Project 4x4 Commuter Mazda

[legoms013]

Hmm? Does all your doors and hood close correctly now? If you bent the frame some the hood or doors lines might not line up then....

They already sorta don't line up because of a wreck I had previously...everything seems equally bent as it was before

I thought the problem was my passenger beam axle pivot bushing which I replaced this weekend [might have been part of the problem...it was fubar] but I still gotta hold the steering wheel cocked left to drive straight.


I'm gonna have a friend cycle the steering while I watch what happens with the tie rods this weekend hopefully. I have a hunch my drivers side tie-rod might be bent some. If it is, I'm gonna start my homebrew Stonecursher steering setup...will have to vist Ruff Stuff down the street for a heim.

 

[legoms013]

Cycled the steering...can't tell what is the problem. Though I did find out my main draglink TRE at the pitman arm is shot (again!). Replacing it will be number 5 in 40,000 miles. Maybe the high angle on it causes it to wear rapidly?


I'm pretty tired of the stock y-linkage....can't wait till school is out to build a new setup.

 

[-Nathan-]

hey buddy, Ive had this happen before. just add a little caster to the side that its pulling towards, a degree or 2 is all youll need. should fix it right up. Ive found TTB to be VERY finicky in terms of alignment.

 

[legoms013]

I'm gonna take it in for an alignment soonish...I don't have adjustable camber/castor bushings so if I change my castor, won't it change the camber too since its a fixed degree? 2-1/8* on one side, and 3* on the other are the bushings I got in there now...and my camber at the wheels is dead zero or a hair positive.

 

[-Nathan-]

could just be that your radius arm mount shifted ever so slightly. i didnt ever have the adjustable ones either. I just would add to one side subtract to the other ever so slightly that the change in camber was never hardly noticeable.

 

[legoms013]

could just be that your radius arm mount shifted ever so slightly. i didnt ever have the adjustable ones either. I just would add to one side subtract to the other ever so slightly that the change in camber was never hardly noticeable.

Alright then I'll adjust it when I get the chance.

I have gone over everything with a fine tooth comb, but I cannot for the life of me figure it out. I'll check the radius arm supports tomorrow, maybe they have shifted like you say....otherwise an alignment will just have to mask the problem.

 

[legoms013]

Priced out a custom 1 ton Chevy steering setup a la stonecrusher style. I can do this for $270 or less.



Hoping to buy the tubing and reamer this upcoming week, then the TRE's and hiem the following or after christmas.

Preliminary Parts List, to be revised:

1 Right side Chevy 1 ton TRE <-----Still need
2 Left side Chevy 1 ton TRE's <-----Still need
3 Jam nuts for respective TRE's with appropriate threads <-----Still need
1 3/4" Bore 3/4" Shank Heim CHECK
2 Mis-alignment Spacers for heim CHECK
1 Jam nut for heim CHECK
1 Weld in bung (Right handed threads) for heim CHECK
1 Bolt, nut for Heim pivot point <-----Still need
6' of 1.25" OD 0.218 or 0.219 Wall DOM tubing <-----Still need
1 7 degree 1/2-1" Reamer (for knuckles/pitman arm to accept Chevy TRE's) CHECK
small bit of 1/4" plate CHECK



And here are part numbers for the Chevy 1 ton TRE's:
ES2233L pass side tie rod
ES2234R driver side tie rod
ES2027L high misalignment drag link end
ES2026R high misalignment drag link end

 

[legoms013]

Just bought a reamer....will be here next week. Next to purchase is the heim, jam nut, weld in bung and mis-alignment spacers at Ruff Stuff this week.

Here is the one I bought:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1-1-...rQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_542wt_1161

Aparrantly this is a much better one that the Snap-On reamer lots of people buy, and a quick google search reveals its garbage compared to the Xkut reamer.

Here is the heim I'm gonna buy for the saddle joint:

http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=37_41&products_id=325

Next paycheck will be the tubing, TRE's and tapping of the tube by WFO concepts.

 

[legoms013]

Ruff Stuff Heim, jam nut, tube insert, spacers and sleeve.

 

[Kyle M.]

Whats the sleeve for?

 

[legoms013]

They gave it to me just in case I wanted to run a 9/16" bolt instead of a 5/8" one. I haven't decided if I'm gonna use it or not. Probably just gonna run the bigger bolt, bigger can't hurt in this case...it is my steering after all.


I decided I'm gonna use an adjusting sleeve on the passenger side tie rod, that way I don't have to rotate the whole tube (saddle and all) to adjust the toe....my reasoning is that I'm starting from scratch so I might as well build it exactly how I want it to be. This will mean I will only have to get one end tapped per tie rod....lowering my tapping bill which is now down to $30 bucks for both tie-rods. For this side I'm going to cut off the threaded portion a Chevy 3/4 ton tie rod, then cut, sleeve and weld it into my DOM tubing. I will drill out the inner diameter of my DOM tubing to 1" for the wled in heim bung and dodge tierod.

The driver's side tie rod I'm going to leave "sleeve-less" with just LH and RH threaded TRE and heim and that way to adjust toe all I have to do it rotate the tube. Keep it simple stupid...

 

[legoms013]

Ordered some U-bolts to replace the straps on the D35 pinion yoke. Will post part number and install pics later.

 

[legoms013]

Early xmas:

 

[legoms013]

Moog ES362S Dodge/Ford adjusting sleeve. 7/8"-18 TPI.

Chevy tie rod. I haven't had time to make sure the threads are the same, but I'm crossing my fingers in hopes that I can use part of the threaded end to sleeve into my DOM tubing. Plus the weather has been too wet to get anything done outside lately.

If its not the same I'll have to go crawl around the local pick-n-pull for one that works with the sleeve I bought and the Chevy TRE's I'm going to buy.

 

[legoms013]

Foolin around flex test: