Jimmy is coming....$2012

Ran across this as another belt routing option.......

That last one looks like the best routing. The accessory bracket issues are one of the extras of LS motors a lot of people don't think about. Good JY and homemade solution!

It has been a while and made some progress, between vacation in Houston, and travel for work. I will post pictures of progress (after I take a few).

Rollcage had a slow start. I want the Cage to certify to something fast. It will help when I sell it or want to step up.

I bent up some bars with my "little friend". I wanted to weld them to the frame and I bent the main hoop and the A pillar bars back to the main hoop accordingly. It looked funny.

The frame under the Jimmy body is not exactly a perimeter frame. I looks like this:

The edge of the frame is about 9” in from the body in the driver and passengers foot-well area and about 10”ish in the main hoop area. I looked at it for about a week and was not happy. I re-bent a new hoop and bars and will weld them to 6”X6” plates and run separate inner kicker bars to the frame. In fact it works out kinda nice. I can hole-saw thru the floor where the plates go without hitting the frame and drop the rollcage into the holes to weld the top of the roll cage. I am trying not to pull the glass. Might be easier to pull it (glass) and then put it back in.

Picked up some drop leaf springs from a Ford Explorer at the PullAPart. I wanted to use some composite rear leafs out of a Astro/Safari van, but these look more sturdy for about the same weight. They are mono, tapered 3" leaf, with a 2.5" eye. They set the axle back 1" and over-all 4" more in length. I am going to do away with the leaf spring shackles in the back and make a pair of sliders to weld to the frame. I am thinking about a panhard bar, but will probably steal a Watts link out of a wreck.

Picked up an aluminum boat? gas tank shell at the scrap metal guy, $10. It says 18 gallons. I am going to split it in half and partition it for gas on one side and a intercooler ice chest on the other side. Maybe end up with 5 gallons gas and 5 gallons ice water?

Slider example

Can you get enough "pinch" with that bolt / washer so it will hold without slipping?

Jerry From LA wrote: Can you get enough "pinch" with that bolt / washer so it will hold without slipping?

Thanks for asking. The idea is the leaf spring end/bolt is free to ride/slide along the grove on bearings. It is not pinched.

I have thought about this .....and can't see it hurting? It probably won't help me a Z#$!*! bit either, but I have to do something with the 4" longer spring, moving the shackle or trying a slider.

I tell myself, a slider has to be better than a floppy shackle. Also, I can lower the back of the Jimmy a couple of inches by doing away with the shackle.

More than you want to know:

Leaf Spring Slider Reading: http://www.afcoracing.com/tech_pages/leaf.shtml

Leaf Spring/Caltracs http://www.hotrodsandhemis.com/traction1.html

Homemade Caltrac Plans http://www.hotrodsandhemis.com/Traction.html

Way to go Gasoline!!

Gasoline wrote: I am thinking about a panhard bar, but will probably steal a Watts link out of a wreck.

What wreck would you find a watts link on? I've never seen one on anything other than a GT/Trans Am race car.

Dashpot wrote:

Gasoline wrote: I am thinking about a panhard bar, but will probably steal a Watts link out of a wreck.

What wreck would you find a watts link on? I've never seen one on anything other than a GT/Trans Am race car.

2000's durango?

P71

I believe the old solid axle RX7s had Watts links in them.

Also of note: As a S-Truck owner myself, you should be aware that 2WD axles are narrower than the 4WD rear axles. I think by an inch or two on each side. I know you got the Ford 8.8 already, but I felt I should mention this anyway incase someone else wanted to do the same without a Ford 8.8.

Dashpot wrote:

Gasoline wrote: I am thinking about a panhard bar, but will probably steal a Watts link out of a wreck.

What wreck would you find a watts link on? I've never seen one on anything other than a GT/Trans Am race car.

I was going to swipe one off a 1998-2011 Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Lincoln Town Car. I think the 2001-07 PT Cruisers also got them?

