[V8Vairs] Lengthened Wheel Base Corvairs

[Chris Wills]

Rob,

The Wills adapter makes the transaxle 1/2" longer than a Crown, so I assume you are looking for extra leg room.  3 degrees is acceptable, I believe.  The axles shafts actually turn slower than a driveshaft, about 1/3 the speed for a typical 3.08 or 3.27 axle ratio.  U joints are most efficient when there is no angle, but I doubt if you could notice the difference in power through a 3 degree angle.  Note if you lengthen the arms you may need to move the upper spring socket, and shock may hit the control arm.  For small changes in wheelbase, say 1/2", you could use  1/2" spacers to move the control arm mounting bracket back 1/2".  Or, if you have a friend in the bodywork business, move the wheel wells back 1-2 inches - no one would be able to tell, but it is a lot of work.

Chris Wills

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: WytchMedea at wmconnect.com<mailto:WytchMedea at wmconnect.com> 
  To: v8vairs at corvair.org<mailto:v8vairs at corvair.org> 
  Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 5:52 PM
  Subject: [V8Vairs] Lengthened Wheel Base Corvairs


  Hello,

  I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with setting the transaxle 
  more rearward and creating an offset in the axle center line?   Pushing 
  everything to the rear about one inch but leaving the control arms in the same place 
  creates about a 3 degree difference.  I cannot find any axle information but 
  the drive shaft people say 3 degrees on the u-joints of like a 16 inch drive 
  shaft is no problem but I think the axle turns a little faster.   A lot of guys 
  lower their Corvairs and an upward angle is introduced at that time, and I do 
  not believe that they have any problems.  

  What I would like to do is push my engine back about an inch and a half (for 
  a total of about 2 inches with the Chris Wills adapter) and lengthen the 
  control arms an inch.  As I read an old news letter Arch Evans mentioned that in 
  the early stages of his kit he was going to make available lengthened control 
  arms as the wheel well would accommodate this and also look better.

  Rob


  _______________________________________________
  V8Vairs mailing list
  V8Vairs at corvair.org<mailto:V8Vairs at corvair.org>
  http://www.vv.corvair.org/mailman/listinfo/v8vairs<http://www.vv.corvair.org/mailman/listinfo/v8vairs>
  This list sponsored by the Corvair Society of America, http://www.corvair.org/<http://www.corvair.org/>