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  #11  
Old 02-13-2023, 11:45 PM
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Moving along...slowly...L-O-L

I couldn't find a correctly built front cross over brake line plus I needed to plumb and wire the line lock. So...I built all of those lines myself from stainless steel. Hardline and all fittings are from Earl's. This is the completed line lock plumbing. This is one of those "looks easy enough" tasks, but to get it right takes some time:



This is a photo of one of the ways I figure out brake line bends:



Here's one of the "successful" lines (many aren't so successful!):



Some of the seemingly simple lines can prove challenging. Case-in-point is this feed line to the line lock. It consumed several mistakes to get it done:



I like to use a Weatherpack connector for things like the line lock. If it ever fails, then it's easy to remove and replace.



This is a wee bit amusing when I look back at it. Huge mess (in my old garage) building cutting, annealing, bending, flaring line. I prefer to anneal the hard line prior to flaring, hence the need for the MAP gas. Otherwise the line can crack. In addition, I lap the female side of the flares.



Here's a couple of photos of the finished brake lines:




Another thing I did was to send off the hood hinges, springs, hood latch and catch to Steve Gregori just before he sold Detail Plating. The car originally had these parts nicely painted, but that bugged me . I also replaced/added a number of ground straps.




This link will take you to a video that details the tools/equipment I use to build brake lines. There are a number of tools, ideas and tips you might not consider at first glance:

https://youtu.be/_9dibgkmPoU

That's a wrap for this segment. I'll be back...L-O-L
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  #12  
Old 02-14-2023, 12:16 AM
CamaroNOS CamaroNOS is offline
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This is a little piece of artwork. Just love your detail.

Paul
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  #13  
Old 02-14-2023, 01:19 PM
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Very clean build! Look forward to seeing more of the progress! Seeing this car makes me REALLY miss my old 72 Nova.
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  #14  
Old 02-15-2023, 12:24 AM
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When I was planning this car, one thing I wanted to try and stay away from was a traction bar on the rear springs. In another life, I was a Direct Connection dealer (remember them?). It occurred to me I could use a Chrysler Super Stock Spring on the back and not use a traction device. Essentially, that's what many of the FAST guys do with they stock appearing cars. Trouble is, you can't easily adpat a Chrysler SS spring to a Chevy. Fortunately, AFCO offers a pretty good replica of the spring for circle track applications. I bought a pair. Here's a look:

This is the basic spring:



The front segment is heavily biased, with more full and partial leafs in the spring pack:



Meanwhile, the rear has few:



This is the arch of the out-of-the-box spring (which happens to be just about right for my Nova):



So how do they work? Simple. When under heavy acceleration load, a typical leaf spring will bend in the front segment. That's why you get wheel hop. This doesn't happen with an SS spring like this.

To compliment the springs, I swapped out the OE-style front bushing for a Detroit Speed composite Delrin/aluminum example. The backs of the springs use a conventional Chevy rubber bushing along with a stock shackle. The reason for this is, the rear of the spring in this application is just along for the ride.



I wanted a means to adjust the rear suspension (aside from the shocks which I'll show you down the road). To get there, I bought a rear sway bar kit from Hotchkiss and threw away pretty much everything except the front adjuster mounts and the actual bar. From there, I used a couple of adjustable links from Summit Racing along with four Aurora Teflon lined rod ends. I made up the actual (super heavy duty) housing mounts from pieces sourced from Summit. Also, those are 1/2-inch Calvert Racing u-bolts on the axle housing (no t-bolts). Here's what it looks like from the back:



This is a side view. The links can be adjusted for preload. It is possible with this setup to actually change ride height (jack it) from side-to-side. As a result, it can be used to help plant a tire:



On the bottom side, the subframe was tied to the car spring pocket by way of Competition Engineering frame connectors. The pair of photos attached are recent (today!). You can see I used stainless brake lines along with stainless park brake cables. The exhaust is a modified Hooker 3-inch stainless steel setup for an LS swap. You can see I use V-band clamps to attach the exhaust to the slip on header collectors. Although it might look low in this photo, the exhaust is actually very tight to the floor pan. The lowest part is the 4-inch header collector (necessary for the 2-25-inch primary tubes, but that's another story). These photos should give you a pretty good idea of what the car is like underneath... it's fun working on a car like this...




