Does the rear bodywork rest on the transmission mount frame?

[beeman]

I'm assuming the rear body fiberglass ledge sits on the transmission mount? I'm assuming that the rear body mount bracket doesn't support the full weight of the rear body. I couldn't find the answer in the (paper) build manual. Do you need to mock up the engine and tranny to know where the frame ends up prior to figuring out how to mount the body relative to the tranny mount? The tranny mount has a lot of play/variability in where it might end up.
Thanks
Dave

[rev2xs]

Hey mate,

Actually no, it just hangs there. The body rests on the aluminium splash guards at the rear wheels.

I built a bracket which attaches to the trans mount, to which i then attach the body to. it keeps the body from wiggling about over the bad roads here in Poland.

Hard to explain, kinda looks like this..



You can kinda see it here. Look around the exhausts:



You rivet the top part of my braket to the body lip above the exhausts and then the part of the body which usually sits behind the regsitration plate to the large flat surface of that bracket also. With the bottom part of the braket being mounted to the trans mount, this mounts the rear end of the body securely in place by essentially mounting it to the trans mount. Works a treat for me.

[wallace18]

There is a bracket that come with the kit that holds the body off the trans frame. Some guys make there own that is adjustable. see post #88

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...d-Thread/page3

[beeman]

rev2xs, I can't see your pictures.
I have a gen1 kit, is it different? How do you choose the height you fix it at? I started with the body like you have it, but the bracket in my picture was sitting way above the rear body where you are supposed to rivet it. So it seemed like I had to move the body up. I am having a rough time moving the body forward enough to get the rear tires centered in the wells. Slipping the rear body up and forward like in my picture above causes the wheels to line up perfectly in the wells. Anyone have the same problem?
I have my alignment done, but maybe I can play with the cam bolts to move the wheels back. I'll look at that this morning. My understanding is that rear caster matters only for the amount of bump steer it creates, are there any other issues with moving the wheel aft?

[rev2xs]

Arrgh, what a pain photobucket can be. Try below

Oh and yes, my car is a Gen 1. However, you could just modify the plate so that the top lip is gone and trim it down to fit behind the number plate body area of a Gen 2 i suppose. The body for me pretty much sat naturally like that when i had the rear wheel splash guards installed with their bulb seal. So with the body sitting on the seals, i riveted the body to my bracket so that its supported on the splash guards and on the bracket at the back.

Here is the bracket for a Gen 1
ExhaustPlateBlueprint2-1.JPG

Here is how it sits on the Gen 1's body
exhaust.JPG

[rev2xs]

Thats exactly what i did, only mine is supporting the body from the top lip area (directly above the exhausts) and behind the number plate area. When i had it just like in post #88, i found the body still had a tendancy to wobble a little

There is a bracket that come with the kit that holds the body off the trans frame. Some guys make there own that is adjustable. see post #88

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...d-Thread/page3

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

The bottom corner of the license plate area of the body needs to line up with the top corner of the 1x1 tube on the chassis....so yes, you will need a bracket that attaches to that rear 1x1 tube for the license plate are to attach to......very similar to the way you have it positioned in your photo, but moved back about 1/2".

[beeman]

Would you all agree that I should get the engine and tranny in prior to finalizing the rear body?
Shane - so I don't look too high or low where I am? Is there any problem with making a bracket that mounts the rear body like FFR suggests but also has the body resting on the tranny mount frame? Just seems stronger than rivets.. Too much vibration? I would rather not move the body back towards the rear, but 1/2" won't kill me.

[rev2xs]

Might be a good idea. When adjusting the body, you would want the the full weight of the car sitting on the wheels to make sure the body is sitting right relative to the rear wheel arches.

At least, thats what i did anyways.

[beeman]

I have my ride height set, but I just talked to one of the Lingenfelter guys, he's going to give me a 2nd set of hands tonight to get the drivetrain in.

The build manual just has these side panels in when you drop the body on... Is the body weight on these side panels? They seem too flexible.

[Presto51]

I have my alignment done, but maybe I can play with the cam bolts to move the wheels back. I'll look at that this morning. My understanding is that rear caster matters only for the amount of bump steer it creates, are there any other issues with moving the wheel aft?

