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[What are the dates?]

Hey all!  What a great time we had at SAAC-49 in Millville, NJ.

I heard SAAC-50 (2025) was going to be held in Sonoma, CA.
Is the track called Sonoma Raceway?  I heard another name.

What are the dates? Getting out there with my car is going to take some planning.

My original axles. I noticed the retainers are stepped. The NOS ones I have are square.
Pat

Current bearing retainers are the same thickness as originals but square. The seal rides pretty much in the center of the seal sleeve so it is not critical at all - it's maybe 3/4" wide so there is a lot of room for error.

I got one set of seal sleeves from Dead Nuts On but they have been out of them lately. Recently I bought some here: https://www.mustangsetc.com/9-31-spline-rear-axle-seal-sleeve/

        Although there often is more than one way doing things and acquire the same outcome, I always press the seal sleeve on separately.   

        First, the thin sleeve with it's radiused edge really isn't strong enough or intended as a pressing fixture for the installation of the bearing and retainer (which definitely should be pressed on together); and then the seal sleeve will in it's installation effort will stop either when it abuts the bearing retainer and the bearing is stopped in motion by the step machined into the axle for this intention, or, often when the radiused over edge contacts the necking up of the axle shaft from the narrower unmachined as forged surface to the larger in diameter machined surface intended as the relief for the next step up to the bearing locating surface and this length is not a well controlled dimension, and you don't want this to be dictating the bearings' position vs. the intended bearing shoulder stop as machined in the axle.   

        Look closely at the photo provided in the previous posting and one will witness that the sleeve appears to not be in contact with the bearing retainer ring.   

        Scott.   

Thanks you Paul, Pat, Royce, Scott and all others that replied!

The original post was about my 1970 Boss 302 that was leaking rear axle fluid.  The problem I'm grappling with is where to tell the machine shop to press on the new seal sleeves I got from Mustang Etc.  Does anyone have an exact specification or measurement?  Trying to get the car prepped for judging at the MCA 60th in Barber Motorsports Park on April 5-7.  I'm leaving on Wednesday 4/3.  That is if I can stop this car from leaking rear axle fluid.  See photos attached; the passenger side axle seems to be the problem.  It seems to me the passenger side seal sleeve (longer axle) is not straight (pressed on crooked).  The driver's side was moved from it's original position.

The Machine shop (that I was advised to take them to) said "where do you want me to put them?".  I can't find any mention of "seal sleeves" or anything like it in the 1970 Ford Shop Manual (Volume 1 page 15-02-nn Driveline / rear axle section.  Machine shops, engine builders, Ford dealers - no one even knew what the proper name of the part was.  The Machinist said he'd take the old ones off and see if he could see where they were originally pressed on. It's amazing that with all the references I went to, I couldn't find one document with an exact specification (e.g. "Press the seal sleeve on 42-3/4 inches from the splined end" or something like that). 

Any thoughts before I give the Machinist his instructions tomorrow morning? 

My 19 GT350R won't make the trip to SAAC-48.
I'm not sure how to cancel, as I was only going there for the open track.

Would anyone like to buy my track time Thursday and Friday (discounted)?

Call 631 807 1227

ShelBoss

Still my favorite magazine ad of all time ...

You're golden!  Really nice truck.

You've got until July.  Find a nice big U-Haul place by you (not a supermarket or tiny strip mall - there are plenty of full service facilities).  Pick a nice weekend and rent the autotransporter for a day (you can do this online if you want).  Go there, watch them hook it up, and take it out to a big corporate parking lot (with nothing on it).  You won't even know it's behind you.  Then once you have a feel for it, go home, (print out my post), load your Shelby on, and carefully go back to the parking lot.  Practice turning, parking, backing up, - even loading and unloading the car (although that's alot of work).  If you feel so included, go for a ride, get on the interstate.   In one weekend, you could become a pro.

Good Luck!

Let us know how it went.

After 19 Open Tracks (Watkins Glen, Lime Rock, Thunderbolt, Lightning, Pocono, Miller Motorsports, Indy, Charlotte Rovel, Road Atlanta) I think I'm up for it.  But I know I could get better and actively solicit the masters whenever I can.

