67 Dart Build Triangulated 4 link & Mini Tub

Mad Dart · Aug 11, 2010

rapom65 said:
Hello Louis,
Got a question on how you determined bar lengths of 21" & 9.5" for the 4 link. Did you center the axle in the wheel well front to back (usually 1" to rear of stock axle location) or did you use the stock axle center line?

If from stock location, is there enough adjustment in the rod ends to move the axle back an inch or should I go 22" & 10.5" on the bars. I noticed in your pics that you had your rod ends adjusted out about a 1/2" on each end of the bars which got the wheels spinning in my head (always a dangerous thing!)

Then again I guess it depends on where you place your boxes in the frame and/or drill the bolt holes in the boxes. You wont make me mad if you ignore this!

Remember before I started doing anything I put the car on jack stands and then I dropped a plumb bob off he stock 7 1/4 axle and added about 1/2" to the measurement for the TUBE DIAMETER DIFFERENCE and snapped 3 lines going across the car in different areas. I then pulled 3 more lines through the car front to rear and snapped them on the ground, THEN I SPRAYED CLEAR LACQUER on them so they wouldn't disappear. I marked exactly where the stock axle position was and built everything to those lines. I did not want the car to go CRABBING down the road when it was done....

When I set the rearend I put it in the exact location of stock so I could adjust it 1" either way. Good thing I did because with the Tires I used 325/50/15's you need a little adjustment. Those tires get close the front wheel well and the rear by the trunk area frame rail. I actually welded it all off then pounded the metal out a bit, then grinded on it to make it transition rounded off. I have plenty of clearance now. I also need to REALLY droop the suspension to get the tires to go on. If you are going to run a smaller tire than you could add some length to the rods, but if you are going to use a 315 or bigger they should stay the same. Remember if you are going to use the stock tank you will be limited how far back you can go also. I am utilizing the stock gas tank so that is why I left the tank in until all my fab work was done, set and tacked in place.

The front of the Frame boxes line up perfect with where the STOCK spring hangers bolt on but just in the frame rails instead and the holes that are drilled are EXACTLY where the leaf spring would go into the stock hanger. If that helps you any.

I have been working alot so not much work is getting done on the car. The Painter called me this last weekend asking me if I was ready yet, trying to put a fire under me. I guess I need that right now.

blue missile · Aug 11, 2010

Hey MD,
I like the write up of the locating procedure.
I wish I could have used that method but my car is on incline and not perfectly perpendicular to that incline. So, and maybe this will help someone else. I took out all of the leaves except the longest one with the attachment points, and I then put the locating pin back in its place and then rehung the leaf springs back in their original place. I have tacked the spring perches in the proper A body location with a 2* down bubble and put the axle back under the car.
This uses the springs to locate the axle and lets me get everything in place before deleting the springs.
Andrew

03ramit1 · Aug 11, 2010

blue missile said:
Hey MD,
I like the write up of the locating procedure.
I wish I could have used that method but my car is on incline and not perfectly perpendicular to that incline. So, and maybe this will help someone else. I took out all of the leaves except the longest one with the attachment points, and I then put the locating pin back in its place and then rehung the leaf springs back in their original place. I have tacked the spring perches in the proper A body location with a 2* down bubble and put the axle back under the car.
This uses the springs to locate the axle and lets me get everything in place before deleting the springs.
Andrew

that sounds like a good way to get it done, mine, ill be ripping the old out, carving up the car and then stabbing the new axle in. we are not looking for the stock location, ride hight or anything we will just square it up with the body at ride hight (that wil be slightly higer due to the 31in tire). and then we will build the 4 link arround the axle and frame. it worked when we streched the wheel base on a rock cralwer. so it should work on a racecar right?

Mad Dart · Aug 11, 2010

blue missile said:
Hey MD,
I like the write up of the locating procedure.
I wish I could have used that method but my car is on incline and not perfectly perpendicular to that incline. So, and maybe this will help someone else. I took out all of the leaves except the longest one with the attachment points, and I then put the locating pin back in its place and then rehung the leaf springs back in their original place. I have tacked the spring perches in the proper A body location with a 2* down bubble and put the axle back under the car.
This uses the springs to locate the axle and lets me get everything in place before deleting the springs.
Andrew

That will work also if you are using the same housing that came out of the car for sure. In my situation I used a b body housing, I guess I could have rigged it to work the same way..............

blue missile · Aug 12, 2010

MD,
I cant tell you what it would mean to me to have a level working surface. My method was a solution that seemed like it would be good enough to get it all together and get to a level surface to tweak.
Andrew

bjkadron · Aug 12, 2010

blue missile said:
MD,
I cant tell you what it would mean to me to have a level working surface. My method was a solution that seemed like it would be good enough to get it all together and get to a level surface to tweak.
Andrew

I second that! The first thing I am going to do when I build my shop is pour a surface plate.

