First segment of the frame narrowing. After double checking all dimensions related to tire positioning and wheel wells, final narrowing will be 4.25 inches each side and narrow frame by 2 inches. Hanger straps come in very handy to move things around very slightly, even tilting front to back.
After setting all locations/wheelbase/tilt angle, etc., I spot welded the first strap down to hold in location. DIG that tire !
The top strap is spot welded to the front only; this rear part is not welded but put in place so that I can take it off and weld the insides next.
Driver's side. Welded in a piece to box the frame toward the rear of car.
Front, driver's side where it is still tack welded to hold in position. Note the top part of these pieces are thoroughly welded to the Snow White, Ltd. crossmember.
Getting ready to start inside welds on bottom of frame mod's.
Passenger's side. Joints at the junction of new frame mods and old frame will get a strap welded on top of butt weld to frame.
Driver's side, bottom, after welding insides. Turned rear crossmember over to weld to bottom sides of the new frame area.
After getting all topside welds either tacked or fully welded, I cut the tacks loose and turned it over to weld the underside and bottom joints.
First/top cut on the frame portion that will be cut out.
I'm finally getting the little $99 welder tweeked in feed speed and heat to make a pretty dang good lookin' weld !
Well, some of those welds are a bit lumpy.. nobody's perfect. Will be turning the frame over and cut out the remainder of the old frame and boxing in the new frame areas, plus weld the backs of the top welds.
After completing all underside welds, reset the crossmember in place and ready to cut out old frame in the center and weld in remainder of new frame for tire clearance. 11/20/2012
Another view, closer, of the torque arms and where they will attach to the frame. Not welded yet.
She's taking shape ! Lower control arms have been shortened (note tire location). The string is to check the ground clearance expected when Lower control arms are at about a 2 to 3 degree slope.
Driver's side. It's upside down, by the way. Notice the gussets welded into the pivot section of the LCAs by Curt Hamilton when he shortened them.
Tire clearance is good on the inside for clearance, except for where the chalk mark is to trim off a little bit more of the original frame before I box it all in. The frame is upside down. The lower control arms and axles were cut down 4.25" by Curt Hamilton in Van Neys. He's been building Jag rear ends for 30 years. GREAT guy!
Center of rotation of the two radius arms is 9-1/8 inches apart to coincide with the distance between the centers of the lower control arm pivots.
A closer view of first radius arm and brackets. UPATE 8/10/2022 the bushing on the right side "squished" out of shape, causing the lower control arm to want to shift forward putting a torsional stress on the aluminum hub housing, and it cracked at the pin swivel on the lower right side of the picture)
Got the first radius arm in. Frame is upside down. Note that the center of rotation of the neoprene bushed pivot point is at the intersection and aligned with the center of rotation of the lower control arm.
I'm starting to feel boxed in. HAHAHa....The tab with the hole in it at the crossmember is the mount for a bump stop that is on the stool. 12/8/2012.
AHHHHHHH ! ! ! Now just grinding and paint ! Then turn the frame back over and finish up the welds.
Radius arms are done. No bushings in the lower control arm mounts. They press in to the welded sleeves. Looks distorted because one of the LCA's is dropped down since I finished that side. Next all comes back apart to weld up the frame. 12/5/2012
One side of the frame mods are DONE, except for grinding, sandblasting, and painting..
From the outside, bump stop and gusset. Wait till ya see how this all worked out ! ! The top of the aluminum hub will fit neatly in the offset area and hit the bump stop.
Little did I know that I would be cutting these frame member out in about month and relocating the two crossmembers.
I thought I was finished, but found out that I'd miscalculated the driveshaft angle, so the remainder of the pics are what I did to unscrew the situation.
Unbolted the Jag assembly, rolled it out, and jacked up the frame to weld the bottom joints. Duel cable come-alongs and strap jacks and eye bolts actually make things pretty easy to move things around.
I welded in some thrust members between the primary and secondary crossmembers to hold the correct relationship of all the geometry before cutting it all loose. You can see the new welds after I rotated the mounting assembly.
Straps are to keep it from flipping over, as it's "top heavy". Worked great.
Bottom side welds before grinding/sandblasting, and painting AGAIN !
All jacked up to weld, grind, and sandblast the bottom sides of the new welds
Welded in the two center supports to maintain the correct angles of the torque arms so all geometry is maintained so I could rotate the entire mounting geometry by 4 degrees up. Notched the secondary crossmember for driveshaft clearance.
Checking fitment and getting ready to move back under the frame.
Cut the intermediate frame crossmember for driveshaft clearance.
Things are fitting together pretty well. My old buddies at Leo Machine in South Austin cut down the torque arms and re-tapped the ends for me yesterday (11/28/2012). They are the two arms that go from the new bracket to the frame. Outside to outside on the tires came out 64.25" which is exactly where I wanted them to be to calculate the amount to cut down the axles and lower control arms (LCA's)to clear the inside of the wheel wells. A little concerned about being able to take a tire off if I have a flat. hmmmmm. The frame is upside down in this picture.
Video of the range of motion
The exhaust pipe hangers will come off for sandblasting and painting, then bolted back in. It's getting crowded around there..