Stan's Customs

Thanks Bill...John..

What did you do in regard to a front sway bar Bill. DId the TCI have a provision for that?

Looks like the Macgyver bolt in crossmember assy list for about $2950....thats with coil springs, gas shocks. Just haven't nailed it down yet.. They will make a little better deal for a shop...which I am. I'm guessing about a $300 discount from the conversation...I guess that's about average......


No provision for a sway bar or radiator support....but
I really like their top hat design for coil springs on a one piece crossmember.....and the interchangeable plate on the lower control arm for air bags, or a coil over shock. The price is for a 4 1/8 turn manual rack.

Probably could get a sway bar from Myers (TCI?) or someone....and we already know I can get a radiator support from Myers.

I still haven't got the fender well pics...will be here Monday..supposedly!

Stan...

wmf62

i didn't see any provisions to mount a sway bar to the Mac or Martz, and i would imagine you would have a 'fun' time trying to adapt someones else's sway bar... this is the way TCI does it:





Bill

Stan's Customs

Hmmmm....

I'd say a sway bar was pretty important....

....looks like weld in a TCI...

....or fab up a sway bar on a bolt/weld in Mac..

....or delete a sway bar all together...??

IF coil springs and gas shocks is the goal...


I don't know of any other one piece coil spring set up, if a one piece is the second goal, other than the Mac...at least yet.

Stan...

Plasticman

Yep, did not like the idea (on the Martz) of not having an anti-sway bar. Sorry to hear the Mac does not have one either. These guys are not thinking about a supplying a "complete" product!

Plasticman

Stan's Customs

Bill do you have any pictures of the sway bar mounts on your TCI conversion...curious to see if adding a TCI sway bar to the Macgyver a-arms would be a real pita...or not ?

...also do you know if the TCI Mustang II IFS uses Ford Granada rotors with a custom drilled GM lug pattern (like Mac)...or if it uses Camaro rotors with a adapter race/bearing?

The Mac front cross member can be bought separately for about $650....not sure but perhaps TCI parts could be used from there for a substantial savings. The Mac is exact Mustang II geometry according to the catalogue (you can even used stamped Ford A-arms instead of the tubular customs.

If TCI uses the same geometry .....perhaps a complete bolt/weld kit could be assembled using parts from both sources??

Stan..

wmf62

Stan
lower a-frame sway bar mount:





the brakes are supposed to be the 11" upgrade (supposedly redrilled Granada, but i have no part number to confirm that with)



the a-frame mounting ends look similar, but i couldn't even begin to hazard a guess whether you could interchange the Mac & TCI parts. no way of knowing for sure without having the Mac crossmember in hand and taking all sorts of measurements. but i don't see any benefit to doing that if you want to use their spring setup.
Bill

Stan's Customs

Right Bill..

I would have to have the crossmember and their a-arms...and maybe their springs. (I'll have to call my spring shop, we've got a good one here.)

I would use what of Macgyvers would work ...I expect that the least I could use would be their crossmember and their a-arms. I'd use their complete kit if it was a "complete" kit...but if I have to to chase any of the parts..I might as well get them all. The only reason to pay a kit price is to avoid parts chasing. I'm sure my local wholesalers have a lot of the parts that I can get substantially cheaper. Particularly...rotors, rack, tie rods, calipers, springs and shocks. Shipping and markup on this stuff is where the big $$ jump is anyway.

I would perfer to buy Camaro rotors that can be bought anywhere (for maintanance down the line)...instead of specially drilled Granada rotors. I'm pretty sure they used to use the Camaro rotors a lot on the Ford conversion, but I haven't found what bearing and races can be used. Jim Meyer uses Camaro stuff (but they said it wasn't Mustang II geometry).

The lower control arm sway bar mounting bracket looks simple enough so there is no problem there. I haven't seen where the sway bar crossmember bracket mounts clearly enough to guess if there is a similar place on the Macgyver crossmember....perhaps TCI's mounts could be used on the crossmember. I believe they both would have to be mounted on the rear side of the crossmember. .... both have similar dimension crossbars (guessing from the pics)..so that may be fairly simple to do as well.

Do you happen to have any pics of the sway bar mounts where they mount on the crossbar Bill? (on the car that is...thanks for the pre installed pics)

Hopefully the above would be pretty straight forward and all that would have to be careful of would be the width measurements....they are definitely a little different. I believe the Macgyver is 58 1/2 " wide. If the links are close up and down...I would assume that there is some adjustability on the verticle link between the sway bar and the lower control arm. If it was a "little" different then a longer or shorter adjustable link might not be a real problem...??


There are several things I like on the Macgyver conversion...other than the sway bar ...if I can work that out I'm thinking seriously about going that route.

....and the radiator support of course, which you guys found an easy fix for.

Stan...

