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512 cid C series on Dakota chassis- build thread


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I really didn’t want to rebuild my front suspension. Chassis work is always so tiring and physical and takes forever to complete the simplest tasks.

 

Today I got the driver’s side coil spring,  upper, and lower control arms out. They are both rebuilt with new bushings and ball joints. The uppers are more fiddly because the pivot bar is in the way of pushing out the bushings with bolts or allthread and the hydraulic press is useless except for the press in lower ball joint. 

 

The upper ball joint is a screw in and before it gave up I had to drag out my ox/a torch and a six foot breaker bar and make like conan chained to the wheel. 

 

My coil spacer idea doesn’t look like it’s going to work- it needs a lot of hacking to fit in the pocket and the spring would have to be compressed almost to coil bind to cram it in there. I ordered new moog springs hopefully they will give her a little lift over the 30yr old ones. 

 

Did I mention I hate working around compressed coil springs? So much extra care to stay safe. 

 

Two steps forward, one back.

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While waiting for my new springs to show up I started stripping my dakota steering  column. I hate the way the chrome streetrod columns look in a vintage interior.

 

I’m planning to grind off the ignition cylinder shifter and signal bosses, make some covers, then a little body work and black paint. It will be less spindly and a little more modern than the original style but much safer. I already have some extra universal joints, double D shaft, and a 3/4” bearing support to loop the shaft around the exhaust. I also got a smaller wood and chrome superior steering wheel “the 500”. It’s kind of 60s hotrod correct and is in good shape with good patina. A grant 3 bolt install kit and horn button will finish it off nicely. Hopefully there’s enough firewall left to locate it for now! 

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Edited by Radarsonwheels
Spelled little ‘lottle’ haha
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I loved the stock schoolbus wheel but I won’t need the leverage with power rack & pinion. This one is pretty small. I’m hoping it’ll free up some room in the smallish cab without looking dinky or 3/4 of the way to a tiny welded chain one like Cheech.

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I ground down a boss on the side of the block so the driver’s side header could sit flat and also made some more progress on the steering today. I got the column stripped down and shaved, put it basically where it will go and discovered a 2 1/2” exhaust U-bolt fit the stock column drop holes perfectly.

 

I debated a little about whether to cut down the steering column because the stock ‘54 hole aimed it too far down into the control arm pivot. Then I ended up just cutting the hole a little bit higher. This did tip the wheel a little more vertical and lost some crotch room but the smaller wheel made it no problem. The mocked up bench seat frame seems just about right sitting on top of wood 4”x4”s over the floor frame. The wheel position feels good with one arm out the window or regular 10:00 and 2:00 driving.

 

Now the column needs a sheetmetal plate welded to it that will sit against the firewall and set the final depth, the 3/4 double D shaft to be welded to the upper steering tube, and a support bearing set up off the frame that holds the DD shaft steady to keep the triple universal jointed shaft from flopping around. 

 

The interior is soo far away from done but the mock up is encouraging. I might have even made screeching tire noises when I sat behind the wheel for the first time.

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You're going to want to cycle the steering once you have the idler tacked in place.  The bottom joint looks to be at too sharp an angle for smooth steering.  it's going to be real unpleasant driving if those joints bind at all.

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1 hour ago, Dave72dt said:

You're going to want to cycle the steering once you have the idler tacked in place.  The bottom joint looks to be at too sharp an angle for smooth steering.  it's going to be real unpleasant driving if those joints bind at all.

For sure! The column will be coming up a little more in the firewall when it’s done and the joints will all be inside their recommended 35°.  Definitely a wise idea to make sure it is all smooth before I get happy with the welder.

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Well there is not a lot of room around the  steering shaft and support but I got a bracket welded in solid after making sure the motor has room to shake, the suspension has room to be aligned, the control arm has room to articulate, and the shafts spin smoothly and freely with no binding. The support bearing can even be adjusted up and down it doesn’t just work in one sweet spot.

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Also my moog springs came in. The first side was a pain to install- the spring compressor kept getting in the way and it was too long to just pry into the relaxed lower control arm. 

 

I ended up squeezing it up into the spring pocket using the spring compressor through the upper shock hole, going back and forth jacking up the UCA and compressing the spring until it popped home. Even with it strapped to the chassis and me safely away from it I didn’t like how the compressor slipped free when it popped home. 

 

With the truck set down on one old spring and shock and one new spring and shock I jumped on it a bunch to settle and test it. It is a touch higher on the new side but way stiffer in a good way!

