How to Build Adjustable Alignment Bushings! Mighty Max Ep: 19 

Well written I agree

Thank you both. 🙏 Your words are very much appreciated. Worry not! I’m not burning out. Yet. Here’s some potentially interesting behind-the-scenes info about RU-vid. It’s not the viewers that demand a consistent schedule, but the almighty algorithm. RU-vid rewards a creator that maintains a schedule with far more promotion than a creator that doesn’t. (I’ve tried both, and Garage Fab‘s recent explosive growth is proof.) The past couple months have shown me that doing RU-vid full-time is actually a possibility! Creating videos isn’t hard. Creating videos with a full-time job and a family is extremely tough! But if Garage Fab alone could pay the bills, maintaining a schedule would be a cakewalk. This is what I’m fighting for! Like you, Garage Fab viewers have been the most kind and appreciative group of humans I’ve ever come across. So they’re worth fighting for. 🍻

@@GarageFab thanks for the explanation - this makes much more sense now.

@@GarageFab As Superfast Matt says "All hail the algorithm"

Quite true. Also accept it as your Lord and savior and sacrifice your first born for it. And preferably your second and third born as well. But still don’t forget to upload regularly!

Much appreciated. I’ll be thinking up something else for you to slice up. 😉

19:11 thank you Marcus!! 🤠

Thank you marcus!!

Screw up? I’ve never screwed up in my entire life. Don’t know what you’re talking about. Thank you my friend. I appreciate you back!

@@GarageFab 🤣🙏

Thank you, Victor! I appreciate you back.

Thanks for watching!

I have to say. I saw the router idea and have now done it twice on my build in the last couple weeks nice watching the video. I love the concept of it and it works so well. Currently working on a rack and pinion conversion where I need to oval about a 1/4 thick metal. It's working amazing. Killer tip.

Happy to hear you’re getting some use out of it. I’m about to slap a router bit intended for wood in there and see how quickly the metal destroys it. I’ll let you know!

lol! I’m a perfectionist. Not perfect.

Haha! Thank you. I’m wrapping up the next one as we speak! See you soon.

I used to be embarrassed by mistakes. If you look at earlier videos, you’ll notice I’m perfect. 😂 I learned it saves a lot of production time not having to re-record to cover up mistakes, and folks like you appreciate it, so it’s a win win. Thank you, James!

Thank you, Nick. 🙏 Thrilled to be that guy! Cheers!

Nice! Your mindset is a good one. 👏 What’s the new trade?!

@@GarageFab Hired on as an Electrician. I got a good feeling about it all right now. Of course that may change tomorrow. 😂😂

Hang in there. If you need $, that should be pretty fantastic. Just don’t lick any wires.

@@GarageFab but copper tastes so good! 😂😂

Mmm pennies.

I like that idea a lot. We see delete plates pretty often on off road vehicles. I’ll definitely be doing that if I see any alignment drift.

@@GarageFab I have 26 miles of dirt between my home and the first hard ball road. I would get 2 maybe 3 trips to town before I would start to notice it was off again. I almost got to the point I was going to just weld it in place. Then I stumbled a store bought cam delete kit, and thought, I can make that. About 2 hours of work later, and the problem is gone. I've been contemplating starting a channel myself to show that even off grid with no garage, if you really want something, anything is possible when you set your mind to it. I have a couple hurtles to figure out first though. 1 is my lack of signal for uploading (feels like the good old AOL days out here). 2 I'm a wildland fire lookout. I actually move out to my tower for the summer tomorrow. That brings in a hole new set of challenges to overcome between time and when fire restrictions come into play. It's still possible, I just need to sit down and put some good thoughts to it all.

Haha! That’s how you get really good at things. Do everything multiple times! 🙌

What mistakes?! That was all on purpose. Thank you, Sean! 🙏

Ahhh! Very good point! Never considered that. Even if they were soft like aluminum, I think they’d still be fine as they’re not much beefier than the factory Toyota 1/8 inch bent sheet metal stoppers. Thank you my friend!

Thank you my friend!

not only is it a great way to get some spinning action, the fact that it gives you fantastically square cuts is an added bonus :D

My pleasure, Matt! Lemme know if it lives up to the hype.

So true, Klay. If you’ve got patience and a steady hand it provides machine-like edges.

I used to! I was perfect in my earlier videos. 😆 I learned it takes too much time to re-film to cover up mistakes, and folks like you appreciate it so it’s a win win. Thank you my friend!

And we can all learn from mistakes top bloke 💪🏻😊

My pleasure. Thank you, my friend!

