The Official H-Body Internet Community

So, after the Christmas burnouts, the Vega would no longer move under its own power. Here is the Carnage!!





I'm not messing with repairing it. It's new axle time. If anyone wants the old axle, let me know. I'll sell it cheap with widened wheels wrapped in brand new rubber. Only half a burnout on them.

burnouts&rotorblades wrote:I guess I'm going to need that axle sooner than I thought. Check out the Video to see why!!

That was awesome! Don't think I could ever get any of the ladies in my family to try that

So I have the Axle all prepped to go in.

Check out the video!

https://youtu.be/IC999k6-b8A

Good job,
You lucked out finding the Extreme. All premium Vega swap parts. Lots of other good stuff on the car two. I compliment you on the great Utube video series and Project Journal.

BTW, you're officially a Vega owner now that you have trashed the 6.5 rear end. May the force be with you!

vegastre wrote:Good job,
You lucked out finding the Extreme. All premium Vega swap parts. Lots of other good stuff on the car two. I compliment you on the great Utube video series and Project Journal.

BTW, you're officially a Vega owner now that you have trashed the 6.5 rear end. May the force be with you!

Thank you, I do not accept this honor lightly.

Check out part II of the Vega rearend upgrade. #DriftVega


https://youtu.be/Ddp3ionHf4c

VERY NICE!

Excellent video, I like the part numbers. I need to order the rubbers also. Shocks also Probably, I can't even remember the last time I put rear shocks on the SJ. Back in the 90's maby?

The E Brake setup especially sweet.

vegastre wrote:VERY NICE!

Excellent video, I like the part numbers. I need to order the rubbers also. Shocks also Probably, I can't even remember the last time I put rear shocks on the SJ. Back in the 90's maby?

The E Brake setup especially sweet.

The e brake set-up had me scratching my head for a while. I can't take credit for figuring it out on my own. I made good use of the search functions in many forums before finding it buried deep in the pirate 4x4 forums.

Pirate 4X4...

Is off the hook fabrication. Copied a number of fabs for the Supercharged 3800.

Not sure you're aware of this but this Journal is turning into "your one stop shop" for all the most popular desirable Fabrication updates for the H-Body. The fabrication you have done on the Vega in the short time you have owned the car has taken other owners years to figure out and complete. Not saying they are lazy it's just the research and digging most times slows the process down and takes the fun out of it.

I'm impressed by the swiftness at how you move from one Fabrication to the next totally unrelated to the previous.

vegastre wrote:Pirate 4X4...

Is off the hook fabrication. Copied a number of fabs for the Supercharged 3800.

Not sure you're aware of this but this Journal is turning into "you're one stop shop" for all the most popular desirable Fabrication updates for the H-Body. The fabrication you have done on the Vega in the short time you have owned the car has taken other owners years to figure out and complete. Not saying they are lazy it's just the research and digging most times slows the process down and takes the fun out of it.

I'm impressed by the swiftness at how you move from one Fabrication to the next totally unrelated to the previous.

Thank you for your kind words. My day job affords me a lot of time to scour the internet for information. It is only because of all the folks that came before and figured out the hard stuff that I can move as fast as I have. My biggest debt of gratitude lies with all the H-Body pioneers that came and left all this great information. Also, it helps that most things are from the junkyard or craigslist finds so it hasn't hurt the pocketbook too bad.

I am working on something I haven't seen done on an H-Body yet. This way I can leave my own stamp on the HBody community instead of just taking information. I've hinted at what it is in previous videos and in the beginning of this thread.

I hope the videos can keep living up to your expectations, and please feel free to make requests.

This way I can leave my own stamp

Actually,
You already have without knowing it. The previous "Pioneers'' of H-Body Fabrication, if you like, begun explaining themselves with pictures, etc on the H=Body forum. I think at this juncture we all know YouTube has it going on and every one deep dives for info there, informative explanations and how too advice. With your very first video "History lesson" on the Vega you begun to bridge this gap and cutting down on the laborious task of deciphering exactly what the pioneers were explaining in a post. Here comes another compliment, You have a natural knack (talent) with instruction on YouTube. Certainly if a picture is worth a 1000 words then a YouTube video is priceless if done correctly. The larger bonus and the one I like mostly is you come at it with fresh eyes. It shows you represent the H-Body community and your Vega with a built in pride that we all feel.

The Vega gets a sway bar and we take it out and make sure it works! Check it out!!


https://youtu.be/jvhleUx11oQ

The G80 limited slip, or Gov. Lock, is designed to (usually) engage only at lower axle speeds. When you get over the design speed it (usually) releases. Yes, the ambiguity is intentional.
With the right load on them (like a 5000 lb. pickup) and the right axle speed, they will rapidly engage/disengage making more horrific mechanical noises than a rear end has a right to do. After a while they just give up. If you are lucky the little broken pieces will just sit in the bottom of the differential case and won't pick a fight with the ring and pinion. Guess who wins that fight?
In a light car like a Vega you probably won't break it, but as you have found it doesn't work, or lock up, reliably.

Ken

Thanks for the heads up. After a bit of research, I now know the evils of the Gov lock. I wish I would have before I installed it. Honestly, I made a mistake thinking I had an 8.5" rearend when I got this one. But, you live and you learn and it's done now.

The Gov Lock is designed to lock when the tires are at a 200 RPM difference and unlock about 20 mph. Not good for the longevity of parts or the accomplishment of big smokey burnouts as you well know. Also, aftermarket support is not nearly as good as the GM 8.5" or ford 8.8," which were my other preferred swap candidates.

There are some threads/videos around the internet that explain how to override the 20 mph feature of the GovLock. However, I haven't found a video that deals with changing the 200 rpm lockup feature but I have some Ideas that I will film and test. Whether it works or fails you will see it on video.

From the prospective of making the most useful YouTube video, having installed and eventually upgraded a Blazer 7.5' rearend might not be a bad thing. Especially, for guys who only have access to common Blazer/S10 parts this will be a big help. Especially with the help of Monzamouse's weld-on brackets.

I have a plan to upgrade this rearend. I have looked at the Auburn, Zexel-torsen, lunchbox locker, spool, lincoln locker, and Youkon Gear LSD. I don't really want to weld or permanently lock the rearend for the long term, but I am down to have some fun before I get to a long term solution. That aside, I would like to get some input from you experts on which direction I should go and why.

I think I will eventually end up with a Youkon Gear LSD. Unless, I completely destroy this axle messing around. Again, I'm curious about what budget and easily attainable axle solutions you guys have been contemplating.

I would ask, when making recommendations, remember I am not a drag racer. Not only do I suck at it, I have a lot more fun doing big stupid Australian style burnouts and pretending I can drift. Also, track days and autocross type things are super fun.

A Vega/Monza rear sway bar would have been much simpler, either stock or after-market. All you would have needed is a pair of lower control arms with the mounting holes and spacers.

Dick