You must be made of sterner stuff then me? Towing out of LI to the Cross Bronx over the GW?
I did that once and still have nightmares about it.

Going out was easy. Coming back was ridiculous. It took 2-1/2 hours to get from Newark Int Airport to the toll booths on the GW, then I had to cross over to the extreme right lane with the trailer to get on 87 north and all the "jabonga's" didn't want me to.

If it wasn't for the GW, Cross Bronx issue, I'd do it again. As a matter of fact I'm considering it again for the Pitts. 87 to Tappan-zee to 287 south. ... text abbreviated

Hey Doug,

I am determined!  Well at least you know where I'm coming from.  I usually leave at 4AM so I'm past NYC before the traffic begins; family in Indiana & Georgia taught me well   
Breakfast in NJ at a favorite diner is a Carlisle staple!

I'll bet you can imagine this: as show chairman for 2011's "Mustangs At The Beach" (an MCA National Show which at the time was the highest grossing in MCA history), I got the venue (a 200-acre waterfront historic mansion), 6 car magazines,  radio & TV, the winery tour, free tickets to the Mets, discounted tickets to 4 Broadway plays, guest speakers, and a kick-ass 5-course banquet, with live music (not your typical car show BBQ), sponsors from Ford to Morgan Stanley, and faced the possibility that people would be too afraid to pass through New York City. 

Undeterred, I wrote an article  for the Mustang Times called "Getting There" where on 6 weekends 8 months before the show, I took my Boss 302 and I drove 1) over the New London CT ferry w/trailer, 2) over the Bridgeport CT ferry 3) over the Whitestone from the Bronx 4) From points West Over the George Washington Bridge to the Bronx then over the Throgs Neck Bridge w/trailer 5) through the Midtown Tunnel w/trailer 6) from points South over the Outerbridge Crossing to Staten Island to the Verrazano Bridge to the Van Wick w/trailer. 

400 cars came; not sure how many total spectators.  In addition to giving $15K to charities, we funded our club MSCLI for 3 years.

Hope to see you at PittRace!

Hey y'all!   I've never been to PittRace BUT I just booked my hotel* and googled the track  .  OMG!  A 2.78 mile "boomerang" shaped track.  Not sure if we'll get the whole thing (there's inside roads that could shorten the length) but if we do there's at least 4 long high-speed straights.  My GT350R is hungry for this!  So my questions are:

1) When is Registration "projected" to be open?
2) Will there be an Open Track Event?
3) If there's is an Open Track, how much will it cost?
4) Any chance of a professional racing school / driving instructors?
5) Is the Open Track restricted to SAAC members, i.e. can a non-member "guest" get on the track?

* The "host hotel" (Pittsburgh Marriott North) is sold out for those 2 of the 4 dates I needed.  I don't know what the negotiated rate is, but the hotel's website was showing $475/night.  And it's 17.7 miles away from PittRace.  So I booked a hotel 12 miles away from PittRace that was $104/night.  Got to save somewhere ...

[My solution? A U-Haul trailer.]

Beautiful car Eric!  Reminds me of my 67 GT350 (#2888).

I have a similar situation with my '70 Boss 302.  I love to attend the All Ford Nationals in Carlisle, PA (haven't missed a single one since 1995 when they initiated it), but I don't want to drive my multiple MCA Gold winning Boss the ~300 miles there from Long Island.  Same situation with SAAC & MCA shows since 2008 in Vineland, NJ, Buffalo NY, Merrimack NH, Pocono, PA - even Columbus OH, Fredericksburg VA, Charlotte NC and Savanah GA.  My solution?  A U-Haul trailer.  $62/day including insurance.  For 5 days (pickup trailer Wednesday evening, leave Thursday morning, get home Sunday night, return the trailer Monday morning) we're talking $330-350.   I recommend an F150 or an Expedition - a truck rated for 7,500 lbs or more.  I only drive Fords, but there are Chevy & Dodge trucks and SUVs that can do the job too.  Don't have a truck?  U-Haul will rent you that too for another $50/day. 

