Picked up a S10 8.5" rear axle to put in my '28 Buick project. Replacing enclosed drive shaft assembly. Leafs spring mount at end of springs - not in middle like a modern truck. Thinking of building a plate that will bolt between housing and cover. Would like to run 4 bars to that plate. Can I get by with having my 4 bars that close together? Jon
Hard to imagine what you're describing but it sounds like 1/4 eliptic suspension would be a better solution than four bars. If you mean sandwiching a plate between the sheet metal rear diff cover and the housing to attach the upper bars then why not just weld the mounting point to the rear end housing where you need them?
If you were making standard 4 link brackets you could run them right up against the punkin, you will loose some lateral stability but can make up for that with a panhard bar or you can angle the 4 bars outward to regain some of the lateral strength that you lost. If you are running a 4 bar and leaf springs you will find it a smoother suspension floaters like you would run on a ladder bar suspension, even if you links are equal length they still like the extra flexibility that a floater gives. If you are running quarter elips, you didn't say that you are but just a thought incase you want extra info to confuse you even more than I already have. You can build a leaf link, using the springs as your lower links and upper links like a 4 bar. You should them attach your leaf springs to the axle housing with shackles for better flexibility and to make up for minor hiccups in design and execution.
Could you disassemble / refurb the existing springs and get them to work? Or would there be too much movement with an open axle?
No, you cannot have your 4-bars that close together. Nor can you use a 4-link with quarter-elliptic springs if they connect directly to the axle without a shackle. What you have shown in the pictures is a quarter-elliptic suspension. The springs locate the axle side-to-side, and the torque tube (rigid driveshaft) keeps the axle from wrapping up. You can keep the rear springs with an axle swap, but you will need something to recreate the function of the torque tube. That can be a torque arm. That can attach to the axle (as you cannot weld easily to cast iron) via a plate sandwiched under the differential cover. Still, there is little likelihood that you will be able to pull this off without a welder.
I intend to use the existing leaf springs and mounts if I can. Have to measure axle housing diameter of old and new rear ends. The spring mounts move on the housing axle housing.
That is exactly what I wanted to do. Do I need to angle the torque arms out to the frame? Will I need a panhard tube to take the side to side movement out?
Can you post a picture of that attachment point? It is not so much that they have to move, as with a single bushing, but that there needs to be a movable link between the spring and the axle, if you want to run a 4-link. Look at the ends of these quarter-elliptic springs: See, there is a shackle, like conventional semi-elliptic springs. Without that, the spring arc swing would not match the link ark swing of the 4-link links. Your suspension would bind. That movable link is not necessary with a torque arm, as you are effectively just duplicating the original suspension.
One torque arm, center, just to the side of the drive shaft. No panhard arm required. The springs locate the axle.
On the torque arm pictured above, you will see that there is a dogbone shackle that is at the front end of the torque arm. That takes care of the fact that the springs and the torque arm do not swing in the same arc, so no bind.
The spring mount has no shackle. Large tab on back bottom os for the strap that goes to the shock absorber. Bracket next to spring mount is a rod that went to the enclosed drive shaft.
Not a shackle, just a pivot. Your easiest route here, should those axle clamps on the existing tube actually fit the new axle, is a torque arm. It just replicates the torque tube. Still would need someone to weld.
Not that you could use the link mounts on this, here is that very plate, for an S10 rear. http://thorbros.com/4-link-parts/s10-differential-bracket/s10-bolt-differential-bracket Not hugely expensive. I suppose that you could cut the mounts off of one side, add one to the lower, and use one side for the torque arm.
If you can move the "ears" out to the edge of the oval, a straight rib can be welded on to it. Without that, even 3/8" will be bent, like a cheese slice. Also, fill in the valley between the ear, and oval, like the top of the left one. The more metal, the harder it is to bend.
Something more along this line then? For the torque arm would you suggest solid rod or thick wall tubing? 1" ok?
If I were doing this I would get a 3rd gen axle from a Camaro or firebird. It already has a torque arm setup and a panhard bar mount. Going on assumption here...the V8 ones will most likely be an 8.5 diff. I don't think all that many S10's came with an 8.5...if any. I've never run into one anyway and I've been around them for many years. Excellent winter beaters to use around here!
Picked up the rear really cheap. Gave out of a V8 S-10 that a guy street races. When he put in a bigger motor last fall he replaced the rear with a 12 bolt.
The more I think about it all the more I think you need a more...vintage...solution to get this to look correct. Seeing as you want to retain the cantilever springs, why not add another set below the ones you have to creat a double cantilever design...much like the suspension design used on the Napier-Railton Brooklands race car? Basicly it becomes a parallel 4 bar using the springs themselves as the suspension location arms. I just don't see much else having the right vibe and still doing the job. Just Google images "napier railton car".
That, exactly. Solid rod would be hard to work with, and heavy. A medium/thick wall tube construction, including triangulation would be just fine. 1-3/8" 0.188" wall will be strong enough. It should have adjustable ends on the axle side, so the pinion angle can be set at ride height. In the OP's case, he has spring brackets that bolt to the axle tube. Only in his case would the adjusters not be necessary, as he can set the pinion angle via those brackets.
That Camaro axle would be far too wide for this application. S10's did come with an 8.5. S10 Pickups 1995 s10 2wd 8.5 rear, (LB4,L35,M30,GU6) 1995-1997 s10 2wd 8.5 rear, (LN2,M30,GT5) 1996-1999 s10 2wd 8.5 rear, (L35,M50,GU4,G80) 2000-2002 s10 2wd 8.5 rear, (M50,GU4,G80) 2003 s10 2wd 8.5 rear, (LU3,M50,GU4,G80) S10 Blazers 1995-1997 s10 blazer 2wd 8.5 rear, (L35,M50,GU6,G80) 1998-1999 s10 blazer 2wd 8.5 rear, (L35,M50,GU6,G80) 2000-2001 s10 blazer 2wd 8.5 rear, (L35,M50,GU6,G80) 2001-2004 s10 blazer 2wd 8.5 rear, (M50,GU6,G80) 2003-2005 s10 blazer 2wd 8.5 rear, (M50,GU6)
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