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I'm thinking about building some front weight jacks and am debating if I want to put the bolt going up through the "frame" rail and into the engine compartment or down like the few sets of commercial ones out there are setup.
I figure:
up is easier to adjust but could get in the way of stuff in the engine bay and requires drilling a big stinking hole through the frame rails
down is easier to do and less obtrusive but a MUCH bigger hassle to adjust (I'm guessing that it pretty much means having to get it in the air to adjust it, but I'm not sure that you can really adjust them well with the car's weight on them either way).
Anyone deal with them one way or the other and/or have an opinion which you prefer?
Agreed....gotta take weight off. ....I only adjusted mine a few times, but you don't need to have the tire off the ground, just take the majority of the weight off. I used the effort required to turn the bolt as a gauge as to how much stress was on the jack. It was pretty easy to do.
//<86TA>\\ did the screw up through the frame rail, and I plan to also, I don't remember him talking about taking the weight off the front when adjusting them
//<86TA>\\ did the screw up through the frame rail, and I plan to also, I don't remember him talking about taking the weight off the front when adjusting them
Yeah, I used fine thread bolts, never took weight off. Worked fine. I did grease the threads before install.
I installed the bolt up, front and rear. If you take the time to align the holes when you drill them, no real strength is lost and the hole is a reasonable size. I made a drill guide using a jack bolt which I drilled a pilot hole through the center.
I installed the bolt up, front and rear. If you take the time to align the holes when you drill them, no real strength is lost and the hole is a reasonable size. I made a drill guide using a jack bolt which I drilled a pilot hole through the center.
Can you give more information about what you did? Pictures/video of the process or results? What diameter hole did you cut and how did you mount your "nut?"
I need to get a better look at what you end up with but I'm debating a bushing made to fit the UMI K-member spring pocket to use as a drilling guide, but right now it's sort of a half-formed idea without any measuring or a good picture of what I'm doing.
Of course, I used the stock k-member. Cut a hole around the "rind" - where the spring sat. Drilled a pilot hole. Then increment cut that "rind" and hammered flat for plate to sit flush. Increment cutting helped for welding penetration. Then used a hole saw (was very easy, actually), then used another similar bolt to hold the plate in place for welding upside down on the garage floor (my father did that - thanks Dad). Used some spacers to make sure there was free space maintained between the frame rail and the plate being welded.
Can you give more information about what you did? Pictures/video of the process or results? What diameter hole did you cut and how did you mount your "nut?"
I need to get a better look at what you end up with but I'm debating a bushing made to fit the UMI K-member spring pocket to use as a drilling guide, but right now it's sort of a half-formed idea without any measuring or a good picture of what I'm doing.
somewhere I have spring cups with nuts, jack bolts and aluminum spring plates to fit the UMI k member
For the stock K member I cut out to top of the spring pocket and welded in the nut and plate. This was done with the k member removed from the car. Then I put it back in place and marked the hole on the frame through the nut. Removed the k member and drilled the bottom of the frame rail, i believe it was a 1.25" hole as the jack bolt is 1.125. Then I put the k member back in place, and threaded the jack bolt that I had previously drilled a 1/4 pilot hole all the way through up through the nut and into the frame rail until it hit the other side. Then using a long 1/4" bit i drilled through the top of the frame rail. I finished the hole from the topside with the 1.25" hole saw and I was finished. The holes were perfectly aligned without being excessively large.
This was back in 2010 I think, not sure I have pictures and the car was sold a couple years back.
Of course, I used the stock k-member. Cut a hole around the "rind" - where the spring sat. Drilled a pilot hole. Then increment cut that "rind" and hammered flat for plate to sit flush. Increment cutting helped for welding penetration. Then used a hole saw (was very easy, actually), then used another similar bolt to hold the plate in place for welding upside down on the garage floor (my father did that - thanks Dad). Used some spacers to make sure there was free space maintained between the frame rail and the plate being welded.
Do you have any pics of what that looked like when it was done? Where was the screw nut?
Edit: Brian, as much as we've talked on here I've never seen your build thread. It looks like some of what I was wondering about is in there, I'll try to get through it later tonight.
Last edited by 83 Crossfire TA; Nov 17, 2020 at 06:02 PM.
A decent amount of adjustment on the front. The back is what is limited.
I swapped out the springs to Hypercoil 11" from these Eibach 9.5" when I added .5" ext BJ's. And sent the drop spindles back for upgrade to beefier RR version. Hole saw is upper left. Bump stops I trimmed down. You can see I also used Spohn's strengthening plate for their coilovers - thought it was a good idea regardless.
yea, I finally read that thread... AGAIN... It turns out that I posted in in 7 years ago and we had a discussion about it. I didn't remember until I saw it.
Am I reading correctly that you're using both drop spindles and extended ball joints???
Yea, I saved myself a link in case I decide that I want to use them. I'm going to use the non-swivler cup ones that I bought for this project years ago. If I end up deciding that it needs the swivel they use the same tread as what I have so it will be an easy swap.
Yes, 2" DS with .5" ext BJ and 11" spring - when I added the BJ's it necessitated the longer spring. I believe this is about as much as we can go without ruining the a-arm angles. With just the DS, I could pull out the spring with fingers when I fully screwed the bolt all the way up (swivel cup fully recessed up in the pocket).
Hyperco (they also have 9.5")
I have the 18Z0900-11
