180sx Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Yea I want to hear more about this! What I really want to see is the steering spacer you put in. And the rear setup. I'm trying to figure out what to do with that. I'm having plates cut out already for the strut spacers (3/8" steel) and welding in a 4" tube between them (I'm going with an 11* angle). I also have the lift blocks at a frends house (well, there still long square tubing, 2x4 and 3x4, just need to be cut to length). Now I need to figure the rear and steering. So keep us updated! I'll do the same when I get my stuff at my house. My problem is this is my DD... Jose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 3, 2009 Author Share Posted December 3, 2009 This is my DD too... The passenger side engine mount was a breeze. As for the driver's side one, I had to drop the diff to get even close. I left the cv axles and driveshaft attached and let it sit down on the subframe. It's to bad every dam 17mm and 19mm bolt on this thing needs to be literally cracked loose with a snipe on a snipe. Little heat helps too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Man, its like waiting for christmas, waiting for pictures LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Share Posted December 4, 2009 Here's some pictures up to date Getting the rear end up high Supporting the front with 12 ton jackstands to get the height I need to drop the subframe Strut removed and the knuckle supported with wire to avoid stretching any cables. I was extra careful when I removed the nut holding the sway bar endlink on. I stripped out one of those before and new endlinks are not cheap. Spacer blocks fresh out of the oven (powder coated). I will post more on those later but I measured, cut and drilled these before I had everything apart and they were basically dead on. Only one modification and that was slicing the corner off the rear blocks to clear the frame when it bends downward. All the blocks in place and torqued. Subframe bolted to rear blocks Front Blocks and engine blocks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Share Posted December 4, 2009 Just to let everyone know, I went with 3.5" high blocks. Now I'm just waiting on some new OEM strut bearings and steering... I never really thought about it but that one picture I had of the SFD where the person used a block to space the steering u-joint, was a left-hand drive. I have a feeling that the steering angles might have been a little different and they were able to squeeze in a block. Right now I'm thinking of doubling up with this stock U-joint, that is if I can find another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 Looking good man! Glad to see another rig getting this setup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180sx Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 awesome! looks good bro. do you plan on welding the blocks to the frame? or are they snug enough on the bolts that you don't think they'll move while driving day to day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoPathyGo Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 AWESOME! 2 thumbs up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Share Posted December 4, 2009 awesome! looks good bro. do you plan on welding the blocks to the frame? or are they snug enough on the bolts that you don't think they'll move while driving day to day? Nope, i'm not welding anything. The blocks sit very snug around the bolts so there's no where for the blocks to move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 5, 2009 Author Share Posted December 5, 2009 Well I took a trip to the local pick n pull and found the perfect steering extension. It requires minimal fabrication and still allows you to go back to stock if needed. Easy to find too! Ill post pics later tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180sx Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 You're gonna make us wait? Aww man... Jose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 5, 2009 Author Share Posted December 5, 2009 So at the junkyard I went to the first logical vehicle I could find... a Nissan. It was an early 90s hardbody truck although i'm sure the WD21 pathfinders are exactly the same. I started tearing into the steering linkage and got this off the truck. It is basically the whole steering column with this little beauty on the end The joint is basically an exact match for the previous u-joint I have posted up. The only modification needed was to grind off the little key on the stock u-joint so it would slide into the new one. Then I measured the distance I needed and cut the "new" joint to length. This was then TIG welded onto a small plate I fab'ed up. I welded it very carefully so the u-joint did not get very hot. And assembled! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 Hell yeah. Happy to see another SFD build in the works! Keep up the good work! And keep those pics comin'! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180sx Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 Coolness. That looks great! Although I'm gonna have to find another way of doing the steering (i don't have access to a welder at all times). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 6, 2009 Author Share Posted December 6, 2009 So after some testing, I decided I didn't like the way I did the steering linkage the first way. 2 u-joints and a rubber pad made for an awkward looking linkage. So I ditched the rubber pad and extended the length between the u-joint to lessen the angle they run at. This resulted in a much smoother feel. Here are the strut spacers (typical weld show-off pic) and back on the ground with the weight on the front wheels! 