 

The passenger side is now safely disassembled and I get to clean and re-bush and ball joint the control arms. Of course the lower ball joint stud didn’t pop free of the knuckle until I warmed it with the ox/a torch. I made a pickle fork into a banana trying to pop it.  The upper ball joint was the same as the other side- torched rippin hot and 6 foot breaker bar to budge it. 

 

So the steering shaft and column is all scienced out and the suspension rebuild is 3/4 done- it seems like I didn’t get much done but it was a pretty good day. 

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Wierd! Good eye fellas thanks for watching my back!

 

I didn’t even notice that or think to check- DD rod can only get installed one way right?! I went out and took pics and found one of the stock dakota setup- turns out it was 45° out on the stock dakota. Hafta ask ma mopar about that head scratcher. 

 

Here’s a pic stitch- the original column and linkage on the left, two details of the suspect 45° DD clocked isolator with u-joint and female rack and pinion shaft splines, then the stuff I added plugged into to the column which is 90° out- dunno if that needs fixing.

 

So all I changed was to bend the routing around the header- the phase is still the same as it was stock on the 1989 dakota.

 

Which isn’t to say that I have it all figured out and it’s fine! I didn’t even think to look at the phase but now I’m just confused. I understood the concept in the video already but it is a really good demonstration. I need to take this question to some folks that are smartener than me. Y’all definitely qualify if anybody has guesses or knowledge. You’re certainly better observationalyzers!

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Edited by Radarsonwheels
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I have never used the DD style and get the smooth bore weld on joints. I also drill and run a bolt thru them for safety. I had a total of 4 single joints on my sand rail. 

 

Edited by 59bisquik
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Thanks Bisquik- that might be the way to go? Or maybe it’s ok? Hafta mess with it more. Once I make a plate so the bottom of the column can bolt solid to the firewall I’ll really be able to see and feel how it acts before I finish making my connections.  

 

On mine I will be pinning and welding into the stock stubs as well, leaving one disconnect at the top of the new U-joint for disassembly or rod end replacement. 

 

I’m still claiming victory for getting the idler bracket fabricated and getting all the working angles as obtuse as possible, but I have more questions than answers about will this work...

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I think I got it. Man when you make this stuff up as you go along you sure can run into hornet’s nests of arcane knowledge. I’ve built motors and fixed & restored cars but this re-engineering every system in the truck is a learning experience! At least I kept the stock front suspension and steering geometry. Just replacing all the bushings and springs and ball joints is plenty of work.

 

When the factory made the female stub on the bottom of the column U-joint it was a full 3/4” round for a couple inches before they formed flats in it for the  female DD socket. 

 

When I shortened the column’s female stub I left just enough of that formed female DD section that it would key to my new 3/4” DD shaft and automatically index to proper phase- or so I naively thought. 

 

Turns out that phasing made the first two joints like the red/green in my above post’s diagram. I’m thinking the best solution is to cut off the formed female section of DD. Then I can re-orient the male shaft and weld and pin it 90° from it’s current position. 

 

I found more online about the out of phase on purpose thing- read a ton of hamb posts, parts manufacturer tech bullitins and FAQs, and even a patent proposal for a computer program to determine the optimal offset out of phase. It seems this is done to correct a situation where the column and steering box input’s vectors are not exactly parallel. One manufacturor of splined U-joints suggested just trying clocking the splines a few out of phase to correct a notchy feel.  The one I screen shot and pasted above the red/green illustration from a different source says “15° to 45°”.

 

I’m going to twist that DD bar 90° and cross my fingers that it is all close enough to feel good on the road and have decent feedback. I have no idea how many turns I have lock to lock or if the dakotas were over assisted with one finger steering effort like the 70s mopars I’ve had.

 

Sorry for all the wordy thinking out loud and thanks again for helping out.

Edited by Radarsonwheels
Typo
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I had a 950 classic hp series double pumper main body laying around so I rebuilt it and got a guess at a baseline tune for a big huge street motor- I used the stock rear metering block and a 750dp front block with timed vacuum for my distributor. I don’t know how much mechanical advance is in this distributor or if I will wind up welding up slots in it to get a decent amount of initial timing. Hopefully the inches will eat up enough duration to idle well with whatever I end up with.

 

Carb settings 

6.5 power valves

79 primary and 80 secondary mains

IFRs slightly restricted with wire for clean cruising

idle screws 1.5 turns out

floats set 

new diaphrams in acc pumps, 37 squirters and pink cams on #1 hole.

stock air bleeds

 

The classic HP carbs are the old style that don’t have the idle-eze valve or billet metering blocks but they can still be tuned with wires or drilled for jets in the IFRs and PVCRs. Plus I didn’t have to spend any money!

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