The 1963 Chevy Nova project car |
It is about time
to get started pulling the old rear end out from under the
car to make room for the improved frame and suspension system.
With much consideration for which parts we will be using,
our decision is finally getting near. In any case, the rear
end must be removed to allow work to proceed on the rear
of the car. It is looking more and more like the 12 bolt
will be moving aside for a very nice 4 link suspension set
up
Clearing some space
The first thing
we had to do was clear out some space so we could work.
Normally, trying to do work of this sort in a one car garage
would be unheard of, but once again we are using the facilities
available to us and showing that it can be done. Hopefully,
this will inspire other do-it-yourself types and show that
even with very little, a lot can be done.
Putting the car up on stands
The rear of the
car was then put up on stands. To do this, the front wheels
were placed against the concrete stop in the garage that
keeps you from pulling too far in, and then firmly chocked
from behind so the car couldn't roll. The rear of the car
was then jacked up, and jack stands were placed under the
frame rails to hold it up. The tires were then removed and
placed aside. The gas tank was also removed, and will be
replaced later with a fuel cell.
Removing brake lines
Before the rear
end can be pulled from under the car, the brakes and other
hoses and cables have to be removed. Our brake line on the
Nova comes in to a splitter which is mounted on the rear
differential case. We removed the flexible rubber hose where
it comes in to that splitter. The fuel line was also removed
to make it easier to move around, as it will need to be
replaced later anyway when we add the fuel cell to the car.
Parking brake
The only other
line coming into the rear end at this point is the parking
brake cable. The cable was removed by pulling the spring,
and then releasing the clips that hold the cables to the
bracket. Once the cable were free, the adjusting bolt was
loosened all the way to allow the U-shaped cable saddle
to be removed from the main brake cable coming in to the
setup. Now the rear end is only held to the car with the
leaf springs and shocks.
Shocks
Shock removal
is relatively simple and straightforward. There is one large
bolt at the bottom of each shock that attaches to the axle
mount. These must be removed first, then there are two bolts
at the top of each shock to hold the shocks to the underside
of the body. Pull the bolts and the shocks drop right out
with no problems.
Ready to drop
With everything
else removed, the rear end is ready to be dropped out of
the car. The rear axle is held up with two jack stands to
keep it from falling as the final bolts are removed. There
are two large bolts at the front leaf spring perches, and
two shackles in the rear which must be taken out. A little
leverage from a large breaker bar, and the bolts pop right
out and free the rear end. It can then be rolled out on
the jack, being careful to keep the springs from disturbing
the jackstands holding up the car. It is also a very good
idea to get a good hold on the rear end to keep it from
falling side to side and allowing the drums to bang down
on the ground.
No more rearend
The rear end
is removed fully from under the car, and we can now asses
how much work there is to do. The whole point of this operation
is to narrow the leaf spring positions and mini tub the
car. This will allow larger tires to be placed under the
car for better traction. Without these modifications, the
larger tires would never fit, as the car was designed to
only have narrow street tires under the wheelwells.
Brackets to be removed
There are lots
of brackets and other protrusions that will have to be removed,
some of which will be relocated. The original springs fit
right outside of the frame rails, but the new location will
be directly under the rails. This should provide up to 4
inches of additional tire clearance in the rear.
Shock mounts
The shock mounts
will most likely have to be moved inboard as well to keep
the geometry on the rear end the same as before the narrowing
process. The shock mounts care the two circular openings
in the middle of the photograph. Most of the underbody of
the car was coated with a rust inhibitor by the previous
owner, so very little rust is present. It will still be
a good time to check the car and make any repairs.
Wheel wells
The old wheel
wells will be cut and moved inboard to allow for the extra
tire clearance. Unlike full metal replacement tubs, the
process of mini tubbing a car only requires the original
tubs be moved and reused. This helps to keep a more stock
appearance to the car, and allows other things like the
rear seat to remain intact.
Early look at the trunk
The view of the
trunk above is from when the car was just returned from
the paint booth. The end result is that the trunk will retain
the same looks after the process, but the wheel tubs will
actually sit 2 inches further inboard. While the trunk lid
brackets are pretty much even with the side of the wheel
wells right now, they will be cut and formed to fit since
the new tubs will extend towards the center of the car more.
That's it for
this update, but keep watching as there is lots more to
go. Next time around we should be cutting off the spring
perches and relocating the leaf springs inboard on the car.
We will also be adding sub frame connectors to help keep
the body nice and stiff during runs down the drag strip.
See you soon,
Russ W. Moore
and
John Valetta
Bad Brothers
Racing
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