falk5150 Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Hi dudes Don't suppose anyone out there has a jig to reset a commodore rear axle brackets to manta / ascona 400 positioning to borrow by any chance? Or any measurement / angle details??? Ta, Damo. 07543984248 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I own an original 400, so I can give you the original measurements of the brackets. Angle is something I have to think over. Don't forget the stabilisation bar is completely different and your chassis needs some minor changements to fit it. Grts! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falk5150 Posted October 26, 2014 Author Share Posted October 26, 2014 Pm'd you Herman. Cheers! Damo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Hi Damo, sorry for my late response, had some "to do's" (yes, I'm married...) and later I had time to look at the suspension of my 400. Had to make the car free and tomorrow I will jack it up to check the differences. I can give you the next plan of the chassis of a 400: The biggest difference between a commo axle and a 400 one is that a commo's the linkings point forward, and a 400's linking arms have an angle. I think that is wat you already wrote in your mail. The bottom linking arms (with the springs)point forward together, and the upper arms point outwards. Tomorrow I will take some pictures and check the measurements. Grts! Herman. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falk5150 Posted October 26, 2014 Author Share Posted October 26, 2014 Thanks Herman! Yes, the top links need to follow the angle of the chassis parallel to them. I have had to alter my new chassis legs as they came with the top link angle at 0. Not as straight forward to fit as I'd hoped. Cheers Damo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Jacked the car up, wanted to use the lift but the frame didn't allow to take pictures so I used the car-jack. Took some pictures and as you know the rear suspension is not the same as a normal Manta: Damo: As I understand you'v got the chassis-legs of a 400, like the ones above. Do they already have the brackets of the lower arms? If not maybe you can use the original brackets of the original axle?? The other foto shows where the upper links are placed. On the rear you can see the thin sway bar, and also the black stabilisation bar, that one is identical as the original one (size)but the inner is cilindrical. I can give you the dimensions of the upper and lower arms, with some math I can calculate the angle of both, the localisation of the arms on the axle from the centre of the axle... I saw that the brackets look like welded boxes but they have already an angle, I think they are not the same as a commo axle. Tomorrow i'll give you the dimensions and more info, and some more pics. Greetings, Herman. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falk5150 Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 Excellent photo's Herman! Thanks! Yes my chassis rails are the same but possibly slightly deeper than yours. They came with the lower mounting brackets separate so I made a jig at the original axle position but I don't know the pinion angle of the original 400, if the 400 chassis legs should be 0 degrees horizontal to the floor or not and how far the lower arm mounting eye should be from the floor (po( 80mm?) I think the lower link angle is 18 deg and top links are possibly 11 deg. If possible, could you measure prop shaft length and centre prop mount distance from the section in front of it? Sorry for all the questions! Really appreciate your efforts Herman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 (edited) Hi Damo, after some measurments I can give you the next results: Length lower links (centre bolt to centre bolt):54cm top links (centre bolt to centre bolt):29.5cm Following measurments are taken where the centre of the link crosses the centre of the bolt: Distance between the lower links (Left-right) chassis side:71cm axle side: 103cm top links chassis side:76.5cm axle side: 65cm Distance between the top of the 19mm bolts of the lower links axle side, measured on the inside left to right: 92mm Pictures in the next post! Edited October 28, 2014 by H-400 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Top link and bracket,looking to the back of the car Bracket of lower link and shock, looking up Top link looking up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Mounting of sway bar Left side Chassis leg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Bracket on axle, top link Again chassis leg Distance bracket on chassis leg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Bump stop above the nose of the diff distance between the top and lower link Looking forward 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 (edited) Distance between series leg and 400 chassis leg After some calculating I have the next results: Angle of lower link 17.2 degrees Angle of top link: 11.2 degrees If you compare the pictures you can see on sight that the angle of the lower link is bigger than the top link. I will check the measurments of your questions asap, no problem! Grtz!! Edited October 28, 2014 by H-400 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falk5150 Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Thanks Herman! That's excellent bud. Sorry to be such a pain in the butt! ! Cheers Damo. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAZYDAVE Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 What a great topic some great info there 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Hello Everybody, sorry had no time to check measurments under my 400. Was doing other things that needed my attention... Damo: about the pinion angle! Is something important, and depends of the kind of suspension you'v got. In our case the 4-link. This is the angle between the prop-shaft and the diff. And the location of the upper/lower links are important as also the length of them. And I think also the suspension level. Our 4-link suspension makes the nose of the diff going down in both directions (up or down) because the upper links are shorter. This is a benefit because the traction (on the wheels) makes the diff nose going up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Hi Damo, I have taken some pics, will give some info with them: I thought this could be useful,chassis leg with upper link. The centre prop mount, from the centre of the cross to the gearbox-house (the end with the oil-seal)it is 60cm. From the centre of the cross to the centre of the cross rear axle side is 73cm. The bearing of the prop support is 3cm from the transverse chassis leg. I think it is identical as a commo prop support. Checked the 400 chassis leg and it seems to be as horizontal as the chassis leg under the front seat. And the pinion angle looks very small, I'm gonna check our tools of the workshop where I work. Grtz!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falk5150 Posted November 1, 2014 Author Share Posted November 1, 2014 Dude! You are excellent! Thank you so much for all your efforts / time Herman! I think you're right, possibly 3 deg or les. I see the 400 prop has a centre u.j. instead of the c.v. type the commo has. The engine I'm fitting is at centreline instead of offset 18mm or so like the manta so I need to decide where to lose the difference. Also, I think the 400 legs I have are slightly deeper than they should be so I might have to hang the lower links 10mm lower than they should be. I'm not having much suspension travel but assume there should be around 10mm clearance between the top of the link and the bottom of the chassis to allow for twist plus the handbrake cables go though there too. cheers Herman! Damo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Hallo Damo, I had a nice weekend with friends, while we were driving over there my wife asked why we weren't driving with the 400. The weather was fine, the forecast for sunday also and we had the possibility to park the car on a save privat location. I couldn't answer, just forgot it that I made the car free, and it was probebly the last time the weather was so nice... Back on topic: I'm going to fix something to measure the pinion-angle, have an idea... Do you need any more pictures ore measurments, because I have other things to do. So give me a sign! Grtz, Herman. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falk5150 Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 Cool Herman! Glad you had a cool time! Thanks for all your help. It turns out my lower link bushes (axle end) were originally the smaller diameter ones but someone has tried to fit the bigger ones and made quite a mess. Nevermind eh! Cheers Herman! Damo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 found some pics on internet: Grtz, Herman. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falk5150 Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 Cheers Herman! I found these too, but couldn't work out if they were removed from another 400 or new. Nice jig though! Mine are the same but the bottom links came separate and I have had to modify top link angle and holes. Looks like the commo lower links measure 71cm chassis side and 107cm axle side, so sounds like about 1 degree difference as you said chap. Cheers Damo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcliff Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 This is just what I need to know. Got all the parts to do this thank you. This is why it pays to be in the club. Ta cliff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny D114BCW Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Great write up, this topic needs saving! H-400 good stuff for going out of your way to help too 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 (edited) Thanks for the comments bigcliff & Danny, still got to measure the pinion angle. The military doctor sended me home some weeks ago because of 4 worn out discs in my spine together with 2 hernia's. Nevertheless it will be just a delay, i'm not old, I've got only a high mileage... Edited November 28, 2014 by H-400 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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