Builds Chicago builds a 40

[waiting for time]

HAHA...we were all "rookies" man. I was one just a few years ago as I havent been in this game all that long. Its been fire storm since I got my first cruiser. Glad I could help in some way. This is the build of my life time. One that I will probably never do again.
As far as the perches...they are not set. I just have em secured to the housing with the u bolts till I can get my pinion angle set.
The shackle angle thing is weird for sure. Ill find out more tomorrow when I get back in the garage. I work 3, 12 hr shifts, so the days I work I have NO TIME for the cruiser. Everything measures out right. I think like others have said...different spring rates, more wear on one spring vs the other. Ill spend some time measuring things out, but Im not gonna beat myself up over it. My main concern is the shackle angles are the same (within a deg or two) and so long as the hanger placement is not INCHES off one side to the other there really shouldnt be that much of an issue. so long as the housing is square that is.
The rear was the same, but in the rear I had to match the perches and in the front I had to match the angles...

Just dont know. Mystery.

Keep in mind that if this is the build of your lifetime you will be replacing your springs one day. Or even worse some new owner will be cursing at the PO for placing the perches in different positions.

Eh do you think you can go back to easy mods after this build

 

[Fast Eddy]

Eh do you think you can go back to easy mods after this build

I have years of little things planned to keep me busy after my axles and basic SOA are done. Besides cruisers, I am totally ignoring all my other vehicles, sprinklers, fence, mess in my garage, etc.

I have this one woodworking project that is exactly as I left it on the day I picked up my first cruiser 5 years ago.

 

[waiting for time]

I have years of little things planned to keep me busy after my axles and basic SOA are done. Besides cruisers, I am totally ignoring all my other vehicles, sprinklers, fence, mess in my garage, etc.

I have this one woodworking project that is exactly as I left it on the day I picked up my first cruiser 5 years ago.

I know, think my is starting to realise it to. She is lucky we don't have to much space (one car garage) so I can't work in bad weather and now in the evenings. But she is actualy supportive on the idea for us to buy a shop nearby. I only have to find 2 fellow car enthousiastics to rent a part of it.

 

[chicago]

Keep in mind that if this is the build of your lifetime you will be replacing your springs one day. Or even worse some new owner will be cursing at the PO for placing the perches in different positions.

Eh do you think you can go back to easy mods after this build

Not that worried about it. Like I said, its not off by INCHES one side to the other. However, the shackle angle being that far off would BUG the HELL out of me. I WILL NOT be chasing down new springs or swapping leaves at this point to correct a minor difference in positioning of the hangers. It just not that worth it to me and there will be no other owner while Im alive after this.
Ill be measuring it all out today. The hangers are tacked in at this point.

 

[chicago]

I have years of little things planned to keep me busy after my axles and basic SOA are done. Besides cruisers, I am totally ignoring all my other vehicles, sprinklers, fence, mess in my garage, etc.

I have this one woodworking project that is exactly as I left it on the day I picked up my first cruiser 5 years ago.

HAHAHA! I KNOW HOW THAT IS!!!!!
This activity has RUINED my life too!

 

[chicago]

BTW...I got all my stuff from Marlin and Bobby YESTERDAY!
I ordered Monday. FAWKING AWESOME!

 

[chicago]

Okay...Donno how or why but I measured the rear hanger end to the closest frame rivet center line and:

DS= 2 7/8 in
PS= 3 in even

Shackle angles:

DS 19*
PS 18/ 19* (kind of in the middle)

1/8 in!?!?!?! FAWK IT! Its staying RIGHT were it is. Ive seen it worse from the factory on some of this stuff.

think maybe that I measured off the bracket plate that I made!?
Donno....dont care!

Good enough for me.

 

[boots4]

I did something similar. I re-measured hangers and found my rear's off by 3/8s. Since it was three years ago when I first set it up I don't remember what I measured from but since I wanted to make better hangers anyways I went ahead and changed them out. Cruiser must still be growing. I don't think 1/8 is a big deal either.

