spazomatic

Im feeling a bit dumb now....cuz i knew that. (Cast vs. steel) And yeah, ive been welding at work for many a year now. Its all about the prep! I have a mig, but i actually prefer using a stick. (Insert bad joke here):-\

Arent the hubs cast iron? If so, Do you use a high nickel welding rod when welding? Ay heat treatment? As in, normalizing the part after?

Yeah, i know. Drilling is easy. I even went and tracked down and purchased the proper size drills to do it. I did the first hub years ago, but then when i went to create a flush spot on the rear for the new studs to set, i just didnt care for it. No matter how careful i was, i just couldnt get a "true" seat with the tools i had ( i dont have a milling machine) And i figured if there are high spots on the seat, then the stud itself will be made weaker by not having a uniform surface to rest against. In my thinking, that could lead to broken studs at worst, or wobbly studs at a minimum. And those pressure points could be a cause of a fractured hub, too....i really do drive this poor car like its stolen, and i dont wanna lose a wheel. Instead of welding up the old holes, i just cut the original studs off flush. Fills the hole nicely, and i dont hafta then worry about metallurgical properties being altered by the heat of a weld. $100 to have a pro machine a pair of hubs is well worth the worrying i wont do over it, ya know? Now in a pinch, post armageddon...i could do this mod myself easily. P.S. My concerns only apply to the frontend. The rear is, in fact, a piece of cake since it's flat on the backside. Carry on!

My first car was an 86 GL hatchback. It gave its life in proving to me that subarus are made of tough stuff. I was absolutely brutal to that car, and it never quit on me. Several accidents, leadfooted offroading, airborn on at least a dozen occassions...no maintenance. I feel terrible for what i did to that poor thing. Anyways, that car is the reason i now own an 84 GL and an '06 Baja

It kinda does to me, too. But i kick the crap out of this thing, and its held up, so i quit worrying about it.

Baddas man, way to persevere! Im looking forward to hearing how it drives and 4wheels. I love its stance, and dig the bumpers too. Nice work! Hopeully you wont need to reformulate any of your geometry, or mounts.

Ok...Congratulations? Its just personal preference. Structurally speaking, either way works. Just thought id post this "downside" to drilling the hubs; since im usually a proponent of it.

That is badass! I daydream a lot about stickin a 302/C4/dana20/dana44/9" combo in my GL. Using parts from an early bronco most likely. You have more pictures?

That. And for you other guys, it had been assembled properly, with good parts. I suppose it couldve been loose, i hadnt checked it in a while. Hmmm note to self; check those more often

So a while back I had a machine shop alt my hubs to accept 6 lug wheels. I still think this is the better way to fit 6 lug wheels....anyways, so im driving along, not hard, just cruisin and i start to feel a shudder, then a light banging, and then the RPMs go up but im slowing down. Crap. Pull to the side of the road, step outside, put it in gear, ease out the clutch and watch the exle retaining nut turn within the hub! Yahoo. Hubs are splineless. Put it in 4wd and drove home. Went to a boneyard sunday and grabbed a pair for 25 bucks. But now i have to wait a couple days for the machine shop (and 100 bucks) before i can put it together! Ugh

Definitely adjust the clutch first. AKghandi said tou can get 100k out of a clutch...i agree, but i think a properly driven clutch can go much longer than that!

Feel free to give me grief about this, but.... I hafta ask why? 'yota engines are pretty good. And if it needed a motor, a chevy 4.3 is a fairly common swap. Oodles of torque, especially in a light truck. Or is this a case of being different, and using the parts you already have layin around?

My 84 GL was a search and rescue. It had sat for 8 years, and i got it for $300. Went through the entire fuel system, new battery, belts, changed all the fluids, new windshield, tires, and she ran pretty good. It feels nice to resurrect an old machine that would have been crushed otherwise.

I wish you guys were closer....sounds like a lot of fun!

Its like a newer generation of retro-ratrod. Hondas blow, but on an old GL that style could be pretty badass. Except for that awful interior

Ah Mustang IIs. Fords redheaded stepchild. I never cared for how they look, but theyre actually very smartly engineered...and with a hot 302 it should boogy pretty good.

Its probly an NP205. Big and heavy. But two men and a floor jack can handle it. Luckily, theyre relatively trouble free as long as ya keep em full of oil

I love the idea though. Having a hub that floats independant of the axle would be sweet. Perhaps a hub and spindle from say, a Dana 30 could be retrofitted onto the rear, and then a locking hub or drive flange could be used in conjunction with a welded diff. Until somebody figures this out.... Im going to follow the easier route of converting the rear to disks with Pbrakes, and install a 2nd brake lever. One for the right, one for the left...apply as necessary. Or engineer a cutting brake for each corner:brow:

Yes, you would need a bearing in there for it to work with any kind of longevity. Which brings us back to the point of needing to re-engineer the thing. Running a busted part like this is foolish, at best.

In my older flat tappet cars, I like valvoline...but will run whatever brand i happen to run in to. Also, i use a zinc addiditve at every change. Usually STP. I used to change it every 3000 miles, but now when it gets to that point i just check it often to see how it looks and smells. When it gets funky, i change it. I do have an old hot rodded bronco that i use Brad Penn oil exclusively. It has lots of zinc in it, and that particular motor has a flat tappet cam with lots of spring pressure. On cars ive owned since new, i use a full synthetic and change every 7-8000 miles. Any brand really, but usually mobil1, again with STP. I have a chevy with a 4.3 that is nearing 300k miles...oil pressures still great, valve to guide clearances are still within factory spec, and compression is as good as ever. Mobil 1 is all its ever had in it. Wix filters on everything!

I may be wrong....but i think itd be fine, unless it has a gearbox with oil in it.

Ive thought about putting a check valve in line, so that the fluid is always at the ready, instead of the lines needing to be filled each time, causing the delay.

This.

Ive also seen them bolt on and go....with black, gray, or brown smoke, poor driveability and lousy emissions. On a wheeler, road manners and emissions dont matter so much. The vehicles i wheel need to behave on the road, as well. Anyway, Im going to leave this poor beaten dead horse alone now. Hey soobiefreak, good choice opting for the weber. I bandaided my hitachi for a while too and it ran good...but in the end, the weber is so much better. And when it comes down to dialing it in (if it needs it:horse:) well we can help you out with that too. Happy trails!

My buddies K5 had the same problem. Powerwash the shift linkage where the rails meet the shifter, and then relube it, and itll shift like butter