The tapered bearing sounds like the best choice. However, if the tapered bearing does not fix the problem, are they just as easy and economical to replace? Can you convert back to the non-tapered bearing if you need or want to? The full floater and associated brake upgrades would be awesome and all, but it would also be awesome to just change to bearings that do not leak and break.

The floater rear end itself isn't expensive. A complete new Speedway Engineering 9" Ford floater rear end with bubs, bearings, axles, etc is $1295.

if someone is building from scratch, it is a no brainer. But Lance ... you'd need to get new suspension brackets to weld on or have Speedway weld them on ... and new rear brakes. So it starts to add up.

You still have some "credit" on the books ... so let me know ... :)

Indeed it was an awesome weekend! Most of which I spent chasing your times. :catfight:

Those new seats of yours are far far more comfortable than I could have guessed from the pictures. I could easily make those daily drivers. I really wish I had one in the TA.

I am really curious how Keith rebounds after getting his wheel bearing fixed and the new 1LE shocks thrown in before Topeka. Another 3 way fight...sounds like pure win to me!

Great videos. Sounds like the car ran as usual. :thumbsup:

That's cool that you had someone close to you that you could compare to.

I went racing Saturday too and the closest cars I had to compare to were 4 late model Mustangs and a C5 and a C6 corvette. The rest were little imports. Wish there were more PT cars in the Vegas area that would actually use their cars. :(

Bummer about the bearings, but it sounds like you've got it under control for now.

I need to learn to quit giving you tips in grid between runs!! :D


Nothing wrong with comparing yourself to the little imports, I love beating them too...

Sunday's Event 1 raw time results

http://www.kcrscca.org/results/solo/...event1_raw.htm

And by class showing each individual run time

http://www.kcrscca.org/results/solo/...event1_fin.htm

Ordered the new axles with tapered bearing setup yesterday, hopefully get them in and installed before the next event. I'd probably race on these one more time, but our next event is in Topeka and it's an 80 mile drive each way and a two day event...they won't last that whole weekend for sure.

Lance,

Very cool to see these new updates and how far your SS has come since you started tastin' that Sutton secret sauce. :unibrow:

Thanks...it's been one heck of a journey. The car is SO much fun to drive...everyone seems to love riding in it also.

Okay, lets hope these do the trick...

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-H...0422151440.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-y...0422151431.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T...422151430a.jpg

They aren't exactly as I pictured them to be in my mind...but I think they should just slide into place exactly as the radial bearings did. We'll find out tonight. I'm glad to see the Timken stamp on them for sure.

One would think that a tapered bearing would handle/distribute lateral stresses better, and the Moser/Timken combination hopefully will take the abuse.

I really hope that fixes it.

5 point harnesses... #becauseracecar

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-m...0503151256.jpg


Carpet... #becausestreetcar

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-A...503151257c.jpg

Even fixed the horn button too.

I'm calling my offseason projects complete, and successful.

All buttoned up and ready for the next event on the 17th?

Lance, what Recaro seat did you end up with? is it a fixed back and/or on sliders in case somebody else drives it? or is it just built for you?

I need 5pts in my setup (#becauseracecar doensn't always equal #becausesstreetcar) and i rather race.

Car is completely ready...driver not so much. Have an out of town graduation to attend that day.




These are the Profi-SPGXLs, fixed back fiberglass on sliders with a ton of adjustment room. Being able to fit your arse into the seat is the only limiting factor with these (already had to decline one ridealong as the guy couldn't fit his arse into the pass seat).

I also retained the factory 3 point belts and use those with these seats when driving on the street which is a real nice feature.

Comfy seats with comfy restraints #becausestreetcar
Comfy seats with 5 point harnesses for race day #becauseracecar

Best of both worlds.

We took it for a 45 minute drive yesterday afternoon to go to a cousin's son's graduation party, was great to just go out for a cruise in the complete car again. One of Terri's cousin's husband brought his fun car as well... We were parked not too far apart and later as the party was dwindling down we went out to check out each others rides. His car was like the anti-Barney...it was a Tesla... :D

His car, when you walk up to it, the door handles automatically extrude from the body inviting you to open the doors with them, I have to stick a key in the door and turn it just to unlock my doors. He presses a button on his key fob and his "hood" opens automatically...I have to hit the top of my hood just right with the palm of my hand to get my hood latch to release after pulling the cable handle from inside the car. It was pretty neat though, my first time checking out a Tesla...and I think their first time sitting in Recaro race seats in a 30 year old luxury car turned race machine.

