Skid Mark - how fast for 5k?

[Beagle]

Oh yeah, new 4x4 stance! I'm used to hearing "springs settle" but the desire to cut 2 coils off immediately is killing me. The back is about where I want, the front... errr...



I can't get far enough from the car to show how high the front is, but i's HIGH. I'm going to leave it alone for right now. I'll wait and see what the 460 does to it before cutting them. I also noticed the struts are just things to locate the lower control arm - they don't have anyting left. Guess I should save some for that too, or leave them and call them drag struts.

[racingsnake440]

The 460 should get rid of the 4x4 stance - get to it!

[TheSilverBuick]

A great day for cat kind.

[Bob Holmes]

OH REALLY!!!!

Now you did it.

[milner351]

the 460 c6 will fix those coils right quick.

I got nothin for ya on the brake dealio.

[BBR]

2 port mc + mustang prop valve maybe?

Pic of mine for reference:

[Beagle]

I thought I might need to look into a late model block because it's got 4 wheel discs. The Wilwood part is adjustable and 80.00 , may be the easy way out because I'm jacking with the weight on this car so bad? I read a ton of junk last week and supposedly the Mustang valves bias to the front left and this is supposed to provide even L<->R distribution.

How does yours feel? I'm leaving the 225 60 16's for the road but thinking half way about skinnies. I think the distribution is going to be similar to yours except iron heads unless Santa makes a really late delivery.

I think I'll start with the 1" bore and a manual setup and see how it does. If Monica can stop it, I'll be okay. If it's too much for her to handle, I'll stick a booster on it. I'll go back and look at Stiney's build, I think I remember him moving the pivot point on his pedal. It wouldn't be that hard to get a manual pedal from a Fox though. All the SVO stuff I was reading said 5:1 for 4 wheel disc manual worked well for them. This car will lose a lot of weight before it's all said and done, so I'm hoping that will work.

[Bob Holmes]

Sadly, the only distribution block that I know fits, is an SVO block. And I just gave my extra to the LeMons racing team.

[BBR]

Brakes feel ok for what they are --> Small discs and drums. Then again I'm not a heavy brake user and am considering ditching the booster.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Consider the larger equation.

All a proportioning valve does is reduce the amount of flow to the rear brakes. On the Skylark, I found that with the balancing valve and Camaro calipers that I am using, that there wasn't enough stopping power in the rears. I first put a Corvette master cylinder thinking the 50/50 pressure of that would work. It didn't. Then I found out that there's a pre-bias in the valve itself. It reduces the pressure 40% from the get-go. I removed the regulator, and with my driving style (I downshift), it works excellent. In my Chevrolet pickup, when I put the disk brakes on the rear, I left the disk/drum regulator alone. It works perfect (okay, it locks up on super slick - rear - but it did that before with drums).

My point is this:
Simply buying a regulator that's "supposed to work" in a car that's close may simply be spending money that isn't necessary. Start with the stock balancer. If the backs don't lock up, then remove the balancer. If the backs do lock up, look for a different proportioning valve that provides more pressure to the rears. Keep in mind that for a variety of reasons you may need more pressure in the back to get compentent stopping (a problem with the Camaro calipers that I later found out about).

Put another way. Your car has roughly a 60/40 front/rear weight. if you get it the balance 50/50, you might only need a 10% reduction to reduce wheel lock up, if any. Save your bucks - drive it with just replacing the brakes.

Oh yeah, one other thing. On my truck, I used longer lasting pads on the front, and cheaper pads on the back - thus mechanically reducing the rear's power by choice of brake pads....

[STINEY]

Here, I didn't want you do get all dusty digging up my project... trust me, its dusty...




Use lower pivot point in bracket, move pivot pin up 2" on arm (drill new hole, there is not one provided), welded old hole shut for strength (maybe not needed? Made me feel better.)
You can see the old hole, it is the one NOT painted.




I agree with SBG. Try it out, might be just right..... or just right with minimal tweaks.

I ditched the booster for space, plus I really, really like manual brakes. They just "feel" right to me, I like to feel the road.

You realize you will have to do this - -
to do the manual pedal thing? Maybe you can weasel it out without all this work, but if not you might consider replacing the heater core while you are in there. It will be money well spent to NOT have to do this job twice.


BBR, was yours originally a GT? If so we have the same brakes then? My '86 title says LX/GT....... I never have bothered to figure out what that means exactly. Is it a LX or a GT, or were they actually both packages?

[BBR]

Up to 86 they all had the same brakes except of course for SVO's. '87 and up V8 cars had different spindles / bigger brakes. The 4 banger cars retained the 79-86 spindles and brakes.

[Russell]

I switched the pedals on my Capri with out taking the dash out, I don't know that I saved any time. I do think there is one nut/bolt that can not be reached.

[Beagle]

Awesome Stiney, thanks! On the prop. block - this was a Lincoln electronic ABS system. There is no block like with a regular booster/mc, so I'll have to pick one up either way. I'm leaning towards the Wilwood deal, I think it will give me what I need for the 2-3 port and adjustability. I'll post a pic of the holy shit nightmare 20 pound and 30 wire brake system tonight.

I'll look at it again, it didn't look as bad as I remember my Mustang or Cougar being under the dash. I may well have that out anyway for the 100.00 worth of copper in it! lol. This thing has more switches and wires and gadgety crap that I'd forgotten about to distinguish it as a Lincoln and not a Thunderbird. Example - it has switches for the opera lights in the back seat, and two cigarette lighters back there as well. There's a mountain of shit that adds up to the 30k in 1989 pricetag on this car and the 3850 curb weight. Mechanics dream I tell ya!

This turds one function will be DW this year. I don't plan on it needing a heater although it may get a/c. Tough to say. There's a big whole in the roof already, maybe I'll put a mister system in it for a/c. Haha. I'm thinking about the heater core for defroster, but it will definitely get housed differently. There's a guy on Lincoln Vs. Cadillac that did a though the heater box hack for the heater core, so I have an idea of where to cut it out from based on his templates. It looks doable. lol.

[Beagle]

quick update - I bought some bullet proof glass for the dash since I expect the speedometer to explode. Seriusly, I've never understood what happens when you pin a mechanical speedometer?