Select:
Air Ride Info (taken from Air Ride Technologies)
Axle alignment specifications
Brake Pedal Return Spring
Clearance: Tire-to-fender
Coil-Over Spring Rate
Ford Sump / Mustang II Crossmember Interference
Fusible
Links (PDF download - Ron Francis Wiring)
Gas Tanks (Saddle-Type) Switchover Valve
Gas Tank Volume/Capacity Conversion
Header Installation & Maintenance
License Plate Attachment
Master Cylinder Bleeding Instructions
Pitman Arms - Correcting a Loose Fit
Radiator Fan Relay/Switch Recommendation
Radiator Hose for Tight Fit on Chevys
Rear End Identification for Fords
Steering Column Measurements
How to ID Vortec Heads vs. Regular Heads
The number one rule on an air ride suspension is "Don't let the airspring rub on anything!"
The compressor can be mounted under the car, but keep it out of the way of tire spray.
When cutting airline to length, use a razor blade to make a clean, straight cut to prevent air leaks. Diagonal cutters or snips just won't do the job.
Grommets should be used wherever airline passes through metal.
Be sure that the shock absorber doesn't bottom out when the air ride system is deflated. The shock can, however, be used as the extension stop for the suspension.
The airsprings themselves rarely, if ever, leak. If you encounter an air leak, spray soapy water on the fitting connections. Don't forget the control panel.
You need at least 3" of compression travel in a rearend for a civilized ride quality.
If your car leans, you may have to use separate controls for the airsprings to control side to side air pressure.
Maintain at least 2" of clearance between the exhaust system and the airsprings or airline.
A rubber or polyurethane bumpstop should be used to maintain proper ground clearance when the air ride system is completely deflated.
Be sure to have a good ground for the compressor. A bad ground or low voltage can ruin a compressor.
While it is possible to have an air ride suspension without an on-board compressor, many of the ride quality and height adjustment benefits are sacrificed.
The front end alignment is set at highway ride height. When you return the vehicle to that air pressure, your alignment returns also.
Rearend pinion angle is set at highway ride height.
When lowering the vehicle, it is usually not necessary to deflate the airsprings entirely. Continuing to deflate after the vehicle is down will only lengthen the rise time.
An air ride system is not intended to set the vehicle on the ground. It's just plain common sense!
A bouncy ride usually means you need more air pressure.
A firm ride may mean too much air pressure or too firm a shock.
6 degrees positive caster, 1/8" toe-in, camber as received (the axle companies set this during manufacturing). There is no specific front or rear to an axle.
We recommend installing a return spring on the brake pedal - no, hooking your toe under the brake pad doesn't count. Cam made this neat, unobtrusive return spring setup that's adjustable and doesn't require the fabrication of special brackets or welding. If anyone has a source for the large springs, let me know.
Clearance: Tire-to-Fender
As cars get lower, tire-to-fender interference becomes a problem. A 6"
wide front wheel on a front end with a track width of 57" or less
will usually clear Ford fenders up to 1940. The clearance problem is not
as common on later year vehicles. Our Evolution IFS kits, Mustang II kits
and axle set-ups will work with this combination.
Coil-Over Spring Rate
To Get Theoretical Rear Coil-Over Spring Rate for Solid Axle Applications:
Rear Weight = Weight of Vehicle X .5 for street rods; X.45 for late models
Sprung Weight = Rear Weight less 300 lb (for rear end, etc).
Weight on each spring = Sprung Weight/2
Spring Rate = Weight on each spring/Spring compression* (This is a theoretical
rate)
Example of Spring Rate Calculation:
Weight of vehicle: 3200 lb Street Rod
Rear Weight: 3200 lb X.5 = 1600 lb
Sprung Weight: 1600 lb less 300lb = 1300 lb
Weight on each spring: 1300 lb/2 = 650 lb
Spring Rate (AS654): 650 lb/2.5 = 260 lb
Ford
Sump / Mustang II Crossmember Interference
The front sump on SB Ford oil pans will sometimes interfere with the Mustang
II front crossmember. It may be necessary to do one or both of the following:
1) notch the Mustang II crossmember as required, or 2) use the pan from
an '87-'94 Ford pick-up (#FITZ-6675-A). Be sure to get the correct oil
pump pick-up tube. This pan is for motors with the dipstick in the block.
Thanks to Dan Lecelle (Vern Hornby's nephew) for this tip.
Gas
Tanks (Saddle-Type) Swichover Valve
To control the switchover valve when using saddle-type gas tanks, use
TANKS switch #TS (available from Horton's).
1 U.S. gallon = 231 cu. in
1 IMP. gallon = 277 cu. in.
(from the Street & Performance Catalogue)
- When installing your Pro Car thermal coated headers, special care must be taken to prevent scratching the thermal coating. Use foam wrapping to help prevent scratches.
