pinion angle, how to change it?

88workcar · 10-04-2002, 09:30 PM

Well I made it to the track tonight. Not good, the 60fts killed me all night 1.74 was the best. I just fixed the torque boxes, installed the poly bushings, got a new set of hoosiers. It is deadly on the street, yet at the track tonight I had to baby it off the line 2700 RPMS. 12.60s @ 109 all night the weather was off and so was every one else. Now for the question on hand, I will not buy adjustable anything, don't even say it. I have heard that you can lower the top mounting holes for the upper control arms. Also to lower the mounting holes on the rear of the lowers. What is right or do you do both? Also what is the desired pinion angle? How do I check it? Thanks for any input, No I will not buy the adjustables.

WADS56 · 10-05-2002, 09:52 AM

Well I can't help you on how to adjust it because you don't want a nice set of adjustable uppers (why?). All I can say is that -4 is good for a street strip setup, and -6 is good for the track and a set of slicks.

88workcar · 10-05-2002, 04:45 PM

My next funds available will be for a K member and a set of A arms. Then, the next funds will be for a set of Aluminum heads. I can drill holes and weld plates for free. And if I am lucky the info will be free also. I really need to change my name from 88workcar to MrNoBuget

429mustang · 10-06-2002, 01:23 AM

Why are you so against adjustable parts, it make it EASIER to adjust things. If you weld everything up so it's good at the track, what are you going to do when it rides *****y on the street? I'm not trying to talk "S", I just don't see a downside on having something adjustable when it's going to need to be adjustable?

Jeff Chambers · 10-06-2002, 08:33 AM

I don't think I'd recommend drilling different mounting holes for the uppers or lowers, especially the uppers. There's not much extra room to redrill the holes and the bushings wouldn't end up getting the support laterally that they need. The upper & lower mounting points are both weak points in the rear suspension so any extra drilling or cutting is only going to weaken them further. If you are dead-set on this approach, you'd want to move the front mounting holes for the lowers more rearward, essentially pushing the bottom of the axle backward which would pivot the pinion lower for a more negative angle. But again, I wouldn't recommend it. UPR makes a set of double-adjustable uppers that are pretty affordable and would give you all the pinion angle adjustability that you'd need.

88workcar · 10-06-2002, 09:33 AM

I also have plans to get an elec water pump, more money... Well if that many of you recomend against this method, I guess I will just buget in the adjustables. But this brings up another ? Do people with adjustables "adjust" at the track, to race then again to come home? I am the one who does not mind compromise. I am willing to put up with crap in the name of low ETs. Thanks for the info.

88workcar · 10-08-2002, 05:14 AM

I wonder why no one has ever offered a shorter upper control arm or a longer lower. Even minute changes? Oh well I guess I'm beating a dead horse ( opps, sorry, a dead cat mabey)

Jeff Chambers · 10-08-2002, 06:27 AM

Some lowers, like the Megabite Srs have Heim joints at both ends which provide adjustability. You can accomplish pinion adjustment with these just the same as with adjustable uppers. Once I've set my pinion angle, I rarely ever change it. As a matter of fact, I have been all over the place this season with pinion angle, all the way from -6 to +2 and it doesn't have any appreciable effect on my 60' times. I think the pinion angle is much more important to a car with the stock rubber bushings everywhere since it counteracts large movements of the pinion under acceleration. In a car like mine that is very stiff in the mounting points there just isn't much pinion movement at all, at least as far as I can tell. I've got an adjustable pinion snubber on the car that I dress up with shoe polish and I rarely ever see it contact on the snubber plate.

88workcar · 10-08-2002, 05:51 PM

Well I just finished installing the poly bushings in the rear, and reinforced and welded the boxes. I may not even need the pinion angle changed. If I were to only buy one set, should it be upper or lower? I do believe that my 60ft is suffering due to the wrong springs on my coil over fronts. I am going to put the 4cyl springs back in front, if that makes it better I will order new coil over springs. Thanks for all of your help, Hope you have better luck next time you order pizza.

Jeff Chambers · 10-09-2002, 06:25 AM

Bwahahahahah! Funny thing it that there was just an article in our local paper last weekend where three guys spent the night in jail for stiffing the pizza guy on an $11 tab! Doh!

IMPULSERACING · 10-09-2002, 09:39 AM

I can send you a set of Brand New Granatelli Double Adjustable Uppers for $130.00 shipped. I have two sets sitting in my garage. These are the only uppers I use on all the cars I build.

