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The poor man's rear toe-in adjuster


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Pretty much done. Here's some pics of how it ended up.

The gusseted uprights:

gusseteduprights.jpg

The new link all done:

newlinkdone.jpg

Assembled:

assembled.jpg

Top view:

topdone.jpg

3/4 view:

done.jpg

 

I didn't get the bolt holder done yet, and all of this needs paint. It looks pretty good. Only problem I can see right now is that I didn't tap the tap tube perfectly straight. No biggee, I can just loosen the 4 bolts a bit more and it should still adjust fine. If it's really a bother I can buy a prefabbed turnbuckle from Coleman.

 

This is my biggest fabrication project yet, and I definitely made a bunch of errors during the process. I had fun with it though, and I like what I ended up with.

 

Can't wait to finish my 9000 other projects on this car and test drive the thing...

 

EDIT--One more thing. With the gussets welded in the uprights cannot be dropped without lowering the diff. I don't EVER remember having to remove the uprights without pulling the diff, but FWIW I did lose that ability.

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Looks good Jon. It may be even more trouble, but dropping the mustache bar should allow you to remove this new assembly??????(I looks like you could remove the 4 bolts on the assembly and slide it rearward and down away from the differential. Yes, the diff will be supported by the front mount for a few moments, but would this work?)

 

Glad to see it come together. Let us know how it works out in regards to adjustments made.

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  • 6 months later...

Jon, I'm gonna give you props when I copy this whole setup! The only thing I'll do differently is use some threaded steel blocks I have laying around from the square tube rear control arms I made years ago. I'll extend your square tubing further horizontal from each side to span closer together and just use one of my turnbuckles in the center with a couple of locknuts. I'm gonna use the AZC camber plates and probably go back to a factory control arm in the rear, although I may end up keeping my tubular rear arm, replaced with heim joints on the end as Mike Mileski did.

 

Mikelly

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  • 2 months later...

Here are pictures of my version of the "poor man's rear toe adjuster." Thanks jeromio for the web page of your version that I used for inspiration.

 

By slotting the cross member pieces instead of the uprights I was able to easily get 3/8" of adjustment in each direction on each side.

 

 

Parts layout:

PARTS_LAYOUT.jpg

 

Assembled view:

REAR_VIEW_ASSEMBLED.jpg

 

Assembled top view:

TOP_VIEW_ASSEMBLED.jpg

 

Assembled / installed view:

REAR_VIEW_INSTALL.jpg

 

 

Thanks, Adam

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I can't remember why heims were used. Since this slides more or less in a straight line couldn't something solid be used? Did we already discuss that and I'm too stupid to find it?

 

And a trick you may or may not know. If you need really fine adjustment use two different thread pitches rather than left and right threading.

 

Cary

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Cary, I think the reason for the heims is because they're easy to mount. If you recall I did mine with no heims. Actually I used heims and cut the bearing off and just used the threaded stud. It was kind of a PITA. Would have been a lot easier to stick a bolt through the square tubing and run rod ends.

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Cary, I think the reason for the heims is because they're easy to mount. If you recall I did mine with no heims.

 

Thanks Jon, that seemed to have jogged the memory. So there's no reason lower cost clevice or solid joints could be used if someone wanted to save more money on this "poor" adjustment.

 

Cary

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One disadvantage I see with the use of rod ends is that during back and forth turning used for adjusting to a final setting, the rod ends will pivot until they reach their angle limit, at which point the actual pull or push of the bushing retainers takes place, which can get a bit tiresome with the amount of "backlash" (for lack of a better term) rod ends have.

 

On a side note, once you know the thread pitch, you can set a predicted amount of toe change by a simple conversion of turns per xxx amount of toe movement. Thus if I wish to add 1/8" of toe in or out, you can predictably do this with a specific number of degrees that the turnbuckle is turned (60º per flat, for a hex turnbuckle).

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  • 3 years later...

I know this thread is a little old , but the context is very relevant so I thought I would ask your opinions on an idea I had. I am also installing an LSD complete with cover on my s-30. I would also like to have the toe adjustment advantage(while i'm at it thing you know). My option would to be weld studs or bolts on to the control arm pivot bolts as a mounting point for my heim ends and for adjustment( inplace of the transverse link) The bolts would only need to be a 2.5 inches to clear the fins and I would reinforce the uprights like Jon did with his, so the load isn't on the heim ends. It is just a very simple place to have the adjustment. I guess the question would be-is that area strong enough? That pivot bolt is 7/8" approx, but don't know it wasn't made for that kind of loading.(although loading would be minimized by upright reinforcement)

If this is a viable option, what grade of bolt would you use and would an half inch bolt be plenty big enough?

assembly time 010_thumb.jpg

assembly time 012_thumb.jpg

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I don't think attaching to the bolt is going to be a problem. I think attaching with a LONG bolt like you're showing there and then running rod ends to it will be a problem. That's a lot of bending load on the bolt, if you were to just space the rod end out 3" or whatever you needed to clear the cover. How about this? Drill and tap the huge bolt so that the smaller bolt or stud screws into it. This avoids having to weld to the head of the bolt and should be easier to get straight. Then screw in a SHORT stud and make a bracket that attaches to the stud then comes off at an angle and that part then is what the turnbuckle attaches to.

 

I'm just throwing stuff out there. It's not quite clear in my mind what this would look like, but I'm not liking the long stud attached to the back of the control arm bolt, seems like too much bending load on the stud...

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That bolt that I used in the pic is way too long, I just used it as an example. Since my control arms are just flopping around there in the picture, it is hard to tell how long of a bolt I will need, but I was figuring that the heim joint would be about 1.5 inches off the head of control arm.

I am with you Jon in keeping the bolt as short as possible, PLUS reinforcing the uprights so that the heim joint is only really there for adjustment and not carrying much of the load.

Next time I have time, I will bolt up everything and take better measurements and some more pics.

Now to learn how to make TIME:)

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I think I have the uprights finished. I started making it too big looking for strength, but then I noticed the clearance on the moustache bar getting too tight, so I widdled'er done a bit. Now clearances look better. The diff vent lines right up (in the way)with the brace work, so I had to notch it(the brace) for room. I think I will run a rubber line in the vent hole so I can direct it around the brace. I need to elongate the holes for adjustment and make some of those handy nutplate pieces that BlueOvalZ made to make adjustments easy.

I just ordered the heim joint today to finish out my plan to connect the control arms. I found a complete set up for about 50$ using .5" ends. Once I get the rod ends I can figure the length on the bolt to be welded to the control arm pivot bolt.

assembly time 016_thumb.jpg

assembly time 015_thumb.jpg

assembly time 018_thumb.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here the latest. I recieved my heim joint set-up and welded a nut onto the bolts on the rear control arm. Jon, as you can see the bolts turned out to be very short. I might have actually got away with drilling and tapping the bolt since there was ample clearance between the cover and the threaded rod. I believe this will be plenty strong for what stress it will endure. I need to make slotted holes now in the uprights and make some nutplates.

rear toe adjuster 008_thumb.jpg

rear toe adjuster 009_thumb.jpg

rear toe adjuster 010_thumb.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well I finally finished my latest(while I'm at it) project. Now the parts are painted and installed for good-I hope. Jon, I hope you see this because I need to ask you about the clearance between the moustache bar and the reinforced uprights. I put large washers between the diff and the moustache bar to space the diff forward away from the uprights now that the uprights have more material on them. Even with that, the breather off of the diff is right up against brace that connects the two uprights. How much movement can one expect from the moustache bar?

rear suspension done! 002_thumb.jpg

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