32" BFG M/T's on 17x9 MKW wheels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 6, 2009 Author Share Posted December 6, 2009 So I had a problem with the first set of strut spacers I made up. I only accounted for the 12 degree strut angle going left to right and had a problem with the strut not seating very flat on the body mount. I realized right away that I needed to account for the 5 degree front to back angle as well. So I made the ones shown and the funny thing is that I forgot to account for the 1/4" thicknesses of the flanges... can't really complain about another 1/2" of lift though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 Are you using ac lift coils as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 6, 2009 Author Share Posted December 6, 2009 Are you using ac lift coils as well? Nope everything else is stock except for the KYB struts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Jeez, get you some lift coils and go even higher IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180sx Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 So I had a problem with the first set of strut spacers I made up. I only accounted for the 12 degree strut angle going left to right and had a problem with the strut not seating very flat on the body mount. I realized right away that I needed to account for the 5 degree front to back angle as well. So I made the ones shown and the funny thing is that I forgot to account for the 1/4" thicknesses of the flanges... can't really complain about another 1/2" of lift though So how did you go about getting the angle? I mean did you cut the angle at the top or bottom? Did you cut 12* first, then cut 5* after on the same side? I'm just curious to get as much info, as i don't have the resources to do this multiple times in trail and error (that's what you are for, right? haha). This thing is looking good!! But your pathy really needs a good wash! haha. Jose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 7, 2009 Author Share Posted December 7, 2009 So how did you go about getting the angle? I mean did you cut the angle at the top or bottom? Did you cut 12* first, then cut 5* after on the same side? I'm just curious to get as much info, as i don't have the resources to do this multiple times in trail and error (that's what you are for, right? haha). This thing is looking good!! But your pathy really needs a good wash! haha. Jose Haha yea it does need a wash. Not anytime to soon since it just dropped to -30c here... As for the strut spacers, I got them close enough that the strut mount took up the little bit of difference (it is made to flex a little). If I made them exactly 3.5" (the amount of lift/drop of the SF), they would probably have been perfect. But anyway, both ends of the pipe are cut at the desired angle and then the flanges are welded on both at the same orientation. The angle is simple. Since the 12 degrees and 5 degrees are perpendicular or 90 degrees to each other, you can simply take the average. (12+5)/2 = 8.5 degrees. I went with closer to 9 degrees. I will post of pictures of the template files I made with Autocad that I used to line everything up. Basically, the drivers side spacers will look like the strut is getting pushed back to the rear pass corner (pass side spacer drops it back to driver rear corner). Now if that doesn't confuse you, actually figuring out the orientations in real life is a brain twister. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmorgan4 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Props for doing all the homework and figuring this out on your own!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180sx Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Props for doing all the homework and figuring this out on your own!!! And an SFD originator speaks! anyway, this is great. I am a little confused. So you cut 8.5* on both ends. but not at 90* to the vehicle or in line with it, but at a 45* relationship to the truck itself. Is that right? I think I get it. Instead of cutting 12* and 5* separatly, you just combined them at a point? Maybe i'm confusing myself... Jose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted December 7, 2009 Author Share Posted December 7, 2009 Props for doing all the homework and figuring this out on your own!!! Thanks! And an SFD originator speaks! anyway, this is great. I am a little confused. So you cut 8.5* on both ends. but not at 90* to the vehicle or in line with it, but at a 45* relationship to the truck itself. Is that right? I think I get it. Instead of cutting 12* and 5* separatly, you just combined them at a point? Maybe i'm confusing myself... Jose You got it. That 8.5 degrees is just both angles combined to make one cut. Making two cuts should bring you to the same point but it would be difficult to line up and cut properly. But the cuts on the round tube are independent of the vehicle. It's how you weld the flanges on that determines the orientation (which you are correct, 45 degrees). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180sx Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 awesomeness!! Now that i have a good idea, i can focus on the steering problem...(which i'm gonn do differ from you. Not because i can't, but to see if there is a way to do it without welding...) Looking forward to see how you do the rear (that one has me stumped. But i guess if i actually took the spring off and looked it might be obvious). Jose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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