How to bend hedder?
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2011
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From: Southern California
How to bend hedder?
So I got my 428 in and my new headman headers actually fit a highboy well... Well a stock highboy. The problem is since I have a 78 dana 44, the high pinion brings the driveshaft up and therefore rubs the driveshaft, and would hit it hard if the springs compress offroad. So I deed to bend the headers a half inch or so towards the driver side leaf springs. No idea how to bend these guys though....
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
Ratchet strap around the frame or other immovable object! However, metal has memory so it would need to bend farther than what ya need. Doing so also risks cracking or crimping the tubing.
Personally, I would perform a very narrow pie cut on the collector tube, angling it slightly, and then re-welding it closed.
Personally, I would perform a very narrow pie cut on the collector tube, angling it slightly, and then re-welding it closed.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,804
Likes: 5
From: Southern California
Ratchet strap around the frame or other immovable object! However, metal has memory so it would need to bend farther than what ya need. Doing so also risks cracking or crimping the tubing.
Personally, I would perform a very narrow pie cut on the collector tube, angling it slightly, and then re-welding it closed.
Personally, I would perform a very narrow pie cut on the collector tube, angling it slightly, and then re-welding it closed.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
Remember that the front suspension (and summarily the front driveshaft) cycles up and down with very little lateral movement since assembly located by the track bar. The driveshaft will rotate a bit along the vehicle's longitudinal axis but when only one side is reacting to an obstacle.
Half an inch seems excessive. Is your axle centered to the frame? We all know by experience that manufacturing tolerances back in the day were less than accurate - throw in more dimensional differences with a lift and those "errors" really start to stack up. That's the reason I opted for an adjustable track bar from Superlift. I went as far as dropping plumb bobs off each frame rail down to the axle to make sure it was dead nuts centered.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,804
Likes: 5
From: Southern California
Ah, it wasn't clear by your first post where it hit. Mine is close too (FE, Hedman long tubes, with a HP D44). My simple fix was to clock the collector flange and it misses by about 3/16-inch. Real close but it has never hit.
Remember that the front suspension (and summarily the front driveshaft) cycles up and down with very little lateral movement since assembly located by the track bar. The driveshaft will rotate a bit along the vehicle's longitudinal axis but when only one side is reacting to an obstacle.
Half an inch seems excessive. Is your axle centered to the frame? We all know by experience that manufacturing tolerances back in the day were less than accurate - throw in more dimensional differences with a lift and those "errors" really start to stack up. That's the reason I opted for an adjustable track bar from Superlift. I went as far as dropping plumb bobs off each frame rail down to the axle to make sure it was dead nuts centered.
Remember that the front suspension (and summarily the front driveshaft) cycles up and down with very little lateral movement since assembly located by the track bar. The driveshaft will rotate a bit along the vehicle's longitudinal axis but when only one side is reacting to an obstacle.
Half an inch seems excessive. Is your axle centered to the frame? We all know by experience that manufacturing tolerances back in the day were less than accurate - throw in more dimensional differences with a lift and those "errors" really start to stack up. That's the reason I opted for an adjustable track bar from Superlift. I went as far as dropping plumb bobs off each frame rail down to the axle to make sure it was dead nuts centered.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,417
Likes: 32
Cutting into a ceramic coated header ruins the coating. Unless you plan on recoating. I'd trim the crossmember before bending in the one direction. Also think about having a smaller diameter driveshaft with the same thickness tubing made. If it's the stock shaft it's probably time for a rebuild anyways.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2011
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Likes: 5
From: Southern California
Cutting into a ceramic coated header ruins the coating. Unless you plan on recoating. I'd trim the crossmember before bending in the one direction. Also think about having a smaller diameter driveshaft with the same thickness tubing made. If it's the stock shaft it's probably time for a rebuild anyways.
Idk $500 for a new driveshaft around here
But maybe I can find someone who will ship me one and can make it and ship it for cheap. And yea ill try to trim the crossmember
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
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From: NorCal
Oh, the header is ceramic coated... that would have been important to state in an earlier post.
Here's something to check... is the engine level side to side? Meaning, is it clocked to one side and causing the header to hit? Look at the motor mount stud and it should be centered in its mounting hole. If it is, ya might be able to cheat by slightly clocking it to take care of that header clearance issue. However, with a manual trans the Z-bar will no longer be level.
If that fails, grind on the crossmember. Aim for at least 1/4-inch clearance to account for the engine torquing over.
Here's something to check... is the engine level side to side? Meaning, is it clocked to one side and causing the header to hit? Look at the motor mount stud and it should be centered in its mounting hole. If it is, ya might be able to cheat by slightly clocking it to take care of that header clearance issue. However, with a manual trans the Z-bar will no longer be level.
If that fails, grind on the crossmember. Aim for at least 1/4-inch clearance to account for the engine torquing over.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,417
Likes: 32
Too bad your not closer. I could cut that section out and weld back in a section of tubing for you for clearance.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,804
Likes: 5
From: Southern California
Oh, the header is ceramic coated... that would have been important to state in an earlier post.
Here's something to check... is the engine level side to side? Meaning, is it clocked to one side and causing the header to hit? Look at the motor mount stud and it should be centered in its mounting hole. If it is, ya might be able to cheat by slightly clocking it to take care of that header clearance issue. However, with a manual trans the Z-bar will no longer be level.
If that fails, grind on the crossmember. Aim for at least 1/4-inch clearance to account for the engine torquing over.
Here's something to check... is the engine level side to side? Meaning, is it clocked to one side and causing the header to hit? Look at the motor mount stud and it should be centered in its mounting hole. If it is, ya might be able to cheat by slightly clocking it to take care of that header clearance issue. However, with a manual trans the Z-bar will no longer be level.
If that fails, grind on the crossmember. Aim for at least 1/4-inch clearance to account for the engine torquing over.
I bet the engine is at a slight angle.....
... and keeping my fingers crossed.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,804
Likes: 5
From: Southern California
lol sorry. Chargers just rolled in on the busses down the street so we all went down to welcome them back and honk the train horn as we drove by 
g
But no engine is good.
gBut no engine is good.
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