10-04-2002, 09:30 PM	#1
88workcar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Pierre Part, La. U.S.A. Posts: 1,850	pinion angle, how to change it? Well I made it to the track tonight. Not good, the 60fts killed me all night 1.74 was the best. I just fixed the torque boxes, installed the poly bushings, got a new set of hoosiers. It is deadly on the street, yet at the track tonight I had to baby it off the line 2700 RPMS. 12.60s @ 109 all night the weather was off and so was every one else. Now for the question on hand, I will not buy adjustable anything, don't even say it. I have heard that you can lower the top mounting holes for the upper control arms. Also to lower the mounting holes on the rear of the lowers. What is right or do you do both? Also what is the desired pinion angle? How do I check it? Thanks for any input, No I will not buy the adjustables. __________________ 88workcar 1988 Mustang LX 342. 417rwhp @ 6800. 28 X 10 ET Drag, 4.30s, 10.69 @ 126.43 1.42 60ft. 11.13 @ 127.7 on BFGs 1.72 60ft Rice Hater # 42 To be old and wise, You must first be young and stupid I'm somewhere in tthe middle.

10-05-2002, 09:52 AM	#2
WADS56 gear banger Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: CHICAGO Posts: 1,144	Well I can't help you on how to adjust it because you don't want a nice set of adjustable uppers (why?). All I can say is that -4 is good for a street strip setup, and -6 is good for the track and a set of slicks. __________________ 79 Hatch: NA 347, Stage 2 Canfield Heads, Victor JR. Intake, Blueprinted Holley 750 HP, Solid Roller Cam, Shooting for 10's on motor 93 LX: Tremec, dual friction clutch, fms flywheel, Hedman shorties, O/R H-pipe Ricer hater's club member #49

10-05-2002, 04:45 PM	#3
88workcar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Pierre Part, La. U.S.A. Posts: 1,850	My next funds available will be for a K member and a set of A arms. Then, the next funds will be for a set of Aluminum heads. I can drill holes and weld plates for free. And if I am lucky the info will be free also. I really need to change my name from 88workcar to MrNoBuget __________________ 88workcar 1988 Mustang LX 342. 417rwhp @ 6800. 28 X 10 ET Drag, 4.30s, 10.69 @ 126.43 1.42 60ft. 11.13 @ 127.7 on BFGs 1.72 60ft Rice Hater # 42 To be old and wise, You must first be young and stupid I'm somewhere in tthe middle.

10-06-2002, 01:23 AM	#4
429mustang Registered Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: westerville, OH USA Posts: 618	Why are you so against adjustable parts, it make it EASIER to adjust things. If you weld everything up so it's good at the track, what are you going to do when it rides *****y on the street? I'm not trying to talk "S", I just don't see a downside on having something adjustable when it's going to need to be adjustable? __________________ 1990 Notchback: BBK Ceramic Coated Full length headers, Dr. Gas 3"- 2 1/2" x-pipe, Flowmaster 40's/turndowns.

10-06-2002, 08:33 AM	#5
Jeff Chambers Moderator Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Milan, OH Posts: 2,699	I don't think I'd recommend drilling different mounting holes for the uppers or lowers, especially the uppers. There's not much extra room to redrill the holes and the bushings wouldn't end up getting the support laterally that they need. The upper & lower mounting points are both weak points in the rear suspension so any extra drilling or cutting is only going to weaken them further. If you are dead-set on this approach, you'd want to move the front mounting holes for the lowers more rearward, essentially pushing the bottom of the axle backward which would pivot the pinion lower for a more negative angle. But again, I wouldn't recommend it. UPR makes a set of double-adjustable uppers that are pretty affordable and would give you all the pinion angle adjustability that you'd need. __________________ Jeff Chambers 1990 Mustang GT 10.032 Seconds / 137.5 MPH 14-time Street Warrior World Record Setter CRT Performance 2001 Tropic Green Mustang GT - 12.181 / 113.2 MPH 2002 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 7.3l Power Stroke - 17.41@77.2 "There's nothing boring about a small block automatic shifting gears at 9400 rpm!"

10-06-2002, 09:33 AM	#6
88workcar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Pierre Part, La. U.S.A. Posts: 1,850	I also have plans to get an elec water pump, more money... Well if that many of you recomend against this method, I guess I will just buget in the adjustables. But this brings up another ? Do people with adjustables "adjust" at the track, to race then again to come home? I am the one who does not mind compromise. I am willing to put up with crap in the name of low ETs. Thanks for the info. __________________ 88workcar 1988 Mustang LX 342. 417rwhp @ 6800. 28 X 10 ET Drag, 4.30s, 10.69 @ 126.43 1.42 60ft. 11.13 @ 127.7 on BFGs 1.72 60ft Rice Hater # 42 To be old and wise, You must first be young and stupid I'm somewhere in tthe middle.

