Lets talk subframe

[Jeff V.]

Here's how the diff brackets look:



I think I have a spare set of brackets if you want them. I might also have a rear cover if you want to polish one up.

That rear bracket is held on with 3 big bolts. No bushings.

[DCIV]

That’s extremely helpful. I don’t want to swap the cover. But I wouldn’t mind changing out the axel seals. I don’t think my subframe has those brackets on the side. I need to go check.

Those bushings, solid or poly?


Coop

[Jeff V.]

I'd go with poly just to limit the vibration. Axle seals are easy. The rear cover is easy too, if you change your mind. Taking the cover off doesn't affect any of the bearing or gear adjustments.

[DCIV]

[quote=""Jeff V.""]I'd go with poly just to limit the vibration. Axle seals are easy. The rear cover is easy too, if you change your mind. Taking the cover off doesn't affect any of the bearing or gear adjustments.[/quote]

Thinking of the extreme, think I could clean the housing and powdercoat it? Disassembly required? Most likely I will just wire wheel it clean, and use actual paint but it would be nice to do it right once.


Coop

[aaronatstate]

[quote=""DCIV""]That’s extremely helpful. I don’t want to swap the cover. But I wouldn’t mind changing out the axel seals. I don’t think my subframe has those brackets on the side. I need to go check.

Those bushings, solid or poly?


Coop[/quote]

They'll be on your diff though. You'll just have to swap them over.

[Jeff V.]

You could powder coat it, but you'd have to reset the bearing preloads and the ring gear backlash. I did it on my Stealth when I put the original 6 speed gears back in. It's not hard, but it's time consuming.

I've got a whole spare 5 speed rear diff, but it's got the non-4WS casing. I need to sell it one of these days.

[DCIV]

Daughter went down for a nap so I had some time to work on stuff.


Got all the AWS lines and steering lines off. I took all the brackets and tagged them on where they go, most were rusted pretty bad but I would like to either find them new or do something there.

Also got off the old brake lines, they suck as they will HAVE to go through the bracket, so you have to separate them and we all know how much brake lines love that. Wonder if anyone makes just the hard section still...hmmmm.

The proportioning valve bolts were so rusted I had to use my socket that is like a reverse drill bit...they were gone.

I tried to take the hub out but my socket is either too big or too small, gonna have to find the correct size on 3si and buy it.

I got the upper rear control arms bolts off but I need one of those ball joint forks to separate it.

Other than that, I have just been trying to take pictures and label everything.

Coop

[ChargerX3]

Man, this project looks more difficult than my MIVEC conversion.

[DCIV]

It’s gonna be a pain.

First broken bolts. Abs sensor bolts. Even soaked in PB blaster but still broke. I don’t have abs so I want them off and a block off plate. Anyone know do these things twist off? Or pry off? The front ones were in hard but just pulled out.

Tried to take the sway bar end links odd, but the nut under the rubber is stripped and I can’t get any locking pliers on till the bearing hub comes off. I ordered a 30mm off of amazon that should be here by Thursday.

I called the sand blaster that did my front subframe, his building in town doesn’t do sandblasting anymore but hoping he does somewhere.

Coop

[stealthee]

They should just slide out.

If you weren't worried about the sensors you could have used a little heat to help keep the bolt from breaking.

[DCIV]

They didn’t give warnings. Just snap.

A lot of respected members on 3si have said putting bearings on hub was a huge pain and don’t ever wanna do it again.

Great.

Coop

[stealthee]

And heat can still help that. I snapped a bolt on the Stealth without warning. I put heat on the next 3 and they all came loose. Heat is a Godsend.

[Jeff V.]

Inspiration.



I also found this. There's some seal info that might be helpful.

https://www.3si.org/forum/f12/rear-stee ... ld-412114/

[DCIV]

That is! I also found some that a guy did silver but it was just rattle can. I will be powder coating silver. And didn’t hanz have a shocker yellow one?


Coop

[DCIV]

Too bad any part numbers are from a place in Austria. Lol. I am glad to read about people redoing theirs. After reading about them I deff should rebuild it as if I don’t then chances are it will end up leaking.

Also the local with the pearl yellow vr4 tells me his leaks so this can be a good thing to help him out as well.


Coop

[Jeff V.]

Australia, not Austria

I'm sure we can figure out some place else to get them. I've got a whole lot of notes leftover from when I did the Spyder cylinders.

[ChargerX3]

[quote=""Jeff V.""]Inspiration.



I also found this. There's some seal info that might be helpful.

https://www.3si.org/forum/f12/rear-stee ... ld-412114/[/quote]

Man it looks like you could surely make that rear sub-frame a lot less bulky and cut a lot off weight off. Now would be the time to do so as well.

[DCIV]

There is a Facebook group that is doing a rear tubular subframe. It was under 1500. Very tempting. But it didn’t keep aws. It’s not worth the 20-50lbs I may save to worry about long term stability.


Coop

[ChargerX3]

Tubular should be very stable, save you more $ in the long run, and be significantly lighter. I get you wanting to keep it original, but there would be some worthwhile advantages to deleting that clunky system outright.

[DCIV]

[quote=""ChargerX3""]Tubular should be very stable, save you more $ in the long run, and be significantly lighter. I get you wanting to keep it original, but there would be some worthwhile advantages to deleting that clunky system outright.[/quote]

Oh tons! Weight savings alone is huge. But delete a complicated unneeded system for 1.5 degrees of turning isn’t a bad idea and yes the tubular should hold up. I was saying if I started hacking away on the stock set up.

I just don’t want to spend 1500 bucks on something that seriously may go to the track a couple times in its life.


Coop