Hood eye, Zach! I am in fact building arms from scratch using only the front most bushing edge as a locator. The factory arm will be placed in a jig with this in mind, and once the jig is set, I’ll piece together the new arm. I imagine that’ll make more sense in the video. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Haha! Reality TV

Yes! Real life is better than fiction. No reason to get discouraged by it. Take a deep breath and keep moving forward. Thank you, Trevor!

Nice! Where you at now? Thank you my friend. 🙏

@GarageFab You're very welcome man...my family has been in Nebraska Panhandle now for a decade. Trying to bring some West vibe and style here. So far so good.

I feel ya, Bryce! Do a little shopping around for other eccentric bolts, or try and source them from a junk yard. 4 Bolts cost me over $200. 😬

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast!

My pleasure, Zach!

Me too, Sean!!! Thank you! It’s too much work (for a lazy person like me) to balance a day job and Tubing. One day! You are appreciated my man.

Ooo! I’d like to see that!

Haha! Good times!! 🤦🏻‍♂️ Thank you, Jonathan.

@@GarageFab Hey will those poly bushes squeak?

Yes! Poly bushings are notorious for being noisy. A grease fitting makes this go away.

So true! Fascinating how a short break could actually speed things up. 🤔 Thank you, Dina!

You’ll have to ask em! I’m sure they can. If not… They’re called Hougen RotaCut Hole Cutters. They’re kinda pricey but worth every penny. Here’s a pair of associate links to the two specific sets I own… Small amzn.to/3guFEwJ Large amzn.to/3ukxxL5 Thank you for your time, Sean!

My pleasure, Allen! Thanks for always coming back to watch. 🙏

Interesting indeed! I considered building a hyper-adjustable truck to try and to demonstrate all the different designs and adjustments and how they effect things. Thank you Doug! I appreciate you watching!

@@GarageFab Maybe just use your miniature models

True! That was the goal with the models in the beginning. But unfortunately you can’t test drive a model to see how well it steers and stops!

Excellent! Your words mean a great deal to me. Thank you my friend. 🙏

Indeed! Good dude to have on your side. 🙌

Very much appreciated! And I’ll request more info if you have it. I have a lot of rust removal to do soon on a project. Do you know if muriatic acid removes rust?

Sandblasted Kandyman. That's the easiest way forward. I'm sure it's already done by now.

It's a clever trick, but I think a file is faster for this application. High quality files remove material quickly and if you use a vise to hold the tabs, you can't take too much material off if you use the jaw as a work stop. I will concede that the router trick would be great for intricate shapes.

@@matthewpeterson3329 Good points indeed. I use files frequently for those same reasons. I especially like the level of control you have with a file. No bouncing around.

Bouncing with a carbide bit? Unheard of! 😂

@@ClintsStreetMachines You know, Jason at Fireball Tool has already proven that it makes no difference if you back-drag a file or lift between strokes. When is someone going to develop an adapter that fits a standard reciprocating saw, which also allows us to clamp a file tang, turning a Sawzall into a power file? Huh... when I ask!

I’m on it!

Believe it or not, a lot of “experienced” technicians don’t know either. 🤷‍♂️

That’s the whole point of the channel Will!! Steal away! And lemme know how things went for you. Best of luck my man.

Tell me about it. That’s a bucket list tool for me.

Micheal, Sir, sometimes the simplest suggestions are the most brilliant. I never considered taking a few minutes to level the vehicle at the very beginning of the build. 🤦🏻‍♂️ It makes me wonder though, if that would cause problems with all the times that I measure from the floor to mount things. In other words 320mm up from the floor works for both sides regardless of level. 🤔

@@GarageFab yep that has merit also . The reason why many chassis builders use a frame or table so that both are addressed. Level and same datum plane. We all cant make a frame but we can do either of the other two.

Word. As soon as Caroline’s truck rolls out of the garage, I start my truck which will be a ground up chassis so a small frame table will be built.

Truth! Hard to learn from perfection. Thank you, my friend!

That’s fantastic info. I’ll grab some. Does that work on rust? Or is that a different acid? I’ve got some rust cleanup coming up.

@@GarageFab Dunno if it works for rust removal. Only one way to find out though! Whenever I need to weld nuts in place, I'll dunk a few in some muriatic acid to clean off the zinc coating. Just a little in a spray can cap is enough.

I’m certainly going to play with it. I always sand off zinc coating before welding. Completely removing it would be far better. 👍

How far have you gotten so far?! I’m hitting snag after snag. (I bought the wrong Eclipse apparently.) 😩

Quite brilliant. If you don’t mind I’m going to steal your idea and create a video on creating adjustable stands. I think that could be really interesting. For me personally, though my floor is slanted slightly, it is straight, so I rely mostly on squares rather than levels. (15 inches from the ground is the same in both sides regardless of the slant) My next build will utilize laser levels so I’ll be building a low profile frame table. 👍

@@GarageFab yeah by all means! Curious to see what you come up with. It’s not my original idea either, I saw someone else do a variation of it but don’t remember where I saw it. Just filed it away for potential use later. 🙂

@@GarageFab Also fyi another channel you might like is Austin Niemela. He also does custom automotive fab work.

