V1 ccgillett's Track Goblin - '08 SS/TC

[ccgillett]

Ok, it's been quite a few days spent plowing through parts manifests, but I think this is getting all sorted out now. At least I have the RockAuto boxes in the garage hopefully full of correct parts.

As noted before, the car came with a set of calipers, specifically DuraLast 18-B4880 and 18-B4881. I assumed incorrectly these were intended for the front. As Adam helpfully noted in email correspondence:

• B4880/4881 are for the rear
• B4880A/4881A are for the front

The "A" series calipers have a longer bracket so that it can fit over the larger rotor.

Since the heritage of the installed rear calipers is unknown, I will use the new 4880/4881s to replace what's on the rear. I've ordered the "A" series calipers from RockAuto and they should be here Friday Sunday Monday according to FedEx. In the meantime I will build up the front end this weekend with the new hubs. Then we'll see if the 11" rotors and calipers will fit my wheels - feeling optimistic - otherwise research for a 10" rotor gets underway.

Several folks have been really helpful over the past several days as I sort through things including Adam, @JBINTX , @Sluggonaut , @r3drckt , @Ross , @Gtstorey , @k.rollin and several others. Thanks folks for the advice and counsel - very much appreciated!

 

[k.rollin]

I'm sure you already know this or have figured it out, but installing the B4880/B4881 calipers in the rear will give you service brakes only. The Duralast 18-B5050/18-B5051 calipers are what we use for the combination service/parking brake application.

 

[ccgillett]

I'm sure you already know this or have figured it out, but installing the B4880/B4881 calipers in the rear will give you service brakes only. The Duralast 18-B5050/18-B5051 calipers are what we use for the combination service/parking brake application.

Yeah, Adam explained that in his email message to me - that those calipers were used in the earlier kits when they didn't support a parking brake. Since my application is track-only I need only service brakes. I've got wheel chocks for the "parking brake" part.

 

[ccgillett]

I've reached a point of utter frustration - the kind that makes you want to push the entire damned project into Boston Harbor and give up. I've been struggling to get the front end of the car together with the right parts and right brakes. Feels like 1 step forward 2 steps back all the way. I need some encouragement, as I thought I would have this car running by now and I'm not even close.

Shown in the picture are two hubs, both supposedly rear hubs meant to go on the front of the car:

The old hub has a busted stud and I can't remove it to install a new. It's also 5x114.3 and I want to move to the standard sizing as parts are easier to source and I don't want to get rotors re-drilled, etc. The new hub is AC Delco part RW20107 (RW20-107). As you can see I've removed the connector for the ABS sensor.

First drama was the upright wouldn't accept the new hub - I had to hammer out the broken hub. So I set up the drill press and carefully enlarged the holes and solved that problem.

When I try to install the new hubs the collar which contained the ABS connector intrudes into behind the upright plate and displaces the control arm. It looks like the collar is longer than its predecessor. Insert many swear words here...

In conversations with a bunch of really smart folks here, I was told these hubs would work with the connector bucked off. I'm confident I've got the right part - the stud pattern is correct to the upright, everything lines up, etc. guessing there may have been an engineering change of some sort.

Not sure what I've done wrong here, and if I can take a hacksaw and just take that collar down by 1/2". Any advice?

 

[Ross]

Yeah, I had to cut the ABS connector on my hubs.

 

[Brett]

I removed the collar where it joins the hub. Then put a 3d printed cover over the opening.

 

[ccgillett]

Great news guys, I was worried that I needed to buy more new parts. @Ross and @Brett , did you just pry off the collar, or did you cut them down?

@Brett I wrecked the plastic cap on the first one, any interest in selling me some 3D printed caps?

 

[Ross]

DF sold me 3D printed caps. I put them on after I had already cut my caps down. The first image I posted (follow my link above) is showing where the yellow pry bar goes to pry off the cap. That image shows a cap that has already been cut down, I just used HVAC aluminum tape over the top.

 

[Brett]

I believe I just beat the crap out of the collar till it came off. When all else fails, get a bigger hammer.

I have the files for the covers somewhere. I don't have a printer. Otherwise, I would send them to you.

I believe some people have used freeze plugs to cover them.

Brett

 

[Scott #321]

I used Doorman 555-065 freeze plugs after removal of the ABS caps.

 

[Joebob]

This might help. The 3D printed caps are offered by DF and may be in their store.

Front bearing cap install

11 new items · Album by Adam Doyle

photos.google.com

from DF's helpful assembly pictures in the assembly section of the forum.

