14-01     Suspension - rough ride fixed

 

In June, 2010, Mike in Yuma, AZ shared the following:

I did some work on my car 905P and I thought I'd pass it along.  As far as a rough ride, I took the middle long leaf spring out all around, then replaced the shocks with 65 mustang shocks all around.  What a difference in the ride.  No more rough riding! 

15-55     Rear Ends and Gear Ratios

General info -

(or rear ends for dummies)

In 2010, after a long period of being baffled by rear end gear ratios, your Annexmaster decided to put together a primer on the subject by gathering some simple info to get you (and me) started on the subject. Questions will be asked of people who know, and the answers posted, along with any objections to the accuracy of the responses by other experts. The Mustang II group will be asked first.

The results of the Mustang II inquiry included this:

My II originally had a 2.3L (4 cyl) with a 3.55:1-- 8" rear. With the 351W, (V-8) a C4 and that
rear the car was just about impossible to move without smoking the tires.

Still pretty wild with 3.00:1 gears.

OR -- another response

Going from a 3.0 rear gear to a 4.10 makes a huge difference but you can't have
your cake and eat it too. The 4.10 will really wake up the car but at highway
speed, the motor is really screaming and your gas mileage will be crap.

Also a good explanation from Yahoo Answers:

Bottom line, the higher the ratio, the more power (Torque actually) at the rear wheels, also the higher your engine runs (RPM's) and the poorer your gas mileage.

btw - higher ratio is referred to as lower gearing (geared down) and lower ratio is referred to as higher gearing ... nice and confusing eh?

example, with a 4.10 gear set, the ratio is 4.10 to 1 so for every 4.1turns of the driveshaft, the rear axle will be turned one time and you will have a torque advantage of 4.1x
On the flip side for every say 10 turns of the wheels, your drive shaft will turn 41 times & your engine has to turn 41 times in high gear (not overdrive).
With a 3.70 gear, your Torque advantage is 3.7 times but now if your wheels turn 10 times, your drive shaft and engine will only turn 37 times. As with everything auto, always a trade off.

Changing is not difficult but is hardly a beginner project. Improperly set up and your rear end won't last long. Easy enough though to pop off the cover, slip the axles out a few inches, and then remove the differential. Once that is out, unbolt the old ring gear and bolt in the new one. The pinion isn't much harder. The trick is then shimming the differential so that the gears mesh properly and hit in the right spot. Any decent shop book should cover it well enough (Chilton's, Hayes, ect) as well as most car/truck mags from time to time (Car Craft, Petersen's 4 Wheel). A pretty easy one afternoon project.

1966-71 cars:

This info

This info relates to International based cars - the first generation of Glassics. Some of these cars ended up with V-6 and V-8 conversions, which would affect the engine speed and performance in relation to the rear end gearing.

Car 313 -- in May, 2010 Bill Crozier wrote, regarding his car with a Chevy V-8 swap. Originally he kept the rear end that came with the car (and its 4 cylinder engine).

I changed the rear end gears in mine and what a difference it made  its a real car now  the gears are still available to just change the ring and pinion changed the whole car for the better  went from 373 (factory) to 308 boy oh boy  easy fix with out mods.

Bill's son, Dennis, who owns car 189, also with a V-8 swap wrote the following, also in May, 2010:

My dad just had his (car 313) 3.73’s swapped out with 3.08’s and said it made a world of difference.  Mine is a little older with the pumpkin a little offset to the pass side.  If the numbers are good and I can get the gears, I’m gonna do the same swap.  Maybe at 60 MPH it won’t sound like it’s gonna blow up.

a 1974 car:

Rear end and gear ratios. -- part of the info below also appears under AOD (overdrive) transmissions.

1978 cars:

The Annexmaster then checked his 1978 - car 1254 and saw the info below.

This tag was on the passenger side of the car, on the side of the hub facing the front of the car, and it was upside down - I reversed the picture.

WDY               OAAK               7HE                2.79        8                247A

http://www.woodyg.com/fairlane/finfo/fordrears.html

http://www.fordmuscle.com/forums/all-ford-techboard/470670-ford-rearend-axle-tag-codes-posted.html

The numbers on this tag seem to only somewhat relate to anything on the above websites.

The WDY code has an AA (1976-78 Mustang 3.0 gear, 8" ring gear)
and an AK (1977-78 Mustang 2.79 gear, 8" ring gear), but no OAAK -- so I guess that it should be AK, but don't know what the OA would be for.

The 7HE is a Ford internal code which I guess is not important to us..
The 2.79 on the bottom row looks like the gear ratio. THAT seems to make sense.
The 8 is where the Date is supposed to appear.
The 274A is where the plant code is supposed to be.  I found somewhere that A was for Atlanta, but no meaning to the 274 part.

