LEGENDS > Drivetrain & Gearing

How To.....squaring axle housing.

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knoxracing:
I would be careful using this method, its not real accurate, I DO NOT mean to be disrespectful, just HELPFUL . You are squaring the housing to the rear cross bar located 10-12 inches apart. if you are off a 1/16th or the bar is off a 1/16th the error is greatly amplified by the time you reach the front area of the car. being out a 1/16 will effect the car, amplifying that number will make a much bigger difference.  I plumb bobbed cars for a long time as you are, it is ok, but I found out later its not that accurate and you are not squaring the rear to the front area of the car.  I have spent alot of money on expensive lasers and can tell you squaring to the rear cross member will  probably be close, but the difference between 5th and 1st on ASPHALT is being better than close.  Stand back and look at the car,  the housing is to close to the cross member, if there is an error it will be huge when stretched the length of the chassis, and after racing a car multiple times they all move and twist differently. If you plumb bob the car to the cross member, double check yourself by the following method. Remove the front clip(fenders, hood, grill).  Find the point where the shock towers rise from the frame rails. Measure forward on top of the frame rail to within an inch of the bumper and mark it, do the same to the other side.  Clamp your 60 inch bar across the front of the car on top of the frame rails on your marks. measure back to the rear wheels. (you can use the wheel base gauge to help you do this).  You will say how do i know if the clip is straight? You may not, but if the clip isnt straight, then squaring to the rear cross member is that much worse.  This is easy, takes simple tools and will give you alot of info. This car needs to be AS square as it can be,  you need the rear square with the front area of the chassis.
Dennis Knox
Buckyey Legends
330-310-9212

JGRacing:
Thanks for the information Dennis.  It sounds like a really easy way to do it.  Now I just need to make sure that my front clip is reasonably straight.    :)

JGRacing:
Just wanted to bump this post up again.  I used Dennis's method and it was much easier and more accurate than when I crawled around on the floor last year to measure the rear end housing to to the cross member. 

slack11:
I am trying to do this but running myself in circles.  Here is what I have...

I have set the wheelbase to the same on either side, both 72 7/8"  If I drop a plumb bob off the bottom ball joint from the grease fitting on either side.  If I then drop a line from the rear on either side,  and measure distances from the rear to the front lower ball joint marks, and then measure diagonally, if it all is the same I am square.

I was using the  method Dennis described above last night, and had a late model/modified guy helping me who is very experienced.  He was wondering if the shock towers on these cars are true and square to the car, if they are a good point to be measuring from to square the  rear.  He was saying that by using the lower ball joints, you are squaring all 4 contact patches with one another.
 
Would dropping lines from the lower ball joint be better, or just complicating things with all the measuring of diagonals....

VMS Motorsports:
Just my dirt driver 2 cents here...may not be accurate enough for the asphalt guys, but it takes me 5 minutes and can be done by myself anywhere.

Dirt Boy Hillbilly Rear End Squaring (patent not pending)

Duct tape
Nylon string
Two 3/4 Jam nuts
Tape measure

-As somewhat described above, except I duct tape (I can't afford magnets  :D  ) 2 pieces of the nylon strings with nuts tied to the end (hillbilly plumb bob) to the rear housing bearing carriers.

-measure from the string to the front of the cage/firewall/crossmember/whatever you call it in your local area (underneath) because most clips I've seen aren't straight, 'specialy on dirt, or from USLCi (my own personal opinion, not that of management of VMS Motorsports, their subsidiaries, Gimpster, or LegendsRacer.com). I agree with Dennis that the rear crossmember is too close to be a pure number.

This works great for me, can do it alone, and can do it with whats in the truck anyway. Also eliminates any "irregularities" in the front clip/shock towers

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