TheAMCForum.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > The Lounge Area > Member Projects
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Rambler with Jag IRS, Take 2!!
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Click for TheAMCForum Rules / Click for PDF version of Forum Rules
Your donations help keep this valuable resource free and growing. Thank you.

Rambler with Jag IRS, Take 2!!

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123
Author
Message
farna View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar
Moderator Lost Dealership Project

Joined: Jul/08/2007
Location: South Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 19610
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/22/2016 at 6:35am
Your observations are food for thought. I'm pretty sure the plates will be just fine as they are, but it's always good to have another opinion/viewpoint.  A saddle type bracket was my first thought as well. A piece of square tubing to fit inside the Jag bracket with "tabs" welded to it to go on each side of the Rambler sill. After measuring and realizing that 1/2" plate could be used on the outside, I decided that was the simplest way to go. KISS engineering... as long as it works! As long as all bolts are tight everything should be real stable. That's why I bought nylon insert lock nuts, and all bolts and nuts are grade 8. The rubber mounts will take a lot of shock/stress away from the plates, sort of like a torque converter takes a lot of shock out of a drivetrain over a clutch.
Frank Swygert
Back to Top
farna View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar
Moderator Lost Dealership Project

Joined: Jul/08/2007
Location: South Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 19610
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/08/2016 at 8:29am
Got the wheels on and actually drove it around the yard -- so far so good! Will get it to the exhaust shop Monday morning. In a small town, so will drive it without the muffler the 8 miles in. I cut the pipe right in front of the axle, clamped a 90 degree turn on so it doesn't cook the axle or get too much in the passenger compartment.  Should be able to tell how much mechanical noise has been reduced even with the loud exhaust. I'm expecting it to be significant -- should be no more noise than the stock drivetrain at the worst.
Frank Swygert
Back to Top
304-dude View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted
Avatar

Joined: Sep/29/2008
Location: Central Illinoi
Status: Offline
Points: 9081
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 304-dude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/08/2016 at 8:41am
Great to see things coming along well for you on the mod.

Once the exhaust is done, you probably won't have any more issues.

71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker
Back to Top
farna View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar
Moderator Lost Dealership Project

Joined: Jul/08/2007
Location: South Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 19610
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/14/2016 at 5:50am
Haven't driven much, but enough to know that the noise reduction isn't as significant as I hoped. I still have a bit of a high speed vibration, but not until 65-70 or so. Might be a slight imbalance in the driveshaft, or a pinion angle issue. It's much less than it was though. Part of the noise issue is that I can now hear more of the wind noise that all the 63-65 models have over about 55 mph. Couldn't hear it for the vibration/mechanical noise before.
Frank Swygert
Back to Top
304-dude View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted
Avatar

Joined: Sep/29/2008
Location: Central Illinoi
Status: Offline
Points: 9081
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 304-dude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/14/2016 at 7:34am
Well, a hose clamp or two trick on the drive shaft may help diagnose your possible imbalance.

Could save time and money before taking it in for a balance check.

Though another pinion angle check would be less time consuming and may point you in the right direction a lot sooner.

Also could be a slightly bent steel wheel or warped brake rotor. Donno how things sound since I am not there to listen.

Could swap fronts with rears on the wheels and tires just to get any second thoughts out of the way. And can be done with your pinion angle check.
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker
Back to Top
farna View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar
Moderator Lost Dealership Project

Joined: Jul/08/2007
Location: South Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 19610
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/15/2016 at 2:15pm
I'm wondering if I might have a slightly off balance tire too. Will definitely check that first.
Took it for a nice long drive today. It's not bad, and the vibration doesn't come in until over 60 mph. I'm a bit disappointed that it didn't quiet down as much as I'd have liked, but as I said, now I can just hear other things that the rear end was drowning out. Part of the problem is the car sat for three months also. Like I've forgotten how bad it was, so it's hard to figure exactly how much of an improvement was made. Driving around in a much newer and quieter vehicle all the time has spoiled me a bit!
Frank Swygert
Back to Top
richy246 View Drop Down
AMC Apprentice
AMC Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: Jun/09/2016
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 57
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote richy246 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/02/2017 at 3:39am
You have inspired me to do the same on my rebel convertible.Do you have any pictures of how you mounted the radius arms to the body?How did the car end up ride wise after the work?Many thanks.
                                                                                                                                                      Tony.
Back to Top
farna View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar
Moderator Lost Dealership Project

