As the summer street rod season rapidly approaches, work continues on the STREET RODDER Road Tour 2000 roadster. The M-2000 is going to travel more than 25,000 miles on its journey to all 11 of the National Street Rod Association events around the United States.
Anyone who has traveled recently knows that the highways of our nation have become rather bumpy in recent years. With this in mind it was decided to employ the latest in suspension technology to make the "ride side" of our travels much more comfortable. The suspension experts are found in Wauconda, Illinois, at Heidt's Hot Rod Shop. Last month we covered the installation of Heidt's "Superide" independent front suspension at Lobeck's V-8 Shop.
This month we work with the independent rear suspension (IRS). This IRS is Heidt's new independent rear suspension. Its job will be to eliminate any back pain! Follow along as the Heidt's crew assembles the components included in the IRS package and then sends the complete unit to Lobeck's for the installation.
With a summer of topless fun ahead it is obvious that we will not have to deal with the bumpy roads this year. Check in next month as the construction of the M-2000 continues...
The center housing is a beautifully...
The center housing is a beautifully machined and finished aluminum casting. The one for the SRM Road Tour roadster is fully polished. The first step is to install the stub axle seals then the studs for the third member and then the caliper plates. The plates also hold the stub axles in the housing.
Next, the 9-inch Ford third...
Next, the 9-inch Ford third member is installed. This one is a fully polished, 3:70 posi-traction unit, which is assembled for Heidt's by Currie. They are available in both polished aluminum and nodular iron with a full array of gear ratios.
The stub axles are slid in...
The stub axles are slid in place. They are very strong, 31-spline units Heidt's has manufactured. The bearings and lock collars are already installed on the axles. A slight film of grease on the seal surface will ensure full seal life.
The caliper plates hold the...
The caliper plates hold the stub axles in place, as well as mount the main calipers and optional parking brake calipers. They are slid on and over the studs as the stub axles are inserted into the housing. The optional polished stainless package also gets you fully polished stainless hardware.
The pinion plate is next....
The pinion plate is next. It supports the front of the lower control arms as well as connects the front of the centersection to the front crossmember. These front support links control the torque of the center housing. The front support links and front crossmember are standard parts of the kit.
The lower control arms selected...
The lower control arms selected for the M-2000 Tour Roadster are made from 1-1/4-inch x 3/16-inch wall stainless steel tubing and are super strong. They attach to the lower ears of the center housing and the pinion support plate. The arms are available in different lengths, which gives any track width required. They also come in plain steel or polished billet aluminum. The tie bars add more strength. The adjusters are used to set wheel camber and toe in. Delrin bushings provide smooth action and long life.
The beautifully finished aluminum...
The beautifully finished aluminum outer hub carriers are installed onto the lower arms. Thrust washers are installed to provide a wear surface against the aluminum. The forward strut rod brackets are also attached to the lower bolts. Again, the forward struts are required, so they are also included in the kit.
The outer hub bearings are...
The outer hub bearings are installed in the outer hub carriers. They are late-model Vette, and Heidt's also offers a Ford bolt pattern, plain or chrome plated.
The halfshafts are available...
The halfshafts are available plain or chrome plated, with plain or chrome U-joints. They come fully assembled to match the lower control arms and are installed into the outer bearings.
The halfshafts are held in...
The halfshafts are held in place with a special washer, nut, locking cage, and cotter pin. Torque these nuts to 100 ft-lb
The rotors and rotor adapters...
The rotors and rotor adapters are assembled using Allen bolts, lock washers, and Loctite.
They are then installed onto...
They are then installed onto the stub axles along with the halfshafts. Grade 8 bolts are used to hold it all together.
Parking brakes are used on...
Parking brakes are used on the M-2000 roadster. The calipers are separated and slipped onto the rotors and their mounting brackets, then reassembled.
The standard Wilwood polished...
The standard Wilwood polished four-piston billet calipers are slipped onto the rotors and attached with Grade 8 hardware.
The top crossmember is installed...
The top crossmember is installed directly onto the centersection to ensure stability. It has urethane bushings on the outer ends to isolate road vibration. It also is available in different widths for different frame dimensions.
The billet coilovers are fully...
The billet coilovers are fully adjustable Aldan units available plain or polished. Dual shocks are also available with spring rates to satisfy any weight requirement.
The forward strut rods add...
The forward strut rods add stability to the outer hubs and maintain wheel location of the IRS. They can be installed either converging inward so that the front ends are in line with the inner pivots of the lower arms (as in a Jaguar) or straight forward under the framerails.
To aid in determining ride...
To aid in determining ride height during installation, the coilovers are replaced with solid links, which are the length of the coilovers at their designed ride length.
As the British would say,...
As the British would say, "Offer the frame mounts onto the crossmember." These will be trimmed to fit exactly to the frame.
The assembled unit is now...
The assembled unit is now positioned up into the frame.
The ride height is now easily...
The ride height is now easily determined due to the use of the temporary solid struts. You can see the high kick-up of the frame and the ample "C" notches, which allow the IRS to be positioned high on the frame. This will give the roadster a very cool, very low stance!
Dan Tsar from Lobeck's sets...
Dan Tsar from Lobeck's sets the pinion angle of the unit. It must match the angle of the transmission and the engine. This has to be done now, as it is not adjustable later.
Once it is determined that...
Once it is determined that all is correct, the outer frame brackets are tack welded in place. It will be finished later after the urethane bushings are removed.
The pinion support crossmember...
The pinion support crossmember is installed next. It will support the torque of the rearend housing under acceleration and braking. Once it is fitted, it is tacked and then welded in place.
Once the pinion support links...
Once the pinion support links are adjusted and positioned, the brackets are tack-welded to the crossmember. The links are removed before the brackets are finish welded.
The fully assembled unit,...
The fully assembled unit, ready for many miles under the M-2000.