Further discussion of rear ends should address the impact of using a different rear end ratio. What happens to gas mileage and acceleration if we were to change the 2.79 ratio to a 3.0, for example?

***********************

Rich, car 1148, looked up my numbers on the 1978 and came up with the following:

I have examined your tag.. I came up with as follows.. WDY is actually Maverick (Joel the builder HAS mentioned the use of Maverick parts in the past)

 OA is limited slip -- OA is for limited slip not a popular option.. Most were either open diff's or they had an L which was for traction lock..

 7HE threw me but I came up with--  7=1977 H= August E= 5th week -- Now there were 5 weeks in August 77 I had to go look it up.

247A is plant serial number ..

. I hope this helps..

This appears (to the Annexmaster) like reading tea leaves. A quick check of the web did NOT find these codes on sites listing the various Ford numbers. If my car, 1254, HAS limited slip, wow, because I can make it spin the tires by just looking at it wrong! Not all sites seem to list the same codes for the same cars. And the ones I saw did not show the date on the upper row of the tag. Rear end identification does not seem easy to do.

Replacing the steering rack -

Info from Mark, car 1290, (a 1978-79) received 4/2008.  See many upgrades on his car project.

Well I am in the process of replacing the steering rack. And guess what my Mustang II front end has a Pinto rack on it. Pintos used a 9/16 26 spline input shaft and Mustang used a 3/4 30 spline mine was the 9/16 unit. 

I am replacing it with a FlamingRiver 3/4 30 spline unit all Chrome and I taking off the power steering and going manual.   So if someone is replacing their steering rack they need to check the size spline and number of teeth if they want a direct replacement.

6/2008 -- When the Annexmaster asked Frank (car 1505) about how his car "tracked" at high speeds, thinking that I might want to adjust the toe-in, he replied:

I finally got my car to track down the road.  I ended up replacing the rack and pinion with a wide ratio unit out of JEG'S.  It drives 300 percent better than before. Anyone can drive it now. 

Steering Column: International

8/2008 -- An owner wrote that she had bought a replacement steering column from a Scout, and that it was fine, but way too long and had to be shortened. When I wrote to Joel, the builder, to ask about this, I got the answer below, which does not address length but another issue. I am trying to get clarification on all this, but want you to know that it is not a direct replacement as I would have thought.

You will need to shrink the outside tube of your replacement column to make it fit...   We had to cut the tube and use a piece of rubber insulation tubing as a "bearing" or spacer at the bottom to take the "wobble" out of the shaft....  maybe there is a better material available now than there was 40 years ago...  

I still had questions, so I asked the builder to explain further:

"Shrink" was probably not a good word for me to use....  Anyway, we had a tubing cutter that was large enough to cut the outside steering column tube, saving the "guts" we needed for the turn signal switch, horn wiring, and steering wheel hub.

.Then (as I remember)  we re-welded the end of the shortened tube (having taken out about 12") back to the "hub" end we needed so all that went through the fire wall was the 3/4" slip joint steering shaft...  Somewhere along the  process we used a piece of tubing insulation (like they pad roll bars in race cars) to act as a wobble bearing to keep the shaft centered or something.

Probably the best thing to tell (someone who needs to replace the steering column)  is to get a late model tilt column and do the best they can... the scout steering wheel was too big in the first place and you couldn't adapt a smaller wheel to the hub and get the turn signals and horn to work properly.... 

Pick up a mustang column and start over...  That's what I'd do.... 

 

 

1973 cars, front end. Also engine specs

From Joel, the builder, in Dec. 2008 regarding the Annexmaster's purchase of car 689, a 1973 Phaeton:

the one you have (car 689) looks like it had the round tube front axle & v-8 drive train... Should basically be a good car... the leaf springs had a tendency to "droop" and it was important to keep the front tires all filled up with air to avoid a "shimmy" when you  hit a bump or railroad just right...

Bear in mind, the early V-8's were quite power full compared to the last ones we built, so hang on when you hit it.....  Memory serves me to think about 235HP back then to 132HP in the last build (like mine)...a really big difference.... Look up a V-8 Maverick for 1971 because that was the calibration we used on the first Ford powered vehicles..... 

Steering box on an early 1977 with the leaf springs
This info may also apply to 1973-74 era cars.

My 1977 #1100 has front leaf springs . what type steering box might it have ?

Joel, the builder of the cars - provided the following in 2009: Just knowing to start with FORD products is helpful, especially after recently learning that they had used trailer springs in the backs of some Glassics (around 1973-74 - maybe others)

It will have a "tag" on the top of the box that identifies the part number... That is the best info I can come up with...  Otherwise just take it to a Ford dealership and identify it as best you can visually....  the tag is the only best way I know of.... 