Amazing the difference in technology during the 30 years between the two cars.

Our ride back how was just as nice, cruising the back roads with the windows down. Pretty glad to have the car back on the road again fully in one piece.

Great Googly Moogly.... Look at this!! Barney's new front sway bar.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-H...0514151200.jpg

That's a 1.5" diameter, 0.375" wall center piece for my Ridetech front MuscleBar.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e...0514151205.jpg

Ain't she a beaut?

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-V...514151206a.jpg

Now I have a dilemma though. I have a big event in 3 weeks...USCA at National Corvette Museum...and not a lot of time to prepare for it.

Last fall I swapped the last big sway bar upgrade in the car right before heading to the SCCA Solo Nationals and I swore I'd never make any big changes to the car right before a big event again.

Now, just how bad did I swear? :D

Put it in and drive it... a lot. Just think, you've got 2.8 weeks to hammer on it and a couple days to swap it back if you don't like it. :)

Rough # on spring rate?

Put it in tonight. Drive the snot out of it for a while, and see if you like it. You can always switch it back if you don't.

Past experience dictates that is is pretty hard to replicate an autocross turn...when not on an actual autocross course. You can get close...but the difference between close and really getting it right can make all the difference in the world in balance.

I don't like driving a car that isn't balanced, it isn't any fun. I'd rather drive one just a tad slower that I KNOW works then drive one that will step out at any given moment without any warning.

You coming for Saturday and/or Sunday? Plenty of time to get yse to yhe new bar!

I'm out of town this weekend Patrick, all you have to worry about is beating Keith with all of the new replacement parts on his car.

Put it on!! Or why bother ordering it.... LOL



Just do it. Besides - if you overhead press it a few times you'll build up some biceps... That thing is a whopper!

We're taking his "Low Roll" strategy to the next level. :)

Crap... and I've already got the 250# springs in stock too... :D



I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a touch concerned about this bar pulling the bolts out of the frame up front. The frame is only .120 thick with m10 bolts threaded into one layer of it. The Ridetech mounts use the two factory sway bar mount holes and you then drill and tap a third hole a bit further up for the part that goes over the bar. When I put the first Ridetech bar in, I popped the threads out of one hole in the frame on the passenger side when tightened the bolts up. I was lucky as I could get a nut on the back side and used that to secure the mount. The ones on the driver side are completely boxed in, no way to get a nut on the backside of the frame there. Only fix is to weld a new nut into the frame.

If the same thing happened during the install of this new bar, or worse yet...during the event...I'd be screwed. It's not something I can't fix, but it's not something I want to be thrashing to fix so soon before or worse during the event.

Quit making excuses, trust the man and get to work! :underchair:

Just from analyzing photos of the car I completely agree with the rear spring rate increase.

That bar looks like it could control the USS Missouri in rough seas. :D

Can you make a hole saw cut forward and away from the stress zone on the frame horn that would allow you to feed a thick washer and nut to the mount bolt location with piece if bendable wire? Hot melt glue the washer to the wire to position it, same with the nut. :headscratch:

I don't think cutting a hole in the frame is the answer, I believe if it did occur, the best response is to drill out the hole in the frame and weld a nut into place in the hole. This would give much more meat for the bolt to grab onto from then on...as long as the welder didn't blow out the frame in the area during the process. :underchair:

I just don't have the free time to take care of an incidental such as this should it occur before June 5th. As much as I would like to have it on, I don't think it's the right move for me.

Too many other things occupying my limited free time between now and then.

But please...continue badgering me into it...it shows me that you all care and only want my car to be as fast as it can be!! lol...

I think I have sway bar envy. :confused59:

I think this is what...Stage 4 of the Ron Sutton Race Technology secret sauce improvements...

:gitrdun: :thankyou: :cheers: :excited: :hapdance: :dance:

I'm certain it'll be every bit as successful as Stages 1-3 have been.