- Pro Car Thermal Coated Headers are designed to withstand temperatures in excess of normal operating conditions of your motor. However, when first starting a new engine, during the initial break-in period, temperatures in excess of 1800° can occur. To prevent coating failure, have a large fan blowing on the motor during this time. Fuel system malfunctions can also produce "hot spots" in headers that lead to coating failure.
- Stains can usually be removed with soap and water and the lustre can be restored with a small amount of metal polish that does not contain grit or caustic solutions.
- Our most popular thermal coating is the silver. However, for severe heat applications where temperatures in excess of 1300° are encountered, we have a black coating (special order only) which will withstand 1800°.
- When using thermal coated headers in conjunction with stainless steel exhaust tubing, we recommend using stainless steel collectors.
Ron Wiggins from Illinois has a neat way of attaching the license plate to his model A. You've probably seen this car in multiple issues of Rod & Custom, and this is just another tech tip that I gleaned from the car. He used a urethane bushing half, split it open, then attached it to the plate. He said it never gets loose, and when he gets to a show, he just pulls it off.
Master
Cylinder Bleeding Instructions
The following information is reprinted from a Wagner tech bulletin. We
hope this will help you achieve a firm brake pedal and make working on
your project more fun.
Cautions:
Master cylinders must be bench bled prior to installation on the vehicle.
If bench bleeding is not performed, satisfactory braking will be difficult
to obtain.
Use only new brake fluid from a sealed container. Brake fluid must meet
or exceed DOT-3 specifications.
1. Hold master cylinder securely in a vise clamping it by the ears through
which the mounting bolts must pass.
Note: On disc brake applications and some drum brakes, no check valve
is used in the outlet ports. ln these cases the fluid and any air that
may be contained in it, may merely pump back and forth in the tubing.
The Bendix Bleeder Kit is recommended for the purpose of eliminating this
situation.
2. Thread bleeder kit #74013 or bleeder tubes into outlet ports and bend
the tubes into the master cylinder reservoirs. Push the tubes far enough
down into the reservoirs (if necessary) to insure that the open ends will
be submerged when the reservoirs are filled with brake fluid.
3. Fill master cylinder reservoirs with new brake fluid. Insure that the
open ends of the bleeder tubes are completely submerged.
4. Using a rod, apply and release the master cylinder piston repeatedly
until no air bubbles emerge from the ends of the bleeder tubes.
5. When no more air bubbles emerge from the ends of the bleeder tubes,
remove master cylinder from vise and install it on the vehicle.
6. Quickly remove bleeder tubes from outlet ports and attach brake lines
in their place. Do not fully tighten the fittings on the brake lines yet.
7. With brake lines loosened, have an assistant SLOWLY push the brake
pedal to the floor and hold it. Tighten fittings and have assistant release
the pedal. Repeat until no air escapes around fittings.
8. All wheel cylinders and calipers must now be bled to remove any remaining
air from the system.
Note: If vehicle has a master cylinder which is angle mounted, the rear of the vehicle must be raised until the master cylinder is level before the wheels can be bled effectively. Failure to do so will result in a "no-pedal" condition.
Sometimes the tapered splined hole on aftermarket pitman arms is slightly too large for the steering box. In this case, the nut will bottom out before the pitman airm is tight on the taper. The steering will feel loose and in fact, you will be able to see the shaft move slightly inside the pitman arm as the wheel is turned slowly right to left and back again. To correct this condition, put a spacer (a 1/8" thick large washer with the hole machined or filed to 1" dia.) between the pitman arm and the lock nut.
Walker recommends a 30 amp relay in the fan circuit. This will absorb the start-up current surge. A temperature sensitive switch can be used to control the fan.
For a lower rad hose with a tight bend, try a '79-'83 full size Chev (part #20854).
How do you identify Ford 8" and 9" rear ends? Both rear ends have removeable differentials. Both rear ends have five bolts holding the pinion bearing flange to the differential casting; two of the bolts are at the 9 o'clock and 11 o'clock position. On the 8" rear end, these bolts are on 2-13/16 inch centers. On the 9", the bolts are on 3-9/16" centers. Another way to identify the rear ends is by locating the bolt and nut at the bottom of the differential case. If the nut can be undone with a socket, the rear end is an 8". If the nut can only be undone using a wrench (because a socket won't fit onto the nut), the rear end is a 9".
On many 1929-31 street rods usually a 30" column is used. This brings the column through the firewall about 3".
With a standard steering box, a 32" tilt column will fit most '32 Fords; a 35" column fits most vehicles '33 and up.
With rack and pinion steering, a 35" tilt column will usually fit most cars.× If installing a big-block engine, you will often need a shorter column to prevent interference between the column and engine.
Visit http://www.chevymania.com/tech/vortec.htm for good information on how to tell a Vortec head form a regular head.