First time I did this in 2008 (heading to SAAC-33) I was a bit apprehensive.  But they hook up the trailer for you at U-Haul and you can practice in a parking lot (that's what I did).  Make sure you have a class 3 hitch and a ball rated for 7,500 lbs.  A Mustang weighs 2,500 - 4,000 lbs.; the trailer weighs 2,500lbs, so in the worst case you're at 6,500 lbs - well within the limit for what the lowest rated F150s and Expeditions can tow.  I'm sure you have a neighbor who has a boat they trailer to the water; boaters can teach you anything you want to know!

U-Haul makes it idiot proof; I'm serious: the ramps are built in, the tire straps are built in and designed so you can't get it wrong.  The front & rear axle chains are built in; so are stops so you can't overshoot the trailer.  The fender on the driver's side folds down so you can open the door.  I don't like to back up - so I don't.  More on that below. 

If you have a truck, on your day off go rent an "auto transporter" for a few hours.  Watch the kid who hooks it up for you; it's really easy if your truck has a backup camera.  The portion of the street I live on is straight, so right from the U-Haul dealer, I park the truck and the trailer in front of my house, setup the straps, pull out the ramps and lower the driver's side fender.  Then I jump in the Boss, drive it to just touching the edge of the ramps; I get out and see how I'm lined up and adjust if necessary.  Then I back up 2 or 3 car lengths and drive the Boss up the ramps onto the trailer at about 10-15 mph so that I can get the front wheels over the strap attaching bar and as close to the wheel stops as possible.  This will make sense to you when you see it.  When the car is on the trailer, I put it in gear with the eBrake on and the windows closed.  Open the door slowly, step out, lock the door and close it.  I get off the trailer, put the fender up, and attach the front wheel straps - they cradle the front wheels, attached from a bar behind the front wheels to the free end which goes into a ratchetting end afixed on the other side of the wheel stop,  Synch it down tight on each side.  Starting at the front - using my kneeling pad I take the front chain and wrap it around the "A" portion of the Mustang's frame-rail - using a towel to prevent the chain from scratching the frame rail.  The back is a little more difficult.  Wear a shirt you don't mind getting dirty (because your back is likely to brush against the gas tank and pick up road dirt).   Kneeling on my kneeling pad (after I insert the ramps back into the trailer in their driving position), I crawl over the bar, unpack the rear axle chain and literally throw it up and over the rear axle  (if you can imagine crawling on hands and knees, and taking a 10lbs chain (that wants to fall down) with one hand that has to go above your head, loop around the rear axle and hook/fasten to the trailer frame.  And That's It.  Drop your car on the show field and you'll have your truck to get around.  Carry two 12-18" sections of 2x12 in the back of your truck, just in case you need the height on the trailer tongue or you're parked on grass.

Most F150's have trailer apps in the dash, and the U-Haul has electric brakes.  The only thing you have to check (and the U-Haul kid will do this for you) is if the directions, brake lights and night driving lights go on.  Driving with trailer is easy - especially a V8 powered truck with 300bhp or more.  Go slow, be aware of your mirrors and keep following distances long - especially at the beginning.  And stay center or right lanes (you're not allowed in the left or HOV lanes in most states).  Wanna make it even easier on yourself?  Leave at 3AM, 4AM, etc. and you can guarantee for the first few hours of the trip there will be no one else on the road. 

Backing up: I don't. I plan my route so I don't have to.  Most places you would stop off the interstate have large parking lots, only go to large gas stations with many islands, and never go down a road that doesn't go all the way around a building.  Unfortunately, occasionally in a hotel parking lot or at the show.  Never fear: I just hop out of my truck and tell people around "Hey I'm new at this.  Could you help me back up my truck with my car on the trailer?"  And then hand them the keys.  I've never been refused.  Mustang and Shelby owners are nice people!

Hope this helped!

I was there with my '19 GT350R.  We have to do more of these.  Sorry for the late post.
Had a damn good time; looking for more of these in 2023!