Heavy Duty frame rails and connectors

[toolman]

Finishing Details of the Super Duty  8.8 Conversion-

 

      Strut Spring Tubes- The Threaded Strut Tubes  were obtained from BC RACING.   If you don't have a 

TIG WELDER, Vladmir can weld his Strut Tubes Brackets on.

BC RACING STRUT TUBES

 

STRUT TUBES with Brackets WELDED ON

 

After installing the Complete Strut Assemblies with Coil Springs and car on the ground, you can adjust the 

Spring Preload and Spring Height.    Adjust the Spring Height to your preference. 

Double check Wheel to Body Clearance by testing the suspension under various road conditions.

 

Exhaust System Modifications-

    I raise the Dual Exhaust Pipes for extra clearance(Speed Bumps, etc),

 

REAR EXHAUST PIPES also, had to widen to accommodate the Wider 8.8 FORD DIFFERETIAL.

 

 

l

Rear View of Exhaust System

 

Bottom View of 2024Ford Motorsport Super Duty 8.8 Differential with Torsen Limited Slip with 3.55 Gears.

 

Right Side View of the Differential -note the Huge Axle Shaft capable of handling 800+ HP!!

 

Pic of Right Side Rotor and Mustang GT Disc Brakes.  Mounted also is 1" Wheel

Spacers to provide Caliper/ Wheel Clearance.

 

 

 

 .

 

 

Bottom View of the Differential

 

 

Side View of Converted 5 Lug  17" x 11 1/2" wide Wheel with Extra Long Lug Nuts

and 315 Nitto Tires.

 

 

 

Rear to Front View of Tire and Wheel with Rocket Bunny Flare.

 

 

Road Test and Comments-Next

Edited August 2 by toolman

[toolman]

Road Test and -Comments-

 

     The Firsr Road Test after the 8.8 Conversion went Fine.   Normally, the car under  under hard acceleration, a Shift  into

Secong Gear would cause the Right Side to break loose and the Rear End would start to come around.  So I would have to 

back off the throttle or risk a Spin Out.   With Torsen Gear, the torque was applied smoothly and evenly.   The car handles

well and controllable.

     However, when I returned to my garage and check underside of the car,  I noticed a trail of grease above the Left Rear

CV Axle.

 

This grease trail was directly over the Left Inner CV Joint.

    So I jacked up the rear of the car, Removed the Left Inner CV Axle.

After inspecting the CV Axle , I found a Small Tear in the CV Booot.

 

The Hole was under the CV Boot Clamp so I figured  the person who assembled the CV Axle must have cut it

The bigger problem was finding a replacement CV Boot.   I tried my local Ford Dealer, NAPA, OReilys, Auto Zone,

Rock Auto and even Ebay.  Nobody had it.   Then, I remembered those Universal CV Axle Boots that allowed  the mechanic to replace the Damaged CV Boots without completely removing the CV Axle.  It saved the mechanic alot

of Labor Hours.  Those boots were pretty universal.    An inventory of  4 to 5 these Universal Boots would fit many

Front Wheel Drive Cars and even ATV.

Even Snap On sold these Universal CV Axle Boots.

 

 Afrer Removing the Rubber Boot by taking the Boot Clamps off,   You just remove the Large Snap Ring.

Then remove the CV Joint.

 

Once the CV Joint was removed,  The Universal Boot was installed by stretching the boot over the axle.   I just cut the bottom section of a oil funnel.   With a little muscle, pull the Boot over the axle using the funnel to make it easier.

The messy part was put the CV Axel Grease into the new boot.  Finally , install both CV Clamps.  Then, take the car for  another road test to check for any leakage.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 31 by toolman
text and pic

[toolman]

The Follow Up Road Test  went fine.   There was no CV Axle Grease leak and the Diffferential performed well.   The Differential Gear Ratio was now 3:55 compared to the old r200 3:70 so my

shift points were now more spread out.   I think that 3:55 gear ratio for city driving by providing less

gear shifting.   Highway driving was better by running at less RPMs too.

    The Blue Angels-the Navy Stunt F16 planes were coming to participate in an Air Show at Kaneohe Marine Base. 

 

 There also had a Car Show along with the Two Day Air Show.  Although, the show was

on the other side of my island , I decided to enter my 240z in the Car Show.   The trip would take about one Hour but most of it was on freeway roads.  The Freeway would take me over the mountain to the other side of my island. 

 

 

 On the downward leg of the trip, I noticed that a lot of pedal effort was necessary to slow down,   My conclusion was that a Bigger Brake Power booster would  be needed.   The OEM Brake Booster was 7" booster so the next  size booster would be 1978 280z

booster which is 8 !/2".  The local auto places did not have a 280Z  booster available so I ordered one from Z Depot.

    The Air Show was terrific but unfortunately, it create a large Traffic problem. 

  However, The Good News is that I won the TOP TEN  Trophy for Aloha Mother Fest 2025 -CAR Show that was combined with the Blue Angel Show.

 

 

 

Next- Upgrading the 7" OEM Booster with the 78280z  8 1/2"Brake Booster

 

 

 

 

Next-Upgrading the Brake Power Booster with a 78 280Z Unit

Edited September 3 by toolman
text correction and pics

[toolman]

Upgrading with a 8 1/2" Power Brake Booster

 

 

   Sorry for the delayed posting, I was doing renovations on my house.   I am upgrading my 7 1/2"with a larger 8 !/2"

Power Brake Booster.  When I added the 8.8 Super Duty Differential Conversion, the Large Discs Brakes called for

a Larger Brake Booster to be added.   I bought the booster from Z Depot as my local parts supplies did not have in

stock.

 

 

 

 

                                 Comparison Pics of the 7 1/2" and 8 1/2" Boosters

 

 

 

As you see with these pics,  the Mounting Lugs are spread out more than the old one.   Roughly about

3/4" or 1 1/2" across.

     Luckly, the Brake Master Cylinder Assembly does not required disconnecting the brake lines.   You can just loose the 

brake line mounts and Proportioning Valve Assembly.   This will allow the removal of the old booster and room to install the new one.

 

Now, I have a lot of room to work on the Booster Mounting Holes.

 

 

However, I found that making the wider mounting holes would occur close to edge of the Brake Pedal Assembly on the opposite side of the Firewall.   So of just putting large washers would not be strong enough.  So I decided I would remove the Brake Peal Assembly and weld up some steel plate to give the assembly more strength.

    First, I made a Template for a Rubber Gasket behind the Booster Body.   

 

Then, Cut the gasket from a !/8" Flat Rubber Sheet.

 

Test Fitting the Gasket.

 

I decided that it was better to removed the Brake Pedal Assembly to work on it.   So I had to remove the Steering Column

and Elkectric Power Steering Motor together.  So I constructed a 4 Foot x 1 Foot Plywood Platform so I could work easier than bending my back on the rocker panel.

 

Also, to remove the Brake Pedal Assembly, there are Two 12mm short Hex bolts on the top of the assembly;

To remove these bolts, you must remove the Tachometer to access these bolts.  There is only a couple of inches of

space above the bolts so 12mm Ratcheting wrench or small Ratchet is recommended.

 

Mig Welded 1/8" Steel Plate over the Mounting Holes to provide additional strength.

 

 

After Test Fitting the Pedal Assembly, I found the Clutch Master Cylinder was very close to the new Brake 

Booster.  I was thinking that, in case, I needed to install a Larger Clutch Master for a Bigger Clutch, a bigger Clutch

Master might be needed.   So I decided to move the Clutch Master over while i got it apart now.

 

 

Next - Modifying the Pedal Assembly to move the Clutch Master over.