Sprinter 4WD Conversion Idea, GMT-800 IFS.
- Thread starter luthj
- Start date
luthj
Engineer In Residence
I have a 1/4" aluminum set for the old subframe. I figure I can mod them a bit to fit.
luthj
Engineer In Residence
No pictures, but so close I can taste it (or maybe thats the gear oil in my beard?).
Engine ran, fluids topped up, leak checked everything. Looks good. Well, I overfilled the power steering fluid and it burped a couple cups of foam everywhere...
Camber and toe set (close enough to start at least)
Everything is torqued and checked
Speed sensors are wired in, and the ABS module isn't the wiser
I would have test driven, but I was short gear oil for the front diff, so I will have to wait till tomorrow.
Engine ran, fluids topped up, leak checked everything. Looks good. Well, I overfilled the power steering fluid and it burped a couple cups of foam everywhere...
Camber and toe set (close enough to start at least)
Everything is torqued and checked
Speed sensors are wired in, and the ABS module isn't the wiser
I would have test driven, but I was short gear oil for the front diff, so I will have to wait till tomorrow.
luthj
Engineer In Residence
Did a few miles of test driving. I needed to grind a bit more off the bell housing, cause it was pretty loud, rubbing in lower gears. One of the wheel weights flew off (inside rim). No idea why. Well, I would guess the tire tech was drunk, but thats another thread...
Few notes
Steering is light, and doesn't have a lot of steer ahead. That could be alignment, or it could be caster. I will check those when the mood strikes me.
Turning radius is increased some. Its not crazy, but probably 20%. Pretty much on par with full sized pickup trucks
The brake force assist is freaking out when I put the pedal to the floor. Thats likely due to the air thats stuck in the lines somewhere. The rear circuit is high pressure (so it thinks panic stop), but the fronts are just starting to grab.
ESP was happy at 55mph. No codes with the 55 vs 54 tone teeth. One caveat is that the front tires are brand new, and about 3/4" taller than the worn rears. So that may change.
Ride height is 3/4" higher than the rear. So 2.75" taller than factory
Items to address
air in the brake lines, these big GM calipers just don't want to bleed fully. Though it could be air in the ABS valve body too. I guess the third option is that the GM calipers are just too big for the MC (please god, no...)
Recheck alignment
Few notes
Steering is light, and doesn't have a lot of steer ahead. That could be alignment, or it could be caster. I will check those when the mood strikes me.
Turning radius is increased some. Its not crazy, but probably 20%. Pretty much on par with full sized pickup trucks
The brake force assist is freaking out when I put the pedal to the floor. Thats likely due to the air thats stuck in the lines somewhere. The rear circuit is high pressure (so it thinks panic stop), but the fronts are just starting to grab.
ESP was happy at 55mph. No codes with the 55 vs 54 tone teeth. One caveat is that the front tires are brand new, and about 3/4" taller than the worn rears. So that may change.
Ride height is 3/4" higher than the rear. So 2.75" taller than factory
Items to address
air in the brake lines, these big GM calipers just don't want to bleed fully. Though it could be air in the ABS valve body too. I guess the third option is that the GM calipers are just too big for the MC (please god, no...)
Recheck alignment
Pinnacle Campers
Chateau spotter
Lets see some not so close pics of how wide the front track looks...
luthj
Engineer In Residence
I am getting a bit of rub on the front fender seam. Haven't checked at full bump, but will likely need to bend over or trim a bit. The wide track is he primary cause I think.
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mountainhick
Member
How are clearances for larger diameter deeper dish wheels to reduce track width?
luthj
Engineer In Residence
Maybe 3/8" backspace available with 16" wheels. This is due to the clearance with the speed sensor and brake lines. A 17" wheel could go another 3/4-5/8" Control arm clearance is good for more than that.
I will probably add a 1.5" spacer to whatever rear axle I end up selecting. That should get the track widths close enough.
I had originally planned on 67" track width, but obviously its a bit wider than I anticipated.
mountainhick
Member
And even larger wheels? 18" 20"?
Is there a point with this theorization where steering radius will decrease due to striking other obstacles?
I am still planning on sticking with same diameter and width as 245 75r16 regardless.
Is there a point with this theorization where steering radius will decrease due to striking other obstacles?
I am still planning on sticking with same diameter and width as 245 75r16 regardless.
mountainhick
Member
Fair consideration, Thanks for the reminder.
luthj
Engineer In Residence
Since most 17"+ wheels are in the 8"+ wide range, you will max out a 245 tire around 8" I think. At more than +1" backspacing, the tire sidewall will be close to touching the UCA at full droop.
I hadn't intended to go full bro truck with the wide track, but its a trade off I am willing to make.
Also, as a note the van rides great with the new suspenion. I need to find some crap roads once its 100%, but its already better than the factory front end by a significant margin.
I hadn't intended to go full bro truck with the wide track, but its a trade off I am willing to make.
Also, as a note the van rides great with the new suspenion. I need to find some crap roads once its 100%, but its already better than the factory front end by a significant margin.