Chris V wrote:Thanks for the offer, what do those adapters use for hardware on both patterns?...
The one's I have are just flat plate about 1/2" thick. It uses the stock four-lug bolts in teh center (I'm sure your current studs would work), and it uses the stock 5-lug bolts on the outside. I'll send pics if needed.
Hmm...I think I have a pair of those in the garage...I guess I'd better go looking deeper - maybe they fouled on the contour of the Type III drums. I'd still have to carry some spare M12 lug bolts and some extra 1/2"x20 nuts - nothing is easy it seems.
turbobaja wrote:
Chris V wrote:SO...what do ya'll think of going 3x3's, what would I need, 26mm torsions and 19-1/4" axles? Type I trans still...too much effort to to a Bus trans...I'd rather work on my Bus.
3x3's need a wider front end to make it all come together, plus you gotta redesign the upper/lower shock mounts for them to work. I was ....encouraged to keep my suspension ~stock since it would be primarily driven on-road. Once you start stretching things out and working towards more travel the sky is the limit. Your baja gets around pretty good as-is, or as-was I guess . Keep the Baja simple and pimp out the Bus.
Well...I would like to have more travel / ground clearance one day - but it would be too much effort to change all of the suspension right now when only one corner is messed-up.
I've got everything stockpiled to swap out the Bus front-end for one of Franklin's adjustable pieces.
ts39136 wrote:
Chris V wrote:Thanks for the offer, what do those adapters use for hardware on both patterns?...
The one's I have are just flat plate about 1/2" thick. It uses the stock four-lug bolts in teh center (I'm sure your current studs would work), and it uses the stock 5-lug bolts on the outside. I'll send pics if needed.
Hmm...I think I have a pair of those in the garage.
Dad picked me up a new larger welding bottle so I can weld some Sport Beetle seat-frames back together for his ex-wife - who he's selling his old `69 Beetle (the one that was converted to RHD for a couple years)...So now I'm thinking about finishing the roof rack too - so I've been shopping for lights
The new Geolandars next to the 7.00R-15s on 4" BTR's, and one of the old Firestone Destination M/T's on the other Ansen.
My current spare is a 235/75 on 6" reverse center `66/`67 steelie, and my Baja supervisor:
Well, got laid-off yesterday - with a chance of an odd job or two here or there...So I've been thinking about body swaps and other things to keep me busy no doubt
I'm thinking I've got a really clean `69 parts car that needs a few problems solved (rusted out package tray & gutted doors above any other) but it would make an excellent choice as a new Baja/Class 11...Swap beams/arms/brakes - jack up the torsions and swap control arms. I was already planning on pulling the engine/trans to install a new set of mounts and mid-mount since the first outing seems to have killed them - and the accident probably didn't help - so it's really not much more work to put them into the other car. I'll have to figure-out bumpers and an exhaust I figure...The roof-rack mounts can be copied - The Eagle seats I'll let slip away...I've got some Recaros & bolt-in adapters/sliders.
The package tray is the perhaps the strangest issue...Both the `67 and the `69 have see-through package trays - and the `67 was repaired with a fiberglass unit from Glass-Action by my Uncle and I - I don't think I'll encounter too much trouble drilling out the pov-rivets and cutting through the RTV and caulk to pull it out to re-gift to the `69.
Once I put some bigger brakes on and a stereo to accept the iPhone I was pretty much done working on the Volvo, lol. I keep my eye out for a `98 V70R each week...I think I'm upto 2K miles on the 850 maybe - I've still got a work truck/gas card somehow.
I did find/check the bolt-on wheel-adapter and with ~.080" or so ground off each point it should nest right inside the Type III drum. The wheels are at the re-finisher and being matched to a picture of my BTR's...pretty excited.
I figure I'll have to put the Baja back together if for nothing else than to test the transmission...So maybe I'll do the swap next spring so Dad and I can drive it this winter, I have plenty of things to do on the `69 before it's ready for running gear anyway.
The shock pocket wouldn't allow the stub-axle to come out - so off it went.
Well, got the control arm all re-assembled and the axle built too...but it was raining and the garage was/is a mess so we cleaned a bit...and Dad swapped nosecones on a 4.125 transaxle for the red-`69, and I shortened one of the AVIS adjuster bolts ~5/16" on his `69 so the swaybar stopped hitting it - also centered the steering wheel finally.
I bought several eBay used server fans 40x40x56mm ~1.14Amps - planning on wiring those into winshield defrost fans...was a little shocked when I looked into Dad's rearview mirror and saw his new rear glass defrost working while I was driving around the block fooling with the steering wheel - I've never seen one work before!
Got the engine/trans in the `69 - so I used it to pull the Baja upto the garage after I installed the rebuilt diaganol arm...but it's pretty wet out there, sooooo final-drive flange seal, half-shaft, battery, and put the brake back together tomorrow hopefully. The server fans came - so maybe I'll get to hacking the wiring later too.
Little guy like me has a hard time with the cold/wet...I was wearing long johns and Carhartt overalls and was soaked and borderline miserable...no matter how long I spent cleaning the old `69 you can't touch the thing without being filthy too - sat under a tree and got covered in pine-sap after it was shelved back in March I think...and has seen a halfshaft or two with a bad-boot, lol.
Got the final drive flange pulled-off and ground it down in three places where the balls hit - the stub axle was smeared in the same way, axle went in no problems. Got the brakes put back together and bled/adjusted...tossed the yellow top in and she fired right up after getting oil pressure...
...I can't believe I finished before the wheel guy.
Well, I finally bit the bullet and ordered the gussets & tabs/lights/and ammo cans I've been dreaming of...Need to go pick-up some steel and get going on the roof-rack now.
I let the girl decide, and we went with three rectangular Hellas, 550's - outside lights serving flood/fog, with a driving lamp in the center - under $150. Found a neat rack and strap assembly to hold two 50mm ammo boxes - and picked-up some 120mm mortar boxes too.
Picked-up 60' of tubing so there won't be any running-out for awhile...Didn't want to waste any of it, so I tinkered with some scrap 1/2" EMT to get an idea. Whatcha' think? I'm a little worried about lighting up the hood so I'm thinking I should keep them low and set-back from the windshield a bit...
Just got word, the Ansen wheels are roughed-in and just may be back to me tomorrow after polishing! $100 cheaper than quoted too!
. Keep the Baja simple and pimp out the Bus.
. Sorry to hear about the layoff though.
