WildBlue goes RideTech

[GeoffP]

I don't have any of the tools to put in nut serts nor do I have the money to buy them right now. I'm disappointed because I thought the rear frame rails were at least marginally thicker than they actually are. Based on what I've seen today, my recommendation is that these cradles should always be welded. I just don't see the cradle being secure over time with self tapping bolts. I bet the holes will waller out as the cradle moves over time which could lead to a catastrophic failure even with the extra mounting points the new cradles have. Mine came with extra brackets that mount to the floor pan pinch weld and the welded portion of the gas tank floor pan bracket. Unfortunately I found some hidden rust on one of these brackets so I had to add extra support for my personal satisfaction.



Even so, I think it's mounted good enough to get the rear axle mocked up so the tabs can be welded on.

[Quickboat]

I might have some extra nut-certs at work that I would be happy to send you. They are normally put in with an air tool but can be inserted manually. let me know if you are interested.

[KnightMare]

I'm skeptical about the frame rails on these cars as well. I'm going to weld my ridetech air bar and try to distribute some of the load off the frame rails with some bracing and to the roll bar I'm going to add. I swear those frame rails look like 16 gauge sheetmetal

[GeoffP]

I might have some extra nut-certs at work that I would be happy to send you. They are normally put in with an air tool but can be inserted manually. let me know if you are interested.

Thanks for the offer Jim. I think I am going to drill as many holes as possible all the way through and use longer bolts on all of those holes. It won't be as pretty but my car is more about function than looks anyway. Plus if the money tree allows for the mini tub later, I'll just get the tub installer to weld the cradle in. The more time I'm under the car, the more I realize it needs some pretty good rust repair. A lot of it is hidden because the car has had 80% quarters installed before (which are ready to be replaced due to rust). It'll be good enough for a few years until I can afford it.

Thanks!!

[GeoffP]

I drilled the rest of the holes all the way through the frame where I can get nuts on the back side. Now I just have to buy a few longer bolts. It looks like 3-1/2" bolts will do the job. The 3" bolts I bought to go crossways through the frame aren't long enough to reach through from top to bottom. Once I've got those tomorrow night the cradle will be final and ready to start fitting the axle. I spent this afternoon finishing up the front bracket/bucket for the lower passenger side link. The subframe connector slid over when I removed the old ones so I had to support the car with the jack so I could pull the jack stand forward enough to pull the link back in place. It's done and tight. Then I moved to the rear axle, cleaned off the axle tubes for a clean weld and reclocked the driver's side caliper. I had previously rotated it forward of the axle due to clearance problems with the shock. There's enough room with the 4-link to put it behind the axle (which is my preference) so I moved it. I'll be able to mock the axle up under the car tomorrow night and hopefully get a buddy to tack the tabs on the axle tube so I can carry the axle to work and have one of the professional welders finish weld the tabs.

This install has definitely been a learning experience. I have even higher respect for the fabricators on this board. Getting everything just right is so very time consuming. Makes me wish sometimes that I had the money to pay someone to do this stuff but at least I can say I've done it almost entirely on my own.

More later (and some pictures too probably tomorrow night).

[orange69]

i welded mine to frame rails and i only have 400rwhp just couldnt trust sheet metal screws. But man what a difference it made in in handling no wheel hop and it does not feel like im driving a dump truck. Time to kill some cones.

[Quickboat]

i welded mine to frame rails and i only have 400rwhp just couldnt trust sheet metal screws. But man what a difference it made in in handling no wheel hop and it does not feel like im driving a dump truck. Time to kill some cones.

I am so glad you noticed such a difference. I was seriously thinking of just going with leafs again. Happy motoring!

[GeoffP]

I've heard from others who have said it's well worth it. I would never have placed the order if I didn't think it would make such a large difference in my car. I'm looking forward to it and getting a little anxious...

[Fras]

Do you have to use the ridetech coil overs with your kit?

[Quickboat]

Do you have to use the ridetech coil overs with your kit?

I would not think it is mandatory, but you would have to get all of the proper dimensions. Ride Tech uses Fox shock tech and they are one of the best..

[Quickboat]

I drilled the rest of the holes all the way through the frame where I can get nuts on the back side.

Geoff, how are you going to prevent crushing the frame rail?

[orange69]

I thought about buying QA1 shocks when i did mine to try to save a little money glad i didnt. Once you see the quallity of the shocks its very clear the differance i have to say they have got it figured out.

[GeoffP]

I didn't have any problems with the frame rails crushing. It doesn't have to be super tight because the fastener itself is only there to provide binding pressure against the rail. The frictional force (I'm sure there's a technical name but I don't know it) is what actually holds the cradle in place. Plus I used fairly large washers to spread the load as much as possible.

