BrakeTurnGo
Car Building Information => Client Projects & Tips – Tube Chassis => Topic started by: Ryan Kennedy on Feb 03, 2026, 04:31 AM
Hi everyone!
I'm really not sure if this truly belongs here or in the muscle car section, but the car is a tube chassis so here goes. This is my '69 Mercury Cougar that I've had since I was 15. Several years as a street car, but more as a partially assembled track build of constant scope creep. This car has been my education and a constant challenge to myself to do better. I can't wait to keep learning, and she's not done teaching me things. Not by a long shot. .
If I could do it all over again, would parts of it be different? Yes, and I may touch on some of those items if appropriate. Would some stay exactly the same? Also, yes. I have evolved with the car over more years than I'd care to admit. Skills and workmanship has improved, knowledge has expanded, and compromises have been made due to my own development over the coarse of such a long project.
Here's a few pictures of the car as it was.
Mild 351W, 4-speed, 3.89 gears, TCP front CO conversion w/manual rack, leaf rear, Vintage Venom front and rear disc brakes using New Edge/SN95 mustang PBR 2-piston calipers in front. The car drove alright. Right around the time all that up there was done, I bought an '04 Cobra. All of a sudden my fun driver did EVERYTHING BETTER than my toy car. Un...acceptable.
(https://i.postimg.cc/C5gmhVQ5/DSC02619.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3xc1yGcV/DSC02410.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Here's the car today. Never done - I will be redoing the flares, paying attention to making it one color eventually, maybe try my hand at some composites for the heavy body parts...on and on, better and better. I've had the car on track a couple times with a setback or two but I'm about ready for some more track time!
EFI Yates SBF 2004 season Busch series engine, Jerico 4-speed, front geometry by RSRT, RSRT decoupled 3-link, AP brakes, 18x13 wheels front and rear. Other than the roof and about 18" of front frame rail, every other component has been modified in some way.
Actually the rear bumper is untouched...hmm...
(https://i.postimg.cc/63DX6Td0/4c990d51-d3d1-45fb-9392-9ddc5e9165dd-(1).jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/L6BCCh0W/IMG-3403.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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I'm going to try my best to cover as much of the build as I can. Still trying to figure out where to start. The beginning of the track only build, or in the waaaay beginning? Like I said above, there was a lot of this, then that, or maybe this... Car almost driving again, then I was just like, "But if i just...". The car isn't built to any set of rules other than safety items. Feel free to comment or ask questions!
Before you comment on the roll angle in the track photo, Ron, I have the front ARB set to max stiff for the next outing as we discussed. Had to make a shady transaction for my media guy at work to take another pic from the same angle haha!
No negatives from me. I think the roll angle is about 1.6°, so it's pulling more lateral G's than I thought it would. That's good. We just need to stiffen the bar & see what else it needs to stay balanced. Might need more rear spring rate.
I'd like you to show how you built your muscle car body into a tube chassis, including what you did for clips, cage, suspensions, steering, brakes, etc.
The year was 2013 and the scope creep was about to come off the rails. Current build status - Griggs Racing front suspension installed with SN95 spindles, aiming for a ride height of 5-5.5" under the factory frame rail, front aprons cut out, firewall modified for a cleaner (HA!) install of a 4.6DOHC and T56, 1-3/4x.120 wall DOM roll cage from Auto Weld Chassis, and 03/04 Cobra IRS out back. The motor wasn't built but I had 2000 Cobra R heads, a Teksid block, forged crank, and an email chain with Precision Turbo aiming for around 750whp.
(https://i.postimg.cc/GpYHB74x/2013-08-15-07-07-20.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/xdHckxXs/2013-08-19-00-06-16.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
The car had a nice pair of subframe connectors that fit inside the front frame rails already, but I always thought of them as a bandaid. Its time to build a frame! Out with the floor and in with a rear cross member and 2x3 frame rails using the factory front rails as a starting point. Here's that first "I woulda, coulda, and shoulda". Shortly down the road I integrated a perimeter frame as well that ties into the front cage landings, but I have learned that straight rail cars are hard on drivers in the event of a crash. Something to think about. Back to carnage!
I didnt have the space (or honestly the experience) to build a frame table so I kept the whole car level with wooden blocks and sheet metal shims. The car was checked every time I started working on it. Concrete moves with weather. Wooden blocks swell with weather. When it was time to set the car up for the first time the frame was out of level by less that 1/16" at one corner. I'm not upset with this.
At that time, I was cruising the internet looking at suspensions and what not I never stumbled upon large projects like I was undertaking so I designed things as the made sense to me. I was learning, developing skills, and the only word was, GO!
(https://i.postimg.cc/XJsG3ZZK/2013-10-15-22-09-29.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/mrx6Nkr2/2013-10-16-21-11-42.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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At this point there was a change in thought...first of many. I thought that I could get better weight distribution by doing a rear mounted transmission. Out with the cobra IRS! I bought some C5/6 rear suspension bits and started measuring.
(https://i.postimg.cc/PfW2sQX4/2013-11-09-15-25-09.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/bYx3c9y4/2013-11-09-15-25-20.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
You can see a little bit of evolution at the qtr panels. I welded 1x1 with jacking bolts to support the car and more easily level things.
At this point there was a shift. I sold my '04 Cobra in effort to fund the Cougar build. Picked up a really nice Foxbody that needed and engine rebuilt as a new daily. Somewhere along the way I decided to start cruising SVTPerformance forums hunting for a cheap set of aluminum heads for a little bit of a performance boost and stumbled across an engine that I had to have.
(https://i.postimg.cc/1XR8nQLT/2014-02-04-18-33-45-1.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Kjc1k2dw/2014-02-04-18-33-45-2.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Refreshed 9:1 Yates engine from a Busch series NASCAR. Last tech dates on the C3 heads was May of '05. All of a sudden the T56 seemed unrealistic. I was concerned with shifting over 7500RPM. The new plan was a Jerico 4-speed and a torque arm/watts link SRA setup from Griggs Racing. I purchased some universal rear frame rails and got to work.
(https://i.postimg.cc/zBZt1d9b/2014-06-05-18-49-04.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/9M58jxvt/2014-06-05-18-49-28.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
As you saw in my last post the rear floor was cut out. This created an issue. I already had a cage in the car that connected to the coilover mounts for the IRS and a similar story up front with the cage landings.
(https://i.postimg.cc/rwRNF1GK/2013-10-20-17-11-07.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/0yK02YGm/2013-10-20-17-11-20.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
This was my solution at the front. I had made mounting boxes tying the floor and rocker panel together for the cage to land on so I could removed them for welding out the top of the cage. They turned into a nice point to bring the frame in and also integrate a 2x2 perimeter frame. I also took a triangulating tube to the front of the car from the cage landing.
(https://i.postimg.cc/FsyJPTxP/2013-10-24-19-55-30.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/bYMGYKmg/2013-12-16-17-05-45.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Lets get back to the rear of the car for a little bit. My Griggs TA/Watts setup had arrived and I was keen on getting it worked into the car. The next photo shows a lot.
(https://i.postimg.cc/VLV2VFLX/20140713-145527.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
This is where a degree of precision gets put into the build that I previously didn't think about. I was no longer working off of factory frame rails like the front of the car. The first thing I did was make a centerline of the car - you can see the strings in the picture. I picked three points on the car. In front of the front k-member, behind where the rear axle was going to land, and halfway between on the frame I had built. Using plumb bobs I made 6 marks on the floor making it possible to get a centerline of the car. Its a lot of up and down. Check the alignment on the marks, move the string, retape. A chalk mark can also be used but I was regularly moving the car around my 2-car garage, so I got really good at making a centerline. Off of that centerline I made two right angle triangles behind the car. This wasn't an axle CL but it created a perpendicular line that I was able to get a perfect axle CL from, measuring forward. You can see the axle CL string on the floor in the picture. EVERYTHING gets measured from these lines. Upper shock mount cross member, watts mounts, front TA mount, the axle location itself, control arm mounts. You can also see the shims under the jack stands for the axle simulating ride height.
(https://i.postimg.cc/027KjVMm/20140728-213934.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/QdpgLXJL/20140729-210059.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Here's Rev 1 rear suspensions ready to go. Figured out an ok way to tie the rear cage down tubes back into the frame and if you look at the front lower control arm mounts (I'm sorry I don't have more pictures of), I made a box and then used spacers to give me the ability to move the front of the lower control arm up and down for rear steer and AS adjustment. Slotted brackets would have been better, but that was a suggestion from GR. The rod ends are mounted horizontally which is fine but dirty and grime will rest on top of the race and loosen the rod end sooner. If you're going to use them in this direction so Seals-it dust covers are a good idea. BTW, the coilovers were free units I just used to mock the whole thing up.
Also around that time I noticed I had a problem where my driveshaft and rear crossmember were going to occupy the same space. I braced the rear cross member, cut, and tacked in a hoop. The hoop gets properly installed later.
Did you keep the dynamat in the final build?
No dynamat left un-removed ;D
The firewall goes away pretty soon, and all the dynamat with it
Quote from: Ryan Kennedy on Feb 09, 2026, 11:22 PMNo dynamat left un-removed ;D
The firewall goes away pretty soon, and all the dynamat with it
I was wondering why you kept the Dynamat. That stuff is heavy. Glad to hear it's coming out when you re-firewall the car.
Couple pics of fuel cell cage that I made. This was for a 15 gallon cell which I made my own aluminum can. Always had more time than money, so I made things that some would buy. I chose an ATL saver cell for up front cost reasons but there are long term cost reasons as well. So, hard cells vs soft cells. They each have their advantages and disadvantages. Hard cell is less resistant to crushing but more resistant to piercing. Hard cell doesn't expire...that one is the big reason I chose it. For the best in safety, shape options - both off the shelf and custom, and internal configuration (they'll internally configure your bank account too), the soft cell is the best. There is one other item I liked about the hard cell, though, an aluminum can is able to be used vs steel on the soft cell. I was trying to be weight conscious. For those making your own can ----> READ THE MANUFACTURER DIMENSIONS! The can is to be 2 or 3% larger than the cell. The cell will grow once fuel is introduced. I, did not. Its ok, because I ended up changing to a larger cell before tuning/tracking the car first, but not before I ran out of fuel idle testing with 2 gallons still in the cell. The cell expanded and pushed the floor (and surge tank) upwards since there was no room to expand. Fuel cell cage is 1x1 .083 wall square.
