Rodney87GN
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2004
Looks like your only choice is to use press in studs if you do not want to grind anything...
Which C-Clip eliminator kit?
- Thread starter Squid4life
- Start date
Squid4life
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2004
Duh... good point. Didn't consider that. Maybe they would be lower clearance. Guess I need to find some 1/2", long, press in knurled studs, preferably ARP or at least some high strength ones. I think that is what I ordered anyhow... 1/2"? Dang, I am tired...
By the way, are you the guy I talked to on North Island a few years back? Clean looking GN!
By the way, are you the guy I talked to on North Island a few years back? Clean looking GN!
Rodney87GN
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2004
Thanks! Yeah that was me at North Island awhile back.
I haven't seen your car in a long time...I thought you were deployed or something.I'm not running c-clip eliminators but have Moser stock replacement c-clip axles with ARP press in studs....12mm x 1.5, 3" long. Pretty sure they have 1/2" x 3" long press in studs.
Judging from your photos the press in studs should easily clear. The stud's head appears to be a bit thinner than the bolt head you ground down to .163. I wish I had a spare stud laying around so I can measure it for you.
Squid4life
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2004
Been a little while since I posted back in here, so figured I should update. Not having a whole lot of great luck with this install, but I am learning that is for sure.
To fix the clearance issue, I chose not to grind on the eliminator and chose to grind the heads down to .200, which I felt was safe, and removed the thick lock washer and used a star lock washer instead. This had plenty of clearance, and the elims pressed on the axles. Of course, my 12 ton Harbor Freight press had to be reinforced twice and there was a lot of welding, cutting, and metal replacing. Spent about as much time "re-fabbing" the press as I did in the rest of the install. But, I wanted to get my $ out of that press I bought off Craigslist for cheap and not pay someone else to press them on...
So, after pressing them on, drilling and clearancing the brake backing plates, etc it was ready to install. I boneheaded it up though installing the backing plates, axles with c-clip elims, etc on, torqueing them down, etc before I realized the wheel cylinder needs to be reattached to the backing plate BEFORE putting the axles back in... So, back apart it went to install the cylinders. Got them in, got the brakes all back together, got the drums on (of which one needes the holes opened up to clear the 1/2" studs) and was test fitting my Superlites with 275/60's on them. Fit well, so I was excited.
But... when I was spinning the lug nuts on, they started snugging down but when I pulled the deep socket back I realized the lug nuts we NOT tightened all the way to the wheels, but were tight! Got all the lug nuts off but two, and those two were so galded up they would not go on or off any more. I ended up having to use a long pipe and break the studs off so I could get the wheels off and fix the now broken studs. Of course this meant taking the brakes back off, alxe out, backing plate off, etc, all back down to bare axle housing. Come to find out my cheap lug nuts from Summit were not threaded very well. You could see halfway through the lug nut (on the brand new ones) where the thread got a little sketchy. I had to run a 1/2"-20 tap down them a few times to clean up the threads. Tested them after tapping them and they work fine now. OF course, I am now waiting for a new set of studs and lug nuts from Summit, then will have to grind the heads down on 2 bolts, then put it all back together...
I think I will do a "how to" (or more realistically a "how NOT to") on Moser C-Clips elim install. I took pics of it pretty much the whole way. We shall see...
To fix the clearance issue, I chose not to grind on the eliminator and chose to grind the heads down to .200, which I felt was safe, and removed the thick lock washer and used a star lock washer instead. This had plenty of clearance, and the elims pressed on the axles. Of course, my 12 ton Harbor Freight press had to be reinforced twice and there was a lot of welding, cutting, and metal replacing. Spent about as much time "re-fabbing" the press as I did in the rest of the install. But, I wanted to get my $ out of that press I bought off Craigslist for cheap and not pay someone else to press them on...
So, after pressing them on, drilling and clearancing the brake backing plates, etc it was ready to install. I boneheaded it up though installing the backing plates, axles with c-clip elims, etc on, torqueing them down, etc before I realized the wheel cylinder needs to be reattached to the backing plate BEFORE putting the axles back in... So, back apart it went to install the cylinders. Got them in, got the brakes all back together, got the drums on (of which one needes the holes opened up to clear the 1/2" studs) and was test fitting my Superlites with 275/60's on them. Fit well, so I was excited.
But... when I was spinning the lug nuts on, they started snugging down but when I pulled the deep socket back I realized the lug nuts we NOT tightened all the way to the wheels, but were tight! Got all the lug nuts off but two, and those two were so galded up they would not go on or off any more. I ended up having to use a long pipe and break the studs off so I could get the wheels off and fix the now broken studs. Of course this meant taking the brakes back off, alxe out, backing plate off, etc, all back down to bare axle housing. Come to find out my cheap lug nuts from Summit were not threaded very well. You could see halfway through the lug nut (on the brand new ones) where the thread got a little sketchy. I had to run a 1/2"-20 tap down them a few times to clean up the threads. Tested them after tapping them and they work fine now. OF course, I am now waiting for a new set of studs and lug nuts from Summit, then will have to grind the heads down on 2 bolts, then put it all back together...
