Custom Explorer Chassis

[slammedxonair]

Thanks guys the rearend is kinda based off the Jaguar suspension with no UCA, I still have some adjustments to make on the lower arms to gain some negative camber but basically the shafts are locked into place and also act as the upper arm. We were originally going to use a mark viii / thunderbird rearend but the owner wanted to go this route instead. So thats what we did.

As for the body I'm not touching it at all just building the frame, doing the air ride and sending it back to the motor shop in Indy. They are doing the motor, tranny mounts a few other things and building the body mounts on the truck.

Heres the Heidts rear setup

http://www.heidts.com/index.cfm/pag...ategory_id=84/home_id=70/mode=prod/prd130.htm

 

[IZwack]

How do you adjust camber in the rear?
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[slammedxonair]

lower control arms are threaded and adjustable at the bushings under the 3rd member. They are all the way in right now, so I need to crank them out some to gain some more negative camber.

 

[99SportX]

Awesome man. That is so cool.

 

[slammedxonair]

Thanks! I'm really glad this is getting alot of positive feedback.

 

[CDW6212R]

Better and better, will you add skid plates, or be able to lift the tires?

 

[CDW6212R]

I see, the LCU's were made to fit to the as delivered rearend. How much trouble would it be to shorten those LCU's, and make the mounting points outboard a few inches?

 

[slammedxonair]

Well it would need a whole subframe built to support the arms, but changing the mounting points and shortening the arms would probably cause more positive camber and the possability of the ujoints binding. Nothing is going to get plated becaues I highly doubt hes going to drag this truck after everything he has into it.

Drag block brackets could allways be built into it if he decides so before I send it back to indy. What do you mean by lift the wheels? Do you mean like 3 wheel or hop or soemthing? i highly doubt it will do either once of those since the suspension is being setup more less to handle the 500 hp rather than do lowrider type stuff. He might be able to get it to do a small 3 wheel around a corner but will probably destroy the body kit in the process.

 

[mounty71]

The fact that this thing is being built with "show" AND "go" in mind is very cool. And the fabrication looks great! Make sure the owner sends some pictures to you to post up here after you return the frame to him.

 

[slammedxonair]

yea I'm hoping the motor shop and other shops involved will keep sending me pics so I can update these threads for him. This is on various sites I frequent and sponsor.

 

[CDW6212R]

Well it would need a whole subframe built to support the arms, but changing the mounting points and shortening the arms would probably cause more positive camber and the possability of the ujoints binding. Nothing is going to get plated becaues I highly doubt hes going to drag this truck after everything he has into it.

Drag block brackets could allways be built into it if he decides so before I send it back to indy. What do you mean by lift the wheels? Do you mean like 3 wheel or hop or soemthing? i highly doubt it will do either once of those since the suspension is being setup more less to handle the 500 hp rather than do lowrider type stuff. He might be able to get it to do a small 3 wheel around a corner but will probably destroy the body kit in the process.

For suspension geometry, if each axle is say 18" long, and the LCA's are 22" long, the camber will change with the ride height. That's good for handling in the front etc, but not ideal for a vehicle that has big ride height changes.

I understand that the center section has mounting ears made for the LCA, that's great. But if a tiny subframe was made there to extend those points out the 2-3 inches that would allow shorter LCA's, then the geometry would be better. I'm not suggesting doing away with the adjustability. Leave that in there, setting the camber is different. If you make the camber right with equal length LCA's to match the axles, then the camber stays the same at all ride heights.

For lifting a wheel, I just wondered what would happen if the frame lays on the ground, and more air comes out of the bags? Just curious about that, you have the frame so low that it could rest on the ground and have the weight off of the tires.

 

[IZwack]

I understand that the center section has mounting ears made for the LCA, that's great. But if a tiny subframe was made there to extend those points out the 2-3 inches that would allow shorter LCA's, then the geometry would be better. I'm not suggesting doing away with the adjustability. Leave that in there, setting the camber is different. If you make the camber right with equal length LCA's to match the axles, then the camber stays the same at all ride heights.

Camber changes shouldnt be that bad because the pivot points on the other end (near the wheel) arent vertical from each other - the LCA ends before the U-joint's cap center.

As for lifting a wheel: thats pretty much impossible - in order to lift a wheel off the ground with pneumatic, you'd need a double-acting pneumatic (or hydraulic) cylidner, not air bags. The air compressor is a positive pressure unit - it does not create a vacuum and even if it did, it would need to create enough vacuum to lift the wheel/tire combo (which is probably impossible).

 

[slammedxonair]

yea you would have to use air cylinders, 2 air bags or a limit strap of sorts. The bags will be setup 100% compressed when the frame touches the ground.

 

[slammedxonair]

Hello everyone. Here is a quick update I've been pretty busy lately and haven't taken many pics, but so far half of the welds on the frame are ground down and I got the shear load gussets ready to go.

 

[slammedxonair]

I got almost all the grinding done on the butt welds and metal finnished other than a couple on the bottom.

 

[slammedxonair]

Update: I have all of the shear load gussets tig welded to the outside of the frame. Only a couple pics right before I cleaned up.

 

[mattbreaksthings]

wow dude. I normally dont like these types of rides but that thing is winning me over! lol
you got my respect. that is some SERIOUS nice work!

do you have a cnc plasma machine to cut out stuff?

 

[slammedxonair]

Thanks for the comment. And yes I do have a CNC plasma system. It's a Dynatorch system with a Hypertherm 1250 plasma. It's an industrial system with servo motors. Heres the pics I have from my old shop of it.
Heres a couple vids of it as well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dERUwvZaiX4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naKW4FOfAM4

This is when I first got it and before I put the cutting slats on it.

Some bag brackets I was making for my truck.

 

[mattbreaksthings]

thats a nice set up there. I have used a plasmacam system at shop and i love cnc work.
how well do you like the Hypertherm 1250? I herd they are the best out there. that and thermal dynamics.
to anyone wondering.. miller sucks. thats what we use and it always cuts out randomly and its not because we have air in the line or bad ground, tips, cups etc. they just suck.

this is what i might get when I can find $17,000+
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdC9QbG6lj0&feature=related

what program do you run?
also. with all that frame/suspension work is that going to be street legal?

 

[slammedxonair]

Yea the Hypertherm 1250 in my opinion is the best single phase air plasma on the market, it also can be hooked up 3 phase as well. The software to run it is the dynatoch cutting program along with there premium package that includes the nesting and raster to vector software. I mainly use autocad 06 for doing designs though.

As for being street legal it probably depends on the state. Theres people all over the place that build trucks like this and even lower. My personal explorer lays the rockers flat on the ground. All of my receipts on everything I do is marked for show and off road use only, even know the air line fittings and other things are DOT approved.

The mission with this project was build a awsome looking chassis that lays on the ground, can handle 500hp, and will ride like a caddy.