 

[Fast Eddy]

BTW...I got all my stuff from Marlin and Bobby YESTERDAY!
I ordered Monday. FAWKING AWESOME!

I ordered a full custom shaft from Bobby that he doesn't even list on his site on Saturday and got it on Wednesday. I'm hoping to have my rear axle chopped and in place by Sunday night.

 

[locrwln1]

Okay...Donno how or why but I measured the rear hanger end to the closest frame rivet center line and:

DS= 2 7/8 in
PS= 3 in even

Shackle angles:

DS 19*
PS 18/ 19* (kind of in the middle)

1/8 in!?!?!?! FAWK IT! Its staying RIGHT were it is. Ive seen it worse from the factory on some of this stuff.

think maybe that I measured off the bracket plate that I made!?
Donno....dont care!

Good enough for me.

Just think after everything settles and breaks in on a rockcrawling rig, 1/8" will seem very exacting...

Jack

 

[waiting for time]

I won't judge u for it, just see that you get her on the road or better yet in the dirt.

 

[chicago]

Also...
The toyota drive shaft clears the trans pan by about half to 3/4's of an inch...So I called Drive line service of carson city and talked to dean. The smallest dia. tubing you can get away with for a long stroke DS is 2 in. The crusier shaft dia. is 2 and 9/16. Should leave about an inch of clearance around the trans pan and I could probably "massage" the pan if needed. Im thinking since that end of the drive shaft sees minimal movement I should be okay. Makes me a BIT nervous, but...Last thing I want is a 2 piece shaft if I can avoid it.
So for a 10 in long stroke DS with a DC measuring 39.25 in its 400 bones. Yeah...kinda spendy. However, I dont have a whole lot of options with the clearance issues.

 

[chicago]

Just think after everything settles and breaks in on a rockcrawling rig, 1/8" will seem very exacting...

Jack

Yeah...1/8 in is nothing. To me, that is pretty much dead NUTS on.
There is that much play in the bushings.

 

[chicago]

Here's some pics of the progress so far.
Had a GREAT day in the garage all in all. Got the shaft figured and ordered and most important to me was getting the pinion angle set and even better...the PERCHES set.

Here are a couple of the drive shaft angle. I set the pinon to 10 deg.

 

[chicago]

Few more!
Shot of the fit around the trans pan...pretty tight.
Little Cody man turnin a wrench. makin him work for his lunch today.

 

[chicago]

I figured out the ruff stuff diff side perch. It was SOOOOOO FRIGGIN EASY. I had it all mocked up MINUS the cut side when on the rig. Its how I was able to set the pinon angle. I tacked the perches in place at that point. Pulled the housing out and was able to manipulate the perch (some) without F'ing with the setting. It was basically level when I pulled it out across from one to the other. So the diff side PLATE they send is essentially uselss cuz the perch itself was pretty nestled into the side of the housing and there was no room for it.
So I cut it in half and ground the angles in to fit under the perch...if that makes sense!? See, it already pre cut for fit the square on the diff. So I just sort of slid it in underneath. I LOVE IT. It will weld up really nice too. Heres a few pics. Might help how I was doing it.
I did have to hog out the bolt hole a bit cuz the bolt wasnt coming up straight... the head was hitting the housing. No biggie with the plasma!
I wasnt sure about that set up, but...IM DIGGIN IT! It took a FRACTION of the time that it did my last go around. It was a nightmare IIRC.

 

[Fast Eddy]

The work on those shackle hangers is beautiful.

 

[chicago]

The work on those shackle hangers is beautiful.

Thanks Ed!

Appreciate that!

 

[waiting for time]

WOW you're doing an amazing job here.



I'm speechless (which is a rear thing)

 

[rusty_tlc]

Yeah that rear thing leaves me speechless every time.