LUVTruck.com

You are still working on what looks like a great and low cost option us Luv'ers

Keep up the good work.


Richard

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

_________________hell it might easyer to put the luv cab and bed on the s-10 frame

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http://www.facebook.com/ez.cracker
dangerous-toys4life
73 3-door avalanche bdydropped on 18s
86 1-ton 4x crewcab short bd 15"lift
75 k-5 2x
94 king cab

Good point. Might very well be. But if I remember someone saying the s-10 frame is a bit wider but wonder if it would be easier to adapt the body to it.

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Too much to do and not enough time or money!
Courage is the other side of fear!
Pain is the weakness leaving the body!

BUT.....the s10 frame it self is a much weaker frame all together. I have personally seen a single engine twist a s10 frame then turn around and put down in a luv and the luv holds every bit of it and hooks harder.

(FYI: Talking about redluv80's luv)

This swap isn't hard at all. It is actually pretty easy. I am done with the front end sept for coil overs and everyone knows thats no biggie. The only thing that took so much time is I probably broke down and reassembled the front end of this truck close to 50 times to make sure everything was covered to insure everything would work properly.

So far for the necessary parts in this swap I have very little cost in it.
$40 for the ball joints, $7 of steal, $4 bucks worth of bolts, and a couple of freebies of a wrecked s10 that was going to go for scrap.

I have/will have invested more but that was for upgrades such as $325 in drilled and slotted black zinc coated rotors, $60 for russell brake lines for all 4 wheels, I found a set of duel piston brake calipers for a s10 for $70, $40 for a smooth round style brake master cylinder, and like $150 in 2" drop spindles. Think thats about it as far is what I have and will be investing (least for now) in the brake system.

They are most likely more but thats all I can think of as of right now.

Pics coming soon, Camera is currently on the frits so whenever it will allow they will be posted.

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I am a little confused on your setup for your homemade 1/2 inch steel bracket that the ball joint presses into. What keeps the ball joint from coming out of it's pressed in location. Let me explain my concerns. Your pic shows it pressed in from the top. There is a flange on the ball joint that seats onto the bracket. This I see clearly. However what keeps it from coming out? If one is using coil overs then the coils are in effect trying to push down on the lower control arm. The lower control arm is trying to pull away from the ball joint, hence putting constant pressure to disengage the seated ball joint. that is how I see it. Hope someone that is an alignment specialist can explain away the security question I have.

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q106 ... 010289.jpg

xraydave

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Let me xray you, you will feel better.

Not sure but when the spindles are bolted in won't that in itself keep the ball joint from coming out since it is bolted in from the bottom up.

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Too much to do and not enough time or money!
Courage is the other side of fear!
Pain is the weakness leaving the body!

I believe that would do it.

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If you think no one cares, try missing a couple of payments...



FIAA!

SFPP!

Well what keeps them pressed in on a s10...camaro...monte carlos and just about everything GM made with this style suspension...the same aspect would apply here the hole is a tight fit and has to be pressed in to make it work.......they is however ball joints with lock rings that I guess would work as well. If there still is a major concern you could weld the ball joint in the plate. This would be pointless in my opinion.

Things have been crazy around here updates will be coming soon on my truck

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the lower ball joints on my 87 chevy 1/2 ton are pressed in from the bottom of the A-arm. the arrangement as shown for the s-10 mod for the Luv is in my opinion not safe. Unless there is a locking ring on the botton that is not being shown. If there is a locking ring to keep it from pulling out then that would be satisfactory. Welding should not be an option

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Let me xray you, you will feel better.

Then This would mean every vehicle out there with lower ball joints pressed in from the bottom of a a-frame/control arm is unsafe, all of your camaro, novas, chevelles, monte carlos, s10, full size trucks, corvettes and just about everything out there with a A-frame or Control Arm style of front suspension is unsafe. GM....Ford.....and many others have used this style of pressed in Ball joints

Measurements were taken from both the s10 control arm and the ball joint to ensure tight fit and were double check roughly 10 times before they where cut at my friends machine shop.

Welding isn't a option just some people appear to not have faith in a product that has been used for years. But for the people who believe this they are the ball joints with lock rings which it wouldn't be hard at all to use them with this set up.