The following YouTube link (short video) will give you a bit more insight into the basic rear suspension setup:

https://youtu.be/ngqqkQz8PDk

More to come....

Last edited by Arrowsmith; 02-15-2023 at 01:00 PM.
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  #15  
Old 02-15-2023, 02:50 AM
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Great thread...outstanding detail on the build. As a Nova guy I think it is very cool.

Regarding the rear springs...have you considered using the "Dick Harrell Style" spring clamps??? They worked really well...and eliminated the need for traditional traction bars. They were cheap and easy to fabricate...and the results were very good.

old thread where this is discussed along with other stuff...

https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=71829

-wilma
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  #16  
Old 02-15-2023, 03:53 AM
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Super thread Wayne.Thanks for sharing bud!
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  #17  
Old 02-15-2023, 12:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WILMASBOYL78 View Post
Great thread...outstanding detail on the build. As a Nova guy I think it is very cool.

Regarding the rear springs...have you considered using the "Dick Harrell Style" spring clamps??? They worked really well...and eliminated the need for traditional traction bars. They were cheap and easy to fabricate...and the results were very good.

old thread where this is discussed along with other stuff...

https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=71829

-wilma
Yes, that’s a great idea. If the SS springs need help, that’s what I’ll do. I have a set Calvert split mono leaf springs along with a set of Smith Assassin traction bars (a better design and better quality than CalTracs I believe) waiting in the wings…But I don’t want to use them if I don’t have to. I just like the “vibe” of the car without traction bars… And thx for the link!
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Old 02-16-2023, 12:32 AM
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The rear end in the Nova is one of those out-of-sight, out-of-mind things, but honestly, this is a really special piece. My pal Mark Williams built it to my specs. It is a stock width assembly with stock style multi-leaf perches. It has a stock cover and looks pretty stock but that's where it ends (and it doesn't come cheaply either...L-O-L).



The actual case (casting) is beefed up considerably. For example, this area behind the cap in a stock 12 bolt has far less material. Between this and the huge caps (held in with Allen fasteners), there is no need for a girdle.



Mark installs chrome moly tubes in the case, and as you can see here, they're welded (360 degrees to the center section). The stock plug weld location is still there, but it's completely rosette welded.



The OEM-style spring perches have gussets welded on both sides. This prevents the perch from being ripped off the axle tube.



There are no c-clips used on the assembly. Instead, the axles are held in place on the inside with a pressed on bearing lock ring (inboard of the wheel bearing). The horseshoe shaped plate is the external bearing retainer. The actual flange is thicker than the one used on drag car (potholes and curbs happen with street cars...)



This is a closer look at the circle track style Timken unit bearing. It's designed to operate for extended periods of time, and the seal configuration is much more durable than a drag race component.



The axles are tapered. The reason for this is triangulation. The axle is far stronger in this format than a straight design.



One of the big benefits of this entire setup is the fact it uses huge 35-spline axles (the same size as a Dana 60). M-W uses an involute spline (the same as OEM manufacturers). It is created by way of a hobbing process. Most of the other manufacturers out there simply flycut the splines, and they're not as strong. FYI, a stock 12 bolt has a major diameter of 1.291-inches. This axle has a major diameter of 1.50-inches.



Because of the larger axle diameter along with the custom center section designed to accept it, there's a need for a special differential assembly. Williams uses this 35-spline Eaton Detroit Locker for the application. The Nova has 3.73:1 gear set.



During the setup, Williams even goes as far as to safety-wire the ring gear bolts.



On the nose, the pinion is a billet job. It is designed to accept a large Spicer 1350-series universal joint.



That pretty much skims the surface on the 12 bolt. If you're interested in a more detailed look at this setup, check out these two videos:

https://youtu.be/9elyTSxkUOM

https://youtu.be/m4ycRE6cMXM

I'll wrap it up here. I'll post more down the road...

Last edited by Arrowsmith; 02-16-2023 at 01:09 AM.
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  #19  
Old 02-16-2023, 10:45 AM
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Damn Wayne! Plain Jane has the Kim Kardashian of rear ends!LOL
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  #20  
Old 02-16-2023, 10:59 AM
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L-O-L…Yes! Just as pricey, but much lower maintenance 🤣
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