• Welcome to the new SAOCA website. Already a member? Simply click Log In/Sign Up up and to the right and use your same username and password from the old site. If you've forgotten your password, please send an email to membership@sunbeamalpine.org for assistance.

    If you're new here, click Log In/Sign Up and enter your information. We'll approve your account as quickly as possible, typically in about 24 hours. If it takes longer, you were probably caught in our spam/scam filter.

    Enjoy.

DuraPine II

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Raise the rack a little? Not unless it is okay to squish the bellows. Slot the arms in order to lower them, probably 1/2", the same as I've elongated the holes to raise them.
Bill, I think that looks much closer, but the bend in the tie rod is down instead of straight forward. Rack to tie rod end has to be in a straight line. All pivot to pivot.
The orientation of the bend has nothing to do with the vertical alignment of the two points.

Bill
 

Barry

Diamond Level Sponsor
I attached the tie rods to the rod end. Leveled the rack with the sway bar and took a picture. Swapped the arm right to left and turned them upside down, then attached the tie rods to the rod end. Took another picture.

The suspension and arms are in full droop.

Bill



Bill,

I think that looks pretty good. Again, I have drawn (crooked) lines on your picture.

upload_2020-8-12_16-44-0.jpeg

I recommend that you cycle the suspension to make sure nothing goes bump in the night. I used an 18" (???) long piece of 1/2-13 all-thread in place of the shock to compress the spring and pull the suspension up to the bump stop. It's easier to do with the coil spring out, but don't go in harm's way.

HTH
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Got the reinforcements welded in place. Final measurement tells me the bellows will probably touch the cross member. I found it impossible to accurately measure the holes. I did the best I could but came up short. Oh well, the old bellows should have been replaced long ago, so they are replaceable parts.

Tackled the rack mounts today. Cut a couple of pieces of 1/4" plate, 3/4" wide and 4" long. Drilled and tapped mounting holes, then then placed the rack on the cross member. Set the rack in place, blocking it into the proper position. I then tacked the 1/4" pieces onto the cross member. Cut and fitted two 3/16" pieces (1" x 1/12")
for stabilizers, then welded them in. Then cut the 4" pieces to proper length.

Here are the photos of the finished mounts and the rack installed. Finished but not cleaned up. That's how I did it. Others can use it as a way to do it, or something to avoid. The cost is the same. I also got the engine mounts welded onto the cross member and the notch cut for the oil pan.

That finishes up the cross member mods. Got to make the toe adjusters, then start work on the underside of the car. Thought I'd do that two weeks ago.

Bill
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6644.JPG
    IMG_6644.JPG
    245.3 KB · Views: 97
  • IMG_6643.JPG
    IMG_6643.JPG
    285.2 KB · Views: 96
  • IMG_6642.JPG
    IMG_6642.JPG
    207.9 KB · Views: 96
  • IMG_6641.JPG
    IMG_6641.JPG
    236.1 KB · Views: 95
  • IMG_6640.JPG
    IMG_6640.JPG
    216.5 KB · Views: 98
Last edited:

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Looks good, are you stick welding?
Wire. I laid down a lot of weld on the mounts, thinking that would distribute the stress across more of the cross member. My contribution to rigidity. M biggest problem was getting the feed slow enough. That helped everything, including visibility. It works but is messy.

Bill
 
Last edited:

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
The steering gear is complete. Here are some photos. One of the toe adjusting thing I made and one of the gear installed and ready to go. The toe adjustment "thingy" is simply a sleeve with right hand threads on one end and left hand on the other. Exactly what the car should have had. I think I have have discovered the cause of the funky steering. Way to much toe out. Initially, my tie rod assembly was 3/8" longer (per side) than when I received the car. Toe when first measured was 3" toe out. I had to shorten each tie rod about 1 1/2" to get 1/8" toe in. That will make a difference.

