Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Chevyrestroguy, Any updates on your truck!

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

I'm mocking my parts up to do this mod but it looks like my lca only has .5" before it will hit the saddle during travel. Tons of space everywhere else, just the part of the lca that kicks out will be hitting. Has anyone run into this? The suspension is stock '72 so far.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Another angle. This is slightly past stock bumpstop travel.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

I shaved that inside portion of the arm to get clearance to allow moving the arm forward .750".

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Thanks, I guess I'll go for it. Trim until it fits seems to be the consensus in general...

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Ok I just went and tried to drill my cross-shaft... what kind of drill bit are you guys using? I didn't even make a dent. I have new TRW cross shafts and they seem to be made of a metallic form of diamond.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

When I had mine done, I took them to a friend's machine shop and we chucked them up in a lathe and used a flat bottom carbide end mill. A local machine shop would not charge you much to do this. A standard hardware store drill bit set isn't hard enough to drill the hardened cross shaft. Plus, using a mill is much more precise because you can lock the shaft in the mill and get the new pin locations located exactly.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

So you trimmed the arm and not the cross member?

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

I have been working some insane hours for the past 6 months, but I have been working on the '64 whenever I have the time. I've gotten a lot of stuff done, mostly the tedious little jobs that drive you crazy. I'll post up progress pictures soon.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

I did a little off both as I did not want to trim too much off the 'ear' of the arm.

I installed my modified arms & was able to achieve 100% suspension compression w/o contact but ultimately switched to Porterbuilt tubular arms for other reasons.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

FYI, before you drill your new lower control arm shafts, verify that they match the stock hole position. Some aftermarket shafts come with the hole already moved a bit.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...&postcount=237

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Thanks for the heads up, I did save one old shaft for reference so I'll check it out. One interesting thing I already noticed is that there's only one locating hole in the new shafts, because obviously only one is needed as stock.

That sucks that I can't drill the hole myself, I bought a set of reduced shank bits just for this purpose! What if I just angle grind a notch across the shaft? If I go the right depth it would still prevent the shaft from rotating.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

The hole prevents fore/aft shift as well as moving in a L/R arc. A slot would only limit one of those twisting forces. Needs to be a drilled hole.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

If the locating nub is sitting flat on a flat surface of the shaft, the shaft won't spin without the u-bolts loosening significantly or the shaft rounding out. I can't see either of those happening without some other problems going on, and in those cases a rotating shaft would be the least of my worries!

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Then do it.
I'll stick w/doing it the way the engineers designed it. Seems safer to me.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Thanks for this, my new shafts were drilled 1/4" further already! My question now is -- if I can go 1" should I? I see that most people go 3/4" over from stock, ofc there will be more trimming but it looks like I'll have room.

Can you please post exactly what you bought? For a stock rebuild this is a great way to get a couple easy degrees. Thanks.
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Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

The ones in the link I posted above are Mevotech brand. Part number MK6147 on RockAuto.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Mine are TRW 13168A made in USA

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Thanks. I'd be interested to know how many degrees that adds.
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Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Should be some basic geometry if you know the distance between the upper and lower balljoints, and the current angle.

Assuming 9" between ball joints and a currently vertical spindle,

3.14 * (4.5^2) = 64 (radius of a circle)

360 * (64 * .25) = 1.4 degrees (360 degrees in a circle times the fraction of the circle that is 1/4")

So 1" should net about 5.6*, 3/4" would be around 4.2* gain

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

I ended up grinding a small flat in the shaft and then drilling with a 5/8" masonry bit. I noticed in the process that I didn't need to sink the hole in the shaft at all on the sides because the locating pin sits flush with the seats as they slope upward -- I think grinding flats for locating would work just fine considering this, since a sunk hole is actually just removing material that doesn't need to be there. Using a cap screw might be a different story though depending on the head depth.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Anyone done this with CPP arms?

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

I would measure CPP's vs OE. Seems like they do this from the start & why they can advertise 'improved geometry'.

Re: My caster mod (with pictures)
 

Research has led me to believe they gain caster via the uppers, which would pull the wheel back further.