I was going to do that, however, with the axle i am using(79 Waggy) the spring perches sit a little outside of the frame rails. I have to move the shackle hangers 1 9/16" outside of the frame rails on either side. I am seriously considering rebuilding the front end from the Cab body mounts, forward. I have spoken with my neighbor about doing this. He has built a few hotrods, so he is famliar with all of that. We talked about bringing the frame up right in front of the cab body mount, and with the 3 inch body lift i have, raising the engine 3 inches and bringing the rails right up to there.

IF that doesnt make sense i am sorry.

I would like to keep this low, so i think that might be the way to go. Unfortunately i am getting impatient with this project, so i might just go ahead with the fangs, and the height for now, and rework everything next winter.

Peace
Joel

Fixed the problem...

This is what i was originally working with.....

It looked nicer up front, but the spring eyes were almost 7 inches different..

New front mount.....

That shows the side and front, its all just tacked together right now... I am going to gusset the front with quarter inch plate so it will be nice and strong..

It looks a little wierd now, but i think it will work, and now i have roughly 2 inchs more lift which i was trying to avoid but oh well, what are you gonna do...

Peace

Joel

Joel-

I am going to say this as nicely as possible and I hope you understand. Heck, you spent co-pilot time in my truck in Moab, so I hope you do understand.

But, that just looks ghetto. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Michael

Do you own a grinder and some sanding wheels? A belt sander? I am just a newbie welder but I think you need to cut through the oxidation on the metal to get a good bond. Then again I have heard this is not as necessary with some stick electrodes, if you're using those .

Why not just get some angle shims for the axle to correct the angle and run the first setup?

Michael, thanks for the input, and you are right.....I think im just going to go with what i had.... i have been thinking about it, and im not going to be on road that much anyways.... so.... back to the original plan....

I guess the trial and error thing is the fun part of a solid axle swap right???

That was just an idea i wanted to try, and after looking at it, the springs are in a good position... but it looks really bad...

Peace
Joel

Not a fan of fangs. IMHO, it is well worth the work to pu the shackles through the frame -- or you might actually put the hangar ON TOP of the frame and use longer shackle legs... you can outboard, inboard, or whatever you want by using wider shackle bolts and spacers... You might also use your original high-in-front setup and just plan on turning the knuckles to fit the knuckle incline that you need (and get whatever pinion angle you want in the process), IMHO having the springs tilted back is better than the alternative.

Randii

Is it ok to have your springs at a slope if you have a shim to correct caster?

Two questions, really.
* Is it OK to have angled springs? Yes, manufacturers do it regularly -- just know how it affects vehicle dynamics for brake dive, wheel travel during suspension flex, etc. I favor a slight nose-up attitude on the springs, myself.
* Is it OK to use shims to correct caster? Yes, but if you use significant angle, be sure to use opposing wedged shims on the opposite side of the leaf to keep the U-bolts perpendicular to the springs (better clamping). Better still if you run the center pin through the whole wedge/spring/wedge setup. Watch out for pinion angle, tho - the absolute best option is to rotate the knuckles.

Randii

Hey, I'm new to all this, but I finally got a beater car so I can give my truck some much needed attention. I'm looking to see how insane I would be to turn my Auto 2wd 1992 Rodeo into a 4x4 with a 3inch lift and some 30 or so inch tires.

Before Everyone Posts that I'm a moron for trying to attempt this. I am willing to pull as much of the driveline out as needed. The Motor and Tranny have issues, but the body and frame are great. From what I'v seen the frame and suspension are very similar to 4wd models.

So I would like some advice on accomplishing this project. I have a fair amount of mechanic skills and have a couple guys to back me up. I'm just looking at my options.

Thanks.

Cater-

Welcome. If you have a question that is specific to you and does not pertain to the topic or subject of this thread, please start your own.

Take some time and read the helpful stickies up top on the Talk Forum. One is some general guidelines (it is undergoing organization right now, but there is some good info there) and the search guidelines will help you too.

Thank You,
Michael