Fitting up Myers Racing 9" rear in C1

[firstgear]

Well....got busy today and started fitting the Myers Racing 9" rear to my 60' C1. Had to cut off a couple of pieces on the frame before getting started, as I go, I realize there is no turning back now....

At the top of the rear coil over shocks I attached them where the original ones went, but in addition to that, there was an additional support required to be welded on....I tacked it on...again, excuse my welding, I will have someone that knows how to weld make the proper welds as well as make them look GREAT!

I need to get everything tacked in so I can take the whole thing over to the fabrication shop for final welding, then back home for sand blasting and finally to work to get the frame powder coated.....

In order to get the axle correctly centered and then to stay there, there is a "panhard" rod that keeps the axle in the right place left to right on the car. As I was measuring, I realized that I needed to move the housing to the left about 3/8", but then there wouldn't be enough threads still engaged in the panhard rod. So, I stuck a piece of 3/4" plywood in there to see if that was what I needed to move out from the frame, when I get it measured up perfect, then I will get a piece of steel welded onto the bracket and then weld the bracket to the frame. In the meantime, the plywood adds a nice touch, wouldn't you say?

I am missing the sway bar from the shipment, that still needs to go on....and there are a few other odds and ends that may be missing, or in one of the boxes I got that still needs to be opened....

I think this is going to turn out just fine.....I am planning on the frame being powder coated semi gloss black and the rear housing and the 4 links and panhard rod to be powder coated silver, I have some clear coat powder that I could apply over the silver...haven't decided yet....any comments on the results so far or other ideas on the color of the powder paint?

 

[BarryK]

Herb
for the color, how about a really, really, really bright yellow with neon pink polka dots?


seriously, I take it the body will be red (just a wild guess on my part.....) so I think something that constrats wekk will look best. The black will always look good but maybe even reverse it. Make the frame silver, the brakets for the suspension and such black, the rear black and the coilovers silver.

I don't know - just throwing out ideas.........

 

[firstgear]

Herb
for the color, how about a really, really, really bright yellow with neon pink polka dots?


seriously, I take it the body will be red (just a wild guess on my part.....) so I think something that constrats wekk will look best. The black will always look good but maybe even reverse it. Make the frame silver, the brakets for the suspension and such black, the rear black and the coilovers silver.

I don't know - just throwing out ideas.........

I thought about doing the frame in silver....I have 60 pounds of each, black and silver....you know I could mix the two together....it would be individual dots of black and silver...powder doesn't mix like liquid does, you will get specks of black and specks of silver and the two do not blend, because it is powder and not a liquid.....other ideas????

I was thinking of trying to get Torch Red powder, but they don't make a powder that exact color....and YES, the body will be RED....Torch Red like the 2001 vert and 2003 Z06 we have.....in fact, for the interior, I want to do something similar to the Z06 with Black and Red....that is a ways off right now...the mission is to have a rolling chassis by summer...now I didn't say beginning or end...but summer......

 

[Vette66AirCoupe]

You've impressed the hell out of me, plywood not withstanding! Did you do the front end yet or is that next? Good luck to you.

 

[firstgear]

You've impressed the hell out of me, plywood not withstanding! Did you do the front end yet or is that next? Good luck to you.

Don't be too impressed....if I could weld like Larry or some of the other guys on here then perhaps....but all I did was follow the instructions, although I have to admit there are a few places that I felt like I had to free lance a bit...but in the end I think it will turn out just fine...remember, I have NEVER done anything like this before....last time I tore into a motor was when my Datsun B10 blew a head gasket and I was too poor to have a shop fix it, so I took the head off, took it to a shop to get it repaired (head gasket blew and then the coolant ate up some of the head where the gasket blew)...also last time I welded was in high school more than 33 years ago...but so far so good....and I feel like I have a safety net here on the forum....bunch of good guys that can assist in bailing me out.....and I will need bailing...just a matter of time...

 

[Vette66AirCoupe]

What about the front end?

