Tilt Front End, Anybody got one?
07-22-2005, 05:46 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Tilt Front End, Anybody got one?
I am interested in a tilt front end. Seems Ecklers used to have them. Any thoughts, feedback, success, pitfalls etc. Oh yeah, can I still get one?
07-22-2005, 06:36 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
rossalto has one
07-22-2005, 06:51 PM
#4
Melting Slicks
Originally Posted by onaqwst
rossalto has one
i've got the ecklers tilt
i absolutely like it a lot. the great thing about is i take off 2 bolts and one hydraulic arm and disconnect the lites and remove the hood, takes all of 10 minutes, then i've got a wide open engine bay to work on. saves wear and tear on yer back. Big G also has an ecklers tilt
Last edited by rosslato; 07-22-2005 at 07:00 PM. Reason: to add
07-22-2005, 07:04 PM
#5
Melting Slicks
don't know if they still sell them, check w/ecklers and maybe ACI in Toledo, Ohio
Sorry, just thought that was funny...
07-22-2005, 11:16 PM
#14
Melting Slicks
Originally Posted by big_G
[SIZE=1]HOLY SH*T, a little price increase! 
07-23-2005, 11:37 AM
#16
Melting Slicks
Originally Posted by Twin_Turbo
I like my home built one much better than anything on the market because it really gives access to the engine bay without unbolting anything....and it was cheap also 
07-23-2005, 12:34 PM
#18
LOL no hydraulic arms yet, I have 2 gas struts but that's a broom 
it's upside down, look under the hood, you can see a yellow piece w/ red bristles
I don't have detailed plans for it but basically I built a subframe that bolts to the headlamp bolts and the center bolt in the nose bar and the hinge point is way down there in the chin. It's pretty easy to build when you have the front clip off and lying upside down.
The hood will open even further without scraping, since the hinge is all the way down behind the license plate everything on the front clip angles up, nothing angles down like on the ecklers kit so there's no chance of scraping anything. I have a short section of steel cable that limits the amount of travel in the front subframe/hinge. If I open the hood all the way and give a little more slack it can open past complete vertical, without the cable it will open untill the hood hits the ground.
it's upside down, look under the hood, you can see a yellow piece w/ red bristles I don't have detailed plans for it but basically I built a subframe that bolts to the headlamp bolts and the center bolt in the nose bar and the hinge point is way down there in the chin. It's pretty easy to build when you have the front clip off and lying upside down.
The hood will open even further without scraping, since the hinge is all the way down behind the license plate everything on the front clip angles up, nothing angles down like on the ecklers kit so there's no chance of scraping anything. I have a short section of steel cable that limits the amount of travel in the front subframe/hinge. If I open the hood all the way and give a little more slack it can open past complete vertical, without the cable it will open untill the hood hits the ground.
Last edited by Twin_Turbo; 07-23-2005 at 01:51 PM.
07-23-2005, 02:04 PM
#19
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
I wish i had bought one when they were 1200.00. Hey twin turbo, that is sweet. I bet that more than a few of us would like details on how to do your own tilt!!
07-23-2005, 02:55 PM
#20
I'll try to make some drawings when I have time.
Basically, you laminate the hood in the front end before you remove the whole deal (easier since you don't have to rig it like I had to), then you cut the lower sections behind the wheels right on the body line. The upper part will bow out so you need to use some type of setup to get them back to the right position use something like a wooden frame (check for squareness) to measure the desired width. Use a tiedown to pull the sides in and then make some fiberglass ribs on the inside to keep the sections from bowing out. I like to use foam to make a shape, glue it in and then lay glass on it.
The hinge is rediculously simple, just work your way back. Start with laying the now 1 piece front end, which you have removed by now, and lay it upside down, now you figure out the position of the hinge, the type of hinge is up to you but if you place the hinge as far forward and as low (in this case up since you're working upside down) as possible you don't need a fancy scissor type hinge (which is notorious for flexing and shimmying) just 2 pipes, one in the other (drill and tap outer one for a grease zerk) or some bought or home made bushings like the ones used on the a arms will work, spherical joints, whatever floats your boat and how high tech you want it to be.
No you have to make a frame to mount the hinge to your front end, you don't have to reinforce the front end from the headlamps back, if you used a lot of epoxy panel adhesive when bonding in the hood, the water gutter and the strengthening frame of the hood will make it rigid enough.
I opted to mount my frame to the following spots, the 2 inboard aft headlight frame mounting bolts (in the header bar), the 2 front inboard headlight mounting bolts (in the nose bar), the big center bolt in the nose bar.
Mine is an 82, I don't know from the top of my head what holes/fasteners arewhere on older models but the headlight bolts/holes should be similar.
As long as you keep the hinge as far forward and as low as possible you should be able to tilt your front end a long way before htiing the ground.
The ecklers kit has the hinge right below the header bar, that's pretty far up and back
Basically, you laminate the hood in the front end before you remove the whole deal (easier since you don't have to rig it like I had to), then you cut the lower sections behind the wheels right on the body line. The upper part will bow out so you need to use some type of setup to get them back to the right position use something like a wooden frame (check for squareness) to measure the desired width. Use a tiedown to pull the sides in and then make some fiberglass ribs on the inside to keep the sections from bowing out. I like to use foam to make a shape, glue it in and then lay glass on it.
The hinge is rediculously simple, just work your way back. Start with laying the now 1 piece front end, which you have removed by now, and lay it upside down, now you figure out the position of the hinge, the type of hinge is up to you but if you place the hinge as far forward and as low (in this case up since you're working upside down) as possible you don't need a fancy scissor type hinge (which is notorious for flexing and shimmying) just 2 pipes, one in the other (drill and tap outer one for a grease zerk) or some bought or home made bushings like the ones used on the a arms will work, spherical joints, whatever floats your boat and how high tech you want it to be.
No you have to make a frame to mount the hinge to your front end, you don't have to reinforce the front end from the headlamps back, if you used a lot of epoxy panel adhesive when bonding in the hood, the water gutter and the strengthening frame of the hood will make it rigid enough.
I opted to mount my frame to the following spots, the 2 inboard aft headlight frame mounting bolts (in the header bar), the 2 front inboard headlight mounting bolts (in the nose bar), the big center bolt in the nose bar.
Mine is an 82, I don't know from the top of my head what holes/fasteners arewhere on older models but the headlight bolts/holes should be similar.
As long as you keep the hinge as far forward and as low as possible you should be able to tilt your front end a long way before htiing the ground.
The ecklers kit has the hinge right below the header bar, that's pretty far up and back
Last edited by Twin_Turbo; 07-23-2005 at 02:58 PM.