(https://i.postimg.cc/W3LZ1CdC/20140924-151343.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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We'll circle back around to fuel system later.
Right around this time, I stumbled upon Ron Sutton Race Technology. Our first conversation and business had to do with transmission gear ratios. I mentioned earlier that I had concern about a T56 and shifting at high RPM. There are solutions for this and I looked into them. Talked to a couple people about face plating, looked into a true dog ring conversion, etc. The most promising, or really what I could afford was faceplating a gearset. ZR1 ratios were recommended which are just super common to come by so I decided on a 4-speed Jerico instead. This gave me the ability to choose my gear ratios as well as replace parts instead of entire gearsets. If this was today, I would go with GForce's T101a if staying with a 4-speed. Reason - spares available new. The old school Jerico is all I could afford at the time. We'll see how long it lasts! I digress.
Good bye cruel firewall.
While waiting for the transmission to be built, I discussed some frame things with Ron. As mentioned before, I didn't have any experience in frame design or tools to bend tubing, so it was "that seems like a good idea". The cage kit was supposed to come with a traditional bay bar but idk what happened. It came with some tubes that were too short so they got re-purposed. I ran a tube from the dash bar location to the shock tower. Ron didn't ask that I start over, but did make some suggestions. This is what I came up with. I did alright for a first timer. Sorry for the grainy pics - old.
(https://i.postimg.cc/NM25m4HT/20141010-071151.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Cut and capped the removed area from the top of the factory subframe and ran tube down. Would have gone to the base of the a-pillar but driver leg and pedal interference would have been a problem at the time.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Kc9HRD5n/20141011-191258.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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Now the fun starts!
(https://i.postimg.cc/D0bLfh6Z/20141011-223659.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
At this point the motor is set in the car about 8" back from factory but not mounted, and I hadn't decided to change any suspension geometry, though I was toying with the idea of having Ron make me a pair of spindles. The Tilton bellhousing has mounts integrated to be its own midplate. The bellhousing was an older front mount starter design using a 153 tooth flywheel, while the newer models are typically a rear mount starter that require different...well, everything. For anyone thinking of the rear mount stuff, its great but you need to make sure and consider floor/firewall clearance when setting the motor back.
(https://i.postimg.cc/k4yP2s3t/20140928-115054.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Due to the motor being dry sump and having a decently shallow pan, the lowest point of the driveline is the bellhousing. TIlton does flatten the bottom to allow things to be a little lower. I put the bottom of the bell flush with the frame rails for several reasons - easy mock up/support of the motor and transmission, keeps the motor from being the lowest thing on the car, and makes application of a flat bottom easy in the future.
(https://i.postimg.cc/WzrWDbJW/20150209-181606.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/kMthYwhd/20150210-180559.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/2jBX9TXY/20150210-180647.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Repurposed bay bars! Haha! The bent tubes sent that weren't long enough to be a bay bar worked out as motor mount tubes. Mounting plates are 3/8" aluminum that later had another ear added to the back of the frame side to put them in double shear. It has always bothered me the single shear at the bellhousing but I've seen so many of this style bellhousing mounted in that way. Its also important to use a quality high performance fastener in this application.
AN hardware or shear bolts are a good choice. Measuring them can be a bit of a pain, but they're sold in incremental lengths and different thickness washers are intended to be used as spacers to make up for small differences as they have a very short threaded portion. They also incorporate jet nuts, which are a great low profile nut but remember, they get torqued to a much lower spec than typical hardware and incorporate mechanical locking. I don't use them in as many places as I should but that's been ramping up recently.
Time for something up front. I was looking for something other than a typical front plate due to the stack up of all the accessories, and I needed a brace to tie the front shock towers together so I decided to make a combination piece to serve both purposes.
(https://i.postimg.cc/1RC5Mm2z/20150428-172751.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Brace mount!
(https://i.postimg.cc/sfhsPYYb/20150505-174712.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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Doing this only required one change to the accessory drive. The third picture you can see the mounting ear for the power steering pump. there was a spacer there that needed to be shortened. The motor came out of the car several times after this during the build and the brace mount usually gets left on the engine.
I moved around this time, so the back drop is going to change.
Back to work. Little more brace suggested by Ron.
(https://i.postimg.cc/R0WVjjHs/20150802-145432.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
The front tubes land on top of the factory frame rail where I intended to run the ARB...starting to think a little more like a load path. Sadly, its time to go to work - boo. But its Friday - yay!
Aaaand we're back. First off, here's a picture or two of the rear crossmember. Last time it was shown, there was a loop above the driveshaft just tacked in, and that's about it. At this point I was still planning on running the car at 5" ride height under the rails. After working with Ron and lowering the ride height to 4", a straight crossmember with a relief cut on top and a loop could have been run, but some bracing, and angle cut 2x3 tube finished the crossmember off nicely.
(https://i.postimg.cc/1zcKLF8M/20151109-220019.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/q7XG9Ktf/20151109-220052.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Ok, so this is where things started going a little bit oops. Not full oops, just some oops. Exhaust and floors.
I was under the impression that I was going to be able to keep the mufflers under the car and selected the smallest OD round muffler I could find in 3.5", which was borla XR1. Here's what I came up with. Long story short - after lowering the car the muffler location was completely unrealistic, but...the exhaust shaped how the floor was made which was the second oops. So lets do this! I knew I wanted an X pipe but due to the location of the transmission and the torque arm crossmember there wasn't going to be a whole lot of room. The X pipe would need to start rotating the exhaust downwards to clear the crossmember so I make one from two 90* bends that were cut in half and clocked.
It would be interesting to see what someone who has real world data has to say about the X. What I'd seen of exhausts made by the NASCAR teams running X pipes, the two pipes making up the X should just kiss. Not merge, not cross, kiss. We're equalizing pulses and encouraging scavenging, not crashing the pulses into each other or taking two 3.5" tubes and cutting the cross section in half at the merge. That's where my mind was at least. Since then the car made great power, I must have not missed it by that much ;D. First exhaust I'd made and more to come. The headers were used C3 Tri-Y's that just so happened to be flush with the bottom of the frame rails. Can't turn down some fitment luck when it smiles at you.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Cxf0HhRB/20151215-164326.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/MZRrDnDd/20160103-154321.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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Now comes the floor, driveshaft tunnel, and a step backwards. I wanted to keep as flat a floor as possible with the overall design, so the frame rails were always meant to be on the inside of the car. I had it in my head I could weld down the frame rails slowly and it wouldn't distort. And then I learned about fighting physics and how physics doesn't lose. Someone out there could probably take what I'd done and fix it but I couldn't. Here's some pictures of my first run at it.
(https://i.postimg.cc/CxD1MHHH/20160105-172309.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/zGWBDSS6/20160105-172332.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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(https://i.postimg.cc/1tzsFpw3/20160321-215300.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
I dropped the floor roughly 1" from the bottom of the pinch to meet the frame rail locations. The tunnel was a universal unit that I cut up and made work. It turned out alright but lead me to a part of the build where I would 100% change how I did it - the firewall.
Oh the firewall. I pieced and pied and welded it all together. I didn't care a whole lot about small amounts of distortion since I had accepted there was going to be some and I knew there would be a lot of things mount and covering it.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Sxzry5v3/20160412-220640.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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A total nightmare welding it all.
(https://i.postimg.cc/FFdxvznT/IMG-0178.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
If I were to go back and do it differently, there would be a square/rectangle perimeter with bracing to the tunnel offering flat surfaces to either spot weld or bolt the firewall in place. No more outside corner welds, no more fillet welds worrying about heat, just a clean firewall and some seam sealer in key locations. Also would have likely fabricated a square tunnel with a tube skeleton out to the frame and firewall tubing. Again, everything could unbolt or be cleanly spot welded in place.
Speaking of bolting sheet metal into place... ;)
Bolt in sheet metal? If you read my last post I made an open ended comment about losing to physics. Yes, there are ways to shrink and stretch metal with tooling as well as with heat after welding has done its thing, but I definitely wasn't there in my knowledge and skill. The plan to weld the sheet metal floors to the frame rails was complete and the outcome left a lot to be desired. I tried several different bandaids trying to get the oil canning and warping to subside but in the end I cut the floors out but I left a 1" flange around the perimeter to use for a bolt in sheet steel floor.
(https://i.postimg.cc/KY0F85Q7/IMG-1182.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Best thing ever. Still happy that I ended up with bolt in floors. There was a lot of build left to go and the floors were intentionally thin and flat. I would have destroyed them working on the car, and I still removed them for servicing certain items on the car.
(https://i.postimg.cc/5yjhydjN/IMG-1030.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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You were lookin at my welds weren't you...yeah. I know. I was learning so much and getting a lot of experience. I switched over to TIG pretty much 100% around this time. Keep learning, keep doing, keep pushing to get better. Moving on. So what about floors for the people? The collectors opening up to 3.5" next to a 3" tall tube was an issue with putting a flat floor for the driver so I did a raised false floor on both sides and spot welded (eh? learning...) into place. You'll also see pedals in these pictures.
(https://i.postimg.cc/zf8XBvrM/IMG-1168.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/6Qt53qKB/IMG-1180.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/8CNP5cGN/IMG-1181.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Pedals are a 600 series Tilton overhung crossbar pedal setup and a used racing take off throttle pedal. Throttle pedal is super smooth but there's definitely more on that later getting it to work with my throttle body. Here's another opportunity to talk about planning with your build. Pedals, masters, ABS. ABS has never been in the budget for me and at the time Tilton had limited offerings for master cylinders that would hold up to ABS use. They have better offerings, now, but the price tag is still high for the ABS masters which do require a different pedal box...kinda. Why kinda...because the bracket that makes the 800 series pedals an 800 series, bolts onto a 600 series pedal box. At least on the overhung setups. I believe they've upgraded the crossbar to a trunion style on the 800 series now which does add some definite value.
So which pedals to choose? This is something I've come to have a decent amount of experience with having worked with all the different setups tilton has to offer - firewall, overhung, and floor mount. Each one has its pros and cons. I welcome anyone to weigh in on my opinions of each pedal box style.
Start with firewall - I have least experience with this one and I feel it has the most difficult Cons to overcome.