Leaf spring in front end changed to coil-overs

This 1974 (car 1148) was getting an extreme makeover in 2009, and we hope to see details of this project when it is completed, but meanwhile the owner shared some pics (Pictures are in the album) and this info:

The front end is a work in progress and I will provide details soon as to how everything fits and what parts and numbers I came up with.. New fuel tank is in and brackets we made will make it easily removable from under the car. We are finishing all the bracket locations and anticipate the frame going to powder coating later this week. So far a few things have thrown us for a loop, however we are working through all the funky things that come up..

 The front suspension is a coil over adjustable ride system. Should give a significant improvement to handling and ride comfort. We are using a cross steer system for steering using a Vega style steering box. It will be manual steering however should steer easily. We are using upgraded Heim joints at all ball joint connections.

The engine is a 302 stroked to 331 cubic inches. We will be using a serpentine system which I would really never do again.. Brackets to make it work were kind of funky to line up and it extended the pulleys out about an extra 2 inches. You also have to use a reverse water pump to make it work

Rear Springs in a 1974 or similar

A question was presented to the message board in April, 2009. Since Rich, car 1148, had tried
the usual donor cars, I asked Joel, the builder, if he recalled any useful info. Below
are the question and his response.

Does anyone know what springs were used in a 1974 roadster (REAR). I need to replace the spring eye bushings and every attempt at ordering ford replacement parts has come up with the wrong ones. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have tried Bronco, Pinto, Maverick, LTD, Mustang, Econoline, F150, I am trying to find a picture to see if international might look right..

REPLY from the original builder of the cars in 2009: Leaf springs came from Champion (i think) so the only way to fix that problem is to go to a spring shop and have his springs re-arched or purchase a replacement spring that is the same size -- the answer to the question is to go to a leaf spring house and match something up.... A trailer supply store that services boat or car trailers may be the answer....  Just start digging....   NAPA may have something is their catalog....  (you've) Just gotta start looking, but they are NOT Ford or International parts...

Later on, the builder added:

On the trailer springs in the rear.... I only suggested going to a trailer parts house to match up.... the springs we were using when the business was sold (Oct. 1972 - more info in the Glassic History Page) were manufactured by a spring house in Michigan (I think) named "Champion"....  What they did after we sold the business is the wild card.... I don't know what they did then.... I know the springs "drooped" or lost their arch pretty dependably, giving the "dropped rear end" look to the balance of the cars...   Plan on it....

Further information received in May, 2009 on this subject from Rich, car 1148

Some things I have found,,, The spring Eye is how you measure the length of the the springs, I always thought it was total overall length.. On mine the spring eye is 44.5 inches to center... I talked with Champion and ordered the closest fit bushings... I will let you know what I have to do or if they fit.

I talked to Champion they sent some spring bushings -- nylon white.. They were close but not exact.  I did make them work.. Had to go to a local hardware store and get metal sleeves to get a tight fit on the bolt.. I did get them back in and they seem to be fine. -- When I asked if we should try to pin down Champion for an exact match, he replied: The bushings, with some modification, worked however Champion did not list anything any closer so I used them.

17-02  Changed column shift
to floor shifter in a 1978

In March, 2009, John, the owner of car 1254 reported:

Last Saturday night coming home from Kissimmee, I stopped for gas and when I got back in to leave the gas station I put her into drive and had the lever come off the column.  So there I was in the middle of nowhere and a car stuck in park. 

As it turned out the entire steering column was shot and no way to fix the shifting part of the column -- main support broke off.  Well after about 2 hours of waiting for two tow trucks that never showed up I decided to see if I could get it into drive and maybe get it going just to make it home. I got under the dash and started playing with the shift cable and turning the key above me since it will not start in gear due to the neutral safety switch, and therefore felt safe.

After only about two tries she fired right up and as I started to get up  noticed the car was moving. I quickly got out and she ran over my leg.  I jumped forward and was able to land under that dash with my hand on the brake and luckily nothing got hit. Not much later I was on the way home and then to the Hospital.  Leg not broke just badly bruised. 

The steering column not repairable but was convertible to steering only with directionals (turn signals).  No problem there either.  I have attached pictures of the new Interior look, and was happy with the overall outcome.  Oh yea the neutral safety switch was broke as well, laugh on me.

The shifter I installed is a B&M Z-Gate floor shifter.  It was on the shelf at the local Auto parts store and is a cable shifter.  The only thing I did not like was that is was so low to the floor.  So I used wood as a spacer underneath and also extended the top by 3" by using double female  couplers from ACE hardware, and extending the lock linkage with a steel rod and tapping threads on one end.  