I’ve seen a few of his. Good shtuff!

Yes! 🙌

I like that! I might have to steal your idea.

Good to know!

Yes! Those are them. The all-thread thing is brilliant! Pry bars and screw drivers certainly didn’t work. 😂 I actually do use fine thread bolts. I didn’t know about Torque stuff, I just copy Toyota stuff. Shrug. I do have some sets of course thread bolts with non-nylock nuts that I use for mock-up/welding for easy install/removal. Thanks again, Anthony!

Thank you for that! I’ll look into them. The Toyota version was not cheap. My next build will require 8 of them so saving some money would be swell. Funny, I intend to throw this thing on the alignment rack when I’m done and see how close I got with just measuring the rear suspension and left enough room in the tabs to convert them to adjustable bushings if needed. Probably would’ve been a good idea to just do it from the start. Yes! I remember those trucks. Clearly you’ve been in this scene far longer than I have. In 02 my Mighty Max sported a targa top. (My biggest mod at the time) I didn’t know anything about suspension back then.

Haha! It’s getting to the point that they may stay up for this coming Christmas. 🤔

Thank you my friend!

Much appreciated! 🙏

Haha! That sounds like it’s spoken from experience. It couldn’t be more true. Thank you, Mate! You are appreciated. 🙏

@@GarageFab Repeat offender in fact. not only can I do it in steel I can also do it with carbon fibre, paint, dry wall, and lumber, as well as grocery items....

Thank you, Keith!

Haha! What a kick in the giblets. Nothing better than cutting, grinding, and welding under a car. It’s times like that that I know I made the right career choice. The spark in the ear hole definitely helps.

Thank you my friend! The goal is to show people they can make amazing things happen in their garage too. I’m a Toyota/Lexus specialist and have been for 18 years.

Thank you, Kelly

Does Scraping Pavement have a triangulating video? I’ll have to check!

@@GarageFab he does. He also sells kits to triangulate the lowers and flip the upper arms too (only for Nissans though). Great video by the way. I always wondered how those style of adjustments worked

Oh, I wish I could. One day I’ll be able to take my time. I’ve learned just how sensitive the RU-vid algorithm is to consistent uploads. I was a day “late” in this last upload and I’m already being punished. The viewers are incredibly patient and understanding. Alas! One day hopefully I can quit my day job and the schedule will be easy to maintain.

Truth! Just a long lunch break is sometimes enough to reset and clear one’s head, but stopping and breathing is key.

Imma have to try that!

Haha!! You’re going to giggle when you see the new video on uppers tomorrow morning. 😂 When you say “both” are you referring to the lowers as well? I haven’t gotten that far yet.

@GarageFab yep upper and lowers both the same. Both fit Mitsu or Nissan spindles. There's also some screw in style balljoints that fit. K772, K778, K727 are the most popular ones.

Much appreciated! The Max lowers are also bolt-on so I was just planning on using those but I’ll check out the Nissans and see which I like better. You are appreciated. 🙏

@GarageFab the Nissan has a press in lower. So you can use a mitsu lower in a Nissan. Been a decade since I had a shop building tube arms. Some of that's hard to Remember.

Oh! Ok.

Thank you, T H Omas!

Hahaha. It’s never too late to go back! Hopefully that’s not true.

Truth. There’s a military saying; Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. In Fabrication words, slow the hell down and save time not having to do things twice. What was your method to triangulate? I’m still not sure what method I want to use yet.

@Garage Fab I used a piece of all thread that fit into the lower arm. Used a nut and washer on each side to hold it tightly to the arm so it would be solid. Then I took the bushing I was going to trianglute the arm with and used another set of nuts and washers to get it where I wanted it. Once I had it where it went , used a piece of 1 1/2" dom tubing to join them together. I kept it all tied together until it was cool enough to handle. Once cool, I took it apart and remounted the lower arm on the truck, then just made a pattern out of 1/4 plywood and had the local shop cut them out for me. I made sure to measure the distance from the arm to the bushing to make sure each side was symmetrical. I believe I used a piece of 3/4 all thread that I had to use a flap disc on to get it too fit. I took out the inner sleeve for it too fit. It worked out very well and was a good fit for everything.

@@GarageFab I can try to get some pictures to you on messenger if you like.

No need Shawn! I can picture it perfectly. Well done!

I’ve never heard of it! I’ll look into it. Thank you, my friend!