Stan's Customs

[QUOTE=wmf62;1561591971]Ken
it is a MY6 (a transmission made by Chrysler's New Process division for GM for use in early 80s vans & pickups. identical, except for gear ratios, to the original 4-speed for the early 426 hemis). an easy replacement for the Muncie...



gear ratios are: 3.09 1st, 1.68 2nd, 1:1 3rd, and .73 4th
Bill[/QUOTE

I've been meaning to ask Bill..

How does this transmission shift compared to a regular Muncie? Power shifting etc...

Stan...

Plasticman

Stan,

The MY6 trans is not for power shifting! I don't know if Bill has tried, but I have, it ain't pretty! Good fast upshifts can be had, but not a true power shift. It is a little stifffer in normal shifts (compared to a Muncie), but very acceptable for up shifts. Downshifts are OK, except going into 1st. That shift must be done either when stopped or via a very careful double clutch. Even the 3rd to 2nd downshift has to be done carefully. There is just too much gear ratio differential for these trans. to shift down very well.

Note that the above is with a Hurst Comp+ shifter. Bill has a different model Hurst Comp+ (mine is labeled Comp+, but has the shifter where you must push the shifter down and over to engage reverse), which is more like the Hurst SS shifter. However, both trans/shifters act the same for upshifts and downshifts (although I did not try to power shift Bill's).

Plasticman

wmf62

Stan
i've missed a few power shifts , but it's stopped in neutral and not been a case of synchronizer 'clash'; so no damage... BUT, as heavy duty as it is, this is a trans set up for economy due to it's gear spacing/OD. i can still get a tire 'chirp' from 1st to 2nd with 3.36 rear gears...

shifting effort is a bit more than a muncie, but not a problem. back in the 60s they had a 2 foot+ long shifter on these things in Chrysler products and they were reincarnated for GM's use in pickups and delivery vans....
Bill

wmf62

Stan
if you want their adjustable coilover conversion coil springs, you might want to go with theirs (unless you can get them to tell you exactly what it is..) otherwise, springs are inexpensive are best supplied by them (again, unless you can get then to tell you what application they use...)

sway bar attachment pix:





Bill

Stan's Customs

No... I just want plain Jane springs, I believe the ride is far better wnen you finally get everything dialed in (may be just my preference)..they start with 310 lb. rated springs...14 1/2 " tall with a compressed height of 11 1/2 ''

Thanks for the installed pics...Is that a little bracket on the underside if the crossmember with the clamp bracket affixed to the end of it?

They have a similar looking little bracket on their web page...but I couldn't make out its purpose. They don't have anything else though...

You said yours cornered well with that sway bar didn't you? Looks like it might not be too hard to adapt to me...what do you guys think...?

...did you think you might perfer the adjustable coil over Bill...I might reconsider.....since its a behive spring that works like a regular spring in the top perch....more money though, not sure how much..

Stan..

Stan's Customs

I had a Roadrunner for a short time...is it similar to that?

wmf62

i had a 64 Plymouth Sport Fury, and except for the gearing, that was the trans that was in it. bullet-proof...
Bill

wmf62

the 'pillow block' that holds the sway bar is bolted to ears that are a permanent part of the crossmember:





i've never had a car without a sway bar, and never tried this one without it; so i can't tell you what the difference between having one and not having one is....

yes, i wish i had something like the Mac coilover lookalike, i could have set my ride height to whatever makes ME happy, especially if/when i change tire sizes. now i will have to put spacers on top of the springs or change spring length or rate to do the same thing; either way requires dropping the lower aframe.

Bill

Stan's Customs

I see it clearly now.....in relation to the frame that is.

They look very similar to me. All I would need is to weld on a control arm sway bar pivot ....and weld a pair of ears on the Macgyver in the same position as the TCI .

If I made the pillow block bracket ears and mounted the sway bar...then the position of the control arm sway bar pivot could determined accurately. Weld it in place and then installl the adjustable link.
Looks like a piece of cake if TCI will sell the assembly separately.....unless I missed something.

........................................ ........................................ ........................................ ...................................

i've never had a car without a sway bar, and never tried this one without it; so i can't tell you what the difference between having one and not having one is....
Bill

Yea...it would be nice to have driven one both ways...I don't know what a car without a sway bar drives like either.....at least that I can rember.


Stan...

kenmo

Great thread guys... plenty of good info...

bowtie racing

Bill have ride this suspension yet ? How did you liked it ? Is this TCI system ?

wmf62

yes, this is the TCI IFS. i've put over 2000 miles on it so far and i'm pleased with the ride, much softer/less jarring than stock.

what i'm not fond of:
the power steering is too quick and too light and the front track is too narrow. the quickness/lightness, although not ideal, i can get used to; the narrow front track i couldn't, so i put wheel spacers on to widen the front track. (now i'm happier with the look..)

i would imagine anyone's (Meyer/Martz/MacGyver/Fatman/etc..) power steering is going to be too quick as there are probably only a limited ratio range of power racks available. a manual rack may be the way to try first.

Bill

kenmo

Stan just sent me this photos to post....They are the inner fender of the Mcgyver unit....