17-02 -- Floor shifter on a 1973 loose and wobbly

Start by remembering that your Annexmaster is NO KIND of mechanic, so this info may be overly simple.  When I got car 689, the floor shifter was loose and wiggly, and although it worked ok, it felt like it would lift right out of its socket on the floor.

Here is what I learned.  First, this is a common old Ford floor shifter and so answers can be found on the internet. There are a few helpful hints I learned about Glassics and these shifters.  First, there are BUSHINGS that keep the handle firm, and mine were totally GONE.  A common problem, apparently. I found this video in July, 2010 which helped put me on the right track.  http://averagejoerestoration.com/how-to/how-to-replace-mustang-automatic-shifter-bushings/

IN GLASSIC CASES, IT IS EASIEST TO NOT REMOVE THE SHIFTER BOX FROM THE CAR IF IT IS NOT LOOSE.

above: two bushings needed, but they shipped me 3.

First, in our Glassics, the shifter is attached differently from the Ford video.  My first mistake was to remove the chrome cover and try to loosen the 3 bolts in the fiberglass base.  That did not work like the Ford because the shifter box is bolted to the fiberglass base piece, which is then pop-riveted to the floor. When I loosened the bolt, the nut on the bottom merely fell off and disappeared.  So the three mounting bolts go down through the fiberglass housing, with a nut directly below the fiberglass piece, to hold it firmly in place, and then another nut is installed from under the car to hold the metal shifter box .

above- Tee handle taken off and cover removed- 3 bolts hold the metal shifter box - you can see the upper right, and lower left ones. The third one is behind the shift rod.  Black curved shield comes off - see the ground wire attached to the front of that curved piece.

above: another view -- I managed to break the plastic pointer on the shaft. Be careful, they dry out.

above: The arrow points to the nut that holds the stick on as well as the place where the gap was that caused the handle to wiggle. You can see how the tab that holds the shifter in each gear is almost out of the notch where it goes.

above: Here is view from the back of the car. There is a rubber plug to the right of the nut. It looks like silly putty, and
I did not need to remove it - it likely would have fallen apart anyhow.

above: the end of the shift rod once the Tee handle is off. The roller ball fits into the button
which all kind of pushes together when you put the handle back on. Pushing that roller
to the right pulls the tab out of the way so you can shift.

above: an underneath view -- You can see where I had to enlarge the hole in the floor so I could reach the nuts.
The rod that goes to the trans can be left connected and, with the nut removed inside the car, you can slide the whole thing
out just enough to slip that bushing over the shaft (after greasing it).

Since there is no room to reach that nut under the car, it is likely that the whole thing was assembled outside the car and then the base piece was installed into the car.  So I cut the opening in the bottom of the car larger so I could get a wrench (and my fingers) up in there to re-install the bolts.  If your unit is bolted firmly in place, there is no need to mess with that part at all.

In my case, I was able to install the bushings without removing the shifter box like they had done in the video. After failing at a couple of local parts places (I thought that NAPA had everything!) I ordered the bushings for $6 incl. postage from the people who did the video. (ad at the bottom of the web page with the video) I also saw them on eBay. Ordered on Wed., postmarked on Sat, and got here on Monday.  There was no communication from them after I sent the PayPal, so I was glad they actually got here.  There were 3 of them in the bag, but I think that was just a mistake.  They were thinner than I expected but worked great to tighten up the handle.  Each has a slit in it so you can lift it over the shaft without having to fully remove it from the car.

NOTE -- there are two ground wire connections that I found - remembering that our cars are fiberglass -- first, one of the bolts that holds the box in place has a ground wire attached to it under the car, held on by the nut.  When I tried to loosen the bolt from the top, that nut fell off, and the ground wire just hung there -- I think that is why the car would mostly not start -- that neutral safety switch was likely just barely grounding.  The other ground wire was attached to the black curved piece that provides the background for the shift pointer. That one was for the light inside the shifter box.

The set screw that held on the shifter T handle was totally stuck on my car, and I had to use a screw extractor to finally get it loose. It must be a common part since I found a new set screw in my junk box. 

Grease those bushings as the video suggests, and they do fit in the opening nicely, one from the inside of the box and one from the outside -- however, you may want help inside the car, as the second one wants to push the first one out of place.  My wife ended up using a box end wrench inside the car (also, the offset box wrench was how I loosened the bolt holding the handle on) -- anyhow, she used the wrench to hold the inner bushing in place while I wiggled the shaft and outer bushing till it finally slid nicely into place.