 

[IH2LOSE]

Herb none of this is brain surgery, But it takes some deep thought to always be looking at the total picture, (not just whats in front of your face) may sound silly but you have to be looking 10 to 20 steps ahead,

So my questions are

Why did you have to relocate the 3/8s of an inch needing the temporary plywood spacer.

Is your pinion center line center with the trans center,

Is you axle lengths equal compared to the center line of pinon center.

On the panard rods are you sure the tops of them are supposed to stand proud of the top of the frame, I am new to the c1 cars but that seams like an area that may interfere with the body where it mounts.

Looks great ,I think its great your digging in so agressively, arnt these cars a blast to work on

 

[cbernhardt]

firstgear:

First off I am not a suspension guru, but the location of the panard rod strikes me as being not as optimum as it could be. It's hard to tell from the picture alone but I'm guessing the panard rod is about 26" long and the vertical distance between the ends is about 4". Using this geometry the rear end will move about 0.3" horizontally when it moves 3" vertically. Perhaps this amount of movement is not a problem, but if the panard rod ends were closer to horizontal or if the rod were longer it seems that this would reduce the sideways movement of the rear axle as it moves up and down. Again, this is just an observation, not criticism.
Charles

 

[firstgear]

firstgear:

First off I am not a suspension guru, but the location of the panard rod strikes me as being not as optimum as it could be. It's hard to tell from the picture alone but I'm guessing the panard rod is about 26" long and the vertical distance between the ends is about 4". Using this geometry the rear end will move about 0.3" horizontally when it moves 3" vertically. Perhaps this amount of movement is not a problem, but if the panard rod ends were closer to horizontal or if the rod were longer it seems that this would reduce the sideways movement of the rear axle as it moves up and down. Again, this is just an observation, not criticism.
Charles

both you and larry raise good questions....I wish I knew the answers...I will have to think about it and study what I have....but here is a photo from the installation manual that came with the rear end...

Except for the lack of a sway bar on mine, it looks very similar.....notice the panhard rod location......I plan to get this in where it needs to be, then I will put the MeLeod scatter shield in place as well as the Tremec tranny....attach the drive shaft and see where everything lines up....if there is a god, all of this stuff will be where it is supposed to be........

 

[firstgear]

What about the front end?

The front end only has two tabs that need to be welded and those aren't a big deal. The rear had a number of places that needed to be welded. I need to get everything tacked in so I can take it to the fab shop for professional welding....then bring it home to get sand blasted then to get it powder coated....after that, everything will get final assembly...the assembly of the rear end was to get the pieces in place that needed to be welded and also to check the fit up....I don't want to find out I have a problem AFTER everything has been powder coated.....

 

[firstgear]

Herb none of this is brain surgery, But it takes some deep thought to always be looking at the total picture, (not just whats in front of your face) may sound silly but you have to be looking 10 to 20 steps ahead,

So my questions are

Why did you have to relocate the 3/8s of an inch needing the temporary plywood spacer.

Is your pinion center line center with the trans center,

Is you axle lengths equal compared to the center line of pinon center.

On the panard rods are you sure the tops of them are supposed to stand proud of the top of the frame, I am new to the c1 cars but that seams like an area that may interfere with the body where it mounts.

Looks great ,I think its great your digging in so agressively, arnt these cars a blast to work on

all good questions....I will take a hard look at it tomorrow....went to the Cavaliers game tonight...we lost....so it is late...but I have most of tomorrow set aside to check things out...

I am glad that all of you are looking and asking questions...trust me you do not, will not hurt my feelings.....

thanks, Herb

 

[cbernhardt]

Herb:

When you get everything tack welded together, raise and lower the rear end through it's entire range of motion and check to see if there is any substantial lateral movement.
Charles

 

[firstgear]

Herb:

When you get everything tack welded together, raise and lower the rear end through it's entire range of motion and check to see if there is any substantial lateral movement.
Charles

hmmmm....the probably means putting the rear end on the jack stands then having me and Sharon stand on the end of the frame....unless I take the shocks and coils off.....now that I think of it, sharon and I wouldn't even budge those coils and shocks...I think they are set for about 550-600 pounds EACH.....so I would have to take them off.....so the next question....