Bill
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6646.JPG
    IMG_6646.JPG
    264.3 KB · Views: 71
  • IMG_6645.JPG
    IMG_6645.JPG
    157.1 KB · Views: 68

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Sure hope it works for you Mr Bill! Lots of work to get to where you are now. Far superior to what you received!
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Got everything installed in the final configuration. Not quite 2 1/2 turns lock to lock, so the rack (2 1/2 turns full travel) is a good match for the rest of the steering system. The Ackerman, which is probably much improved, is still bad. When taken to full lock, the outside wheel, not the inside, is the one against the stop. The steering that was in the car is quite the study. It appears the PO bought the most appropriate components but did not know how, or did not have the shop tools, to properly install them.

Bill
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Funny in that I was the PO and I'd never tackle a project like this!

The PO to me is the Guy (friend) that tackled the rack. He had a lot of nerve, like Bill Blue:)
 

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
Bill, you are amazing! 2 months ago we were all feeling your pain and despair, as you felt too old, too tired, too unskilled, and too drained to repair, restore, or remake Durapine. Now you amaze us all !
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Thanks to all. Dan, I honestly do not think of you as the PO, but as the temporary care taker. Tom, I really was down in the dumps, both physically and mentally. I felt I could fight the mental part, but when you have to struggle make yourself get out the chair to pee, well that is a tough battle. Luckily I came out of it.

Jim, I have not done anything with the U-joint, other than removing it. That will happen after the cross member (and maybe the engine) is installed. Any way you look at it, a long way down the road.

Bill
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Time to get the cross member off the saw horses so I can work on the leaf spring assemblies.
Problem: I can't lift cross member and don't have enough "stuff" to walk it down in steps. So I threw a chain over some deck timbers and rigged a "hoist" using 1/2"-13 allthread. Now it is, sitting on the concrete, lowered 30", a quarter turn at time. You can put away your calculators, that 1560 quarter turns. Yes, it took a while.

Here it is on the saw horses.IMG_6646.JPG Here it is on the concrete.IMG_6720.JPG The cross member levels when suspended, so I'll use this rig to install it into the car. The lifting point will be a 4 X 4 resting on the fenders.

Bill
 
Last edited:

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Spring refresher time.

But first, a view of the underside waiting for a coat of rust convertor and primer.IMG_6728.JPG

One spring cleaned, one waiting patiently.IMG_6740.JPG

Old front bushing. In pretty good shape. A lot better than I was expecting.

Bill
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6729.JPG
    IMG_6729.JPG
    534.7 KB · Views: 33
  • IMG_6737.JPG
    IMG_6737.JPG
    135.9 KB · Views: 31

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Continuing.
But first, lets put on the rust convertor and primer.IMG_6729.JPG

Machining an adapter to push out the old bushing.IMG_6739.JPG

Pushing out the old bushing. Took twelve tons pressure, Gibbs magic oil and letting it set. Suddenly popped loose, the bushing moved at least a quarter inch and 20 pounds of steel hit the floor.IMG_6742.JPG

Pushing in the bushing was a problem. Could not get it started, way too tight. So I opened the spring "eye" by driving a cold chisel into the opening. Worked like magic.IMG_6746.JPG

Done!IMG_6749.JPG

Job completed.
IMG_6753.JPG

I used .040" fairly soft rubber as the clamp cushion.

Bill
 

Barry

Diamond Level Sponsor
Time to get the cross member off the saw horses so I can work on the leaf spring assemblies.
Problem: I can't lift cross member and don't have enough "stuff" to walk it down in steps. So I threw a chain over some deck timbers and rigged a "hoist" using 1/2"-13 allthread. Now it is, sitting on the concrete, lowered 30", a quarter turn at time. You can put away your calculators, that 1560 quarter turns. Yes, it took a while.

Here it is on the saw horses.View attachment 21058 Here it is on the concrete.View attachment 21059 The cross member levels when suspended, so I'll use this rig to install it into the car. The lifting point will be a 4 X 4 resting on the fenders.

Bill


An assembled Series Alpine front suspension crossmember is one of the most awkward, ill-balanced, temperamental, knuckle busting contraptions I have ever had the misfortune to work with. It will absolutely exhaust your inventory of four letter words.
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Mr Bill, I'm very proud of you! That took a bunch of old fashion engineering:)

Bet you sleep well tonight!

Those are also some grand Pictures!! Your personal Photo Bug must do some for me some day:)
 
Top