Would this also mean the pressed on pulley set up for power steering on a GM is unsafe as well? I mean what is keeping them from just flying off? Theres no bolt that holds them it just tension from being pressed on.

This would appear to mean that the term and the idea of press fit anything should be banned for unsafe reason and should be removed from everybody's memory of ever being a method of holding two things together.

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If you think no one cares, try missing a couple of payments...



FIAA!

SFPP!

Sorry bad day, but is sorta the truth I mean if press fit works and has worked for years for number of things. Then why rule it out?

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Hell I wouldn't rule it out. I think it is a great setup. Like you has been for years.

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Too much to do and not enough time or money!
Courage is the other side of fear!
Pain is the weakness leaving the body!

Thanks for the understanding litemup. I truly am greatful of the support.

I am a little old fashion and believe in the method if it ain't broke don't fix it, maybe try to figure out other methods but only make changes when theres actually improvements.

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Shawn, I can't speak for others but your's is the setup that I intend to use. I appreciate everyone's concern for safety, nobody wants to see another car guy get hurt. I also really appreciate the attitude of all of the folks on this website that there are many ways to modify their trucks and just because a member chooses to go a different route, doesn't make it any worse or better than the route that they chose.
Now, for those of us who choose to try to use your method, when are you going to get around to making some plates?
It sounds like you've been pretty busy lately, good luck with your truck and don't forget about the folks who'll jump on your plates when you get time to get them made. Thanks, Skeeter

Yeah been working day and night really, Been doing the normal work here at the shop plus working down at the air port painting jets and choppers.

I am sorry if I came out a little high strung earlier and I understand his concern of safety but what he was questioning ,least the way I took it, is that other being pressed fit what is keeping the ball joint from just simply falling out. I wasn't denying any aspect of a members ability to modify there trucks, in fact I urge anyone who wants to do something different with there trucks to get to wrenching. But it seemed to me that he wasn't questioning the plate it self but the method of press fitting, which is used on hundreds of things.

Soon I guess since they have been requested. Since I have perfected the prototype and can have some punch out at my friends machine shop. I have hand made 3 sets now but apparently one set was lost in the mail this in return forced me to make the 3rd set. Which has been basically the template or mold if you will for measurement to produce these. I guess I will go ahead and have 10 sets made to start off with since they are a few people on here who want them and they are roughly 3 sets needed in this area. Need to go ahead and make a set for me too because these look better then my rough cut originals. The hard part will be doing the programing for the flow jet. I am actually excited to get the chance to play with the machine again...lol May make some other things if he will let me maybe some more custom parts for the ole luv.

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If you think no one cares, try missing a couple of payments...



FIAA!

SFPP!

Keep me in mind for a set if I don't get the other conversion from what Gemini. Whichever is cheapest for me.

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Too much to do and not enough time or money!
Courage is the other side of fear!
Pain is the weakness leaving the body!

Still disagree. it has to be pressed in from the bottom of the flange to be safe. the setup as shown is trying to be forced apart by the action of the spring and up and down forces from the road. hit a bump on the road the tire is going to be forced up....the spring is trying to keep it on the ground. the weak point is the ball joint. it's only force holding it in place is friction. it has no bolts or slip ring on the bottom of the flange. Unless of course this is not shown in the pics.

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Let me xray you, you will feel better.

The ball joint is pressed in from the bottom of the flange/plate. Everything that was done to the truck would have to be done the same exact way on a S10.....this is starting to drive me nuts, but I am gonna keep my cool to try to make a understanding one way or another with you. I need to figure out how to understand you or you need to understand factory GM suspension.

I understand your point of view of what may or could happen, But I don't understand why you believe so when all that holds it in from factory is tension and friction. These parts where all bought for a S10 and where installed the same exact way you would have to if you installed them on a S10. Maybe we need to look into this a bit more, What keeps the ball joint from being the "Weak Point" with the GM application of this method on a S10.

There is no lock ring on the setup I used However they could be used. Fas as bolts I don't know of any right off hand of any that uses a bolted in lower ball joint that would work with a S10 spindle.

If you believe there is something I am over looking please explain because I still am not getting whats is the root of all your concern.

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