3 & 4 Link Solid Axle Pinion Angle Options

[GoDadGo]

Gentlemen,

If you have an issue where you can't get the upper link far enough back to get your pinion angle in phase, then you MAY want to consider either having custom shorter lower control arms made or purchase adjustable lower control arms from Gordon Levy (aka: Levy Racing), Spohn Performance or some other reputable fabrication shop.

In my case, because my drive line tips down in the back (around 2-3 degrees) I had issues with my pinion angle so much so that I had the upper link as far out as I could get it where it made contact with the panhard bar support. To remedy this situation I had set of fixxed lower control arms made at Spohn Performance so that I could correct this issue.

While this is usually not a problem with most standard, by the book Ford builds, it was an issue for me since my driveline is no way even close the stock location which was required to fit my combination into my car.

Steve

Levy Racing's Website:
http://levyracing.com/

Spohn's Custom Work Page:
http://www.spohn.net/shop/Custom-Parts-Services/Custom-Built-Control-Arms-Panhard-Bars-and-Torque-Arms/Custom-Tubular-Control-Arm-Poly-Poly-Ends-Fixed-Length.html

Spohn's Factory Five Page:
http://www.spohn.net/shop/Factory-Five-Racing-MK3-MK4-Roadster/

Go Dad Go's Chevy Cobra Overview:
https://youtu.be/_wnHDNgnNqs

Pinion Phasing Demonstration Video:
https://youtu.be/Idk3BVDVHq4

[Papa]

Steve,

Great video on the pinion phasing! All the talk about pinion angles is very hard to comprehend, but that video made it perfectly clear what the issues are.

Dave

[GoDadGo]

Steve,

Great video on the pinion phasing! All the talk about pinion angles is very hard to comprehend, but that video made it perfectly clear what the issues are.

Dave

Papa Dave,

Glad the video helped you because it helped me understand the elliptical moments of our steering systems and why they feel the way they do.

Good Luck On Your Build!

Steve

[Shady302]

That pinion video was pretty cool. Never knew it could do that, that severely.

[GoDadGo]

That pinion video was pretty cool. Never knew it could do that, that severely.

Just installed my new shorter control arms and set my pinion angle, and re-checked my pinion angle, then checked my engine angle, and re-checked my engine angle, then checked the pinion angle once more.

With all this angle checking, it is my O-Pinion that I've got is spot on (1.50-1.90 degrees down to accommodate for load) and am where I need to be.

[slpro1207]

Great video. I had no idea a few degrees could make such a diffence. Thank you for posting it.

[RoadRacer]

Bookmarked, thanks!

[Shady302]

Gentlemen,
you MAY want to consider either having custom shorter lower control arms made or purchase adjustable lower control arms from Gordon Levy (aka: Levy Racing), Spohn Performance or some other reputable fabrication shop.


That's exactly what I'm doing. I think I'm going with the breeze adjustable lower control arms on my 3 link.

[Straversi]

Thanks Dad,
I've been reading these pinion angle discussions with no idea of what you were talking about. Great video.
-Steve

[walt mckenna]

I installed my engine as low in the chassis as I could get it. When I finished shimming the transmission mount so that the front u-joint cleared the cross member, my output angle was up relative to chassis centerline. I did not have enough adjustability to get the pinion angle parallel to the transmission output angle, so I adjusted the pinion angle to the same up angle as the tranny output, resulting in a smooth driveline operation. My takeaway from this is that whether you are parallel, up at the same angle or down at the same angle, as long as the u-joints are operating at the same angle, the driveline should operate smoothly.