Pros - Near factory mounting height which makes reservoir mounting fairly easy. Serviceability to the master cylinders is typically easiest of the three options.
Cons - Heat...all of it. Masters right above the headers, lines are in the engine bay for at least some portion even if going into the car immediately. The firewall has to be where the masters are, requiring possible sheetmetal work with no real advantage.
Overhung
Pros - No mounting location limitations (mostly - see cons). Depending on dash configuration, good serviceability. No preheating of master cylinders and brake lines. They just look cool if you like bending hardline 8)
Cons - Mounting location versus reservoir height. Later on you'll see what I had to do to get my reservoir high enough to work with the setup. If not planned properly it can be a very challenging problem to solve. If you have a full dash, serviceability is worse.
Floor mount-
Pros - Mounting and planning can be generally easier and does not require a significant structure high in the car to mount to (consider floor reinforcement) . Adjustability is an available option with cables to allow the pedal box to move - this is huge for racing with multiple drivers. Generally good heat management. Virtually unlimited reservoir mounting options.
Cons - Serviceability is a literal pain. If you have a cage, embrace your inner pretzel and probably remove the seat. Packaging, if there isn't room, you must make room in a challenging location. New floor height can sometimes cause seat position to need changing. Rocks and debris are now a much larger concern. Rocks get in places that can either stop brake operation or hinder pedal return causing other issues.
Really cool build Ryan. Not every day you see a tube chassis track killer with a 69 Cougar body.
Thank you for sharing all the build story & photos.
What's next for you & your toy?
There's always a small laundry list of things I want to do and try, but right now - retuning on E85 with a flex sensor to run pump E just to try and get the cost of operation down a little bit and then seat time!
In the spirit of jumping around, I moved onto rear closeout panels now that the dry sump tank was mounted - outlet around 1" higher than the level of the pump. Believe it or not, it was already looking like real estate was going to be an issue in the rear of the car. Sometime around here I acquired a manual bead roller and decided to get to work. I wanted the closeouts be removable for service and also to look good so I went after the painstaking task of filling the gaps between the main hoop tubes vs covering them up. Here's a couple complete pictures. The package tray area received similar treatment but without the effort for easy removal. Other than completely redoing the rear suspension later on, I haven't had any other reason to remove the package tray area closeouts.
(https://i.postimg.cc/LXXF7T5b/IMG-1327.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/4dSRT9HD/IMG-1426.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Next on the list was removing the rocker tubes I had installed and bending up some actual door bars. The rest of the cage was already built using 1-3/4 x .120 wall tubing. Little did I know the car was going to come in under 3000lbs without me in it, making a .095 cage legal - who knew. Door bars are a personal choice. NASCAR bars are still my preference to date having bent up and installed over a dozen custom cages. An X brace is all that is required on the driver side per NASA and SCCA, but....and this is a big but IMO, ease of entry and exit. We all get in and out of our caged cars differently, but a flat NASCAR bar that doesn't make you slide to the middle of the door bar when you sit on it EVERY TIME you get in and out of your car is sooooo nice. Just my .02
(https://i.postimg.cc/c1F32y5W/IMG-1484.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/tCfxRdjv/IMG-1507.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/SsyX1D6X/IMG-1571.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/DZBS9L68/IMG-1572.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Quick touch on gussets since I don't have a ton of pictures. Tube gussets for the halo to main hoop and a-pillar tubes to halo. The cage kit I bought didn't use a continuous A-pillar tube from the floor to to top of the main hoop, which is how I do them now, but it does make a gusset that much more important. They're hard to see in the picture but the gussets double has a grip when getting in and out of the car. If space allows I'll put the windshield tube gussets in front like this for that reason
(https://i.postimg.cc/Vs3cg5BS/IMG-1604.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZY1hH0Fp/IMG-1605.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Going to end it there for today. Cooling system stuff coming up!
Really nice roll cage Ryan. I prefer the NASCAR bars too ... if the Driver wants to live in a left side impact.
I've always been curious about chassis rigidity offered from the different door bar options. NASCAR vs an X that protrudes into the door vs a flat X. One or two friends have sent me pictures of modern TA cars using a straight X. Doesn't seem like it would offer the same protection. Any thoughts?
Little clarity on the post above about A-pillar tubes. I prefer a continuous tube from the floor of the a-pillar to the main hoop but the gusset locations stay the same as mentioned above whether a continuous tube or a halo style cage. I may start a thread for tips on layout and bending tube, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
On to cooling system! Road racing in Texas is a definite challenge for cooling and its a problem I really didn't want. I knew that I wanted as big of a radiator/oil cooler as I could handle and close off the front of the car as much as I could. It may be an aero brick but at least try to make it better. Here's where the problem started - ducting. Sure, the engine is moved back and its a big car, but having the front closed off and a duct to feed a vertical or near vertical radiator just wasn't in the cards space wise. More used race parts! I found a PWR/C&R radiator/oil cooler module from DEI that was in excellent shape for an absolute steal but it is a freakin unit. Probably north of 60lbs when full of fluid. Here's were I started. Huge front area, mounted with a slight angle, taking up about as much space is available
(https://i.postimg.cc/3NFjVzvX/IMG-1801.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/XqkKmtCg/IMG-1802.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
How am I going to make a duct for that? Being so heavy and so far outside the axle made me start to think - if you're going to start laying the radiator down for a duct, might as well keep going and get the weight as low as possible. Here's where I ended up. The face of the radiator is level with the bottom of the bumper.
(https://i.postimg.cc/k4cBmCfj/IMG-1818.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/DZg8Thxm/IMG-1821.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Now this I can work with. Weight as low as possible, and an uninterrupted path for airflow. Cut some more factory frame rail off, build some 1x1 framing, and here we are.
(https://i.postimg.cc/3NjM6r1D/IMG-1911.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Only thing left now is how to fill this thing. Used race parts! I found a fabricated pressurized cooling system reservoir that came with an inline pressure relief valve (PRV) that would do nicely. Here it is mounted on the firewall making it the highest point of the cooling system by a fair amount. There will be more on this item when it gets plumbed.
(https://i.postimg.cc/rmyZT34G/IMG-1951.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
This brings up a topic - why not just put a filler neck somewhere in the upper hose(s) from the heads or TStat housing like so many people do, even OEM's? Downflow radiator anyone? Location matters! The radiator I found is about as badass as I could have hoped for, having extruded tubes. Even with the nice tubes there is still a flow restriction created by the radiator. Just for argument sake lets say 1.5psi and you have the filler neck in the upper hose with a 25psi cap. As soon as the water pump is moving water, that cap immediately sees 1.5psi. You have just lowered the effectiveness of that cap by 1.5psi. Sure, doesn't sound like much but when its the difference between water and steam...it matters. Feeding the lower hose is the only way to go IMO, if you're able.
Here's the lower coolant pipe feeding the water pump. Notice the -10 welded bung on the top of the coolant pipe bend. This is how the cooling system fills - also something to keep in mind. All the areas that are higher than this point have air bleeds - cylinder heads and top of radiator.
(https://i.postimg.cc/J4Hkg09W/IMG-2569.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/MKfQ4Hhx/IMG-2571.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
A quick note on welded on fittings - obviously this is a welded on -10AN. Koul Tools offers a really neat setup to recondition the flare on this fitting should it get damaged. If you're in a situation where you cannot recondition or don't have the tool, you're cutting that fitting off and welding a new one on. O-ring Boss (ORB) weld on bungs definitely don't have as large a variety of options as far as venders and sizes go, but they're getting better all the time as more people incorporate them. If I were to make that pipe again today it would be a ORB welded on and a straight fitting coming off the top of it. Yes, that oring is another leak point, but not an event ending leak point like a damaged flare.
Anyone notice the welded on AN fittings in the cylinder heads? Prime example of "why". The heads are a late casting C3 and only one of a couple pairs I've seen with a fitting welded in - most of them are tapped for NPT. As much as NPT makes me mad depending on the use, I would much rather have preferred an NPT. One day while working on the car, I'll damage that fitting. And life will suck.
Did anyone notice the lack of a lower ball joint in the control arm?
Great cage work & very good layout on your cooling system.
At this point in the build I was ready for spindles. Griggs offered a couple aluminum versions at the time but I wasn't completely satisfied with how they measured up after doing some more reading about suspension geometry and design written by Ron, so I reached out asking his thoughts on working with me to build spindles for the car. After some discussions about my goals and current setup he agreed and we got to work. I don't have many pictures of this process, so I'll try to keep the description accurate and brief.
As previously established, getting a vehicle CL and axle CL's was something I was already familiar with. Getting the car level and ready to measure was easy, but I was no longer making sure things were "Just level" - I was now measuring things at ride height and getting under the car to take a measurement was impossible, not to mention the concrete in my garage was not only sloped for drainage, it has ups and downs that would make consistent measurements impossible.
Ron has already outline how to measure out your car with pictures and techniques. Quickly looking at it, he outlines how to do this all on a drive on lift. I didn't have one, so getting set up to take the measurement is all I'll cover.
First thing I did was get the car up to around 12" from the ground and shimmed the car level. Next I bought a very basic laser level with an adjustable stand for manual leveling. Small variations in how the car was leveled make manually setting the laser's level ideal - as you put it in automatic, now you're leveling the car to the laser - much more difficult. Measure - tweak. Measure - tweak. The laser is simulating the ground, and it must simulate the ground at right height with the desired rake you want built into the car. Ron told me to start with around 1/2 a degree which if I'm remembering correctly was about 1/4" up at the rear using the points on the frame rail where I was measuring to level the laser. That will be different depending where and how far apart your measuring points are. Pick somewhere you can easily use, because that's where you measure every time you set up the car from now on.
Aim small miss small with your measurements.
The UCA, rear of the front LCA, and the rack points needed to be moved. As I mentioned above, I don't have many pictures of this process but I do have the UCA relocation method I used. The UCA needed to move up and out from the original location.
Outer ears were cut off and I used a piece of precision tube to go through both sides of the mini tower. I wanted to be as exact as possible locating the points provided by Ron, and this is the best way I could think of to keep everything inline.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xCqDDK9g/IMG-2753.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/JhpV2TCH/IMG-2752.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/ry0s545B/IMG-2760.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
This definitely isn't the end of the story - the tube structure at the rear of the mini tower had to be modified to "box in" the rear UCA mount, and a new front ear had to be made. I don't have pictures of these exclusively but as I continue with the build they'll be noticeable.
