Birdddogs '69 Baja and beam build

Joxracing · Post by **Joxracing** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 8:58 am

ok, my beam is cut 1/4 and i was just wondering how bad its gonna ride, because that thing is really stiff right now.

birddog1148 · Post by **birddog1148** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:46 am

yall need to get on me, got vacation I need to use up and the Baja is setting in the garage, have shocks, dual kads, valve cover breather that all need instaled
40' of 1 1/2 tubing to start the cage, brakes need fixed, and rebuild and install cutting brake.
have a 25 in by 8' piece of 1/4 in alluminum for skid plates and I am setting in my pajamas on this puter, drinkin coffee

Lotrat · Post by **Lotrat** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:15 am

Joxracing wrote:ok, my beam is cut 1/4 and i was just wondering how bad its gonna ride, because that thing is really stiff right now.

On the street, it's gonna ride like a pogo stick. I can't drive with a delicious beverage in the cup holder because it'll splash all over the place.

Off-road, no complaints. My 7.00's hit the back of my head lights on my stock fenders once in a while so I'm happy with it. I just bent by beam and had to replace it. I'm sticking with the 1/4" turn on the next one too.

Lotrat · Post by **Lotrat** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:22 am

birddog1148 wrote:yall need to get on me, got vacation I need to use up and the Baja is setting in the garage, have shocks, dual kads, valve cover breather that all need instaled
40' of 1 1/2 tubing to start the cage, brakes need fixed, and rebuild and install cutting brake.
have a 25 in by 8' piece of 1/4 in alluminum for skid plates and I am setting in my pajamas on this puter, drinkin coffee

Get to work slacker... I got a forced vacation I gotta take Christmas to New Years and my baja will be rolling by then... In the desert.

birddog1148 · Post by **birddog1148** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:17 pm

Ok, was out working on the brakes and have some stupid questions.
1) Does stock tarboard on the floor have styrofoam in it?
2) pulled that tarboard up and found some SMALL holes in floor, wondering if I could just glass over them, going to put truck bed coating underneath.
3) When replacing the brake line from the mastercylinder to the rear, replace in stock location or run higher up on the tunnel, I am going to put a cutting brake in.
4) I have a CNC single handle cutting brake and one of the pistons is frozen (probobly cause I tapped them in too far tring to get em loose) Think a EZOUT may help loosen em up?
5) Are there stiffer front torsion leaves for the front? Even with the cut and turn, when I jacked the car upthere was pleny off droop till the suspension bottomed out.

6) Lotrat how those Xmas cards coming?

rickosuave1987 · Post by **rickosuave1987** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:26 pm

birddog1148 wrote:Ok, was out working on the brakes and have some stupid questions.
1) Does stock tarboard on the floor have styrofoam in it?
Yes. It is a PITA to scrape out. I suggest a wide putty knife and a grinder with a flap wheel...
2) pulled that tarboard up and found some SMALL holes in floor, wondering if I could just glass over them, going to put truck bed coating underneath.
Glass would be fine. I used POR-15 trunk repair kit which came with glass and paint, but a little spendy
3) When replacing the brake line from the mastercylinder to the rear, replace in stock location or run higher up on the tunnel, I am going to put a cutting brake in.
I would say go higher, makes it less likey to get air trapped in the cutting brake handle area where it would need to go even higher anyway.
4) I have a CNC single handle cutting brake and one of the pistons is frozen (probobly cause I tapped them in too far tring to get em loose) Think a EZOUT may help loosen em up?
No clue...
5) Are there stiffer front torsion leaves for the front? Even with the cut and turn, when I jacked the car upthere was pleny off droop till the suspension bottomed out.
You can buy Sway A Way leaves which are like 20% stiffer than stock. I think wisdom racing is selling some in the classifieds...

CopperBaja · Post by **CopperBaja** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:39 pm

My tarboard came up pretty easy with a putty knife....then used a wire wheel for minor clean up.

Being in the midwest, I wouldn't recommend glassing the holes.
With the salt...not to mention the constant weather, it will just get in there and make the holes bigger.

Permanent solution would be to weld them shut, then use some POR15 to seal them.

birddog1148 · Post by **birddog1148** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:40 pm

Tarboard came up almost in one piece, only some small spots to scrape.