Mad Dart · Aug 12, 2010

blue missile said:
MD,
I cant tell you what it would mean to me to have a level working surface. My method was a solution that seemed like it would be good enough to get it all together and get to a level surface to tweak.
Andrew

Yes it will work out fine! I have heard of guys doing Ladder Bar set ups the same way by leaving the springs intact and then after it is all installed they remove the Leaf Springs and finish it up............with No problems at all!

Your car should go straight down the road the way you are doing it!

Mad Dart · Aug 15, 2010

Well my schedule allowed me about an hour today so I put the Housing, links and shocks back in the car today. My painter told me DONT YOU DARE PAINT ANYTHING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, YOU WILL MAKE MORE WORK FOR ME I WILL DO IT ALL. So I am not going to paint anything like he said and let him detail the bottom. I am NO PAINTER anyway............. It will come back apart at his shop and he will scrape, Paint, undercoat the underside and then mask or BAG the whole thing off to begin the body and paint!

Mad Dart · Aug 15, 2010

More...................

I will try and get it back on the ground this week after work.............we will see!

demon34071 · Aug 15, 2010

Looks great Louis!

pettybludart · Aug 15, 2010

It looks badass for sure!8)

Badart · Aug 15, 2010

Dang! That looks amazing. Great work and attention to detail.

crackedback · Aug 15, 2010

So when are "WE" putting the driveline in it???

Yes I remember the conversation on Friday!

Call me if you want help. :thumblef:

Mad Dart · Aug 15, 2010

Thanks John & Scott for the compliments!

Well Rob it will be a little while for the drive train. I am tossing around how to go about the full paint job. I am contemplating having the painter do the under carriage, Trunk, Engine Bay, and the door jams along with the Dash and interior above the Door Panels first. I would pick the car up like that and then install the drive train and the Interior, then bring it back for the full exterior of the car. I don't trust myself doing all that work on a freshly painted car. I know I will scratch the chitttttttttt out of it, and dent it with my knees/elbows or something.

bjkadron · Aug 15, 2010

If you have time Could you get the measurements for all the heights of the mounting points in relation to the axle center-line? At ride height? Because I am interested in seeing what kind of handling characteristics this will have.

Great work! Looks amazing!

Badart · Aug 15, 2010

Mad Dart said:
Thanks John & Scott for the compliments!

Well Rob it will be a little while for the drive train. I am tossing around how to go about the full paint job. I am contemplating having the painter do the under carriage, Trunk, Engine Bay, and the door jams along with the Dash and interior above the Door Panels first. I would pick the car up like that and then install the drive train and the Interior, then bring it back for the full exterior of the car. I don't trust myself doing all that work on a freshly painted car. I know I will scratch the chitttttttttt out of it, and dent it with my knees/elbows or something.

You have a very good point. I have been super careful with the fury and still have a couple of paint scratchs from installing the engine and tranny and scratchs in the clear just from working on it.

johnparts · Aug 15, 2010

Well I fabbed up my lower control are mounts today. If I didn't have a ton of math homework I would have mocked up the lower axle mounts. I'm going to post pictures in my thread but I went with the same idea you used and basically did the lower spring relocation with my own sheet metal.

Mad Dart · Aug 15, 2010

bjkadron said:
If you have time Could you get the measurements for all the heights of the mounting points in relation to the axle center-line? At ride height? Because I am interested in seeing what kind of handling characteristics this will have.

Great work! Looks amazing!

The driveline is out of the car and will not be going in for quite some time. To get a TRUE ride height it needs to be installed. When I get to that point I will get you what you need no problem.

Dodge Schwinger · Aug 18, 2010

Looking good! keep it up

Mad Dart · Aug 18, 2010

I took a few hours today and worked on the car from 6 to 8pm, man was I off on my game. I kept putting stuff on in the wrong order and had to take stuff apart several times. Just tired I guess!

I got the Chunk in, axles with green bearings and the brake brackets and brake assembly.Those seals that come with the new bearings fit REALLY TIGHT in the tubes for sure!

I know you guys like Pictures so here are a few..........