box rear end options to take 1000hp?

[merc91]

yes the currency difference is neglagable but honestly a true trac from a canadian retailer is $700, gas is $5.00/gal and has been around that for the last few years, so I do get most of my parts from the states and pay shipping and brokerege fees or go pick my parts up over there if I have a ton at a shipping depot to save the expense of brokerege fees, but still a 13% duty so it does still come out cheeper.

I did see the strange aluminum caps but im looking at mark warner billet steel caps which are $130 for the pair plus $25 for studs plus $15 for boths shipping and $20 for duty amd $6 for bridge tolls. Everyone gets there piece lol. The cheepest true track I can find in the states is $497 (can add $100 for me) and moser custom 9" end axles are $450 US so $500 to my hands are even a tad optomistic hmhm.

[merc91]

wow yeh I saved that site, thanks. I very well could see myself spending a winter when its off the road, just on a full custom suspension. And a bit of front aswell. If its wants no part of hooking up with a power adder on a 408 lol something tells me ill be doing more suspension work in the future.

And interesting, makes perfect sense. Things are a bit mushy back there now, and when I leter all go at the strip my rear actually pushes a ways to the side, pushing that tire all the way over to do a little rub on the wheelwell lip.

So with the addco big solid sway bar, would it be a good idea to box in and poly bushing the lower control arms and completely leave the uppers as is? The rubber bushings on the whole car including them appear in good shape still. Also the back half of the car is $200lbs heavier than stock even with bottles/sound system/sound deadener. If I poly bushinged everything it would find a way to find some give but stress things out? I would like to make it stiff enough tho to get the most from ther rear swaybar, as well as the effectivness of adjustments of control arm angles to get the disired down force at launch. But if things are to rigid like you say, binding or to rigid of the suspensions flexibility will do no good.

Thanks, andy

[turbo2256b]

Yes there has to be some give in the control arm bushings solid lowers and rubber uppers works. With straight arms a track arm or watts link has to be used to keep the rear end centered. The newer Panthers use a watts link and straight trailing arms. Seems the hsg bolt they piviot on breaks.

What rear springs are you using now?

Boxing the uppers and lowers is good idea.


To provide better rear suspension movement the teeth on the rubber bushings should be ground off. This allows the bushing to piviot on the bolt not twisting the rubber in the bushing. It looses some spring rate doing that (works like a torsion sppring).

Wish I KNEW ABOUT THE STEEL BRG CAPS he must have ricently come out with them as I search for them.

[merc91]

oh ok awasome so i will box uppers and lowers and poly bushing the lowers and leave rubber in the uppers, and cut off the teeth. I should probably go ahead and put new rubber bushings in, possibly with some lithium grease or silicon lube? or dry if it will make a difference.

And currently im using wagon springs with 1.5 coils cut (from the tightly coiled end to bump up spring rate) I fabricated a nice top hat for the springs with a hole in the center to line up. There is drag bags in each side also. Shes pretty firm in the rear but still nothing that I would call harsh. I have 30" tall tires which is why I cut the springs down, also to get allot better geometry for the launch, my ass end is still up quite a bit.

[merc91]

http://http://www.markwilliams.com/beefup.aspx

theres the billet steel caps. They run $65 a piece, and look well worth it.

[sly]

http://http://www.markwilliams.com/beefup.aspx

theres the billet steel caps. They run $65 a piece, and look well worth it.

http://www.markwilliams.com/beefup.aspx

try that link... works betterer and stuffs.

[turbo2256b]

Was in it while making my last post. Have been going in there for years.

[turbo2256b]

Best to replace the rubber bushings too. Often they look good but the metal sleeve has ripped loose from the rubber. Lucky if you dont have to cut the bolts.
Usally replace the bolts with 9/16 x 4" lg. (check length) and nylock nuts. Stainless if real good USA quality can be found utherwIse grade 8. Grease the crap out of them with marine wheel brg grease dosent wash out very easy. I pull and grease them now and then check more often to be shure they are not locking up. Make shure they spin with a wrench.

[turbo2256b]

evere check out the Auburn lockers I RUN ONE IN MY 4x4 F150 works good 75K no issues

[merc91]

I will find out after cutting my ends off but does anyone know the thickness of the panther 8.8 tubes? Ive seen some 8.8's were 3/16 and some were 1/4, mine is a little surface rusted but I could just clean if up and sleeve the full length of the tubes from in the housing out to support the welded on end joints. I havnt seen and sleeves but could whip up a pair of my own.

[turbo2256b]

guessing you read this http://www.markwilliams.com/beefup.aspx

[merc91]

I had grazed through it

[zoomie]

you may want to get ahold of doug vansrtrom of vanstrom perfromance, he builds 8.8 axles, he on fb as well, he is on my freindslist , i suggest you give hm a ring or something.

[merc91]

hey guys, just an update to a thread with allot of good info, and thanks... I have my merc up on blocks and managed to take out all the rear end and suspension. I decided to stick with the 8.8 because of its larger stronger limited slip centersections, thicker pinion shaft, less hp robbing, having all the merc brackets on it already, and beef up all its week points.

I cut down the housing to be 1-1/4" shorter on each side, its been dipped and the tubes welded to the maleable cast iron center section, and the moser 9" ends are being welded on this week. I also got a pair of mark williams billet steel caps and they have been machined down to the exact tolerances, I have drilled and tapped anouther 1/4" so I can hold them down with 2-1/2" bolts vs the old 2" (only 3/4" on thread engagement in cast iron before and 1-1/4" now). Got the cover/girdle ready to go and im going to be doing up bracing for the tubes/housing.

Ive got cop lower control arms with grease fittings and poly bushings and fully boxed, upper arms are side plated and boxed and have new rubber bushings in them. Im making re-enforced upper/ lower control arm adjustable bracketing/tq boxes next. Going with strange 10way adjustable shocks/cut wagon springs/addco sway bar/air bags in both springs for suspension.

Moser 31 spline axles are ready to be ordered to match the center section that ive been always changing my mind on. Im staying with the ford 3.73 gears which knock down to 3.45 or so with the 30" tires. Also got the chromoly big 1350 pinion yolk to go in to bolt up the 4" aluminum driveshaft to.

The car is a daily driver for the spring/summer/fall and is a competing drag strip car... in a few years it will be turning into a weekend driver with lots of track runs still, and with atleast 800hp...

So I think I want to go with a detroit locker, I quite like the idea of having a positive lock when I take off, and I dont mind a little ratcheting and popping. They are also the toughest non spool you can get which i like to. What do you guys think?

Ill get some pics up shortly to, thanks guy, andy

[zoomie]

ill be looking to make some adjustable tubular control arms for the rear this summer, if they work ill make a set for you if youd like. all them goodies sound awsome,i would have went with strange axles instead, just personal preference, and if you really want that thing to launch slicks would be good the new m/ts are supposed to be the bees knees. also traction wise...well no better traction than a spool....i have heard a powertrax is pretty snazzy though