What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Motor Angle, Nose Dives, Doublers, Flat Bellys & Crossmembers...

Part of the thinking for me at least, is that even though you are raising the driveline weight (CG) you are gaining valuable clearance under the belly of the truck where it is needed most. This might even allow you to run a bit less overall lift than you'd otherwise need for that same clearance.

In effect, you trade NOT having the body/frame weight higher for some extra height in the driveline.

As mentioned already though, centrally located weight that moves an inch or two will have very little effect on the CG or "balance" of the truck. If you were talking about adding a 100Lb roofrack, or even a roof-mounted spare tire it would be a much more noticeable change. :thinking:


:usaflag:
 
Great discussion...thanks to everyone :D



cybrfire said:
So your front driveline angle got better and the rear got worse.... Or perhaps the front didn't much change. Rotated up reducing angle but got higher at the same time.
Concerned about oil return to sump?
If you go down at all you can't get the skid plate in where you want it?
Click to expand...

I could lower it a bit more to allow a 3/16" skid plate...but I look at this thing and that's a lot of weight to come down on that thick of a metal...I think I'd feel more comfortable with 1/4". Also the rear axle doesn't have your spring perches welded in yet so I'll set the pinion angle once I know where the drivetrain is going to go.



miniwally said:
I would cut the motor mounts out and redo them so they are in alignment with everything but that is all. I think the current bind will try to eat bushings out of the motor mounts.

Don't be afraid to go backwards with your build at times to make things right.
I wish I had taken care of a few things on my buggy that we decided were fine. They really are fine but I know about them and wish at times I had changed them.
Click to expand...
Yea that's what I'm thinking about doing, but just kinda sucks to take a good set of DIY4X motor mounts and have to retweak them...


kennyw said:
Why not raise up the motor mounts to gain a better angle?
Click to expand...
As mentioned the COG



I have all material in, but had to run out of town this weekend, but hopefully during the week I'll decide exactly what I want to do...my biggest concern is the gap in bellhousing of the tranny, I can just see it snapping the ear off :haha: That's my primary concern to address...


Still open to any other suggestions/discussion :D
 
Why is there a gap between your engine and trans? Unless something is bound up and you just haven't tightened the bell bolts because of it there should not be any gap.
 
4X4HIGH said:
Why is there a gap between your engine and trans? Unless something is bound up and you just haven't tightened the bell bolts because of it there should not be any gap.
Click to expand...

Yep, total agreement here. If you have a gap between block and bell housing, I'd think you'd have some odd and uneven stresses between the torque converter and transmission input shaft/pump. Basically putting the input in a bind.
 
Is your torque converter seated properly? I would worry about damaging something trying to pull the transmission up with the bolts if something is binding.
 
If the convertor is bound up you need to pull the trans pump and have it checked, they are easy to damage if the convertor isn't seated correctly. It would be ALOT of work (especially with a doubler) to have to do it later after everything is all buttoned up. :deal:
 
I remember that when I was setting up my drivetrain I blew off angle measurments on the motor and used Center Line meaurements to the harmonic balancer and the yoke on the back of the T case.

The C.L. all have to line up. Pull those numbers to the floor (I assume that the floor is level) and compare.

I would try to keep the CL of the drivetrain either dead level or angling down towards the rear.

I also think that a person that is in tune with their light weight vehicle can feel changes as minor as rasing the moor 1". There was a 4 month period of time that I was in my buggy a bunch and I got to the point that I could feel the change in ride and handling if i had a passenger or not and also on how full the cooler was.

I am not that connected these days as I have so many other things to do that I don't get to drive the buggy enough to be able to have that feel agian.
 
Didn't get a chance to do anything this weekend but weld on my rock rings...but I did have a chance to spin the TC and spun freely. Still taking the thing apart. The floor is not level tho, which might be another reason for drivetrain being bound up. So when measuring the CL, I measure the angle at the harmonic balance and rear yoke? I'll give that a try as well. Thanks guys :D
 
RGV72BLAZER said:
So when measuring the CL, I measure the angle at the harmonic balance and rear yoke?
Click to expand...

That should give you what you need to see that both are level to each other... however it won't show a mis-alinement from side to side. Luckily that will be clear if you lay on the floor under the truck.
 
I think the idea is that you measure from the center of the balancer to the floor and then from the center of the rear yoke to the floor. If the floor is level or at least pretty flat, the yoke measurement wants to be the same as the balancer or a little smaller.
 
I was refering to a gap between the motor and transmission. An angle finder can only give you an angle off of a horizontal plane compared to gravity... if it is misaligned in another way (gap on the left side of the bellhousing, but no gap on the right side) your angle finder won't detect that. You have to crawl under and look for it.
 
Spent all weekend pulling the drivetrain out, fixing the motor mounts, setting the tranny/doubler back in, and starting on the x-members. Motor has about a 3-3.5* nosedive at the intake, harmonic balancer and rear yoke are off by less than .5*, and no more gap in the bellhousing. The only thing that stopped me was my 9/16" drill bit broke. So hopefully I get on it this weekend and have some pics added to my build thread :D. Thanks again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom