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Front End - 5th gen

11K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  HKDUP87 
#1 · (Edited)
Sorry I had to separate this into multiple posts, you are limited to 20 pictures per post.

Don't forget to vote up my rep for this post if you like what you see.

If you have any questions or suggestions of things I missed, please PM or email me so I can add it in line with my other posts so it is smooth flowing and easy to read. Thanks!

This is a thread to help give ideas about setting up the front end of your elky, as well as giving you 360 degree views of the car with the body off, and show you some of my progress. This is basically the front end that I started with.



Step number one was to take off the old nasty looking steering linkage. (don't mind the highlighted pitman arm)





Once that was done, it was time to open up the new Moog front end rebuild kit.



Also, with the stock steering box nearing the end of its life, I thought it was time to upgrade to a new Monte Carlo SS quick gear steering box. This is a direct bolt in.



Another new part I discovered I needed while tearing apart my elk was a new steering shaft. The stock ones rag joints are prone to tearing over time which give the car kind of a sloppy feeling. The sell rebuild kits for them.







I opted to purchase a solid Jeep steering shaft. It is a direct bolt in and they are a no wear unit so it will not need maintenance ever. You can get this part from a 1994 - 1995 Jeep Gran Cherokee. The jeep steering shaft eliminates the rubber and plastic bulky stock shaft with a solid metal one. This allows for a cleaner looking engine bay and more responsive drivability.



A list of new suspension parts off the top of my head that are installed or in the process of being installed on the front end would consist of:

New Stock Height Springs
2" Drop Spindles
QA1 shocks
Tubular A-arms
Polyurethane bushings
Monte SS quick ratio gear box
Moog Front End Rebuild Kit
Moog Ball Joints
Hotchkis Front Sway Bar
Jounce Bars
Grand Prix bar
Baer brakes 14" rotor

Not many people are familiar with the Jounce bars or the Grand prix bar. They add extra support and help to eliminate rattle. They are a direct bolt in and the holes are pre drilled from the factory. All three of these create a triangle of support. They are pictured below in a batch of powder coated items... and yes, I did go over board and powder coat bolts, nuts, and even my hood spring.



Now that I have these new parts, along with the frame and other components powder coated, it was time to reassemble the front end.













If your motor is out of the car, there are a couple of things you might want to do. I replaced the motor mounts which was really cheap, painted the firewall, and painted the AC box and replaced the seal.



 
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#2 · (Edited)














Another thing that many people upgrade is the cross member from a single exhaust to a dual exhaust. I am very impressed with my iceman X-member.










Drop spindles pro and cons:
Pro: Keeps the suspension sitting exactly as it was 2 inches higher. This means that you haven't changed the factory geometry so no need to adjust camber.
Pro: Your ride quality will be the same as compared to drop springs and handling characteristics are the same.
Con: This brings the steering arm in 2 inches closer to the wheel. If you are running a deep wheel or small rim size, they could hit on the steering knuckle that comes off the front.

Springs: If you want to lower your car without changing the spindles, you can always buy drop springs.

A-Arms: There are many options here. You can stay stock, buy tubular upper, tubular lower, or buy a coil over kit. The coil over kit is basically a tubular upper and tubular lower with a cradle at the bottom to house the shock.

Other options: You can always opt to go with air bags.

Motor Mounts: Just like body bushings, there are several different types of compositions of motor mounts. While rubber will have wear and tear, just know that the stiffer you go (all the way to solid motor mounts) you will feel the vibrations inside the car.

Steering: If you wish to go with a rack and pinion, TNT Race Shops makes a nice unit for that. It is an easy to install light weight kit. The purpose of the kit is for weight reduction in race cars.







I hope I help at least one person who is thinking about spending some money on their car. I write these as I go because these are the realizations I come to. Everyone who I have approached with questions has been VERY helpful, but at the same time, I have to ask them the right questions. The reasons I make these mistakes is because I don't know to ask them before hand. If I knew, I wouldn't make the mistake. So hopefully reading this before diving into a project will be a help. Lastly, if you are a do-it-yourself mechanic type, please understand I am not making posts such as this for people like you. I am writing it for the people with limited time, limited funds, or limited knowledge. I would be the later.

I would like to extend my biggest thanks to the person from this forum who has been most helpful to me. 464elky has helped me a great deal along the way and without his direction I may be writing about more mistakes I had made or walls I had run into. I would also like to thank Kenrogers1 for helping me to set these stickys up.

Prices:
New Stock Height Springs: $199.99
2"Belltech Drop Spindles: $255.20
QA1:
- Shock: $159.99
- Coil over: $439.99
Tubular UMI A-arms:
- Lower: $379.99
- Upper: $299.99
- Upper and Lower Kit: $659.99
Monte SS quick ratio gear box: $153.35
Moog Front End Rebuild Kit: $281.33
Moog Ball Joints: $81.99
Hotchkis Front Sway Bar: $299.99
Jounce Bars: About $30
Grand Prix bar: About $30
Motor Mount:
- Rubber: $24.95
- Solid: $64.99
- Polyurethane: $64.99
Polyurethane bushings: $119.99
Baer brakes 14" rotor: $1595

My total roughly without labor, sand blasting, or powder coating: 3531.77

Special Thanks!!!

I would like to give a special thanks to some people who have helped me make this possible. A big thanks to kenrogers1 for helping me edit this post and looking it over. A HUGE thanks to 464elky, without your help on some of these things I don't know where I would be. Your knowledge still surprises me. Thanks for everything.
 
#6 ·
I have no idea... Hope a verteran can chime in on this one.
 
#11 · (Edited)
http://s1135.photobucket.com/albums/m636/HKDUP87/wiring/
HERE THEY ARE. I ADDED THEM TO MY WIRING DIAGRAMS. I'M TELLING YOU FOR $24.00 TOTAL GET THE HAYNES MANUAL#24020 1969-1987 COMPLETE TEARDOWN AND REBUILD. IT HAS EVERY SPEC. TO EVERY ENGINE OFFERED FOR EL CAMINO,CHEVELLE,MALIBU. WITH STEP BY STEP PICTURES. IT MUST HAVE OVER 200 PAGE:smileyb:S. GET IT AT MIDWAY AUTO $16.99 PLUS FRT. I HAD IT IN FIVE DAYS. bumper to bumper teardown with every spec. to every part on your truck. I think it even tells you the cubic inches of the glove box and what bulb it takes. At the rate i'm going i should have the whole book scaned before you buy one.:poke::poke::texas: GIVE ME YOUR CARBURETOR NUMBER AND I WILL TELL YOU HOW MANY DEGREES TO CALIBRATE YOUR CHOCK UNLOADER.
REALLY IT'S A NICE BOOK. I hope this is what you needed. If not PM me and i will send any page you need just ask.
 
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