So progress made tonight, I got all the fasteners tightened with the help of my 9 yr old daughter. I finished up all the bracket installs on the axle and pre-fit everything in prep for welding the upper link tabs. I'm to a point where I either have to lower the car some or get taller jack stands so I can set the axle at ride height in order to set the pinion angle. I'm hoping a friend who I had worked out to come on Saturday can come tomorrow night to at least tack the tabs in place. I just ran out of time due to another commitment Saturday night which required me to stop short of what I got done tonight. If everything comes together I'll be sure to get lots of pictures - more tomorrow hopefully!!

[GeoffP]

It looks like I neglected to mention I have a new Griffin radiator coming thanks to Matt's Classic Bowties. I just couldn't resist the excellent price since my car kept trying to run warmer than I liked at RTTH last year. It certainly didn't help that I only had 1 fan working but even after I replaced the bad relay it still wasn't staying cool enough for my liking especially for a new motor. I definitely don't want to lose a brand new engine due to poor cooling.

[GeoffP]

More progress tonight. The axle is in and fairly well centered under the car. I still am struggling to find someone to weld the tabs on the axle. I got one of the new brake lines bent and installed, stuck the wheels on the axle, and goofed with getting the axle centered. I'll get the tape measure out Saturday and get it centered side to side and front to back as best I can. Once I got the wheels mounted I was able to jack the axle up under the car (it's up in the air on jack stands). It looks like the wheels are a near perfect fit. The last road blocks I've got to over come are finding a new location for the fuel pump and filter and fitting the tabs to the axle. I found out tonight that the tabs are about 1/4" off from being the right height. I'm not sure why the variance is so large unless the tabs are supposed to be one size fits all. I'll hopefully get them mocked properly and trimmed to fit (or I should say ground down to fit) Thursday night. I'm nearly there and would probably be done tonight if I knew how to weld.

[regal454]

Geoff,

I'm about 3 hours away from you, just 30 mins north of Charlotte, NC. If you cant find anyone local to do your welding, I'll be around this weekend if you want to make the trip. I have a Miller 175 which will do up to .25".

[GeoffP]

I appreciate the offer! I've got to get the tabs tacked in place first before I can take the axle anywhere to have the tabs welded. I'll PM you on Thursday if it looks like I'm making the trip. Thanks again!

[KnightMare]

I just got my ridetech 4 link in the mail and my god it is heavy. I haven't opened the box yet but there isn't a place nearby you can't rent a welder? It's not difficult to weld especially if your just doing tacks

[makoshark]

Geoff, mig welding is a breeze. Years ago, I bit the bullet and plunked down for a Hobart 175. I wanted the Miller but they were out of stock and sold me the Hobart for a price I couldn't refuse. I got the gas bottle for it as well. I took it home and within an hour I was making some nice welds on scrap sheetmetal. I would see if I couldn't rent a decent welder for a day and do a little practicing and then once comfortable enough, then make the necessary tack welds so you can transport the car to get them fully welded professionally.

The ridetech 4-Link does have some weight to it, but it has been confirmed that it doesn't add any additional weight compared to the stock leaf spring setup. The additional handling characteristics the ridetech setup creates quickly negates its weight. Not to mention, the additional cross bracing it provides with the rear frame rails. It really stiffens the rear up quite a bit. Even though I have not had the opportunity to drive my car yet with the Ridetech suspension, front and rear, I did drive a car outfitted the same last year and it was a dream to drive. The car felt nothing like a 60's muscle car anymore.

[Quickboat]

More progress tonight. The axle is in and fairly well centered under the car. I still am struggling to find someone to weld the tabs on the axle. I got one of the new brake lines bent and installed, stuck the wheels on the axle, and goofed with getting the axle centered. I'll get the tape measure out Saturday and get it centered side to side and front to back as best I can. Once I got the wheels mounted I was able to jack the axle up under the car (it's up in the air on jack stands). It looks like the wheels are a near perfect fit. The last road blocks I've got to over come are finding a new location for the fuel pump and filter and fitting the tabs to the axle. I found out tonight that the tabs are about 1/4" off from being the right height. I'm not sure why the variance is so large unless the tabs are supposed to be one size fits all. I'll hopefully get them mocked properly and trimmed to fit (or I should say ground down to fit) Thursday night. I'm nearly there and would probably be done tonight if I knew how to weld.

Geoff, what do you mean the brackets were a 1/4 inch off? They go on at and angle remember. Did not ridetech provide a fixture to weld on the upper brackets? p/n 70010694, I did not get one either but will call about it today.