(https://i.postimg.cc/TwWx5rBr/IMG-2759.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
To get the ride height where it needed to be, a 1" extended length LBJ was used which arrived machined and ready to install in my LCA
(https://i.postimg.cc/x8vkrkyj/IMG-2692.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/zDKHHMmw/IMG-2695.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
So now the car is an inch lower than it was originally intended to be, Rev 1 exhaust just wasn't going to work. At the time, undercar exhaust was just in my brain so oval tube and over the driveshaft we go. Not in the pictures is the oil tank mounted behind the right side of the main hoop. This meant the exhaust had to be driver side only.
(https://i.postimg.cc/qML7rHnh/IMG-2020.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/QxXX0YPD/IMG-2057.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dVfwQs0Y/IMG-2058.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/SxPkQSKF/IMG-2059.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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(https://i.postimg.cc/yd4PHR4y/IMG-2031.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Picked up a lot of clearance. The exhaust is still low but for 3.5" into oval, I did pretty good. We've seen 2/3 versions of the exhaust, now. Boring....onto the next problem.
Shifter. I knew I wanted the shifter to be close to the wheel but not crowding the wheel, and I wanted to be able to make adjustments and remove the shifter from the top side.
Got a good deal on a second hand 5-speed Long shifter...but isn't it a 4-speed transmission? 8)
You'll notice the car is in a different shop for the shifter mod pic. It's a ways down the road but thought I'd toss this in there just to close the 5-speed shifter on a 4-speed thing.
(https://i.postimg.cc/MTgNQHQy/IMG-6326.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
By flipping the plate and welding in the plug shown, I was able to remove the 5th gear slot and maintain a reverse lockout. Reverse is next to 3rd which is weird, but who cares! it still springs to 3/4 for safety and the reverse lockout still takes the same effort as intended to use, which if any of you have driven a Long rail shifter, its kinda considerable. Saved $300 with a small piece of 1/8" steel.
(https://i.postimg.cc/d3mky7fF/IMG-2185.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/FFjJqqKh/IMG-2187.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/nVvQ55LH/IMG-2207.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Control rods are LH/RH 3/8-24 threaded aluminum go cart tie rods that I cut down and rethreaded the RH side.
(https://i.postimg.cc/9XGqSSfF/IMG-2268.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZYryggqb/IMG-2269.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/8PNrVHFk/IMG-2271.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/yYsSzPJY/IMG-2283.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
More plumbing coming up next!
Oh plumbing, how I love plumbing. Seriously, I do! It's always presented a challenge and I appreciate the mindset to make it look good. Bending, routing, and mounting hard lines comes into this in a big way. I'm probably going to catch some flak for it, but all my plumbing (yes, all) runs inside the car between the front and rear bulkheads. Oil feed and return, brakes, transmission cooler for a short run, and fuel. Being that the car is as flat a bottom as I could make it, room for lines under the car becomes quickly limited leaving the only real option being the tunnel. The idea of any plumbing running parallel to a driveshaft spinning up to 8500rpm sounded like a bad idea, along with exhaust heat. Lines inside the car are protected by the frame and roll cage just like the driver. Of the pictures following, all remains how it is to this day with the exception of the fuel line being re-bent in stainless steel.
Lets get started with the oil lines. I used aluminum straights and bends and welded it all together.
(https://i.postimg.cc/d0rd51rV/IMG-2320.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
This was the beginning. After this I'm going to skip forward a little bit to the point where I had painted the interior of the car. It makes things much easier to see and because pretty. Aluminum tube and bends can be acquired from several places. This is all .065 thick, making it relatively easy to weld. The issue I ran into was the flared ends. Flaring up to 1/2" is easy. Inexpensive 37* flaring tools are available in both single and double flare. Over 1/2" is an issue. For my build I had some used BMRS fittings that I cut apart and welded in place. If anyone else is wanting to go the large hardline route, contact BMRS for flared ends. They offer flaring service on lengths of tube in AL or stainless that have one or both ends flared and leak tested. All you have to do now is add a tube nut and sleeve, and weld the ends on. They do offer complete bending services as well, but I've never had them quote out a setup for me.
Bending AL or stainless tube over 1/2" is also an issue. I recently tried a relatively inexpensive mandrel bender at work, from Woodward fab that can do up to 1" steel or AL tubing but the holding device needs some attention - it causes a sizable dimple in tube where its being held. Mitler Brothers offers a similar bender I want to try that uses a roller on the holding side that may provide a better product. If you can get one of these benders to work, the tubes could be made from one straight piece instead of welded together like I did. These tools were more than I could afford at the time. But..the product from hardlines....oooo
(https://i.postimg.cc/65pfpG1P/IMG-3798.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
The short lines you see that dip under the oil lines are transmission cooler.
(https://i.postimg.cc/c4kMg4VF/IMG-3809.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Near the rear bulkhead I did a mounted bulkhead block. Bulkheads are welded to a removable piece that continues the hardline for fuel and brakes, but changes to soft for oil feed and return.
(https://i.postimg.cc/gk1LbX9k/IMG-2475.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
The downward jog on the fuel line is why I ended up redoing the fuel in stainless. It was close to the floor and the very first time I drove the car there was a scrape on the bottom from who knows what. Not damage, just a scrape - right under that fuel line. I did a tight 90* fitting and brought stainless forward, as well as redoing all the rear lines in stainless too.
(https://i.postimg.cc/63TMqj0k/IMG-3166.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
The scavenge filter mounted to the side of the oil tank was a cool idea I thought, and I like the way it came out, but checking the filter is a pain, even on a lift. That being said, I'm not a huge fan of the tube filter either. Cleaning the filter free of any particulate after inspection is a pain. I have a billet Oberg filter sitting on the shelf that I'm trying to find an easy accessible place for. The Clear View filters on the market are cool too. Little pricey and a little heavy, but cool none the less.
(https://i.postimg.cc/tTf2x3vy/IMG-3177.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Here's the before and after on the fuel line.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Rh2tdGwc/IMG-1709.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3NzG192b/IMG-1714.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/cCP3hTf9/IMG-1715.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
This is getting a pit lengthy so, one more note on hard lines - Mounting. Hard lines need to be frequently mounted to prevent vibration, fatigue, and failure. Planning for mounting points is something I actually planned out! Wow! Lol! I welded 1/4-20 x 1/2" bolts all over the chassis for plumbing and harness mounting. the harness mounting studs also make great grounding points. I have seen several builders weld the lines to each other for rigidity which also works well. If you thumb the line over a long run like a guitar string and it vibrates, you need another mount.
Cant help myself, couple more pics. This is the Racepak display dash mount I made.
(https://i.postimg.cc/YSxyPLnG/IMG-3216.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Y9qyB2ZR/IMG-3217.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Until next time!
That is some, nice, clean work Ryan!
Do you still install roll cages for customers?
Quote from: Ron Sutton on Mar 27, 2026, 12:31 PMThat is some, nice, clean work Ryan!
Do you still install roll cages for customers?
Thank you, Ron! Yes, I do. I have an 8-5 so they're on the side, but I try my best to keep the time tables reasonable.
Quote from: Ryan Kennedy on Mar 28, 2026, 02:24 PMQuote from: Ron Sutton on Mar 27, 2026, 12:31 PMThat is some, nice, clean work Ryan!
Do you still install roll cages for customers?
Thank you, Ron! Yes, I do. I have an 8-5 so they're on the side, but I try my best to keep the time tables reasonable.
That's some nice roll cage, sheet metal & plumbing work you have done on your car. I remember you telling you had installed a lot of roll cages. With the work you're done on yours, I'd happily recommend you to other racers near you.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Ron! Would be great to work with people on their projects!
Been away for a week or so, lets get back to building stuff!
The location of the car is about to be all over the place. I was selling my house, trying to get some more work space, and right around the time these pics were taken, COVID was about to hit. Messed up ALL my plans. We've gotten through it as best as possible, but the back drop will change multiple times from here on out.
The original k-member has now become the lowest point on the car by a fair amount and the rack needs to come up quite a bit. As I already had a tube welded into the front of the stock frame rails that was originally intended to be the ARB tube, I wasn't worried about the frame moving, so I uh...just...cut it :o
(https://i.postimg.cc/Y0XZrZbC/IMG-3633.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
I spliced back in a piece of 1-3/4 as the K-member was bent up in, but being in the middle of the bend radius, you'll see its kinda wonky. Having issues finding pics of it, but I shaped a piece of tube that acts as a substantial gusset and smooths the transition. No doubt I'll find a pic later. Now the rack mounts.
I had toyed with the idea of changing to a Sweet Mfg rack at this point but it just wasn't in the budget. As the SN95 mounting is relatively easy to work with, I was able to get it moved up to height specified by Ron, which was quite a bit higher than original.
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZqT8HnTR/IMG-3639.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/cJXQbWHx/IMG-3640.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/0NcpBvQ5/IMG-3641.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Again with another vehicle CL and leveling the car. Getting old, but also getting pretty quick at it! If the rack looks close to the crankshaft, that's because it is! I had to have a friend of mine put the drive mandrel on a lathe and get it down where it needed to be to clear. I'm just grateful I was able to get it exactly where Ron specified, making bumpsteer easy to set up down the road.
(https://i.postimg.cc/k4HYLK4v/IMG-6288.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
There's space there, I swear 8)
Speaking of budget things, it was time for wheels - one of the largest single purchases of the build, behind the initial cost of the engine. Jongbloed Racing 557, 18x13 all around - Ryan at Jongbloed was great to work with.
(https://i.postimg.cc/8CzBdLJz/IMG-3839.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/PJYmf4c0/IMG-3901.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Also around this time I had decided to change seats. Originally I had a pair of Cobra Suzuka Pro seats. With the frame rails being straight and under the seat, the height of the seat was something I wasn't too fond of. The only way to get the seat down without cutting into the frame rail was the go to an aluminum seat and mount it on the floor. At the time Kirkey offered their 45 series road race seat but I didn't like the construction and halo adjustment compared to some of their circle track seats so I reached out to them about a series 88. I was originally going to just buy the series 88 as is, but Kirkey told me they could custom make the seat with symmetrical bolsters! The seat is an absolute unit.
