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Torana hatch in California...

Started by _LS1 Hatch_ , Feb 08 2011 01:19 PM

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794 replies to this topic

#576 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 29 December 2012 - 01:21 PM

Well, picked up some 1/4" wall, DOM tubing today and made up the final adjuster pieces...

The ones I had did above, might have been ok but just didn't like the thin wall tubing I had used after looking at them a while. Again, sure these are over kill now, but that's just me I guess...

I just need to weld the nut on the top for the adjuster stud like I had done in the black mockup ones above. And I know these will be indestructable basically, lol

Here is the new one and the first demo one for comparison. Just make out of left overs basicaly. Not sure why K-mac can't supply something better with thier kit in the first place. ?

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#577 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 30 December 2012 - 02:20 AM

I made two complete ones for the front already with the thinner material (look back a page or two at the pics) but like I said...I just can't help but overkill some times, ha ha..

They are easy enough to make

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#578 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 01 January 2013 - 12:26 PM

All done with them...

Now just have to wait till the powder coater is going to get the bars done (he was shut today, and tomorrow is new year's day here of course) then I can get the bars back in, and it back on the ground again. Feeling like going for a drive for a change

Oh, and with the wall thickness on them, I was able to just tap them directly for the adjuster stud, then I will use a nut threaded down to lock it up.

(and this is post number 2000 too, lol)

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#579 _LXSS350_

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 12:57 PM

You know this is going to cost you a whole lot of money?
Now you are going to have to upgrade the engine power to offset all the added weight of those H/D adjusters. ........ LOL ... :stirpot:

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#580 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 01:17 PM

I know....I know...

Some heads and a cam upgrade should fix things nicely

(let alone the weight I added in brakes, lol)

Maybe I can sell off the kmac ones that came with the bars ? They might work as a clamp for the seat on a bicycle ? Well...a small kids bikes at least.

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#581 _LXSS350_

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 01:28 PM

Expensive kids bike.
Might pay not to try selling them for what K-Mac sold them to you for ...... LOL

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#582 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 01:38 PM

LOL...

Oh well, at least they are done and hopefully get the bars powdercoated tomorrow (have a couple motorcycles to look at too actually) and get the car back on the ground now that the rain has let up a bit.

Guess I will just set the adjusters in the middle on the bars and see how the car feels, and go from there ?

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#583 _LXSS350_

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 02:27 PM

As you run a big tank use the average level you run around with and get a feel for how it is at both extreme settings. That way you easy get to feel how it changes your the way the car behaves. Someone else's preference is not necessarily yours. Some people don't like how easy mine can be made to get into oversteer situation, but I do like to throw the car around quite a lot. You will find it will ride quite a bit firmer over what you had.

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#584 _the gts_

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 10:16 PM

Heavy brackets is a good enough excuse to upgrade to a motown LSX block and warhawk heads isnt it?

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#585 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 03 January 2013 - 02:15 AM

This is a sort of a budget build, ha ha...but those goodies sure would be nice !

(And thanks Colin...I'll give the bars a try a few different ways once it's all back on the ground, could imagine every car will react somewhat differently to how they are set)

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#586 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 04 January 2013 - 09:51 AM

Back from the powder coater...and $60 later, the bars look half way decent now I reckon...

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#587 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 04 January 2013 - 09:55 AM

On the car...

In these pics I had the rear one on upside down I reckon (there is a slight bend to it) so after the pics I flipped it around..if it mattered much, ha ha.

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#588 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 04 January 2013 - 09:59 AM

And up front... (and I have already wiped off the extra grease around the bushings

)

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#589 A9X

A fortunate run

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Name:Welby
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Posted 04 January 2013 - 10:25 AM

Lubbly jubbly

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#590 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 04 January 2013 - 10:31 AM

And I wish they had put another couple bends in the rear bar..it "could" limit tire width a litle if you were going for max size.

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#591 UCgazman

UC's FTW!

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Posted 04 January 2013 - 07:33 PM

How does it handle now Jeff?

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#592 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 05 January 2013 - 02:55 AM

It doesn't handle too well...still up on 4 jack stands, ha ha..

Need to finish putting the back wheels on and mainly sort out something for the front brake hoses, want to make sure they don't get caught on the sway bar now. You can see in the pictures how they are kind of right there. So will make some sort of little bracket to hold them away and in place while still letting them move enough for steering,etc of course.

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#593 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 05 January 2013 - 08:42 AM

Made up some little wire loops this morning for the brake hoses (they bolt in, using a hole that was already in the k frame) , just to keep them a little bit away from the sway bar, and still allow them to move when turning and with the suspension movement of course. I reckon they should probably do the trick. Then after that I got the car back on the ground and went for a little bit of a drive around and just had a listen for anything rubbing, cluncking, etc. Car does have a different feel to it, could tell even with just the short ride I took. I'm just going to double check a few things are tight and will go for a bit more of a drive tomorrow and see how it goes.

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#594 ls2lxhatch

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Posted 05 January 2013 - 12:22 PM

It may be worth splitting some fuel line and putting it over the brake line to protect it from chaffing or maybe slide some vacuum line tubing over the wire before you bend it.

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#595 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 05 January 2013 - 01:08 PM

I was thinking of dipping the wire clips in rubber dip like you use on plier/etc handles. (I've got some around somewhere or other) The brake lines do have a plastic (of some sort?) covering over the braided line as it is as well. Would be easy to slit and slide rubber vacuum hose over it as well of course.

The clips that I made to hold the brake hose where it goes past the ball joint stud, I had rubber coated them and it worked out nicely at least...

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#596 ls2lxhatch

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Posted 05 January 2013 - 02:38 PM

I would plastidip the bracket or fit the rubber hose. If there is any wear then it would probably be the plastidip of rubber hose that wears which is cheap and easy to replace.

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#597 _robbo_

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Posted 05 January 2013 - 06:14 PM

wow this is the best tozz dog torana i have seen i like it well dunn mate keep up the good work

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#598 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 06 January 2013 - 02:55 AM

I would plastidip the bracket or fit the rubber hose. If there is any wear then it would probably be the plastidip of rubber hose that wears which is cheap and easy to replace.

Yep...an easy enough thing to do. I'm going to roll the car onto my alignment plates today so I can turn the wheel lock to lock at right height and just see how things move around as well as an idea how the hose sits. (make sure it will just stay clear of catching at all on the end of the sway bar)

wow this is the best tozz dog torana i have seen i like it well dunn mate keep up the good work

Thanks heaps !

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#599 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 06 January 2013 - 09:43 AM

Just went for another drive...kinda cool out though (thermometer on the mirror in the car said 60) but thought I would try and get a little more time in and see how the car acts now. Traffic was a pain so didn't bother cruising around too much..maybe tomorrow depending on the weather (calling for rain) It sure does feel more flat and turn in better than it did from before with no bars on it (had no bars on it since I did the engine swap of course)
So still will have to play around with trying the bars at different adjustment points and hitting some good bits of road somewhere or other

I did get a couple people giving me the thumbs up just now at least...was it from the new sway bars ya think ? lol

You can see the rear one easy enough from the outside actually.. ha ha..

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