Joe

 

[escapepilot]

Chris,

I was facing the same issue till I realized the metal part of the ABS sensor is just a pressed in cap and can be easily removed by a properly placed tool at the parting line. Then you will need to cover the exposed bearings with something like what is suggested above or what I used.

Escapepilot’s 06 SS/SC Ext Track Build - COMPLETED

FINALLY…almost. I would have finished reworking the wiring harness yesterday if I had about 10 more feet of Tessa tape. For those that haven’t started reworking their harness yet, don’t be intimidated. The videos make it manageable and the forum is good for answering questions. I do...

dfkitcar.com

 

[ccgillett]

@Ross @Brett @Scott #321 @Joebob @escapepilot THANK YOU for all the information, pointers, etc...very grateful, and I'll get back on this over the weekend ahead......

 

[ccgillett]

Ok it's been months but I'm at it again. In the thread about the VW chassis work that DF is considering I mentioned that all my issues are self-inflicted. Well, I might have inflicted more pain. I have substantial front tie-rod end confusion.

When I purchased this build-in-progress it came with front tie rod ends that were (a) equal length on both sides; (b) 5" in length. These fit easily into the steering arm. Eyeballing the front suspension when fully assembled everything look really out of wack - wheels would be REALLY toe'd out, etc. I did some reading on the forum...I don't recall exactly where, and wound up purchasing some Moog tie rod ends that were shorter.

When I put the Moog tie rod ends into the steering arm they went in REALLY hard, and now (after torquing) I can't even remove them if I wanted to. Steering feels really "bound up" with these in, and I suspect I've screwed up.

The Moog part is ES2382, I don't know the heritage of the original tie rod end. Here are some pictures. I'm going slightly crazy here, and I hope I don't have to buy new steering arms (doh!). Any advice appreciated...

 

[Ross]

I've always had luck with the sideways strike method:

If you are lucky this method can work too. A little propane heat can sometimes help too.

 

[Gtstorey]

Not sure what you mean by bound up steering. And the tie rods shouldn't come out without some effort. Unless the tie rods were completely froze up (no ability to pivot at all), I can't think of a lot in the difference between steering feel between correct tie rods and incorrect. Unless the outer housing of the tie rod is setting on the steering arm (tapered end to small/wrong taper). Maybe picture of the new tie rods installed in the steering arm?

 

[Joebob]

One thing to note is that if you threaded in the 5" tie rod and you found you were toed OUT too far, adding a shorter tie rod would make the mater even worse if threaded in the same amount. It also raises the very real issue of not threading in the tie rod enough to hold the steering forces when you unscrew it to increase the toe in during alignment.

Your issue of removing your tie rod from the aluminum steering arms is the main reason I haven't installed my steering limiters. I do plan on trying this when I get the courage.

Good luck. Joe

 

[Gtstorey]

One thing to note is that if you threaded in the 5" tie rod and you found you were toed OUT too far, adding a shorter tie rod would make the mater even worse if threaded in the same amount. It also raises the very real issue of not threading in the tie rod enough to hold the steering forces when you unscrew it to increase the toe in during alignment.

Your issue of removing your tie rod from the aluminum steering arms is the main reason I haven't installed my steering limiters. I do plan on trying this when I get the courage.

View attachment 37722

Good luck. Joe

I've got one of these tools and it works well and doesn't damage the boot. Just make sure you keep the threads lubed.

 

[ccgillett]

Not sure what you mean by bound up steering. And the tie rods shouldn't come out without some effort. Unless the tie rods were completely froze up (no ability to pivot at all), I can't think of a lot in the difference between steering feel between correct tie rods and incorrect. Unless the outer housing of the tie rod is setting on the steering arm (tapered end to small/wrong taper). Maybe picture of the new tie rods installed in the steering arm?

With the steering arm removed from the car, so just the tie-rod end and steering arm together, with the nuts removed, it requires most of my strength to move the rod end around. When I installed them there was a definite difference in travel downward on the threads on the tapered side vs. the opposite side. I definitely installed them in the correct direction. I'm a novice builder and have not installed tie-rod ends before so I'm not sure what to expect with regard to resistance of the pieces when correctly assembled. I'll put it back together tonight and take a few pictures.

I guess my big question here is: Is the DF-spec part a 5" long part or the shorter one? I can always order the part from DF (didn't realize it was in the catalog until I read a thread about Moog parts last night) to confirm.

I appreciate you guys not making fun of me, cuz I know my questions are dumb sometimes....thanks very much for that.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

A wise man once said: the only dumb questions are those that remain unasked and result in dumb actions. So no question on this forum is a dumb one, unless it is stated as such.

These are the tie rod ends and tie rods I received in my kit.