why not just flip the shocks. I have seen SL's with the shocks reversedThis post covers trimming the bell-cranks so they clear the shock body at full droop.
The SLC build manual states the top of the shock sits in the bell-crank while the rear suspension push rod clears the upper control arm by 1mm or so when the suspension is at full droop.
I installed the shock in the bell-crank just to see how it all fits together. Pic of the shock edge contacting the bell-crank…
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After looking at how the shock end hits the bell-crank I felt it could be improved to provide more travel. Ken and Johan also trimmed the bell-cranks so figure I would do the same.
Without this modification, to install the rear shock it must be compressed about an inch. Not a real problem if you are using the stock 7” springs, you can loosen the spring collars which allows you to compress the shock.
The 7” springs tend to be on the short side and considering the extra weight of the LT4 I opted for 8” 850 lb springs. This pic shows the max angle of the bell-crank and where the opposite end of the shock sits at full extension…
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Ideally I’d prefer the shock end to clear the bell-crank when the shock is at full extension. I think this makes it easier to service(install/remove) the rear shocks. So fired up the mill and got to work.
Milled the area where the corner of the shock contacts the bell-crank and filed down the inside area where the side of the shock body would rest…
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Here is a close up of how the shock now sits in the bell crank…
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Wound up removing a little bit more material on the side so the shock bottoms out and still clears the bell-crank. The top plate requires a little more trimming than the bottom plate. Pic of the final modification…
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Shock now in full droop on the chassis and clears the bell-crank…
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Added the 8” Hyperco 850lb springs.
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The spring rubs ever so slightly on the top of the chassis depending on how it is clocked. I’ll probably add a 1/16” spacer on the bottom of the shock end to insure there is clearance.
Good question Rob. I briefly thought about that at the time because Scott has the Penske shocks and they mount shock body end flipped like this…why not just flip the shocks. I have seen SL's with the shocks reversed
Joel, with the tie rod that close to the upper control arm (height wise) you shouldn’t have it paralell with the LCA.This post is probably a bit premature since the initial setup and alignment of the suspension was done with some very basic tools back on post #320. Front ride height is set at 4.25”. At some point I’ll either buy a tenhulzen alignment setup or take the chassis to an alignment shop before the body is locked down for good.
Fabricated two bump steer spacers and took some measurements. I used a washer stack on the drivers side to get the tie rod angle close to the lower control arm angle. The SLC manual suggests this is the best approach to reduce bump steer.
These are the measurements I got on the driver’s side. I think these numbers are pretty good…
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Then used the same sized spacer on the passenger side and it seems I may need to fabricate a slightly taller spacer to get the tie rod closer to the angle of the lower control arm..,
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I could also just add a single washer on the passenger side which would probably do the trick.
Anway, wondering if most other builders have seen a difference from side to side and is the correct approach to make a taller spacer on the passenger side or is this close enough where it doesn’t really matter.
Thanks Johan, based on this information the tie rod angle will wind up being closer to the top control arm angle than the bottom. Somewhere in between the two. As DaveC recommended, seems a best practice is to run the front suspension through it’s travel and find out how many washers to use then remake the spacers.Joel, with the tie rod that close to the upper control arm (height wise) you shouldn’t have it paralell with the LCA.
Check this out. There is a lot to read about bump steer.
Jeff, I’ve read they can last between 8-10 years although I’ve also read of unsuccessful installs where they went dead during the first year. Like anything they are being improved over time. I’m hoping the battery management system in this battery will keep it healthy for 8-10 years.Question regarding the LiFePO batteries - does anyone know the service life of these compared to the traditional lead acid units?
Does the DEI heat shield burn?Time to take a break from the exhaust and final chassis items. Decided to cut out the exterior heat shields.
This post covers how to make simple patterns and cut out and align holes in the heat shield for a nice clean fit. The heat shielding is adhesive backed, but at this time I’m not going to permanently attach it.
Here is a short video on the process…
Here are the supplies and tools used…
1)DEI Matte Black Floor and Tunnel Shield II 50549
2)Large heavy duty scissors
3)Sharp scribe
4)Step drill
5)Various size hole saws
6)Pointed set screws used to locate blind threaded holes
7)Black sharpie
8)Dremel cutting disc
I chose DEI heat shield since it is the maximum heat insulation product they make, it also acts as a sound barrier and comes in a nice matte black finish. All exterior panels will get this applied to them.
1st step is to find an approach to making accurate patterns. I like to use multiple pieces of construction paper and tape them together to form the pattern. This eliminates the need to cut the pattern out precisely. Just butt the paper up to an edge and then overlap it and tape it to the adjoining piece.
Pic of the front foot box pattern and install tools…
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Drew the pattern on the back side of the heat shielding…
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The material is fairly easy to cut with large, sharp scissors. Tin snipes would work well too, but I like the scissors since they cut the material nice and straight.
Now on to making holes and cut outs. I wanted to do a neat job cutting this material and came up with a few approaches that worked really well.
1)All larger openings - were marked with a sharpie from behind
2)Smaller openings - like M5 screws used the scribe to poked a small hole from behind and drill out from the front. I used a step drill with deep steps.
3)Larger screw holes - Marked each hole center and used a scribe and poked a hole from behind. Drilled out from the front with a step drill with very deep steps. Shallow step drill will not work well since each step doesn’t go all the way through the material. If the hole size needed is the largest on the step drill, then a shallow step drill works ok. The step drills are nice since they cut the aluminum and fiberglass cleanly without getting bound up.
4)Larger round holes - Marked each hole center and used a scribe and poked a hole from behind. Used the step drill to drill a guide hole for the hole saw. Then used a hole saw bit and ran it backward from the aluminum side of the material. While pressing the back side in my hand I could feel when the drill was through all three layers(aluminum, fiberglass, and adhesive backing). It worked great!
5)Blind screw holes - Insert a few sharpened set screws in the chassis and press the material firmly against it. This will poke a hole through the back plastic layer. Then lightly tap the front with a mallet and block of wood causing the set screws to poke through. Use the scribe to further widen the holes and drill them out from the front with a step drill.
Here is a pic of the trimmed up heat shielding for the extended foot box and front of the passenger compartment. You can see some of the various ways to make neat and concise holes and openings in the material…
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Pic of front-side panel patterns. Left a small section of the foot box area uncovered. This area is open to cooler air so figure no harm in leaving it uncovered…
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Now with the heat shield applied…
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Traced the chassis side and interior tub close out panel from a single large sheet of heat shield. Turned out the Chassis passenger side is 48” long and matches the length of the heat shielding sheet...
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Inserted the sharpened set screws in the interior tub close out panel to locate the blind holes...
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Driver side compartment panel cut and fitted. Used the sharpened set screw technique to locate the blind holes. The screws lined up perfectly for the brake lines and tub close out panel…
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Rear bulkhead, fuel tank close out panels, and lower frame rail all get heat shielding…
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3/4 view from the front…
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That was a lot of fun. I’ll permanently attach them to the chassis after I know, no more holes need to be drilled. I’ll seal the edges up with either matte black flashing tape or urethane chassis sealer.