Guess I will fab a copper back up plate and fire the mig up this weekend, didnt think of welding them. I am partial to a wire cup wheel on a grider, makes short work of anything for cleanup.

CopperBaja · Post by **CopperBaja** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 2:04 pm

birddog1148 wrote:Guess I will fab a copper back up plate and fire the mig up this weekend, didnt think of welding them. I am partial to a wire cup wheel on a grider, makes short work of anything for cleanup.

If they're small holes, like you said, just fill them with weld and grind them smooth.

Don't forget to paint the underside as well.

I either use my wire wheel on a small drill or a die grinder with some abrasive discs.

Ol'fogasaurus · Post by **Ol'fogasaurus** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 2:17 pm

On the CNC brakes, if the piston is that bad then the liner is probably bad too. The other cylinder could also be in jeopardy also. Since brake fluid is hydroscopic, you could have had moisture in the lines and cylinders so they rusted. That is why you change the brake fluid every so often, say every other year usless you are in a very moist environment or a lot of water driving.

CNC used to sell rebuild kit but the price of both pistons and liners could bring the rebuild cost close enough that it would be easier to just buy a new set.

ON the running of the brake lines; if you raise them up they you start to get them where they could be damaged by other things. Also, you might have to put a connector on long runs which will move the join up and out from the tunnel and floor join. Protect the brake lines at all cost.

On welding the floorboards, a copper heat sink will be a necessity with a MIG welder. Do small welds and watch out for blow though.

On the droop in the front end, you still want to have some. If it is too low, go for lifted spindles or Thing stuff. Leave yourself some movement on both ends. Get some stops in there too.

birddog1148 · Post by **birddog1148** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 2:32 pm

I got the CNC brake used, there was crud in the one I got out, but it cleaned up.

Ol'fogasaurus · Post by **Ol'fogasaurus** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 3:14 pm

Your lucky. Mine was toast.

Lotrat · Post by **Lotrat** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:18 pm

birddog1148 wrote:Ok, was out working on the brakes and have some stupid questions.

3) When replacing the brake line from the mastercylinder to the rear, replace in stock location or run higher up on the tunnel, I am going to put a cutting brake in.

5) Are there stiffer front torsion leaves for the front? Even with the cut and turn, when I jacked the car upthere was pleny off droop till the suspension bottomed out.

6) Lotrat how those Xmas cards coming?

I had to replace my brake line to the rear. You can buy it with the bubble flares on it from jbugs for $12 bucks.

http://www.jbugs.com/store/merchant.mvc ... Code=30132

It runs along the outside of the tunnel on the drivers side. It took 36 years for mine to rust out, so I put it back the same way.

I have no droop on my 1/4" turned beam. Are your ball joints new?

I gave up on the cards. I couldn't get the gun fire sound loud enough.

birddog1148 · Post by **birddog1148** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:17 pm

I have 3 lenghts of brake line and a bender and a flaring tool. Think for right now I will run all the lines for the cutting brake setup and just move the splitter "T" fitting inside till the cutting brake is ready.

And since I have the drivers seat and carpet and tar stuff out, when I patch the holes I will use the Duplicolor truck bed couating inside and out, then do the other side.

Ball joints are old, have new ones, need to rent a ball joint press and change them.

Was looking on Blind Chicken racing's site reading how he does the lift spindals, well Ihave an extra set of drum spindals and a set of ghia disc spindles so may try to make my own. Emailed Mark, will see if he replies.

Lotrat, on the cards, its the thought that counts, thanks.

Joxracing · Post by **Joxracing** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:42 pm

Lotrat wrote:
Joxracing wrote:ok, my beam is cut 1/4 and i was just wondering how bad its gonna ride, because that thing is really stiff right now.
On the street, it's gonna ride like a pogo stick. I can't drive with a delicious beverage in the cup holder because it'll splash all over the place.

Off-road, no complaints. My 7.00's hit the back of my head lights on my stock fenders once in a while so I'm happy with it. I just bent by beam and had to replace it. I'm sticking with the 1/4" turn on the next one too.

Thats good.
uh, but what about dirt roads, really rough dirt roads??