picked up a 1960 studebaker

[hd44blazer]

I had hopes of making the car a roller by the end of last sunday but I was sick all weekend instead. I did manage to get the crossmember burned in for good last night though.

 

[hd44blazer]

I ran into a little snag tonight as I was fitting the upper spring pocket to the frame and checking for coil to frame clearance. The geometry of this suspension puts the coil at an angle or more accurately a slight curve between the lower A-arm and the upper pocket and unfortunately that curve makes it interfere towards the top of the frame rail. To solve this I'm going to notch a section out of the outer plate I just welded in and plate over it with another piece but at an angle so that it creates a sort of flat pocket for the spring to clear into.

Excuse the crude drawing.

The numbers are just reference called out from the assembly instructions of the crossmember. I was getting around 35-36" to get the spring to clear which puts the camber way positive.

 

[hd44blazer]

So I'm a bit dissatisfied with the geometry they have built into the welder series upper spring hats. When I positioned the a arm slots to the number they specify it makes it so the spring is at a severe angle and in my opinion would never work properly. I ended up purchasing a pair of different hats from ebay which I feel are made much better than the welder series pieces.

Here you can clearly see the difference between the two. The welder series (top) has the spring much closer to the a arm slots and there isn't any material to lengthen the slots. Also on the ebay hats, they have incorporated the 4 degree kick in the plate for the coil spring I believe this is for anti-dive in the suspension.

I still ended up slotting the ebay plates another inch to achieve 1 degree positive camber but they are still a much better piece and I'm not sure why the welder series hats are made the way they are.

This was before I slotted them and the spindle had about 4 degrees positive camber.

And here's after I slotted the a arm slots another inch back and installed the ride height adjusters.

1 degree positive camber.

Also test fit the Wilwood calipers.

 

[hd44blazer]

Got a little more done yesterday on the frame, finished up the recess for the coil spring, just have to mimic the same thing on the passenger side.

 

[GWeakland620]

Your work is lookin good!

 

[hd44blazer]

I took a drive out to Stockton yesterday after work to grab my Thunderbird power steering rack and pinion from Autozone (ordered online and they had it in stock) and by the way that place is seriously such a dump for anybody familiar with the area.

And Friday I'm taking a drive to the Tire Rack distribution center near Reno, NV to pick up my tires 255/45R17 all around.

 

[Greg Ducato]

Looks great!

 

[skunked]

stockton is a complete $hithole. I'm closer than you and I'd pay for shipping before stopping anywhere in that cesspool.

 

[hd44blazer]

stockton is a complete $hithole. I'm closer than you and I'd pay for shipping before stopping anywhere in that cesspool.

The only other reason I go there is the pick n pull is decent, I used to go to fairfield when I lived in Napa.

So far haven't been robbed, stabbed, or shot.

 

[skunked]

The only other reason I go there is the pick n pull is decent, I used to go to fairfield when I lived in Napa.

I can't imagine the clientele at the Stockton PnP.

 

[hd44blazer]

I can't imagine the clientele at the Stockton PnP.

I'd say the best way to describe it is "people of walmart" but everybody's either on parole/probation or has a meth addiction.

 

[skunked]

I'd say the best way to describe it is "people of walmart" but everybody's either on parole/probation or has a meth addiction.

those meth heads walk in with a pair of tin snips and cut copper wire out of the cars for hours.

 

[Smokinthehippies]

The only other reason I go there is the pick n pull is decent, I used to go to fairfield when I lived in Napa.

So far haven't been robbed, stabbed, or shot.

Yet

 

[hd44blazer]

Yet

I think it's a gun free zone so I should be alright...oh wait.

 

[K85 Octane]

Just a fly on the wall, awesome work.

I will mention that taking several days to move the engine's intake to outside of the engine bay would be totally worth it. Currently dealing with that myself. Not that it would take days, unless you are trying to mold it into the sheet metal or something, just that the work would be justified in the end. Hitting 167 degree intake temps while basically doing nothing..... blows

 

[hd44blazer]

Just a fly on the wall, awesome work.

I will mention that taking several days to move the engine's intake to outside of the engine bay would be totally worth it. Currently dealing with that myself. Not that it would take days, unless you are trying to mold it into the sheet metal or something, just that the work would be justified in the end. Hitting 167 degree intake temps while basically doing nothing..... blows

Thanks! And funny you should mention that because just today I was telling my buddy I'm probably going to use an under dash heat/AC unit so then i could utilize the fresh air intake next to the headlight and pull air from where the original heater core was.

 

[hd44blazer]

Cut out the other pocket on the passenger side tonight, went much quicker and easier than the first side as these things typically do.

And here's the air inlet mentioned above.
In through this little grill.

Then cut down the top of this where the heater core was housed originally and run ducting to the manifold.

 

[Greg Ducato]

Brilliant

 

[hd44blazer]

Something like this.

 

[GWeakland620]

Oh my, that looks good. Both the example vehicle, and the air box idea.