I love big sway bars. I had one on the front of my 4th gen and it did wonders in the curves. I most likely will be changing the front and maybe rear bars in the TA. I think stock WS6 leaves room for improvement. I need to make sure my springs are good first though.

Glad to know the car is working well for you, Lance!

So with a big track day coming up, I took this weekend to tidy up some loose ends. First job was to replace the rear hard brake lines on the axle. My old ones had had the exhaust dropped on them a few too many times.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Q...0524151723.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D...524151723a.jpg

Think this will make a difference in brake performance?

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M...0524151754.jpg

I then flushed the old DOT3 out and replaced it with fresh Motul 600 and bled the brakes (with the wife's help).

Today I tidied up the trunk area a bit and then snugged the body bolts back up. 5-6 of them were a 1/2-3/4s turn loose.

As i was putting the rear tires back on I looked at the lug nuts and said to myself "Self, you really should replace those, they are looking kind of ragged" and then I promptly pulled the threads out of when when snugging it down.

Lugnuts are a wear item and after 250 or so torques tight (some of take our wheels off A LOT), they probably should be replaced.

Anyway, feel a lot better about the car being ready for the USCA at NCM. Now it just needs a good cleaning and some TLC in some details areas for some extry points in the D&E portion.

Oh...and I did NOT put the new sway bar in... Much as I would like to, I just can't chance an issue with it before the trip. We have a party at our house this Saturday and a local race on Sunday...then just a few days before we leave for Kentucky. No extra time to deal with issues or incidentals...

So the trip to USCA at NCM went pretty well I guess...car did good, driver did okay...there are a couple of videos and pics on my event report thread.

On the cool down lap of the third session of the road course, I heard a slight grinding noise speed related. I put the car on the trailer at that point and decided to diagnose when I got home. Upon inspection today, I found this.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LV...=w1378-h775-no

Driver side front inside wheel bearing was just starting to eat itself. The grease in that bearing was cooked.

Here is the pass side next to it, pass side was still tight and rotated smoothly.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/M9...=w1378-h775-no

Super glad I stopped when I did, it would have surely completely failed in just a couple more laps at speed.

Since I had it all apart anyway, I pulled out the brake pads to inspect. These are EBC YellowStuffR pads that are about a year and a half old with maybe 200 autocross runs on them and 1 and a half track days.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Td...=w1378-h775-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JG...=w1378-h775-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4g...=w1378-h775-no

There is still plenty of pad left, but they are glazed over and actually starting to come apart around the edges. The rear pads look similar.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/q3...=w1378-h775-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uO...=w1378-h775-no

As I was checking the rotor temps during my post session stat taking, I noticed the rear rotors were about 100 degrees hotter than my fronts. I'm assuming this is because they are hidden behind dust shields and the front rotors aren't. Check out how hot the rear pads got...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qE...=w1378-h775-no

It actually starting boiling the coating off of the back side of the pad.

Thankfully these are all pretty easy repairs and fall under the "wear and tear" category. New bearings, seals and pads will go back on soon.

The other issue will take a bit more thought...and money...to fix.



Driver side is better which makes me think the diff itself is starting to come apart. This is a 9" with a 31 spline tracloc diff that was refreshed with new bearings and seals about this time last year. I've been driving through the posi coming out of both left and right autocross turns, lifting and spinning the inside rear tire. Time to seriously consider some sort of upgrade here.

Glad you caught that bearing before things got ugly.

Was this your first road course event? Tell us more about the experience and how it was to play with the pony cars in the G body. :popcorn2:

I guess this was my 4th track day experience with this car. First was a SCCA PDX at Heartland Park Topeka, then a 2 day NASA HPDE at Heartland Park, last summer I did the USCA event at Gateway in St Louis then this USCA event at National Corvette Museum Motorsports park.

HPT is big, fast, has a couple of difficult corners depending on the configuration you are running but is basically a fun course to run that eats tires like crazy.

I loved Gateway, could run the whole course with basically only two braking points, was very easy on the car, didn't eat tires and the driver could really make a car work on that course once they learned it. Part of that course, maybe even half...is on the NASCAR oval and is basically just straight line fast while the rest is fast turns easily handling if setup properly.

