tranny and tcase, after I weld the busted bellhousing together... ( It's SO very nice to have an aluminum welder availible) By the looks of things, i'll be able to use the stock jeep transmission crossmember, and by replacing my suzuki driveshaft flanges, with jeep ones, should be able to use my existing driveshafts, if I run the front one in the rear, vise.versa.

Hopefully after tommorrow, all that will be left is figuring out the new steering setup, do a disk brake swap all the way around... smooth the rigid welds, fromt he first build, and get the frame and drivetrain painted, and everything tightened up...


With the soa underway on the chevette.... I already know the steering needs to be changed.

options.

hy steer... which if thats the case, i'll have to have a custom thing made for the drag link and tie rod to bolt on top of the closed knuckle, like on a toyota hy steer setup... ( already talked to rmyers machine shop about the machine work)


Old ford setup.... using a solid tierod, with a drag link mounted on a pivet in the center.... ( I think the 78-79bronco's and pickups have this setup???)Similar to the ttb setup as well.


Or... the chevy way... since im using a chevy powersteering box, I could simply get a dropped 4wd pitman arm (the curverd ones) and have a cap machined by myers for the top of the knuckle.

Cheapest seems to be the ford way since id only have to buy the steering stock, and hiems.( or rod ends, depending on what I decide) or possibly use stock ford stuff, with some modification, and for the other 2 sets, I have to have things custom machined, plus buy the steering stuff.

Remember this is going to be driven on the street alot, and very rarley is the 4wd going to be used, ( cuas eI ALWAYS go crazy and tear it up.) but I still want it functionable enough to wheel if needed. I know hiems on the street if the wrong ones can wear and give you loose steering, bumpsteer...etc. Which of the setups seems best to use on it? And should I use actual rod ends or hiems?

 

spend the $$$$ and use rod ends on the street.

 

Well I got the th400 and d18 mounte dintoday.

 

More work done yesterday and today... Transmission and tcase are in and mounted. Used the stock jeep xmember, and took 1/8 inch flat steel, cut it the width of the cross member, bent tabs on it with the metal brake, and welded it in, and bolted the xmember to it.

Got the front driveshaft in today aswell, made it from the splined end of a front sploder shaft, and the small front jeep shafts. Cut, the slined end off flush with the tube before it widens out, and cut the jeep shaft so it would fit together at the right lengths. The sloper and jeep shafts turned out near the same size ( milimeter of differance) striaghtened it up the same way I did the first 4 shafts I made, and welded her up good and solid.

The power steering box from a monte carlo is ready to be mounted, after I machine a plate for it to bolt to. Had to rework the motor mount for it to fit, and once its mounted in it should allow me to very easily, get my drag link parralel with the tie rod. without using a dropped pitman arm. Its also going to make my steerign shaft alot simpiler, since its beside the frame, I can runt he shaft straight from the fire wall, using only one knuckle to get to it, instead of three.

 

The tranny member. I think im going to end up putting some gussets in there to stiffen them up, justin case.



The driveshaft. Ya cant see my welds they are covered by the boot, the groudn spots, wher eI ground ti for a good ground. Tried welding it without gringing it, and was touching ti with ym hand.... I got zapped when it arched.... blew a sab right offa my hand.



Uncompleted soa....


Rest here...
http://photobucket.com/albums/v135/4x4chevette/1986 CS Chevette 4x4/

 

you might wana think about cutting and turning the nuckles, or tilting the pinion down on the front diff. the way it is set up now you are going to have some way crazy steering.

 

Nothing at all is welded in, just getting everythign set up. Ive got my spring perche son order and have to wait for them to come in. And its really not bad the way its sitting now... its almost where it sits factory, as far as pinion angle.

 

oh i see. its just in your album, it looked to like the pinion was pointing straight at the t-case. even as little as a couple of degres from stock will give funky steering.

 

In the pics it is, but the perches arent welded, they are clamp on for fitting purposes only. I rotated it down a little today and as soon as the 2 inch perches arrive itll get welded.

 

gotcha

 

Wow no updates for a LONG time cuase I sold it as soon as I finishe dit. It has bene through hell but I got it back in july. Needs alot of stuff reworked again but here sh eis