Finished IFS / Started Pedal Box – 6 Hours

It was good to get back into the garage today after being sick for a week and seeing an end to the constant cold weather we have had this year in Texas. The warmer weather (needed to be 50 degrees or higher) meant that I was able to start using POR15 (Paint over Rust; this is a great product, sets rock hard and looks like powder coat) on many of the brackets that needed protecting before installation.

Initially started assembling the Wilwood pedal box, which on paper seemed a simple assembly exercise (should have learnt by now!). First issue, the stud which connects the support bracket to the pedal box (required so the clutch quadrant shaft has clearance) needed JB Welding into place as there is no other conceivable way to tighten this, god forbid they make it an interference fit with the pedal box.

Picture shows assemble to date including brake light switch and clutch pedal stop.

Working carefully around the stud, I soon find the extended quadrant shaft (supplied in the Factory Five Kit) has the retaining clip groove slightly out of position. Easily fixed as I have a manual lathe, and so was able to quickly widen the groove. Strike three for this morning was when I found the 2” aluminum spacer to be slightly oversize, again easily fixed by turning down the overall length. At this point I decided to put the pedal box to one side to let the JB Weld cure for 12 hours.

As I had been able to paint the spindle brackets I decided to finish installation of the IFS (Independent Front Suspension) as the spindle, hub, caliper and disks had already been assembled previously. Passenger side was a breeze, spindle bracket bolts torque to 100 ft/lb’s and the upper and lower castellated nuts torque to 70 ft/lb’s with cotter pins inserted. Only thing of note was that the upper spacer was not required as the cotter pin hole lined up perfectly with the castle nut.

Driver’s side was a different story, initially when trying to tighten the lowers ball joint nut, the nut and ball joint stem would rotate as the nut appeared to seat. After thinking about this for some time I realized the spacer ID hole was too small causing the spacer and nut to bind on the stem just before the start of the taper, after opening up the bore of the spacer by 0.03” everything came together just fine.

Steering rod ends need to be painted and the once the driver’s side front foot box is powder coated the steering rack can be fully installed, aligned and centered.