NCM was a whole 'nuther beast... It's basically all technical turns with little runoff and large K-rail barriers everywhere and several elevation changes that create some blind corners. The surface is fantastic, butter smooth and very grippy, tire wear was next to none for me which really shocked me considering how hot it was there. I couldn't imagine learning this track on my own, I took advantage of an instructor even on the beginning lead follow laps and am glad I did. This is not a track to mess around with, there is almost zero chance to breath or relax on a lap. I spent session one learning what corner was coming up next, 8-9 laps maybe...and began picking up a little speed...not really worrying about outpacing other cars or anything, just learning the track. I had my fastest lap on lap one at speed of session 2 then our session was cut short after about 3 laps because of an incident. I was just getting to where I didn't have to think about which corner was coming up next at this point.

I did session 3 on my own as my instructor was in another car and started working on bettering my line, getting my brake and turn in points down and trying to find the best shift points. I let other cars by twice as I was thinking I was holding them up but really we were all running about the same times overall. This is NOT a track to be worrying about the car behind you running you down, it will bite you in an instant and you need to be concentrating on what is coming up in front of you...so I didn't really get into "racing" any of the other cars I was around. Self preservation was the key here at least for me anyway. It was just starting to get "fun" for me, I was learning the track and where and what to do with my car to get around the corners carrying more speed...I never really started to push the car hard in the corners or brake points. Then it was over... I heard the wheel bearing just as soon as I let off when I saw the checkered flag and knew immediately my day was done.

I would go back to NCM for sure. I would just be a bit more prepared, a bit more knowledgeable about the track and ready to run some faster laps right out of the box.

Thanks for the insight. Sounds like a good time!

Pretty good day in the garage today. I started in the front and swapped out my 0.250" wall front sway bar for my 0.375" wall MonsterBar...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BV...=w1378-h775-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/c0...=w1378-h775-no

Install was pretty painless, the only fight I had was getting the 3 cap head bolts out of the swing arms. Ended up using a combination of heat, penetrant and patience. When I first put this bar in, these kept coming loose...so I put a dab of blue loctite on them to help keep them snug. Problem is the back side of the hole they go in is open and rust built up in there and made removal somewhat difficult. I put a liberal coat of antiseize on them before reinstall but I assume they'll start coming loose again after use. I'll just keep an eye on them for now while trying to come up with a better solution. No issues with the frame holes at all thankfully.

I then tried to install these trick front wheel bearing spacers from AllStar.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ha...=w1378-h775-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5x...N=w436-h775-no

They are adjustable in length and let you preload the inner and outer bearing races so you can snug the spindle nut up tight while letting the rotor still turn freely.

AllStar has been wanting me to try these for a while so I figured since I had to replace the wheel bearings anyway, this was a good time.

Unfortunately, my rotors (which are still in fantastic shape) have too small of an ID near the outer bearing and the spacers won't work in them. I guess I could put these rotors on a lathe and trim out the inside of the rotor a bit, but with a race coming up next Sunday I need to get this thing back on the ground for now. This upgrade will have to be postponed for now, but I'll figure out a way to make them work eventually.

My last project for the front was to press out the old stock length wheel studs and replace them with 2.5" ARP wheel studs. This is where I got stalled as I need some different plates for my press to be able to get the last 4 studs in. I know I could run them in with a lugnut and if I was in a pinch I would, but I have the plates I need at work and will pick them up tonight, finish these up and pack the outer bearings and reinstall the rotors.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/EP...N=w436-h775-no

I had a rebuilt TracLoc installed into my third member and this fixed the backlash issue. Just a quick reinstall of the third member, then the axles..and lastly swap 250# springs in the rear for the 200# springs to match the rear roll resistance with the new stiffer front sway bar and the rear is just about tidied up as well.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JS...=w1378-h775-no

Still waiting on my new brake pads to show up, should be here on Monday. Then I can get this thing back down on the ground, bed the new pads in and spend some time getting used to the new Stage 4 Ron Sutton Race Technology high travel, lower roll setup before next weekend.

BTW,Check out this little blurb about the car from the guys at BangShift Apex that came out yesterday...

http://bangshift.com/bangshiftapex/b...itchin-g-body/

Great update as always.

Nice write-up on Bangshift too...congrats. :thumbsup:

So, are ya sellin' any 'Lance is da G-man' tees yet?