Would you all agree that I should get the engine and tranny in prior to finalizing the rear body?

Dave both of your statements have me a little confused. Not sure how you can have your alignment done without having the engine and trans in, since the weight of both of those units have an impact on the alignment.

FWIW: My two cents from the peanut gallery, is to have it in go-kart shape, including having the alignment done, and once that's all dialed in, than go for the body mounting and fitment.

Don't change the wheel alignment to fit the body, change/modify the body to fit the alignment.

"Not a sermon just a thought"

Ron

[rev2xs]

Ah yes i see, the build guide as the name suggests, is a guide only. So you dont have to follow it religiously. So after you fit the engine and trans, then do the alignment, you fit the body then all the splash guards at the rear end to adjust the body fitment (thats where that bracket of mine came in handy. Once i fitted it correctly, it was easy to get that body alignment again because my bracket wouldnt let the body sit in any other way).

You can always remove the splash guards later on if they get in the way of something else. Fit them on screws first over riveting them in. In fact, the splash guards on the front side of my rear wheels i actually have fitted with screws instead of rivets for ease of access to the fuel tank plumbing.

I have my ride height set, but I just talked to one of the Lingenfelter guys, he's going to give me a 2nd set of hands tonight to get the drivetrain in.

The build manual just has these side panels in when you drop the body on... Is the body weight on these side panels? They seem too flexible.

[beeman]

I agree with trying to make the form fit the function Ron. I am under the impression that if I have my ride height set, I should be able to reproduce the geometry with any weight by adjusting the coil-overs back to the set ride height?

[beeman]

Ah yes i see, the build guide as the name suggests, is a guide only. So you dont have to follow it religiously. So after you fit the engine and trans, then do the alignment, you fit the body then all the splash guards at the rear end to adjust the body fitment (thats where that bracket of mine came in handy. Once i fitted it correctly, it was easy to get that body alignment again because my bracket wouldnt let the body sit in any other way).

You can always remove the splash guards later on if they get in the way of something else. Fit them on screws first over riveting them in. In fact, the splash guards on the front side of my rear wheels i actually have fitted with screws instead of rivets for ease of access to the fuel tank plumbing.

Thanks! I'm having trouble even finding the engine bay aluminum in my paper build manual. I downloaded the digital manual a while back, I'll try to find it.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

No need to have your engine and trans in for the bodywork. I would recommend moving the body back so that the license plate area is flush with the rear of the 1x1 tube. This is the way we've mounted all GTM bodies here. The panels that the big yellow arrow is pointing to above will not support the body at all UNTIL you get the rest of the aluminum panels installed back there....the big panels behind the tires as well as the two panels that install in front of the panel the arrow is pointing to. All of those panels need to be fitted/trimmed and positioned so that the bulb seal will help support the body.

I know on some of the "long tail" Porsche transaxles, there's not a ton of room for the shift linkage....if that is what you have for a trans, it wouldn't surprise me if the shift linkage would hit the body if you left your body in the position it's in right now.

[beeman]

No need to have your engine and trans in for the bodywork. I would recommend moving the body back so that the license plate area is flush with the rear of the 1x1 tube. This is the way we've mounted all GTM bodies here. The panels that the big yellow arrow is pointing to above will not support the body at all UNTIL you get the rest of the aluminum panels installed back there....the big panels behind the tires as well as the two panels that install in front of the panel the arrow is pointing to. All of those panels need to be fitted/trimmed and positioned so that the bulb seal will help support the body.

I know on some of the "long tail" Porsche transaxles, there's not a ton of room for the shift linkage....if that is what you have for a trans, it wouldn't surprise me if the shift linkage would hit the body if you left your body in the position it's in right now.

Thanks for your expertise, Shane. That makes more sense. If you don't mind me asking, is there a 'right' height for the rear body (at the license plate recess) relative to the 1x1 tube at the back of the gearbox subframe? I have found myself with 2 body halves, so I can't reference where the rest of the car wants to lay.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

On every car we've done here, we line up the bottom corner of the license plate area of the body with the top corner of the 1x1 tube.