Even though it equated to a little more work at this point, we unpacked the upper and lower control arms to mock the frontend together and check wheel placement. Another bonus: Fatman includes stainless steel control arms in all of their new hub-to-hub IFS kits.
Two gussets need to be installed as shown on the lower arms. These gussets will later be welded directly to the crossmember, but for now can just slip in place help locate the lower control arm.
Once the control arms and spindles were bolted on, we mounted a wheel and tire to make sure it all looked correct. We used a jack to raise and lower the wheel and tire and verify they looked right in every position.
With all the trial fitting behind us, we stripped the sheetmetal back off so we could start our final welding. After filling the 1/4-inch weld gap at the seams,...
...we made a few plates to fill the original frame's stamped holes and irregular shaped areas. Doing this extra bit of work adds strength and leaves the frame looking smooth and solid.
In a bit of overkill, we welded a couple of square-cut chunks of steel directly over the seam for battleship-type strength.
The final portion of the install had to do with the rack-and-pinion steering. In certain applications like our Pontiac, rack extensions are needed for correct steering geometry. After removing the passenger-side boot from the rack body, we located the shaft joint and locking pin and drilled out the pin.
Next, we unscrewed the shaft and installed the extension piece. Instead of using a pin to lock the extension piece in place, you can use thread locker or simply tack weld the extension to the rack.
Next we installed the original shaft, secured it with the supplied jam nut, tightened it all up, and reinstalled the rack boot.
Lastly, we assembled all of the suspension components, including the ShockWaves and the ECI Big Brake disc kit, which has 11-inch rotors and GM big-piston calipers. Everything went together easily, and we fully expect that it will work as well as it looks, which is pretty darn nice if you ask us.
SOURCES
Air Ride Technologies 350 South St. Charles St.
Jasper, IN
47546
(812) 481-4766
www.ridetech.com
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