LSX Project Update: Rear Suspension, Power Steering and Brakes

Winter projects are abound. I have been slowly tinkering with the car as I have had time in order to get it ready for next season. Better sooner than later!

I was starting to see some abnormal wear in the rear tires over the last season, and figured it was due to worn bushings in the rear. It was time to get rid of those 30 year old bushings and put in some sphericals that will not flex thus allowing changes in suspension geometry mid corner.

So I ripped out the rear torsion bar and trailing arms to refresh them. The torsion bar didn’t really need to come out, but well, I like things pretty, so I powdercoated both the torsion carrier and the rear trailing arms while in there.

Big hunk o junk.

The spring plate bushings were replaced with elephant racing polybronze bushings. Here they are getting pressed into the carrier, along with installing grease fittings.

And all the hardware was of course blasted and cad plated while I had it all apart. It also allowed me to clean 30 years of crap off the underside and spruce that up a bit.

All the bushings and such with a gutted and coated trailing arm.

And everything back in place with new wheel bearings, etc.

Pretty.

Then it was time to rip out the manual brake setup and convert to power brakes. This is done utilizing a mustang hydroboost system that runs off the power steering pump. While faster on track, I have reluctantly decided to put the power steering back on the car as the hydroboost system is much happier being set up to drive both the steering and the brakes. I really liked the simplicity of manual steering, but I guess I never have to work on the motor anyway, so a few extra lines in the way won’t hurt much.

And utilizing a custom adapter to the ford hydroboost, I can keep the Porsche brake master cylinder with a 5/33 bias valve and not have to run a rear brake bias adjuster (if all goes as I think it will)

And the power steering pump installed with one of the lines made up. I still need to get the power steering cooler installed and lines planned out before making the rest of the lines for the system. The power rack is back in place and ready for the lines to be finished when I have time.

And of course, Merry Christmas! (Its a little hard to see his antlers, but they are there)