what cam said.

well i will put a plate on the frame connectors so that i can weld all the way around it and then put gussets and what not to make it strong.

also do you put the bottom shock mount on the outside or the inside of the ladder bar or dose it matter?

ok and another thing since i am doing this with the leaf springs and slapper bars still installed and the leaf springs were sagging alot ( to the point were the back mount is touching the frame and the springs were flat and wavy) how do I go about setting ride height?

do I lift up the body of the car to were I want it then put in the springs?

IMO ride height should be the first thing to determine. It dictates your pinion angle, front ladder bar placement, and shock mount placement.
Regardless, set the car up like DD said, 25-37% of the shock should be in the body to determine were to place the x-bar, hopefully you have spring that are weighted correctly. When that is done and you have the car at ride height rotate the diff to get your pinion angle, there is alot of info on this forum already just serach "pinion angle"
I would really try to use the leftover x-member to go between your frame conectors and rockers, notch it to go over your conectors and but up against your x-mermber, it will really help tie everthing together.
cam67152

see you are always about this pinon angle? it shouldn't matter in my case because i have the leaf springs and everything attached still and i am not taking them off till after everything is welded up and thats why i asked about ride height? since my springs were sagging and what not what do i have to do to set that properly?

if the springs are sagging so bad then replace them or add a leaf. bring it back to proper height then start. if you replace springs after everything is done your going to have all kinds of probs. cause your changing the ride height.

no no i am leaving them in to keep the axle in place then after i get everything sorted out there coming off and thrown out. do i still have to put different ones in to set the ride height?

If you are using coil overs it doesn't matter what height it is now. unless that is the height youwant.

move the axle up or down until its where you want it.

I've been watching this thread from the beginning. I personaly think you are going about it the wrong way, but that's your decision. I agree with the previous poster the ride height should be set first. I personaly would have cut out the floor from behind the drivers seat and backhalfed the car, hooking the ladder bar cross member to the frame ties. But i know you don't want to cut up the car more than you have too. I worked on an AMX 2 seater a few yrs. ago, he also didn't want to cut up the car. In my opinion i would take out the rear end, weld all the components on the housing and then set it under the car set the ride height and build the shock mounts top bar and the shock mounts. I use 1"X1" tubing to set the ride height, see pic below. These are only suggestions, i'm not a pro builder, i've only done a few cars, but they worked very well.

JMO

Zip.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...2/sonoma-1.jpg

The reason I keep bringing up pinion angle is, you have leaf spring in your car, when you put the rear end under load the pinion wants to rotate up, and it DOES, from the factory they new this, sooo they tilt the pinion down as much as 7-8 degrees.

On a ladder bar car the pinion cant rise, if you weld your bars to your housing the way it is. your pinion could have a 7-8 degree angle(not good for U-joints or ET's). you will have some adjustment on the rod ends but you dont have adustable links on the bottom bar which will make it a pain in the a**.

This is why I keep saying... put the front of the ladder bar in the middle hole with 0-1 degree pinion angle at ride height. This way, if you move the front of the bar down (which increases your pinion angle) you will have room on the rear joints to to adjust to 0-1degree pinion angle. Viceversa if you raise the front of the bars.

Raising or lowering the rear of the car also changes your pinion angle.

http://www.carcraft.com/howto/91758/index.html
This might help you understand what I'm trying to get across.

Good luck,
cam67152

Ok so basically find out what ride height i want the car to be at (i will do this by putting in the rear coil overs first) then check pinion angle, then do the ladder bars and x member? sorry for the vary vague terms.

i set the pinion angle to 0 or 1 deg no matter the cars rake? i am just supposed to make the rear end parallel to the ground? sorry just want to clarify

and thanks for all the help you guys i really appreciate it

Thanks justin

got a little more done...waiting for parts since i cut the top shock mount to small

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...r/IMG_0013.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...r/IMG_0014.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...r/IMG_0016.jpghttp://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...r/IMG_0019.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...r/IMG_0021.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...IMG_0025-1.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...IMG_0025-1.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...IMG_0025-1.jpg

Where do you live?

martensville saskatchewan canada

ok i got a another question sorry

i got the rear coil overs tacked in and what not how important is it if i am a little off level? like say a 1/16th or less out is that still alright? there out almost exactly the same to

thanks justin

THIS is why you want a COMPITENT welder....
 

hey all thanks for all your help i couldn't have done it with out you. i did find out how "crooked" my car is lol next time i do this it will be a back half kit

i will post pictures after i get car back from welders