(https://i.postimg.cc/fLj8BMWS/IMG-5402.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/rsVQH7zn/IMG-5403.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qqJjFWgD/IMG-5405.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
With the seat being right on the floor the height is as low as I can get, and being designed with a back mount...it is SOLID! On the topic of back mounts, I very much like seats with back mounts especially ones with it integrated into the design. Yes, there are offerings to add mounting points to the rear of just about any composite seat. I've sat in several converted seats, and they feel pretty good - much better than before the back mounting point was added, but...getting in a seat designed with a back mount like the Series 88 shown or a Ractech 4119 composite seat, will completely change how you think about seat mounting. Also, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, I believe once you do a back mounted composite seat there's no longer an expiration on the seat. Food for thought - initial cost of the higher end seats is more, but never having to buy another one because your perfectly good seat is now "out of date" is worth it, not to mention the increased safety.
Might be getting a little slow for some a y'all, here's a carrot. We'll bounce back to some final fuel system stuff next.
(https://i.postimg.cc/zfD5msjJ/IMG-5126.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/YS2kc5x5/IMG-5127.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Fuel system! I knew from the beginning that I wanted to be fuel injected, and if any of yall have done a port injection conversion on something that there isn't a bolt on solution for, you know it can be a real pain. If you haven't...it can be a real pain ;D . Totally worthit IMO, and don't forget to opt for computer controlled timing! The drivability and throttle definition from timing control is crazy good even with as large a cam as I have combined with a lightweight rotating assembly.
The manifold that came with my Busch series engine wasn't something I wanted to just replace with any EFI manifold due to the hours and money spent developing it, that I could never hope to surpass. With that knowledge it was down to converting. Talked to the guys at GSpeed - a local corvette race shop with some machining capabilities about milling the intake for injector bungs and here's what they were able to do for me.
(https://i.postimg.cc/pVQmVYHb/IMG-0038.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/T2jK2q66/IMG-0039.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Turned out great! Sourced some Injector bungs from Ross Machine Racing, and found a decent flowing throttle body from Accel. Throttle bodies were kind of limiting when I started this. Today there are so many options. At the time I started this there were far fewer offerings for a 4150 flange didn't flow much. The 3-blade Accel I found that was new but discontinued, flowed 1350CFM. Wilson may have been around there somewhere with their 4-barrel and fancy spacer claiming 1400-somthing, but I either didn't know about them or they were too expensive, and FAST, Accufab, and Holley were still a couple hundred CFM behind. Fast forward to dyno day, and I could use a little larger TB but the gains (6-10hp) aren't worth the $1000 it would take to get them.
(https://i.postimg.cc/L5PwR67n/IMG-0059.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qM8S5q24/IMG-1950.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Fuel rail brackets have always been a visual thing for me. I've seen some really nice ones and some really "ok" ones. After welding the bungs, I wasn't confident in the equipment available to me or frankly my skill at that point, to weld thick rail brackets on and have them turn out the way I wanted. Sending the manifold in to have that done was outside my budget, so I had a friend machine me some bolt on brackets, and he nailed it.
(https://i.postimg.cc/6pxw8FfK/IMG-4864.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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(https://i.postimg.cc/3rPWZSFX/IMG-5129.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Now onto delivery. There's two rev's of my fuel delivery system and they both worked well so I'll cover them. Here's the basic components that I ordered from Fore Innovations. I remembered Fore from my Terminator days and have always liked their stuff. Plus, support the little guy - Aeromotive makes plenty of money. Basics are a TI Automotive Hellcat fuel pump, Fore's adapter to 8AN, filter, and 3-port regulator. I chose a dead head style system with the reg mounted at the rear and have had zero issues from this style system. Dead head vs a full return is an argument as old as Ford vs Chevy, but the OEM's run this style system even with the big power coming out of Detroit, today. It works just fine - cuts out an entire front to rear run of fuel line, and the regulator mounting becomes way easier and far from heat.
(https://i.postimg.cc/sDDHwmf1/IMG-4828.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Now it gets fun. A friend gave me one of ATL's surge tanks - ping pong ball style. I think they've moved to a flapper style now, but the principal is the same - a few check valves. I made a hat to clamp the pump and then for reasons I don't remember why, rivetted the hat onto the surge tank. Can't see it, but the return line does plug into the side of the surge tank in efforts to keep it full.
(https://i.postimg.cc/VsHXPWBm/IMG-4844.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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Simplest...fuel system...ever. As far as EFI goes, that is.
(https://i.postimg.cc/pdqJhb85/IMG-8182.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
I will say that little filter vent didn't work as I'd hoped. It let fuel by. If I had stayed with this setup, a different vent would have been needed.
So on to Rev 2! Why? Taking the trunk off to fill the cell is a PAIN IN THE D**K HOLE! Why not run a conventional remote fill? Filling with cans, there's no automatic shutoff. Now you need a vent out the back with an overflow tank to catch the fuel or a discriminator valve to shutoff the vent and whatever extra spills out on your driving suit while holding a possibly full gas can. If you have a discriminator valve why not just do a dry break?
Did a little looking around and dry break stuff is a rabbit hole of money and components not exactly setup to work together without the aforementioned money in large quantities. Until I looked at Radium Engineering. They offer their universal Fuel Cell Surge Tank (FCST). Mine is an early version that I got new for a great deal from Scot at Scot Rods Garage, as well as dry breaks and a discriminator valve that plugs right into their FCST. Its a smaller fill pipe at 1.5" compared to the 2"+ that the big boys use but it still fills fast! If you're unfamiliar with a discriminator valve, it can be a 2 in 1 kinda thing or just a filling shutoff. In the Radium setup, a larger -12 vent that serves the purpose of rollover shutoff for the vent as well as closing the vent when the cell is full to stop filling. Combined with the dry break its awesome. Filling stops when its full, pull the can out, and little to no spillage. In other systems, the discriminator doesn't always double as rollover protection but it still stops filling of the system.
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The discriminator valve is clearly visible in the second picture of the setup. Very simple device - on top a ball that floats and seals the vent when the fuel level rises. Below the ball that floats is a ball that doesn't float and will close the vent in a rollover.
To the install! Shrank, and stretched, and welded a bezel to rivet to the inside of the qtr panel and hold the female for the dry break. You'll see this is quite a fast forward with the other work around it being done, but I thought maybe posting an entire system from start to finish could be easier and more linear than starting it here and finishing it later in the thread.
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Next was a vent canister. IDK about you guys, but vents have always been an eye sore. I've seen and tried vertical loops and horizontal loops. Hoses that run the perimeter of the trunk if there's room, or around the outside of the tank. I wanted something different, so thought that all I needed was vertical head room, and something to combat droplets moving with the vapor. Here's what I came up with.
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I cut angled slots into a piece of tube to act as baffles, welded a -12 on the bottom, and bead rolled the top for a breather. Done! or so I thought...The first time I dumped more than 5 gallons of fuel in the cell, I was getting splash coming out of the filter. Uh...what the...why is there that much liquid fuel coming up the vent?
(https://i.postimg.cc/CLtK3D7f/IMG-2354.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
It's hard to see with everything being black, but here's the bottom side of the inlet with rollover protection on an earlier version of Radium's FCST. Its a flap on a bolt that telescopes closed in the event of a rollover. Notice it's proximity to the disciminator valve. When filling fuel its splashing off that flap, and at a high volume the air leaving the cell through the discriminator is carrying large quantities of liquid fuel with it.
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The solution - a simple piece of tube I had lying around, cut long ways, and a lug to hold it in place. This shields the discriminator during filling and it worked like a charm. Four dump cans, a clunk of the discriminator valve shutting off, and a full fuel cell without a drop of fuel coming out the vent.
(https://i.postimg.cc/FKY82dPk/IMG-0420.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
That's the completed system. Notice the black fittings on the vent hose. Only black fittings on the whole car because of COVID supply chain problems. Summit was out of blue/red aeruquip with no ship date listed ::) .
So a note on functionality between the two systems. I didn't have a lot of drive time on the ATL surge tank setup, but it functioned well for the time I did have on it. However...I used the fuel pump in the ATL surge tank to empty the cell before converting to the Radium setup. This left about a half inch of fuel in the bottom of the cell. Once the new setup was completed (minus the shield), the Radium setup was able to fill its surge tank, which is about 2-liters, and prime all the way to the rails with 45psi on the pressure sensor. All accomplished with the fuel leftover that the ATL setup wasn't able to pick up and pump out of the cell. Food for thought.
I have recently added a second hellcat pump into the Radium surge tank to convert to E85, and it was a cinch. The system is already set up for up the 3 pumps and its easy accessing the additional circuits to add pumps. The new Radium FCST's are even easier, making the pump module come out separate form the cell hat itself. Only switching to E85 in effort to bring the operating cost down. I added a Flex Feul sensor so I can run pump E85. Despite the higher consumption, my fuel costs will be cut roughly in half over the 50/50 leaded race gas/non-ethanol pump gas mix I was previously running. Yes, there are extra steps with E85, but as always - I have more time than money. Pumping the fuel system out to save $250/day running the car? Worthit.
Happy Saturday everyone! Lets get back to some suspension stuff. ARB's. I needed a different front bar after Ron changed the front geometry, and though the rear setup didn't originally have one, I wanted one. The RC on the Griggs watts link is adjustable but why not have another tuning tool in the box? Used race parts. Picked up a splined rear setup with bars ranging from 3/8" to 1".
Lets start with the front bar though, it had more challenges. My suspension ended up being a medium travel setup with travel around 2-1/4" in dive to start. Not a ton of travel so it didn't require the really long arms necessitating a huge bar to start. Ron hooked me up with a step-up 1-1/4 to 1-3/8 setup with needle bearings. The step up bar and tube give me a lot of room for growth. Smoother movement of the bar and lower maintenance requirements was a no brainer vs the cost increase for the bearing over a bushing.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Zq5TZLp6/59226122885-3D935781-C93E-4C09-A3D3-E8F5CA63A2D5.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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The location is pretty well set front to rear, but that's about it. Ron calls out a maximum height different between the ARB CL and the upper end link CL - I want to say its 1" but its been a minute. This pretty much dictates everything else. Aaaaand another CL string setup to be dropped.