I was told that they were added to the Fords because the Crown Victoria police cruisers were twitchy at high speed and the watts link helped make them more stable. Sounded good to me.....I believe most anything.

AquaHusky wrote: I believe the old solid axle RX7s had Watts links in them. Also of note: As a S-Truck owner myself, you should be aware that 2WD axles are narrower than the 4WD rear axles. I think by an inch or two on each side. I know you got the Ford 8.8 already, but I felt I should mention this anyway incase someone else wanted to do the same without a Ford 8.8.

That is great to add. Thanks!

I thought that after a ended my search for a RPO Code ZR2 8.5" rearend that they would start showing up everywhere.....not true. They must be pretty rare, I have not run across one in a junkyard yet. If I do find one/any I will buy it just to put back.

There is always the oddball, but for the most part ZR2 paticulars (my internet nerd notes):

The 94-97 ZR2 rearends had drums, and 98 up got disc brakes.

100mm wider track (3.9 inches wider than regular S-10 front and rear).

Enhanced front (7.25" ring gear) and rear (8.5" ring gear) axles w/ 3.73:1 rear-axle ratio

Larger wheel and axle bearings

46mm gas pressurized Bilstein Monotube shocks

Rear axle track bar (pickups) / rear sway bar (BlaZeR2)

33mm (early model) / 28mm (late model) front anti-sway bar

Specific strengthened front differential gears and drive axles

Specific rear axle with an 8.5-inch ring gear

Larger diameter axle shafts I would like to confirm?

Locking rear differential (G80 Gov loc)

PT Losers definitely had a Watts link as well.

Great build, Gasoline!

In reply to Gasoline:

Never would have guessed that, learned something new today!

ebonyandivory wrote: Isn't the Olds Bravada an AWD via NP-136 transfer case? Bolt in?

I believe thats what Lingenfelter used on the 98-02 body S15 Sonoma when they went LSx+snail and awd in it....it is the closest setup to the original sy/ty driveline IIRC.

yamaha wrote:

ebonyandivory wrote: Isn't the Olds Bravada an AWD via NP-136 transfer case? Bolt in?

I believe thats what Lingenfelter used on the 98-02 body S15 Sonoma when they went LSx+snail and awd in it....it is the closest setup to the original sy/ty driveline IIRC.

<-- Still has a Bravada for sale. Cheap.

The 8.5" rear axle was offered in 3 widths- 2wd, 4wd, and ZR2. Any year of 2wd or before 1998 in 4wd will be drums, the remainder are disc brakes.

Unfortunately there was no specific RPO for the 2wd and 4wd, although they tend to be on the manual trans / v6 trucks. When I was car-parts.com shopping for mine I must have called 50 yards before finding an axle that wasn't mislisted.

I do not recall the axle shaft diameter difference, but I do recall that the spline count is higher for the larger ring gear.

As for the ZR2 front differential, I recall it being the same sized ring gear but a change in housing material from aluminum to cast iron. You can also find these in the manual trans 4x4 s10's and blazers.

In reply to blizazer:

Big Thanks! for the help. It would be really nice to know the width in inches if you know of a reliable source?

I have a question that you (or anyone) may know.

I have chopped out the heavy front torsion bar system and bought some coilover shocks off Ebay. I want to get it lowered, and hope it will handle better.

The Sycone/Typhoon guys comment about front axle bind and breaking axles on lowered trucks.

What I am getting at is: How is the width increased on the front of a ZR2?

I am wondering if it is simply wider control arms that I could swap in to help prevent bind? If it was a different frame....I would think it would take a wider front diff?

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Looking at the parts catalog, I see the same part number for LCA's for all 4wd suspensions, including ZR2.

Halfshafts show different part numbers for ZR2. Front differential also shows a unique ZR2 part number, but that could be for the housing material or for dimensions.

I dont have hard numbers handy for the rear axle, but internet forum lore puts them at about 4" wider with each step (2wd + 8" = 4wd + 4" = ZR2 width)

Gas lens makes a crappy welder like me look pretty good