Nice site , i have been doing searches on the internet and lots of times i kept winding up here so thought i would join. I am pretty new to dirt racing , and knew even less when i did run on pavement, LOL . I was just wondering i see -2 deg neg camber on the RF , was that because of the stiff RF spring you were running ? I assume the short RF a-arm has got something to do with that also . Again i am just wondering out loud since i am finishing up a metric and setting the front end up now.
My Metric front end setup. This is what I did to my Metric that won the 2012 UMP National Championship. First let me say that I have been at this for 20 years and there is no one right way to do it but there are many wrong ways to do it.
What did I use? I ran the stock Metric lowers. I installed the AFCO low friction 69LW bushings they have the steel outer shell and the urethane inner sleeve and have a grease fitting. When I installed them I use a ½” rod and slide through the bushings to assure the alignment is correct, if its not, you can tweak the outer housing and tack weld in place. I use the same rod to check the frame mounting holes as well, most of the time these holes are egged out, so get some thick ½” washers and weld to the outside of the mounts while the rod keeps everything in line.
I ran Camaro Spindles. Why? Because they are taller which helps the geometry and they are strong as hell! I ran standard length ball joints upper and lower. I got the height I wanted from the spindle not the ball joints and the long ball joints bend to easy . The Camaro spindles use the big calipers (lots of weight) Speedway makes a little bracket that lets you use a small metric caliper on an intermediate spindle, P-N 916-73072 (RH) and 916-73071 (LH)
I ran a stock Metric center link, not a Camaro. I used a straight swedge tubes for tie rods with Moog thread in tie rod ends, they just seemed to hold up better. The bump steer was close enough for the government with the Camaro spindles so nothing crazy going on there. I ran a CJR 16:1 new style GM steering box. This box is 5 lbs lighter than a stock box and way stronger. You can get them on Ebay used from the cup teams for $150. You can ID the right one, if the top cover plate looks like a smiley face, : ) Run a 2-1 quickener and your final ratio is 8-1. Very fast, but not twitchy. You can use your stock metric pitman arm and Idler arm. One tip, the bottom side of the RH frame horn where the tie rod passes under, heat with a torch and beat a recess in the frame for tie rod clearance.
Upper A arms. I built my own custom arms, the RH was 6 ½ “ long and the LH was 8” I did a lot of work on RF Camber gain, chances are you wont be able to get as much as I did, but get as much as you can. I had flat plate A arm mounts. I mounted them parallel to the centerline of the frame. I wont debate the angle or straight mount. The straight is better IMO, and easier to set up. The mount holes on the plate were 1 ½ “above the frame, and I set them level, no anti dive! If I were you what arms would I use? I would get the metric arms from Speedway P-N 910-31134-RH (LH) they are 8.0 and 8.5 long. Take the RH arm and cut the tube off at the cross shaft, cut 1” off the tube and weld it back onto the cross shaft. Use the “new” 7 inch arm on the RH and the 8.5 on the LH. Camber was -2 deg on RH and +2 deg on LH at ride height. Caster was nothing crazy. Your standard 2 deg split left to right.
This will get you real close, to where you need to be. Pay close attention to the RF lower Arm and where it bottoms out on the frame. Provide as much clearance as you can to get as much travel as you can before it bottoms out. Watch the angle on the RF upper ball joint at full up travel, make sure it isn’t out of angle movement or it will bend the shaft. Shim it to get it as level as you can at ride height. Ride heights, I measure from the front cross member , lower arm inner mount bolt to the ground and to the center on the lower ball joint ball to the ground (it ends up being about the center of the arm material width where the ball joint mounts). Set the RH side ½” higher at the ball joint than the center of the inner bolt, and I set the LH level. Toe out is nothing crazy, 3/16th out.
Well, that’s it. It worked well for me, hope it helps you.
Dave