I think I will do a "how to" (or more realistically a "how NOT to") on Moser C-Clips elim install. I took pics of it pretty much the whole way. We shall see...
This part confuses me...Why did you have to take the brakes back off, you should have been able to just remove the axle/elim and change the studs.
Squid4life
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2004
I just wanted to be safe on the seal between the backing plate and axle assembly. I used "The Right Stuff", but I have bad luck when it comes to things like this. I didn't want to unbolt the eliminator, pull the axle (which is also sealed to the front of the backing plate w/ the right stuff) and "break the seal" on the backside of the backing plate, causing a leak. To me, it wass worth taking it apart to make sure it won't leak. Well, it may still leak, but didn't want it to be from this.
In short, did it being overly cautious.
In short, did it being overly cautious.
I am anxiously awaiting your step by step "How To" for moser axels with c-clip eliminators. I want to do the same thing and now I am so confused .
From what I read there are three choices, Moser, Strange, or 9" ends. Now that you've "Been There, Done That", what would you do if you had to do it over. I'm thinking the Strange Setup.
One last question for any of these c-clip eliminators....I've heard this eliminates the emergency brake cable which I do not want to do, Is that true...?
. From what I read there are three choices, Moser, Strange, or 9" ends. Now that you've "Been There, Done That", what would you do if you had to do it over. I'm thinking the Strange Setup.
One last question for any of these c-clip eliminators....I've heard this eliminates the emergency brake cable which I do not want to do, Is that true...?
Squid4life
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2004
I am working on the how to, and will include all my follies, for sure!
I am not sure on what I would do if I were to do it again. Strange has a tapered bearing that seems like it would hold the side loads from turning better than the flat bearing, but they both say "drag race only" no street, etc. 9" ends would be great, and if I had the $ (and a lot of it) I would even consider going to a 9" rear for a g body, but that is probably dreaming.
As for e brake- mine is still there and intact. Works fine, no reason to delete it at all.
I am not sure on what I would do if I were to do it again. Strange has a tapered bearing that seems like it would hold the side loads from turning better than the flat bearing, but they both say "drag race only" no street, etc. 9" ends would be great, and if I had the $ (and a lot of it) I would even consider going to a 9" rear for a g body, but that is probably dreaming.
As for e brake- mine is still there and intact. Works fine, no reason to delete it at all.
KL Mallender
Certified Dumb****
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2007
With old age and grey wisdom: looking to excced what I might need at the present time but not spend the kids college fund, I would.....
Go to junkyard and grab a late model "Ford" 8.8 from a Crown Vic with 31 spline axles and positraction, disc brakes are used from late nineties models, have local axle shop(if available) fab up the mounting brackets for GM 4 link useage, have small bearing 9" ends put on for retention, done.
If staying with GM 8.5, do the 9" ends, but have axle spline selection dealt with considering the swap to 31 splines and coresponding center section/carrier.
Now, please note that I do not expect others to rationalize the logicals of "Why", but you asked if I were to do anything like this again.
Bucks up...Go straight to 9" with nodular center and 31 Eaton posi, I do not promote spools of any kind shy of Pro-Modifieds.
Good luck,
Kevin.
Go to junkyard and grab a late model "Ford" 8.8 from a Crown Vic with 31 spline axles and positraction, disc brakes are used from late nineties models, have local axle shop(if available) fab up the mounting brackets for GM 4 link useage, have small bearing 9" ends put on for retention, done.
If staying with GM 8.5, do the 9" ends, but have axle spline selection dealt with considering the swap to 31 splines and coresponding center section/carrier.
Now, please note that I do not expect others to rationalize the logicals of "Why", but you asked if I were to do anything like this again.
Bucks up...Go straight to 9" with nodular center and 31 Eaton posi, I do not promote spools of any kind shy of Pro-Modifieds.
Good luck,
Kevin.
TurboFun, you keep the emergency brake with the c clip eliminators - you keep all the stock brakes you just change what the backing plate bolts to. With the 9" ends (I have these) it depends on what brakes you use. I did the cheapest, the loaded 2" x 13" drum brakes from Moser (I may be off on the 13", check Moser's web site). These are complete with all hardware and shoes, ready to bolt on to the axle end, and my emergency brake cable fit right up. I didn't even have to adjust it . I did 30 spline axles with the GM 5x4.75" stock lug pattern and specified that for the drums as well, with a 30 spline Eaton posi. There was no extra charge for the bolt pattern on either the axles or drums. If you do disc brakes from an Explorer or other donor, I have no idea about the emergency brake, sorry. I also have the b body front discs and the balance and stopping power are great, and I can hold 10-15 psi on the foot brake, way more than the nittos can hold.
. I did 30 spline axles with the GM 5x4.75" stock lug pattern and specified that for the drums as well, with a 30 spline Eaton posi. There was no extra charge for the bolt pattern on either the axles or drums. If you do disc brakes from an Explorer or other donor, I have no idea about the emergency brake, sorry. I also have the b body front discs and the balance and stopping power are great, and I can hold 10-15 psi on the foot brake, way more than the nittos can hold.
