Pinion and knuckle angle

[greenbereto2]

Looking to get some good info from the pros on the site. I have a 69 bronc that I'm trying to stuff a dana 60 axle into. The knuckles and tubes are from a 77 dana 60 and the case is a 79 HP case. I had the tubes machined a little to be able to press in the tubes into the case. I will need to get an alignment bar but wanted to ask about the correct angles that need to be set for the pinion and the knuckles. More importantly, I also wanted to know where I need to set the spring cups at. Is it ok to for the springs to be bowed a little. This is what the cage arm install instructions says to do. Do I need to push the cage arms all the way out to the knuckle and tack? [IMG][/IMG] Let me know what you think about the project. It's taking some time but I have had little time to work on it. Thanks for the input. I 'm more of a hot rodder but trying my hand on a little nasty bronco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21034245@N02/5253446668/
[IMG]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21034245@N02/5252835983/in/photostream/[/IMG]

Thanks,

GB

[earlybronco72]

Re: Pinion and knuckle angle

I got nothing for you on the axle, but I like where you're going with the bronco. Looked good in the pics.

[TRAILBOUND]

Re: Pinion and knuckle angle

It is perfectly fine to have a little bit of bow in your springs. This is a heavily debated subject, but I prefer to have the bend which during droop will straighten out and not contact the frame.

As far as your pinion angle and knuckle caster.
1. Set axle at ride height
2. adjust the pinion angle to where you want it (now secure it, so it wont move when you adjust caster)
3. throw an angle indicator on top of your knuckle and rotate backwards to 5* caster.

I hope that made sense to you. Its pretty easy to over think things when all you have is semi-assemble pieces.basically you have the best situation possible, because your tubes are not welded in yet and your not running bushing (D60). So you get to set everything up to your rig.

Oh and I would leave some room in between your passenger side mount and the knuckle. That way you have room for a trackbar riser mount. This will give you the longest trackbar possible for your setup. Check out "broncobrian"'s build or mine to see how we mounted our trackbar. I think Patrick might have done the same thing but my memory isn't that good.

[PhantomEB]

Re: Pinion and knuckle angle

I put my wedges to stock bronco width. Am in the works of building brackets for the track bar to be on the outside of the coils but same time clear the coils.

[Mike]

Re: Pinion and knuckle angle

I'm with Trailbound on the coils. I ran three different sets that way, never seemed to mater.
That 77 low pinion axle you started with is pretty rare. Only ever seen one other and it was in a EB.

[crawlin68]

Re: Pinion and knuckle angle

I used a 78/79 Dana 60 front with CAGE arms and CAGE weld on brackets. This is about the point in my build where I started the D60 install:

http://www.norcalbroncos.com/forum/s...?t=191&page=28

As you will see in my thread, I cut and turned my inner C's back to 7 degrees of castor. But before you set the castor you have to mock up the axle under the Bronco with everything at ride height and determine at what degree you want your pinion angle to be relative to the ground. (angle finder on the snout of the diff) The pinion should point to about 2 degrees below your front output of the t-case. Now you set your castor. Clear as mud?

If you ever thought that maybe you were an okie, let your springs bow out and remove all doubt.

No need for your springs to bow out when you are setting up everything from scratch. Just set your radius arms and coil spring cups directly below the upper coil spring buckets and you will have no okie bow in your springs.

[crawlin68]

Re: Pinion and knuckle angle

I like your build by the way! Where are you located?

[greenbereto2]

Re: Pinion and knuckle angle

Thanks for all the advice!!

Believe it or not I live in Austin, TX. I have always loved these broncos. I have had several Chevy muscle cars and I sold all of them and wanted something to stroll around with my kids and also go to the Katemcy grounds to tear it up a little. I have collected parts throughout the US as I travel alot. I have slowly collected parts from, Sacramento(sweet one off hood from the owner of TERRA COMP, rust free doors. Reno( power steering gear box, column. Disc brake kit. Richmond VA , Cage lift. Alabama new set of Cage arms for dana 60 SAS. Other doo dads from other places. I love your bronco! My goal is to build like this pic.



I like the white one at the bottom.


I think I'm going with hummer wheels. I will keep the wide stance. 351 roller motor from a 95 lighting. I changed the roller lifters and used a trickflow cam with GT40 heads. I want to get this going.

Thanks very much for the advice and pics. This motivates me so much!

Thanks,

GB