RebekahsZ

Thanks for the update-been missing you!

Don't tell them that-they are having too much fun! Specifically jnjdragracing, 1 QUICK Z, and thezguy.

Finally have a driveway for the Z Palace. I won't be getting lifts until the sprinklers and yard are done and the house is painted, and everybody paid off. Hoping to get the Z moved into the Palace once I get the front end put back together.

You will be fine; we have forum members with 1000hp and no chassis stiffening. Get to work!

Fun!

Post pics!!!

I think it's kick ass. Sure, would look better in black, but that's just a squirt of paint.

My 2002 S-10 ZQ8 extended cab came with a 4.3L V6 and a NV3500 5-spd transmission. NV stands for New Venture. GM also made a NV1500 and a NV4500. An additional source for NV3500 and NV4500s is full-sized 4.8LS-engine, manual trans full size pickups. I kept this transmission when I had my S10 swapped to a 6.0L LQ4 LS1-style V8. Apparently the NV3500 uses an old-school GM V8 bellhousing bolt pattern. I have been running this 12 year-old tranny against the V8 for a year without any trouble. I don't drive it as rough as I do my Z, but I need a new set of rear tires in less than a year due to all the tire-frying I do. And I'm using this car with a tow vehicle, pulling a 4,000 load behind me. In fact, I drove it without oil in it for 2 hours, and once I added oil, it has continued to perform flawlessly. I figured out that the shop had failed to put oil in the tranny because it got progressively noisier and started kicking out of 3rd gear into neutral. But since I added oil, all symptoms resolved and it seems to be good again. The only deficiency I have found with this tranny is that short shifters are SUPER HARD to find for them. I watched for a Hurst shifter for YEARS on ebay and finally grabbed one. Now I can shift with just my finger tips instead of my arm. However, there is a LOT to like about this tranny. It shifts well, although you cant shift it as fast under power as you can shift my T56 or it will grind. But you can still shift it plenty fast. Just not a tranny to use in my opinion if you are going to drag race it every weekend because I very often grind 3rd when shifting at 5,000 rpm+. When driving around town it is great. What I really like about this tranny is that you can drive it carefully without a clutch. Not full-power shifting, but careful, rev-matching, feel-the-gear-open clutchless shifting. Double clutch and feel for the gear to open and you can down-shift too. I don't know if shifting it this way puts additional wear on anything, but it is really fun. I don't routinely drive it that way, but if I want to have a moment of spiritual communion with my machine, I'll drive to get coffee on Saturday morning and only use the clutch to pull away from an intersection and keep my left foot on the floor for the whole trip. This ability has REALLY come in handy twice when I have had a hydraulics failure in the clutch mechanism, once on the way to work and once on a long trip. After my last hydraulic failure (old, used hydraulic line failed), I drove the car to work without a clutch for a week before I found time on a weekend to fix it. Its just a really forgiving transmission and I think they can be had pretty cheap since they are not well known. I'm going to be watching for one with low miles that I can horde away for the day when this one gives up the ghost. My T56 requires use of the clutch-if my hydraulics fail, I'm stranded-you can't even get it out of gear and into neutral without the clutch. I was initially planning to swap the truck to a T56 Magnum at some point, but I'm loving this little NV3500 so much that I've pretty well taken the T56 off the wish list.

I go: "Braap!" with my impact set on low. If you have koni shocks, set the adjuster to mid-travel in the adjustment range as the impact will jam the adjuster if it is set full hard or full soft.

So it doesn't matter what happens between the inner pivot and the ball joint, I get it. Changing the angle on the LCA doesnt accomplish a thing of the location of the ball joint and inner pivot don't change. Got it. Thanks! This winter when I replace the tie rods I plan to move those inner pivot points up.

I understand the whole bumpsteer/roll center thing, that's why I put the quotations on "bump steer". But it's a good thing to get that outboard end of the LCA as low as the wheels will allow, isn't it? (Text sent in a discussion tone, not an exasperated tone). I may just have to mock it up and see how the different configurations affect the dynamic toe. Sure wish my new garage was finished. It just won't stop raining here long enough to get any concrete work done and all I lack is a driveway. Working all crammed in next to the minivan is a real buzz-kill.

Beautiful work!

Ok guys. I have all my parts on-hand to put this back together. I called azcarbum@gmail.com who sold me this kit in order to see what failures and failure modes have been reported. He said the only failures that have been reported have been in either wrecks or off-track excursions. He also said he chose the 5/8" clevis so that it would be the point of failure instead of the TC box in the frame. So, for now I have tabled the idea of beefing the system up. I do plan to use his longer tubes to allow for more thread engagement. If I shorten the dogleg a bit, the longer rod should work-it was just millimeters too long when I first assembled all this. But, I have another question for the suspension committee: should I reassemble with the ball joint bolted to the BOTTOM of the TTT control arm, or should I cut a window in the box section of the control arm so that I can mount the dogleg to the BOTTOM of the LCA and mount the ball joint ON TOP? Seems to me that mounting it this new way will reduce "bump steer" some and reduce the moment on the TC rod. I seek your suggestions/discussion while I get on the drill press and start making dog legs from 4130 per 74_'s design.

Sorry to re-direct your thread. My screen name is RebekahsZ for a reason. I know we were talking wiring, but when you said you were dreaming of chrome wiring I thought of my dream and went off on a tangent. Or missed the apex, or some such analogy.

Love it. I think that's a VK45DE? Seriously, as I study that photo, there is SO much to like. Shroud, camber plates, A/C, hood release mechanisms. Incredible!

I had a dream that my daughter was alone in the Art building at Auburn and all the protesters from Ferguson had surrounded the building and were breaking in to get her. The next night she called me and told me that she got left at the Art building without a car and none of her friends would come give her a ride. Does this make me a prophet? Or just a racist, or just a worried dad?

I think I know the answer already, cause you know your stuff, but: is there any way the yellow Koni casing is moving inside the strut tube? I've seen gland nut incompatibility and gland nut bottoming. Just hoping to help.

Jnjdragracing- Can you be more specific? What tranny, what stall, foot brake or trans brake, what tire (size/construction), welded diff or open? On the nitrous: how big shot and was it all at once or progressive?

Alainburon-you better check to see if you can chrome that harness! Just teasing cause Im jealous.

If you plan to race the car, a good old 4-speed is great. We don't use 5th a whole lot.

You are a god! I don't have the balls for that sort of thing.

Send a PM to 1 tuff z. He sells super nice fender mirrors.

Sorry to state the obvious. I really mean it. I didn't mean to sound snotty.

Wow, this is a quality build! That engine bay looks great.

The only way your speedo will be accurate is if you have both the proper speedo gear AND the same tire outside diameter as "stock" for the car the gear was designed for. A sharpie marker on the glass of your speedo is cheap and fast.