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I know, the pictures are really busy. There's a lot going on and it wasn't easy to get an angle that showed it well. After playing around with all kinds of different heights and ideas, running the arms under the LCA turned out to be the only way to achieve the heights desired, but it too had its needs.
(https://i.postimg.cc/WbcqVQ3Z/IMG-4942.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
That 2x3 tube is clamped to the bottom of my frame - keeping some adjustment in the end links and staying within 1" difference front to rear at ride height, there's just enough room for an 1/8" aluminum plate behind the splitter blade.
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So now the control arms. Pretty basic modification. Add tabs for the end link that allow use of both positions on the bar. Some end link misalignment is going to be present using a single mounting hole on the control arm so I centered the upper mount between the positions on the bar so the misalignment would be equal regardless of the bar position. I thought about doing a longer to use two holes so the end link would be vertical in both stiffness settings, but I was concerned putting too much twisting force into the LCA on the softer setting.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dDcySf7w/IMG-4932.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
And now a lesson that seems obvious, and something that I typically do, but apparently forgot - always move the suspension through its full travel in every position of adjustment! I'd forgotten to check droop clearance at the stiffer setting. Didn't matter the first and second time out as the car was still just being shaken down, but it was time to move the bar to the stiffer setting and oops! The end link clears the LCA on the stiffer setting, but only at ride height...I mentioned oops, right? With the suspension at full droop everything would be in a major bind.
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Little pocket from a piece of 1-3/4 tube and she fits! I was a little concerned about rigidity from the control arm after the change, so I opened up the lightening hole behind the pocket and welded in a piece of .120 wall tube.
(https://i.postimg.cc/jj48dNVX/IMG-5908.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
And onto the rear! Rear bar was quite a bit easier but the axle side of the end link is different.
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I was able to run multiple holes on the axle side to keep the end links vertical regardless of the position. A couple easy brackets and done. I moved this same setup over to the decoupled 3-link setup. Had to move the bar mounts a little and make new brackets for the 9" axle but other than that it stayed the same. Bars are relatively easy to swap out and the end links can be moved between positions from above with the car on the ground.
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Final note on ARB's - in particular, splined bars. Something Ron and I talked about that I'd never thought of, is how the bar will shorten as it twists. Whether you're using clamps or the ARB arms themselves to keep the bar centered, you need a gap for the bar to shrink. If you do not have this extra space between the bar clamps/arms and the bushing/bearing, the bar will bind. Or if your arm/bar isn't designed for the clamping bolt to have a groove in the bar, the arms could be forced off the bar.
Quote from: Ryan Kennedy on Apr 03, 2026, 12:21 PMAt the time Kirkey offered their 45 series road race seat but I didn't like the construction and halo adjustment compared to some of their circle track seats so I reached out to them about a series 88. I was originally going to just buy the series 88 as is, but Kirkey told me they could custom make the seat with symmetrical bolsters! The seat is an absolute unit.
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With the seat being right on the floor the height is as low as I can get, and being designed with a back mount...it is SOLID! On the topic of back mounts, I very much like seats with back mounts especially ones with it integrated into the design.
That seat is awesome. One thing Oval track racers do better is prepare to protect them selves WHEN they crash. Too many "Track Car" guys think it won't happen to them, because they're not planning to push the car 102%. Which is rubbish. A crash at 100mph is a a 100mph crash, regardless of intentions.
Quote from: Ryan Kennedy on Apr 06, 2026, 01:28 PMFuel system!
So a note on functionality between the two systems. I didn't have a lot of drive time on the ATL surge tank setup, but it functioned well for the time I did have on it. However...I used the fuel pump in the ATL surge tank to empty the cell before converting to the Radium setup. This left about a half inch of fuel in the bottom of the cell. Once the new setup was completed (minus the shield), the Radium setup was able to fill its surge tank, which is about 2-liters, and prime all the way to the rails with 45psi on the pressure sensor. All accomplished with the fuel leftover that the ATL setup wasn't able to pick up and pump out of the cell. Food for thought.
I have recently added a second hellcat pump into the Radium surge tank to convert to E85, and it was a cinch. The system is already set up for up the 3 pumps and its easy accessing the additional circuits to add pumps. The new Radium FCST's are even easier, making the pump module come out separate form the cell hat itself. Only switching to E85 in effort to bring the operating cost down. I added a Flex Feul sensor so I can run pump E85. Despite the higher consumption, my fuel costs will be cut roughly in half over the 50/50 leaded race gas/non-ethanol pump gas mix I was previously running. Yes, there are extra steps with E85, but as always - I have more time than money. Pumping the fuel system out to save $250/day running the car? Worthit.
I am a fan of the both the Fuel Lab brand & Radium Engineering brand of Top Plate systems with Fuel Cell Surge Tanks. They only cost a little bit more money than running the square collector in the bottom of the tank. They pickup more fuel, increasing how far we can run on the same number of gallons.
FuelSafe told me the Radium Engineering brand is hard to get sometimes. So they use the Fuel Lab brand more.
Quote from: Ron Sutton on Apr 12, 2026, 01:34 PMThat seat is awesome. One thing Oval track racers do better is prepare to protect them selves WHEN they crash. Too many "Track Car" guys think it won't happen to them, because they're not planning to push the car 102%. Which is rubbish. A crash at 100mph is a a 100mph crash, regardless of intentions.
I caught myself saying something like this. Had to give myself a little pep talk about it basically as soon as I said it. Noone ever "plans" on crashing. It always happens fast and you have no control over it, hence, "lost control". Someone told me to buy the best safety equipment you can afford, and I've tried to make sure I do that.
A carbon HANS would be nice, but a fiberglass HANS will still save your life - you need one even if its not the best of the best. Make sure and install harnesses correctly. Fire suits are expensive anyway you buy them, so buy the best one you can. Fire extinguisher is better than no fire extinguisher, but you can't really use a handheld extinguisher effectively between the moment you realize you're on fire and the moment you're able to do something about it. I'll do a post on my fire system and harnesses. I think I did them as well as I could have, but its a good topic for discussion.
Quote from: Ron Sutton on Apr 12, 2026, 01:46 PMI am a fan of the both the Fuel Lab brand & Radium Engineering brand of Top Plate systems with Fuel Cell Surge Tanks. They only cost a little bit more money than running the square collector in the bottom of the tank. They pickup more fuel, increasing how far we can run on the same number of gallons.
FuelSafe told me the Radium Engineering brand is hard to get sometimes. So they use the Fuel Lab brand more.
Deatschwerks also did their own version with a fabricated aluminum surge tank that serves as a top hat for the cell as well, so there's definitely options for keep it all contained in the cell. External surge tanks are also an option.
I helped a friend make an external version for his car since he was having starvation issues. It incorporated a box style in the cell to an external surge tank the fed the primary pump. The fuel return from the rail ran to the surge tank and then the surge tank had an overflow back to the cell into the box style internal surge tank. Extra component or two, but he really liked his hat and primary pump setup and didn't want to change it. We were able to make the external surge tank to a size and shape that worked best for the space available. Worked great! Solved the starvation issue. Didn't do anything more for using every drop of fuel in the cell, but doing time trials with short sessions on track, it wasn't an issue.
Quote from: Ryan Kennedy on Apr 13, 2026, 12:13 PMQuote from: Ron Sutton on Apr 12, 2026, 01:34 PMThat seat is awesome. One thing Oval track racers do better is prepare to protect them selves WHEN they crash. Too many "Track Car" guys think it won't happen to them, because they're not planning to push the car 102%. Which is rubbish. A crash at 100mph is a a 100mph crash, regardless of intentions.
I caught myself saying something like this. Had to give myself a little pep talk about it basically as soon as I said it. Noone ever "plans" on crashing. It always happens fast and you have no control over it, hence, "lost control". Someone told me to buy the best safety equipment you can afford, and I've tried to make sure I do that.
A carbon HANS would be nice, but a fiberglass HANS will still save your life - you need one even if its not the best of the best. Make sure and install harnesses correctly. Fire suits are expensive anyway you buy them, so buy the best one you can. Fire extinguisher is better than no fire extinguisher, but you can't really use a handheld extinguisher effectively between the moment you realize you're on fire and the moment you're able to do something about it. I'll do a post on my fire system and harnesses. I think I did them as well as I could have, but its a good topic for discussion.
Something not common knowledge is all SFI suits come with a TPP rating. The SFI numbers themselves can be a little vague. But the TPP number is clear. Every TPP point is 1/2 second before the fire burns through the suit & gets you. Have a 22 TPP suit? You have 11 seconds from the time the fire reaches you until you are burnt. 26 TPP = 13 seconds. NASCAR requires a 39 TPP = 19.5 seconds.
I'm telling you from experience, if your car catches on fire above 120mph, it is hard to get stopped in 11-13 seconds. If you crash (or someone crashes you) & the race car catches fire ... 11-13 seconds happens long before the safety guys reach you. Buy the best suit you can afford, with the highest TPP rating.
Seems like a good time to talk about fire suppression! I went with a 10lb SPA Extreme Novec system. I would like to add a second system, but for now, this is what I have.
AFFF is the other common option, and is less expensive. Being a foam system, the chemical must be applied directly to the area on fire. Novec (3M) or FE-36 (Dupont's halon replacement) is deployed as a gas and moves around obstructions.
The SPA system I purchased uses a 5/16" rigid tubing of which they don't include nearly enough of so you'll end up buying more, but makes for a cleaner install. installation of the plastic coated AL tubing used in the AFFF systems I've seen, is much easier. The coated tubing bends by hand, and there's usually enough of it included with the system for the entire car if properly planned.
Despite the Cougar being a large car, real estate was running out. Bottle location was limited to the only available cage tube. Found a nice used pair of mounting brackets for about a quarter of what they are new.
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Most manual systems only come with one pull cable so I had to find a place I can reach it belted in, as well as crew.
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It may look awkward but I can reach it with either hand and have adequate force to pull and its easily used by crew. Side note - I changed away from the multi-angle wink mirror after the first drive and opted for a wide convex mirror. That kind of thing is personal, but the mounting of the wink mirror was difficult with my layout, and the vertical visual field felt limiting.
Now for nozzles. I system came with four nozzles. I pointed one at the top of the fuel cell, one at driver feet/legs, one at passenger legs and plumbing as a secondary, and the rear of the intake manifold.