In the position it is in now, with the weight off the rear and supported by the frame (where jacks are located) do you think that the rear suspension has any more movement DOWN (travel away from the frame), or would it all be movement UP (travel towards the frame bumper stops).....

I guess I am not sure....I figured I would put the diff and gears in today (that sucker is HEAVY) and the scattershield as well as the tremec tranny....if I can get that stuff done today, I will post some more photos....

Herb

 

[BarryK]

Herb
I know nothing about C1's and nothing about the suspension system so I apologize in advance for even butting into your thread but was wondering something from your pics.
Maybe it's the same thing Larry was asking about but I don't know the proper name of the parts to be able to identify really what he was asking you.

Attached are two of your pics you posted and I circled an area. Since part of this is above the level of the frame, would this cause you clearance issues when you go to drop the body back down?

 

[firstgear]

Herb
I know nothing about C1's and nothing about the suspension system so I apologize in advance for even butting into your thread but was wondering something from your pics.
Maybe it's the same thing Larry was asking about but I don't know the proper name of the parts to be able to identify really what he was asking you.

Attached are two of your pics you posted and I circled an area. Since part of this is above the level of the frame, would this cause you clearance issues when you go to drop the body back down?

It isn't supposed to...but I figure when I get everything where I want it on the frame BEFORE final welding.....that I need to drop the body back on....put my wheels on the axels and make sure that everything will stay inside the body.....I picked out my wheels and then told Myers what backspacing I had....based on that, they adjusted the width of the rear housing...I picked an 8" wheel with only a 3.5" back spacing, so that means it is slightly dished as compared to the front wheels that are 7" wide with a 3.5" backspacing.....don't have the tires yet in case I have a big mess on my hands I can still send back the wheels...after you mount the tire to the wheel...you OWN them....until then I still have time to send them back to Summit.....

 

[BarryK]

i was just curious.
Like I said I know nothing regarding this stuff.

good luck, you have more guts than I do digging into unknown territory like this!
maybe someday I'll try a full project like you are doing.

 

[firstgear]

i was just curious.
Like I said I know nothing regarding this stuff.

good luck, you have more guts than I do digging into unknown territory like this!
maybe someday I'll try a full project like you are doing.

don't know that I have guts....just don't know any better is more my thought...you would think by now in my life that I would know better....the kid in me says...KEEP GOING.....unfortuantely that also means...KEEP SPENDING.....for what I paid for the car...and will have in it...could have bought a very nice frame off numbers matching C1......but then...it wouldn't peel rubber like this one is going to do either......hmmmm...that little kid in me still talking and thinking....

 

[cbernhardt]

Herb:

I don't think you need to worry about body clearance near the bracket that Barry has circled in red. The fiberglass turns up rather sharply just in front of that point.

I would, however, be careful of the location of the panard rod bracket that attaches to the frame. There is not much space (maybe 0.5") between the top of the frame and the body at this point. Also, if you are using the stock location for the exhaust, the exhaust pipe is near this location, so you may want to test fit it before welding everything together.

Regarding my previous comment about checking the motion of the rear suspension, I would check this with the shocks and springs removed. In normal driving you will probably never bottom out the suspension but at least by checking it you will know if there is any binding in the links. You can also check to see how much (if any) lateral movement of the rear end the panard rod is causing as it moves up and down.

Charles

 

[firstgear]

Herb:

I don't think you need to worry about body clearance near the bracket that Barry has circled in red. The fiberglass turns up rather sharply just in front of that point.

I would, however, be careful of the location of the panard rod bracket that attaches to the frame. There is not much space (maybe 0.5") between the top of the frame and the body at this point. Also, if you are using the stock location for the exhaust, the exhaust pipe is near this location, so you may want to test fit it before welding everything together.

Regarding my previous comment about checking the motion of the rear suspension, I would check this with the shocks and springs removed. In normal driving you will probably never bottom out the suspension but at least by checking it you will know if there is any binding in the links. You can also check to see how much (if any) lateral movement of the rear end the panard rod is causing as it moves up and down.

Charles

can do!!! thanks...will let you know what I find....