Joined: Jul/08/2007
Location: South Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 19610
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/02/2017 at 7:26am
I don't have any photos of the radius arm attachment point. I used a pair of 24" four link arms, not the Jag arms. I have a heim joint on the axle end and a rubber bushed joint from RideTech (http://www.ridetech.com/components/rod-ends-bushings-and-sleeves/rod-end-1-3-4-x-3-4-by16-w-rubber-bushing-insert/). They are the only ones I found with a RUBBER and not Poly bushing. Absorbs more road noise. I have a standard heim joint, but would get the RideTech one with Kevlar lining now (http://www.ridetech.com/components/rod-ends-bushings-and-sleeves/rod-end-5-8-x-3-4-kevlar-lined-heim-end/). Should be a bit less noise and last longer. I bought the little seals for heim joints also (http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Seals-It-WS6250-Heim-Joint-Rod-End-Seals-5-8-Inch-Hole-Set-6,33063.html)... and got my heims and rods from Speedway.

The rods are 24" long, 3/4" diameter and joints have 5/8" holes (I'm pretty sure the bolt on the axle arm is 5/8", but could be 1/2" -- measure!). I just drilled a 5/8" hole through the sill ("frame" rail) where it needed to be (mount axle and put weight on car, then locate the arm) and made a channel from 1/8" steel plate to reinforce both sides of the sill. The plates go all the way up to where the sill meets the floor and are tack welded in place, though they shouldn't be able to slip (welding isn't really necessary). The bottom of the channel isn't all the way against the sill -- more of a u shape than sharp bend channel.

A 5/8" bolt long enough to go completely through the sill and rod end with enough threads for a nylon insert lock nut and two washers is used. No need to support the outer end of the bolt. Been running that way since 2003, no issues at all.

Note that I am running 7" wheels with a 5.5" backset -- FWD/4WD type backset. The tread on an 80s XJ6 is about the same as the 63-66 big cars, but Jag uses a deep offset wheel. Your car is 2.5" wider in rear tread (57.5" for mine, 60" for yours), so you won't need as much backset, but stock wheels may not work. Another ting -- the Jag uses the old 4.75" circle Chevy pattern wheels. You can redrill the hubs for a 4.5" circle, but have to grind the head of the studs a little to match the hub once installed. I just run Weld Draglite wheels with dual patterns, and use a little 4.5" wide dual pattern wheel with VW size tire as a spare to save weight and have a spare that fits both ends. I just used a Jeep XJ spare for a long time, but having a flat on the back means changing a front tire to the spare then moving the front one to the back. So how often do you have a flat nowadays?  You're very limited in wheels that can be deep offset and only 7". If I could have used an 8" wheel would have had better choices -- almost any custom wheel (but would have cost a good bit more!).


Edited by farna - Aug/02/2017 at 7:37am
Frank Swygert
Back to Top
farna View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar
Moderator Lost Dealership Project

Joined: Jul/08/2007
Location: South Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 19610
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/02/2018 at 7:57am
I was looking through this to copy some photos for another site and realized I never posted here about the vibration solution!

Turns out that the shop that made me the driveshaft years ago used a GM yoke. Splines are right, but I think the OD is a few thousandths smaller.. that or the vibration kept the seal from sealing good (could be a combo of both). Anyway, the splines were damaged and causing the yoke to stick. I may have done that, as the splines were only about 2.25" in the trans. It's possible the 4.6L stroker I had twisted the splines a little over time, who knows? I don't think it was as bad when I first started running it...

Anyway, while the yoke doesn't slip in and out much, it still has to "float" on the output shaft of the trans or it will cause vibration! Damaged splines weren't slipping. Found out it was a GM yoke from the new driveshaft shop. I did notice that the new Jeep yoke I bought was different, but thought it might have been because it was a replacement, not original. Driveshaft shop recognized it right away! So $400 ($100 for yoke, $300 from shop for new shaft and u-joints) and I was vibration free! Between that and the rubber mounts it's MUCH better!
Frank Swygert
Back to Top
farna View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar
Moderator Lost Dealership Project

Joined: Jul/08/2007
Location: South Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 19610
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/25/2018 at 9:30am
Drove it to Kenosha and back last summer. The 63-66 body isn't the quietest, has a lot of wind noise at highway speeds and some road noise. I might try putting some noise insulation in the floor and inside doors (something like Dynomat), but overall I'm very pleased with the rubber mounted rear axle. The plates lower it enough to run the exhaust over the "cage" rather than through it as Jag did, so if it ever needs to come out it will be real easy to drop -- no more work than any other axle. 
Frank Swygert
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03
Copyright ©2001-2019 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.141 seconds.
All content of this site Copyright © 2018 TheAMCForum unless otherwise noted, all rights reserved.
PROBLEMS LOGGING IN or REGISTERING:
If you have problems logging in or registering, then please contact a Moderator or