:D

Lance, you can maybe run safety wired bolts on your sway bar to keep from having to use loctite. Just a thought. Car's looking good. Congrats on the write up.

Cool Stuff Lance! Looking forward to seeing the results! Congrats on the Bangshift ride!

Thanks everyone... I made some small progress on Sunday, got the rest of studs pressed in and the front rotors reinstalled...and de-decaled most of the car for now.

The new brake pads will be here today, shouldn't take any time at all to get them in...bedded in...then get some seat time getting used to the new Stage 4 setup.

I'll take 2 G-man tees :)

Good day at the track yesterday. It was my first attempt at driving on course after Stage 4 of the Ron Sutton Race Technology high travel low roll setup was installed. Stage 4 consisted of a major increase in the stiffness of the front sway bar matched by a slight increase in the rear spring rate. Along with those changes, I also had new brake pads front and rear, a new posi in the rear axle and was trying a new set of air pressures front and rear based off of what I learned at NCM couple of weeks ago...so yeah, a lot of changes really.

The course was great, we all had a blast on it. It was free flowing, no pinch points, visually great, it was FUN. The car was a bit loose in the early runs, not step out sideways unpredictable loose, just a oopsy...gotta catch that there a bit free. I backed out one click on rear shock rebound as it was lifting the inside rear tire on corner entry and started lowering the rear tire pressure a pound at a time. This was my tire sheet after my first run

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rj...=w1161-h653-no

I started out with 37 psi in fronts, 35 psi in the rears. For a long time, I've been starting at 33 in the front, 32 in the rear. Not sure if it's in combination with the new front sway bar or not, but 37 in the fronts works a LOT better. 35 in the rear was too much, I started my 4th run at 37F, 32R and it worked great. This was my tire sheet after my 3rd run, I didn't check them after my 4th when I ran with 32 PSI in the rear.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Un...=w1161-h653-no

Here is a video of my 4th and best run, I already had a good time in the books and was really trying to let it all out. Pay attention to how flat the front stays in the slalom on the back, that is where I noticed the most improvement over stage 3.





Ron has made this car turn in really well ever since Stage 1, when the front suspension is compressed under braking, it just worked great. Where the front was lacking a bit would have been in the slalom or later in larger turns where the suspension wasn't compressed therefore hurting the front tire contact patch.

What this new MonsterBar does (and Ron will probably chime in here and correct the way I'm describing this) is on those longer turns or during the slalom where the front isn't compressed because of braking, when you turn the steering wheel, instead of the outside front dipping, rolling the car over too much and messing with the contact patch, the whole front of the car compresses and keep a better contact patch up front on both tires and more weight on the front as well. It is a HUGE difference in how the car handles and will take a bit more time on the driver's part learning how to take advantage of this new found front grip.

The best part is, this change up front did not make the rear any worse. Once I got the car dialed in, the rear is just a tick free on corner exit, just like it was before Stage 4. It is completely controllable though, not even close to being edgy. In the video you will notice two places where the rear was pretty free, but that was 100% course related. When you go from grooved concrete, to smooth asphalt, then back to grooved concrete all in one pretty fast turn, you are going to loose a bit of grip during the asphalt part of the turn. Also the last decreasing radius sweeper before the finish, the pavement is giving up pretty bad there and it's always a tiptoe through there at speed.

The timed results were encouraging, I finished 22nd in raw time out of 133 entrants and 2nd in class losing by just under a second to a 2015 Mustang with brand new 315mm Rival Ss on all four corners.

Here are the class results

http://www.kcrscca.org/results/solo/...6_fin.htm#camc

And the raw time results

http://www.kcrscca.org/results/solo/...event6_raw.htm

When looking at the raw times, you should note that the Heat 1 drivers had a mostly wet course due to rain. I think it was drying out pretty good for their 3 and 4th runs but there was still some pretty wet spots during the course walk between 1 and 2. Everyone else ran in the dry though.

Anyway, I can't wait to get back out on course and test the new setup some more. I'm thankful to Ron that it was basically fast off the trailer (or highway since I drove it to the track) and only needed some minor tweaking to dial it in. I'm sure as I push it more it'll need a bit more tweaking but so far...so good.