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The fuel cell nozzle can be seen in my fuel system pics and you can see the backside of the engine bay nozzle in the interior.
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So here's where we're at. General progress pics. Systems are coming together, more plumbing...lot more plumbing, exhaust exit, wiring is in there too but that's a post for later.
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What all this is leading to is the dyno tune, setup, and first drive! This is how the car went out its first time. What a party! I mean, it was terrible but it was still a party! At this point I believe I was about 12 years into my track dedicated build.
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First impressions were just an assault on the senses. The last time I'd been on track was about two years and 400hp earlier. The most obvious and immediate issue was braking. ALLL the rear wheel hop. Background on the brakes.
First go around was as budget as I could do them. I found a full set of 3rd Gen Viper 4-piston Brembo calipers, which are just an F40 caliper, radial mounted. I had a friend make me some caliper brackets to go with some brake duct plates I made.
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Talking with Ron, we had decided on master cylinder sizes, but there was concern. You would think that calipers from a factory car would be sized relatively on point...and you'd be wrong. The rear piston sizes are only a couple mm smaller than the fronts. The concern was that I wouldn't be able to take enough rear brake out without making the rear MC larger than the front, which we don't want.
This concern quickly became a reality. Even with a really mild rear pad and the crossbar dialed all the way to the front, the rear brakes were way too much and the TA rear suspension couldn't keep the wheels on the ground. In a moment of lust and weakness I decided to start over on the brake system. Braking issues are like cooling system issues - I....don't....want them.
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AP Racing Radical 6 piston front and 4 piston rear. With these I was able to fit a little larger 14-1/4" rotor under the 18" wheel.
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25mm of brake pad.... 8)
The front setup was easy. The rear though...the rear comes with some more uuhem...changes. Scope Creep at its finest.
Rear brakes. Sigh...well...not sigh...totally awesome! The rear brackets made for the Brembo calipers weren't going to work in any way, and there was an upgrade I had been eyeballing for a while in terms of adjustability, safety, and longevity. I originally chose the 8.8 for its lighter weight and lesser power consumption. Strength between the 9" and 8.8" is almost the same, but the ability to have multiple chunks setup with different ratios or even different differentials, is an undeniable advantage of the 9" axle.
After learning so much through the build it was clear why cars that run solid axles and make a lot of grip run a floating setup. There are a few setups on the market for converting to a full floater but the one that had my eye on, was from Strange Engineering. They have two different versions - one is just a normal floating setup and the other is a camber and toe adjustable setup. They call it their "Pro-touring Floater Kit". It uses a weld on snout for the axle and a bolt on spindle up to -2.5* of camber. Between the snout and the spindle, there's a spacer plate that can change toe if you desire. Also, the setup uses a hub mounted rotor. Its a Wilwood adapter that can accommodate a parking brake, but I don't want a parking brake so I machined the back of the hat off to try and save some weight.
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I Probably could have bored out the parking brake hat a little instead of just taking the backside of it down, but I'm no engineer and I didn't want to weaken the bell.
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The Strange setup uses a crowned spline axle and a pair of large tapered roller bearings, similar to our friends in NASCAR. There is another setup offered by those crazy Aussie's used in V8 Supercar that incorporates more of a CV joint at the outer end of the axle. Friend of mine bought that setup and is currently installing it. Guilt trips have yet to get him on here.
And this is where the wheels fall off the bus. Not having a jig for building axles, I gave my 8.8 to Scot Rods Garage for the conversion to the floating snout, and shortly after, received a phone call for full stop.
I cannot blame Griggs racing for the next part, but a heads up would have been nice. Much earlier on in the project, I had to obtain and send an 8.8 housing to them for camber modification. I never saw the car the axle came out of, but apparently it was a small tube/thin wall axle. Not knowing any better, I bought it, stripped it, and shipped it - my fault. Doing racing things, I would have hoped to get a call that a different axle would suit my needs better. No such call. Now I had a decision to make. Outfit the 8.8 I have with a really nice floater setup that one day might bend, or start over.
Soooo I chose to start over.
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(https://i.postimg.cc/VLRhMZmx/IMG-1272.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
The 5-bolt pattern seen here is the same pattern and mounting that would have been used if the Wilwood brake kit designed for this floater setup was used.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xC5sHcSH/IMG-1097.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
You can see the spindles are labeled -1* and the middle plate that controls toe is set for zero toe. Talking with others who run a similar size tire and IRS are dialing in between -1 and -1.5* of static camber. We'll see what the tire temps say.
(https://i.postimg.cc/C17vDzVm/IMG-1105.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/D0M3rCKc/IMG-1274.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/bNZhyjQV/IMG-1275.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/ncXJFtvy/IMG-1281.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
The rear rotors stayed a 14", which is probably too big, but if you look at the calipers installed, I built the brackets with spacers that can be removed to accommodate a smaller rotor without remaking the brackets.
There's one other aspect of this particular floater setup that I'm on the fence about. Typical floating setups need to have the axle position, or depth, adjusted by bolts on the inside end of the axle that ride on the differential cross pin. This setup has a special cap and bolt that rides on the outer end of the axle that keeps the axle in place by attaching it to the dust cap. I understand why Strange did this; it makes servicing a setup easier. I don't have an issue with the method, but it makes the axles a special part number and therefore more expensive, and only available through Strange.
Now I have rear brakes! What about the torque arm? What indeed... ;)
I recognize those Track-Star front hubs!
Great job on the floater & brake caliper brackets.
Thanks, Ron! Very excited about the setup even though I haven't gotten much testing on it so far.
Back to the question at the end of the last post - where's the Torque Arm?! At this point I had to make a decision - make mounts to reinstall the TA from the 8.8" on the 9" axle or accept that this is a sign that a different rear suspension setup is meant to be in the car. Can't ignore signs from on high, now can we?
I had my eye on one of Ron's decoupled 3-link setups for a while, so it was time to see what needed to be done for the Cougar to have one. One of the biggest hurdles installing the 3-link was the second "harness bar" that needed to be added. Due to the forces being applied in both acceleration and braking, more support for the J-bar is needed.
Here we go again. Disassemble the assembled :-\
(https://i.postimg.cc/sDdrXFf9/IMG-1107.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Right around this time, what should arrive?
(https://i.postimg.cc/G2q3dn6M/IMG-1330.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/k4fMqPLp/IMG-1331.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Soooo many cool things in these boxes. All organized with the respective hardware and Ron had already sent me an email with takeoff points and fabrication guidelines. Back to the second harness bar!
The biggest issue was the 1-1/4" triangulation of the main crossmember. There was no way I was going to risk movement in the chassis at this point so I decided to make my life more difficult and install the 1-3/4" around the 1-1/4". Took a lot of fitting and trimming to achieve the 3-piece tube to make all this happen, but it turned out really well.
(https://i.postimg.cc/13s9nts1/IMG-1393.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/mDyxG31W/IMG-1395.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/QtJLrgKG/IMG-1396.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Also in the picture are 2x3 tube gussets where the rear rails meets the main crossmember. Gussets like these were originally on the outside, and the lower control arm was on the inside of the frame rail. Ron had specified the control arm be on the outside of the frame rail so this required some changes. I like this configuration much better.
(https://i.postimg.cc/KjjTyNpL/IMG-1348.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Next were the slotted front LCA mounts. These presented a real challenge. As with most things on the car, the changes I was making and the hardware I was wanting to incorporate wasn't part of the original vision so I had to get creating in some areas. The front LCA mount was one of them.
(https://i.postimg.cc/rwjtz76Z/IMG-1362.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/yNCrYgHS/IMG-1361.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Mp5jXgk4/IMG-1368.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
The pocket in the frame rail that you see had to be made so the the nut, and more importantly, a wrench could be fit in to tighten the LCA bolt. As much of a PITA as this looks, it turned out great. An open end wrench can be fed into the slot with the nut if necessary and its essentially captured during installation and tightening.
(https://i.postimg.cc/1XFvQsjG/IMG-1370.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Xq5sb4zL/IMG-1371.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Not in these pictures, but just a cool thing Ron does with his DIY packages is include spacers to be used during welding. Bolts in place with an additional shim he supplies to allow for heat distortion and paint after install. I had no problems with double sheer mounting points being too tight after welding.
Something I just noticed in the picture that's worth calling out - If you follow the bent floor mounting flange forward, what looks like right underneath the drivers harness eyelet, there's a cutout in the flange and a round nub hanging down. This is a hard jacking point in the middle of the perimeter frame rail. Its also the only thing I have access to when the car is on the ground. Make your lives easier, install reliable jacking points. I only have the two - one in the same place on each side and it allows me to do anything I need.
(https://i.postimg.cc/3NkP0sbx/IMG-6540.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
It hangs down just far enough to where the jack pad wont damage the floor when lifting high, and its small enough (1-3/4) that normal service jack pads will hook around it so the jack can slip off of it. Scary situation at the track a couple years ago - rough and pebbly paddock with smooth frame rails and a floor jack that wasn't allow to roll. Watching the floor jack move on the rail as you go up and down....Not a fan
Back to suspension. Now time for the J-bar. The location of the J-bar is dictated by the pinon location. Since the 3rd link mount on the axle needs to be a set distance from the pinion to plant both tires equally, these points need be be as close as you can get them. Always another CL to be laid down, and more plumbs.
(https://i.postimg.cc/fLsnfy1R/IMG-1429.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/8cn09zXp/IMG-1427.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/x1k20WLR/IMG-1399.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/kgVmnkWs/IMG-1407.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Axle brackets already welded on at this point as they also have specified locations. Axle 3rd link bracket is just tacked for now to check clearances. The height of the third link bracket on the axle wasn't set in stone. Taller is better to a point, but if the room isn't there, it isn't there.
(https://i.postimg.cc/mDPXMs2j/IMG-1432.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gk3Y89xk/IMG-1433.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Once alignments were checked it was time to start adding more things to the axle. LCA bracket braces, left watts link point, and ARB brackets.
(https://i.postimg.cc/zBvwMSsv/IMG-1552.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Call it there for the evening. Part 2 coming up!
