Spindle Replacement The tapered joints of the balljoint are pulled into the spindle with 100 ft/lbs of torque. These joints are tight! To remove or replace parts, some recommend putting a pickle fork tool between the ball joint and hit it with the biggest hammer you can find. I was concerned this would destroy the rubber boot that surrounds the balljoint. A jacking screw generates the necessary forces to safely take the joint apart without destroying anything. I made the screw using a 3″ piece of 1/2-13 threaded rod and two coupling nuts. I cut a couple 1/4″ pieces of the rod and threaded themRead More →

Wheel alignment “Stringing” a car is the way racer’s do wheel alignment. You don’t need a fancy (expensive) computer aligner if you are willing to do some setup and understand basic measurements. Setup: Prior to starting the alignment process, you need to determine the desired ride height of the vehicle. Adjust your coil-overs to the height you want and the vehicle is setting at the desired ride height. You should know the rolling radius of your tires. (It is not the diameter of the tire divided in half). To do the alignment, the frame should be setting level. I cut up some 2 x 6Read More →

Corner Weight – Vehicle BalanceAs you study wheel alignment and vehicle handling, you pick up real quick, the value of proper corner weight. But how do you set that? I’ve found four different ways, that vary from expensive to DIY at home. What the big guys useIf you’re a well funded NASCAR team or a serious track racer, you probably have a LongAcre computer scale set in your set-up trailer. We all can wish. Longacre Racing Bathroom scalesAn enterprising Tuner figured out a way to use bathroom scales in conjunction with a platform. Using levers, he improvised a less expensive way to determine the cornerRead More →

Driveshaft Man, it sure is short ! (how many times have you heard that?) One of the benefits of using an independent rear suspension is you don’t get any third member movement. I can’t imagine the arc one of these driveshaft’s move thru when a live axle moves thru its normal range. I am fortunate to live only a few miles from a very good driveshaft firm. A quick jaunt with my axle flange and transmission yoke and I was in business. One of the beauties of the HMS design is the “X” frame that mounts under the transmission. Easy to drop and remove componentsRead More →

Spent the last month fighting alignment and bumpsteer problems. I won! On Aug 4th, the total bump steer totaled almost 1″. Now it is less than .040″ Just about the time I was doing my rough alignment, the article in Kit Builder magazine by Dean Lampe regarding bump steer appeared. I should have adhered to the old premise, “ignorance is bliss”. There are many Hurricane kits being successfully driven and no complaints on the owners site. Many happy campers, huh. I studied how bumpsteer is measured and the affects it has on a vehicle. I then measured my kit, as assembled, and found it to beRead More →