Hey guys, I've just been outside measuring and re-measuring my shock towers. My original plan was to notch the towers for by turbo header clearance. I'm going to be taking a healthy cut (and no offense to those who have done it ) but I don't really care for how it looks when it's done. I'm trying to build this car like it was something Ford may have actually produced (if they were as performance driven as I am!). Anyhow, I saw a thread with a 460 where they moved the towers out by cutting between the apron and the tower in essence tilting the spring out. When I was measuring it looks like this might be an easier way. I'll have to make new supports for the towers, but I was planning on building my own heim joint MonteCarlo bar anyhow. Oh and please keep in mind I'm not thinking about moving the a-arm pivot, but just the upper spring area. I was thinking it may even overlap and I can add bolts to my welds also. Anyone have any thoughts on this??? I know it will move the spring out and may change it's rate due to the angle, but I'm building the roller perches for it anyway and it's only going to see limited street use. Mostly it will be a drag car sleeper.
If you screw it up, you could always buy another car, or use the opportunity to put in a decent MII rack and pinion steering system. GO FOR IT!!! and take lots of pics along the way in case it works out and others want to do it.
I have seen it done before. I think there is a lot more involved then maybe we realize at the onset.....but it could definitely be done nice and clean. I think $$$ wise it can be done a lot cheaper than a M2, but it will take just as much if not more fabrication, from what I have seen.
Ok, the "buy another car" comment has me worried scooper! :16suspect But then the idea of a M2 front end isn't totally out of the question. I just hate spending that much money and having to replace my brakes and everything. If I have to I can always go that route if this fails. I think that I'm going to give this a try if nobody comes up with a good argument against it. Here is a picture of how I have it layed out right now. The area that I will overlap is between the pieces of tape he whole thing will slide over and I'll have a patch panel at the bottom to fill the gap. I'll take pictures as it progresses...unless I chicken out!~
I like the extra space...that looks good. What do you have to do to the rest of the suspension to correctly allign it?
All it moves is the top of the spring and shock. That's why I don't think it will have that much impact on handling. That's a great pic Seth! Just what I've been trying to do. The only difference is that I'm planning on using the existing tower and not fab a new one. But then with that cammer, he needed to build his own!
For that amount of work, it seems it may be easier to put a Rod & Custom Motorsports MII kit under it and eliminate the towers all together.
Yeah, but then my brakes would have to be replaced and the spindles, and I'd have to change to a rack and pinion and then the oil pan wouldn't clear so I'd have to get a double hump one...the devil is in the details unfortunately. I really don't think that this will be any tougher than notching the towers.
The RCM kit has the disc brakes, rack & pinion set up and takes a front sump pan. Looking at the top of the tower, you would not gain much by moving it outward if you plan on keeping the stock springs. If you could find a smaller diameter spring, you would gain more clearance. You could go with one of those strut type set ups like RRS is producing.
I'm not quite sure I'm following you. I can't see where I would have clearance issue's with the spring. Are you thinking between the spring and the tire? The spring is always going to be in relation to the upper a-arm, so it can't hit there. Also the outer shock cover sticks out further than the spring could ever be moved. Sorry for being so dense...I get that way sometimes!
When you trim it back that far at the top, it looks as if the area is smaller than the spring is? I believe the area in question is at the top of the spring, not on the upper A-arm.
Oh that's the misundertanding! The way I have it layed out I'm going to remove the material from between the tapes inside edges. Everything under the tape will still exist. I'll have at least 1/2 from the edge of the spring to the edge of the existing metal where the tape is placed now. This should be a net gain of almost 2 1/2" per side.
I see...... Should be interesting. I have shaved 3 Mavericks for friends. Your way definitely would look better than just shaving them. Only problem I see, and it may not actually be one since I'm no engineer, is the fact that you will no longer be pushing the spring squarely. Your A-arm travels in an arc towards the center of the car and your springs are slanted inward so that you push them as squarely as possible. Your springs will now be slanted out away, so your a-arm will be trying to push the spring saddle out from under the spring. Maybe the shock will bind? Any thoughts?