Correct! But in the end, the location of the ball joint is all that matters. The lower arms will be built from scratch taking this bushing movement into consideration. If I were reinstalling the factory arms I can see how this might be a problem. Thank you, my friend!

We’ll be starting on the front suspension shortly, so there will definitely be some IFS Suspension Basics stuff on the way!

Thank you, my friend!

Thank you my friend! I’d be willing to try that one!

Thank you, my friend!

Interesting thought! I’ve got 4 more tabs to do so I might give that a shot. Thanks got watching my man!

Haha! Yes indeed.

Good call. I’ll be assembling something soon!

@@GarageFab down draft welding table. What ever it is I'm sure you will Ace it. Love the videos.

Interesting! More info please! When you say dial, are you referring to a dial indicator that could be used for measuring runout? If so, what would you be connecting it to to check level?

I’ll shoot a video to you on your instagram Dm in the morning

@jensenfritz8079 Yes please!

I’ll help as much as I can with the fabrication skills but you’re on your own with the garage. 😬

@@GarageFab I built a garage but then we moved before I could get set up for fabrication. I need to build another garage at the new house 😫

Ouch. What a kick in the face! 🤦🏻‍♂️

Thank you for that Sean! I will look. The next truck will need 8 of them so saving money would be grand!

Haha! Nobody likes perfect.

Thank you, my friend!

Believe it or not, a wood router bit works on metal too. Probably goes without saying that it doesn’t last as long. 🤔

I just despise good ideas that I didn’t come up with! 😆 That’s truly brilliant and simple I’m so frustrated that never crossed my mind. By expensive I mean over $200 for 4 complete bolts.

@Garage Fab oooo yeah thats rough haha.

Yeah! That’s a thing. Doesn’t matter what the reason for rushing is, it’s causes screw-ups just the same. 😩

I’m thrilled my pain can bring you such joy. 😆 Thank you my man!

@@GarageFab Hahaha It's not that I felt ''joy'' but that close up expression was unexpected and... priceless LOL But more importantly, it confirmed that I'm not alone feeling this kind of pain, and that felt good. Keep it up my friend you're doing a great job . Very educational, (I learned a lot) and entertaining.

All good advice! I did make a trip to the junkyard but this year isn’t the year for 4 Runners to die I guess. 😆

@@GarageFab pretty common peice across the board on brands no doubt ppl will easily substitute..

I don’t know why I don’t do that! It would only take a few minutes! 😩

Thank you my friend!

Haha! And thank you, Craig!

I see what you did there

lol!

🙌

Thank you my friend! 🙏

Dude. You should smell my garage. No one has more brain gas than me.

@@GarageFab the worst brain fart I ever had was on a 400 amp main electrical service! I flipped up the meter bypass arm and pulled the meter, I forgot that only kills/unloads the meter. I cut one of the 200 amp cables, major fireworks ensued, ruined my cable cutters and had to break out the garden hose! LOL.

Um… sounds like that could’ve been quite a bit worse! My only electrical close call was a fraction of that amperage I’m sure. I was replacing ballasts and capacitors on exterior apartment lighting on a ladder. All the lights were off, but the sun was setting and they’re operated by photocell. While grabbing a discharged capacitor, I saw the other lights turn on and I blacked out. Woke up leaning back on the ladder and managed to catch myself. Good times.

@@GarageFab sounds like you were pretty lucky! I got zapped by accidently hitting the Start/Run Ballast with the back of my hand in an A/C Condenser once. It zapped me so hard it drew up the muscles on the back of my neck! LOL.

I think I’m clear. And that sounds good so far. What’s the question?

@@GarageFab я хочу построить подвеску на таких рычагах, будет ли она нормально работать? Мне такая конструкция рычагов не встречалась и по этому куча сомнений, может быть я слишком сильно паникую 🙄, кстати ход заднего моста планируется в 27 см так как мне больше и не нужно. Музыка в твоих роликах классная 👌

I think you’re on the right track. Everything should be just fine. If you ever get around to drawing it up, send it my way @GarageFab702@gmail.com and I’d be happy to take a look.

That’s quite brilliant. 👏 I’ll have to remember that. I’m in a small space so I still need to come up with some sort of ventilation, but also controlling the direction the fumes go would be an amazing addition. Thank you, Wes!

I think I know what you’re saying about the center line. The only thing I’m concerned with this early is the point the bushing rotates around (the bolt) and that shouldn’t have changed, though the bushing is now somewhat offset from where it used to be. Thank you!

@@GarageFab awesome. You're aware of it, so I'm not worried. I also wanted to say that I posted my chassis table build if you are still interested in seeing it. Videos turned out a bit rough, but what the heck 🤷‍♂️

I am interested. I’ll be looking!

The cam in the bolt is so large it completely covers the slot in the front. The tabs were spaced with the washers in mind. 👍