10-08-2002, 05:14 AM	#7
88workcar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Pierre Part, La. U.S.A. Posts: 1,850	I wonder why no one has ever offered a shorter upper control arm or a longer lower. Even minute changes? Oh well I guess I'm beating a dead horse ( opps, sorry, a dead cat mabey) __________________ 88workcar 1988 Mustang LX 342. 417rwhp @ 6800. 28 X 10 ET Drag, 4.30s, 10.69 @ 126.43 1.42 60ft. 11.13 @ 127.7 on BFGs 1.72 60ft Rice Hater # 42 To be old and wise, You must first be young and stupid I'm somewhere in tthe middle.

10-08-2002, 06:27 AM	#8
Jeff Chambers Moderator Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Milan, OH Posts: 2,699	Some lowers, like the Megabite Srs have Heim joints at both ends which provide adjustability. You can accomplish pinion adjustment with these just the same as with adjustable uppers. Once I've set my pinion angle, I rarely ever change it. As a matter of fact, I have been all over the place this season with pinion angle, all the way from -6 to +2 and it doesn't have any appreciable effect on my 60' times. I think the pinion angle is much more important to a car with the stock rubber bushings everywhere since it counteracts large movements of the pinion under acceleration. In a car like mine that is very stiff in the mounting points there just isn't much pinion movement at all, at least as far as I can tell. I've got an adjustable pinion snubber on the car that I dress up with shoe polish and I rarely ever see it contact on the snubber plate. __________________ Jeff Chambers 1990 Mustang GT 10.032 Seconds / 137.5 MPH 14-time Street Warrior World Record Setter CRT Performance 2001 Tropic Green Mustang GT - 12.181 / 113.2 MPH 2002 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 7.3l Power Stroke - 17.41@77.2 "There's nothing boring about a small block automatic shifting gears at 9400 rpm!"

10-08-2002, 05:51 PM	#9
88workcar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Pierre Part, La. U.S.A. Posts: 1,850	Well I just finished installing the poly bushings in the rear, and reinforced and welded the boxes. I may not even need the pinion angle changed. If I were to only buy one set, should it be upper or lower? I do believe that my 60ft is suffering due to the wrong springs on my coil over fronts. I am going to put the 4cyl springs back in front, if that makes it better I will order new coil over springs. Thanks for all of your help, Hope you have better luck next time you order pizza. __________________ 88workcar 1988 Mustang LX 342. 417rwhp @ 6800. 28 X 10 ET Drag, 4.30s, 10.69 @ 126.43 1.42 60ft. 11.13 @ 127.7 on BFGs 1.72 60ft Rice Hater # 42 To be old and wise, You must first be young and stupid I'm somewhere in tthe middle.

10-09-2002, 06:25 AM	#10
Jeff Chambers Moderator Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Milan, OH Posts: 2,699	Bwahahahahah! Funny thing it that there was just an article in our local paper last weekend where three guys spent the night in jail for stiffing the pizza guy on an $11 tab! Doh! __________________ Jeff Chambers 1990 Mustang GT 10.032 Seconds / 137.5 MPH 14-time Street Warrior World Record Setter CRT Performance 2001 Tropic Green Mustang GT - 12.181 / 113.2 MPH 2002 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 7.3l Power Stroke - 17.41@77.2 "There's nothing boring about a small block automatic shifting gears at 9400 rpm!"

10-09-2002, 09:39 AM	#11
IMPULSERACING Registered Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: chicago,IL,USA Posts: 158	Adjustable Uppers I can send you a set of Brand New Granatelli Double Adjustable Uppers for $130.00 shipped. I have two sets sitting in my garage. These are the only uppers I use on all the cars I build. __________________ 92' LX Hatch (New Combo Coming Soon) Long-Tubes, Off-road H-Pipe, Pro-Dumps, Auburn Pro, 373:1, Strange Axels c-clip elims, control arms, supersubs, 50/50's, Moroso rear trick springs, no sway bars, 5-Lug Pro-Stars 3 1/2", 8 1/2 26x10.5" MT ET streets, N20 91' LX 5.0 Convertable: CobraR Hood, Cobra Spoiler, Cobra R Rims 2001 Expedition: Brush Guard, Clear Corners, Gen 1 Tail Lites, Carbin Fiber Dash Trim, Billet Aluminum A/C Knobs, Flame Gauges

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