[DeTomaso] Shock tower crossmember measurement

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/2/09 11 58 47, tborcich at msn.com writes:


> 
> Guys, can anyone give me the standard measurement for the rear crossmember 
> shock tower? Pocket end to pocket end?
> My bolt holes are very elongated on both sides, actually look like ovals. 
> I'm sending my car
> off this week to have the wheel house damage repaired from broken half 
> shafts and would like
> to have the crossmember bolted in relatively close to a stock measurement 
> before the welding starts.
> I have a December 72 build car.
> 

The slots for the camber bar are just that--slots.   That's one of the 
reasons that the stock setup is so poor; it relies on bolt tension only to 
position it.   The cheap, square-tube bar that Hall Pantera and Precision 
Pro-Formance sells is a much better solution, as it actually jams into the pocket 
and the only function of the bolt is to retain it.

I think what you're really asking is where the chassis should be though, 
right?   They're going to be working on the chassis, and you want the ideal 
measurement when they start welding it up?   I have the De Tomaso chassis 
engineering drawings (some of them anyway), and while they don't list the 
measurement between the camber bar slots, they do list the measurement between the 
upper and lower A-arm mount hole centers and the rear spring upper mount 
hole centers.

Upper rear shock mount hole centerline is 400mm, +/- 1.5mm, from the car 
centerline.

If they hang plumb bobs to the ground from bolts placed in the rear shock 
mounts, the total distance between the two thus should be 800 mm +/- 3mm.

The upper A-arm mounts are 355 mm +/- 1.5mm from centerline, meaning the 
plumb bob distance between the two should be 710mm +/- 3 mm.

Of course this may require the rear suspension to be removed from the car, 
depending upon if there is sufficient clearance for the plub bobs to thread 
their way through the suspension bits.

I hope that helps?

Mike


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