Go IRS. Trying to rigid mount a drivetrain to a suspended solid axle is a recipe for disaster.
Go IRS. Trying to rigid mount a drivetrain to a suspended solid axle is a recipe for disaster.
DILYSI Dave wrote: Go IRS. Trying to rigid mount a drivetrain to a suspended solid axle is a recipe for disaster.
T-bird or Lincol can provide the perfect IRS for this application Bulletproof and posi with 3.73 gears can be had with the right shopping for very little $$$.
Maybe 5"-10" isn't so bad. Seems a lot easier this morning after the buzz has worn off.
This is looking pretty cool!!
I didn't get a chance to check out your car much at this year's Challenge. Do you have a $2015 build thread somewhere? I would love to learn more about it!
wheels777 wrote: The center chunk on that IRS is rubber mounted. It has to be made solid. You may want to consider a driveshaft CV. It will move the engine forward 5", but reduce fab time by 20 hours.
Even with the engine, gearbox and diff mounted solid, there is going to be some stress on the drive-train components caused by the chassis moving around to some degree.
With the budget being so tight, how do you do a cheap CV for this application?
Edit:
Are these LS4 things available for cheap? Been around since 2006 and not of much appeal to most swap applications.
Sorry for the lag. "We" decided to sell the house, which resulted in a 3 month honey do list. Finally got (almost) everything done and the house is on the market ... now we get to play! Not much has happened since the initial demo except for shuffling the car around the garage, measuring, and much beer inspired race engineering. Finally bit the bullet this weekend and got it going. Looks like next step is to move the axle back about 6" to make the steering work with the current rack position. Pedals will be sitting just behind the front radiator support with enough room for the brake booster. 
Brace for impact!
Have you considered a shorty glide to push that lump even farther back?
Would if I could, but we got no mo money in the budget! This is our car from last year and we only have $500 to work with. Good news is everything works (for now) and we haven't spent $1 yet. I did cut the output shaft and yoke down, which gave me 2". Total engine package is 59.5" tip of water pump outlet to end of yoke. If we slide the axle back I think we will be OK with a a few inches to spare.
So cool, will absolutely need to see this in person.
Cool looks like you're going for a cab over design. Like a vanagon or old econoline. Looks like you need a transaxle to get the motor farther back.
Finally got some more time to work on the beast. Hacked off about 80 lbs more of car, got the transmission hooked to the rear axle, fabbed up a mac daddy pivoting front engine mount and started building some bracing. Next comes seat, then pedal cluster, then steering. Hope to have it running again in a week for some shakedown. 
BTW, we're aiming for 2200 lb and a much better weight distribution than $2015. Last year we were 3,000 lb. 800LB should give us a second in the 1/4 and hopefully a few seconds on the autocross. We don't plan to do anything to the engine (no money in the budget) so we're left with shaving weight and fixing the distribution of it. brad131a4 asked about the body ... can't disclose the body design without ruining the surprise, but we can tell you the colors are Coke red, Pepsi blue, and construction equipment yellow!
YOU GUYS ARE NUCKING FUTS....AND I SAY THAT WITH THE UTMOST PRAISE.
If you rigid mounted the engine, trans, diff, and suspension subframe (i mean no bushings, bolted up solid) you should be able to get away with little more than a large CV joint between the trans and the diff without it causing any issues. This is how jet boats do it. They bolt the engine up to a big plate that's rigidly mounted to the hull.
Also, with this engine layout, can you imagine what this thing would look like with huge boat headers on it?
rich911s wrote: can't disclose the body design without ruining the surprise, but we can tell you the colors are Coke red, Pepsi blue, and construction equipment yellow!
I got nothing man, I can't figure it out!
Damn you guys are good ... and fast. Love the 70's police lights, but they would surely blow our budget! Simon C (Cowl?) is a mind reader, the inverted headers are definitely part of the plan!
This is on par with the crazy E36 M3 GT Wreck Racing pulls. I love it.
With the driver that far forward, may I recommend a micro-truck cab? It should keep your weight down too. Basically a Challenge version of BenModified's V8 cabover VW street rod.
With a microvan top could we compete in the minivan class??? Not.
I have a pretty twisted mind as well, just no space or money to act upon it.
Unbelievably Awesome! Loved the GT theme, but I am very interested where this is going.
May I ask why you don't put the driver behind the motor and next to tranny???
Regardless, super cool
jfryjfry wrote: May I ask why you don't put the driver behind the motor and next to tranny??? Regardless, super cool
That would give too good a weight distribution 
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