Now it was time for the lateral locating device. Watts or panhard bar. Having read some of Ron's tech articles I understood some of the advantages that the PB can offer over the watts link, such as ability to plant one tire harder than the other depending on how the bar is setup. The debate really became what would offer the best results with the labor available to me at the track. I am the labor available at the track. Just me. This made the watts link my choice - quick and reliable changes, with only one point of adjustment.
(https://i.postimg.cc/zBbvDCQj/IMG-1445.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZRGRW9kf/IMG-1449.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Every chassis being different, Ron provided a RC range he wants the setup to be able to achieve, and I built the watts frame accordingly. Notice the tube pass through in the crossmember. This allows for quick adjustment of the watts height. Still have to loosen the nut on the propeller but its so quick.
This is also where another challenge presented itself. Jacking screws and associated fabrication parts are supplied with the kit to establish the angles of the shocks, but its up to you to locate them correctly. The shocks need to be at the lowest angle of misalignment with the mounts at ride height, and that's where the problem presents itself. You now have a shock that doesn't wish to be compressed at all, that you need to hold in place on brackets that aren't held to anything themselves.
Went through several trial and error moments with angle finders and cutting tacks until a friend of mine suggested this little guy.
(https://i.postimg.cc/BQVMz40f/IMG-1482.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/yYww2FmT/IMG-1483.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Simplest little piece of delrin and a 3/32 welding rod. Now how to hold the crossmember in place which moving things around. Being round tube, and a little bit weighty, its a real pain. Ron does offer a setup tool for this, but I didn't have it. Another method would be to obtain swage tubes and rod ends at the correct length the shock would be at ride height. There's options, but the little delrin guy came in clutch.
Again with the simplest thing I could think of. 1-3/4 hole saw in a piece of plate, then cut it in half. Now I had something to hold the tube in exact place that I could clamp and move around.
(https://i.postimg.cc/RVy2HcqY/IMG-1450.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
You're probably asking why the crossmember tube is above the frame rail if I had control over the height of the watts link adjuster, and the answer is the upper shock mounts. Despite being 100% the way I'd do it again, the jacking screws do add some height to the overall setup. Having only given myself enough adjustment to run one height tire my first go around, I didn't want to limit my options. With the jacking screws I can accommodate a 710mm tall slick. Another note to think about with the decoupled setup is the movement of the axle under acceleration. There's a coil spring inside the black canister that compresses and makes the axle move rearward. The location of the watts link has to be able to handle this movement.
(https://i.postimg.cc/RFGKkQj5/IMG-1456.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Now that the location of the crossmember is set, how to tie the crossmember and shock mounts into the rest of the chassis.
(https://i.postimg.cc/15d2xpQW/IMG-1744.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3xD63d81/IMG-1745.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
The square tubes coming off the fuel cell cage had to be reintroduced since I still need an ARB. Big milestone getting most things welded in.
(https://i.postimg.cc/j2pHcqpx/IMG-2029.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Yes, those last couple pictures sprung ahead a little bit to the rear closeout being done, so lets check that out. The original closeouts were really neat being between all the tubes but now with the extra harness bar, I was out of desire to make that again, so I went basic. Still needed to add some complication, but not nearly as much, in the form of an access panel to make in car adjustments to the accel link. Yes, there is a jack screw on the front of the accel link, but if movement beyond the jack screws capability is needed, the access is nice.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Fz51tZ9V/IMG-1685.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/prbyNZWb/IMG-1731.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Some 1/4 turn fasteners made for a really nice panel.
Somewhere in here, it was time to assemble an axle! Due to their robust nature a locker had already been chosen, but I needed to make sure it had the proper springs in it. I chose 40# springs just in case I ever decided to compete in class that had a treadwear rule. Since I'm never going to see a super speedway, there's no downside to going light on the springs.
(https://i.postimg.cc/G2F0gJ9D/IMG-1861.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/GtjCtJCy/IMG-1863.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Wz7vz6vr/IMG-1906.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Re-springing the lockers is easy, but not without its challenges. I did end up having to trim a decent amount off the new springs to get the diff to reliably unlock. Luckily, and this is a BIG luckily, Strange oops'd on one of my axles, giving me a spare that I could turn into a setup tool. They did make it right without an additional cost to me, by the way. I tested unlocking on the bench as well as once I got the setup in the car. Testing the diff on the bench is the only way to go, imo. Especially considering how difficult an iron 3rd member is to manipulate by yourself when its under the car.
One more item on 9" 3rd members and then I have to roll. Finish up the decoupled install on the next post - I'm using a Mark Williams 3rd member. Not the lightest of items but the quality is there, and Scot Rods Garage made me a killer deal on the whole 3rd member. Being more of a heavy duty 3rd member it has a load bolt location on the side of the case about an inch below where the factory fill hole is. Due to this there is NO FILL HOLE! W...T....F. I, never having been into drag racing or off road stuff never knew that such a thing existed. First time with this setup on track the diff was running really hot. Being a locker and not having any clutches I wasn't too concerned running it hot during testing, but knew a solution was needed, as 300F is not sustainable. Luckily, I already had ports welded into the housing for a cooler should it be needed....still don't know if it's needed, but its there lol!
Learning later that what I thought was a fill plug was actually a load bolt hole, my axle was a bit underfilled....face meet palm. Now I have a really neat cooler setup that I may not need. I'll go over it after the 3-link install because I'm very proud of it. So, beware of what you're getting when you buy aftermarket 3rd members - they may have qualities that you're not familiar with.
One of the really cool things about the decoupled 3-link is the ease of adjustment. Of course this also means, to take advantage of what the suspension offers, you have to make changes! Already talked about the RC adjustment in the trunk, so on to Anti-squat adjustment. The J-bar bracing is designed to use a jacking screw that passes into the drivers compartment.
(https://i.postimg.cc/1XnNt1PG/IMG-2093.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/d3kT1cvm/IMG-2103.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Something maybe Ron can shed some light on - how much adjustment to the AS can be made before re-shimming for damper preload and pinion angle must occur?
Which brings us to the next item, the decel link which is a double adjustable damper and also plays a role in accel control. Provided with the setup are remote adjustment cables/knobs to be mounted for driver adjustment. Rebound for accel control and compression for braking control. Made a bracket to mount next to the driver seat for these two adjustments.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xCyfn0XN/IMG-2058.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/BZm3g7Hj/IMG-2059.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/MH6WGhBs/IMG-2087.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Made a diff breather similar to the fuel cell but without baffles. There's a lot going on, but here's a pic all assembled.
(https://i.postimg.cc/SR6Dgv1w/IMG-1794.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/J7Z67s4W/IMG-2129.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
And of course, as is tradition, another exhaust modification....ugh.
(https://i.postimg.cc/T37QNmQR/IMG-2942.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
That kinda wraps up the decoupled 3-link! I'm very excited to finally getting back to the car in the next couple weeks and do some more testing.
As I mentioned in the last post, I ended up making a diff cooler that I may now not need, but its there if I do need it! Ill go over that next
The diff cooler was a really neat project. Areas in direct airflow at the front of the car being taken up already made for some thinking on how to feed the cooler core. Mounting a core out of airflow and then adding a fan is ok, but if I could figure out a way to bring air into the core... The first obvious place seen in racing would be NACA ducts in the window area. The qtr windows on the cougar are of decent size but still not big enough for a proper duct much less two, so that was out. The package tray area is sealed to the base of the rear windshield so simply putting the core in the package tray and relying on pressure to build was a possibility, but not a for sure. This would mean the exhaust from the core just goes under the package tray in the trunk area - whos to say the pressure building under the package tray isn't to same or more than the pressure above? Nope.
The bottom of the car is mostly flat, what if I brought air from under the car? Plenty of volume under there, and flow being king, lets give it a whirl!
(https://i.postimg.cc/bw49RB8T/IMG-3496.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Despite the very crowded picture, here's the driver side floor with NACA ducts installed. I don't have pictures of the ducts without the rest of the path so this will do for now. Next was the core, and how to get two hoses to feed the core and seal.
(https://i.postimg.cc/yW47jKQB/IMG-3487.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
I feel like a broken record - more used race parts ;D . Picked up a couple carbon ducts with the size inlets I wanted and got to work on how to hold it to the core.
(https://i.postimg.cc/CK1dzF99/IMG-3490.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/yNdWkVw1/IMG-3491.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/YSs0F5wJ/IMG-3492.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
I was dabbling into welded sheet metal work compared to what I'd done in the past which was all rivetted together, and it turned out really well. Now it starts getting cool. The cooler/duct assembly mounts to the bottom of the package tray since the air is coming from the floor under the driver seat.
(https://i.postimg.cc/0ySchsty/IMG-3518.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/2jXG66JX/IMG-3516.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
In the next picture you can see the outlet duct on top of the package tray with the cooler core removed. Again, changing back to hoses for a clean exit
(https://i.postimg.cc/zv9TkLYb/IMG-3517.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Now we have an inlet and an outlet for the cooler core, but still no path from the NACA ducts.
(https://i.postimg.cc/QMxSCT8D/IMG-3497.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Hxr24183/IMG-3498.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gJxDqbLM/IMG-3514.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
And on to the exit. I wish I would have made more of a teardrop shape, but it still turned out really nice.
(https://i.postimg.cc/J45bXzdm/IMG-3519.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gkHvh2BY/IMG-3521.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Hs9QMkPW/IMG-3522.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/k4SSgJb5/IMG-3607.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Now the path is completed!
(https://i.postimg.cc/g0XXgz4c/IMG-3606.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/jjpW9pk1/IMG-3609.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
The ducting underneath is close-ish to the exhaust, but that's just how it has to be. Given the volume I'm hoping will be coming through the ducts, I don't think its going to matter. If the cooler is less effective than I'm hoping (if even needed), the first thign I'd likely try would be a simple heat shield in this area for the tubing.
The location for the core and ultimately the outlet was chosen more to prevent obstruction of rear view for me when driving. Could have gotten further away from the exhaust, but my already limited view behind would have been basically eliminated. Now instead of wiring up a cooler fan, I'd be wiring up a rear view camera.
The plumbing side of things is pretty basic. 100 Micron filter on the inlet side of the belt driven Johnson cooler pump, and that's about all there is going on other than a lot of hoses! The internal pumps are really neat, my gearset doesn't have the provisions for it.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dQfZNXz3/IMG-5853.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Gmw8dDL6/IMG-5854.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/rwX0M4VB/IMG-5855.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)