The BAD AST Project - Faze II

[astroracer]

Well Ron, I don't know if I would call this an update or, for the lack of a better term, a back-peddle.... While responding to Scott in this thread...
https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=24504
I got myself to thinking about the end use of MY project... While it would be cool to do everything I have been planning for the front suspension mods, I am starting to think it is really a waste of time. The van will never see any track time and I think it will still handle well enough with a rebuild, a 5" drop and some better bars. I can get a 5" drop on the Astro front with the 2" spindles I have and a set of 3" springs. I can make the C5 brakes work and the rear suspension mods can continue on with no impact from the front "back-peddling" as you will.
I MAY have to build some custom arms to fit the 17x10's up front but I'll check that out.
The other (and probably most important) "reason" I am talking myself out of this is the steering situation. My custom front suspension is designed around a C5 Corvette rack. The rack would work fine, the issue is getting from the bottom of the Astro column to the C5 racks input shaft. The orientation of the rack to the column positions the rack "rearward" of the bottom of the Astro output shaft. The "cab-over" design of the Astro van cockpit really hinders getting down to the rearward mounted rack. I have this all laid out on the computer at home. I'll shoot some pics tonight so you all can see what I am talking about.
ANYWAY... This all boils down to how far do I want to go with this van and what "improvements" will I see over a rebuilt and slightly tweaked stock suspension? I am going to plug the Astro van stock geoemetry points into my Suspension Analyser program and see what it tells me...
That's all...
Mark

[trackrat79]

I have a fealing your not going to like what it tells you.I know a lot of guys that have lowered thier vehicles the way you are talking about and just about all of them complain about the road manners after the change. I am sure you know that stock suspension are desined to operate at a sertain ride hight. Drop spindals dont affect this but makes wheel selection a little difficult. Lowering springs change the area of motion that the control arms operate in and change the operation of the suspension. I think you would be much happier with your original plan.

Maybe its because I don't have the referance of the body to compare to the chassi but from your renderings it looks like the rack is in front of the front axle center line. I realize that astro vans are rather cab forward but I would think that a link between the stock columb and the rack should be possable allbeit a bit verticle.

[astroracer]

Thanks for the input. I have a '95 GMC pickup I dropped 4" with spindles and springs and it drives like a slot car. I will run the stock Astro points and see what happens. I may end up building control arms anyways so, if a change to ball stud height or orientation is dictated by the program, I can do that during the build.
I'll post up some pics of the current column to rack mismatch along with some dimensions. I "probably" could get there... But I just feel uncomfortable with an intermediate shaft that doubles back on itself and then goes forward again...
Mark