I am at the point that the steering box needs to be mounted. I have read a lot of threads and read and re-read instructions from Pete & Jakes. Pete & Jakes says the drag link needs to be 1/2" to 1" above the tie rod. In other words at a slight angle to the right steering arm. Most of what others say is to keep the drag link on the same plane as the tie rod. Also, that there needs to be a minimum of 1/2" to 6" maximum clearance from the Pitman arm to the tie rod. I looked at a lot of 1930-34 Ford coupes at Lone Star Roundup a couple of weeks ago and many had the drag link on the same plane as the tie rod. Clearance from the pitman arm was almost the same as the drag link all the way to the steering arm. Some were just as described by Pete and Jakes. Those of you that have done several of these, what do you think? Thanks
I've done a few 28-34 chassis and my goal was to have the drag link parallel with the tie rod and also the panard. Don't know if it makes a lot of difference but the esthetics look good with everything lined up.
I've always tried to get the drag link as parallel as possible, even stock vehicles like Model A's have them parallel. It drives me nuts to see a drag link at a severe angle.
Usually keep them on the same plane, but there are reasons to be slightly downhill from pitman arm to attachment point. Sometimes when turning the end of the attachment point can get close to the tierod and possibly scrape or bump it while turning. If this happens the box should be higher and end up with a little downhill to the drag link.
Henry Ford installed his cross steer boxes at a 90 degree to the steering column. Might not be as geometrically perfect as parallel to the kingpins, but still seemed to work fine.
What do you all think? Too low? I have the steering box tack welded just in case I need to make another adjustment.
Yes, too low. The car will settle a bit more as you drive it, and the drag link will be even farther below the tie rod.
Mount your box so the drag link starts out about 1.5 inches above the tie rod. on the left side with no load. It should be just about right with the engine & trans installed.
Outside of ascetics the real reason for keeping the drag link on the same plane as the tie rod is so the drag link doesn't pull cause bump steer when the axle and tie rod go up and down as you go down the road even though up and down may only be a tad bit. If the angle is off too much when the axle moves up and down the drag link will push or pull the steering arm even though you are holding the steering wheel straight ahead with a firm grip. If you have ever driven a lifted solid axle 4x4 with factory steering the bump steer can get pretty radical because of the angle of the drag link.
Quite true. Something I also thought about when setting my box mount was whether to minimize bump steer in either hard acceleration or hard braking by favoring one side the other. I figured maybe the Pete & Jakes instructions are favoring hard braking for good reasons. I settled on splitting the difference after realizing I was, as usual, probably over thinking the whole damn thing.
Pete & Jakes were one of the first to start doing cross steer, there is a reason why they provide that information; I would follow it to a T. You dont want to go through all of this work only to have a shitty driving car.
No worries. I'm sure they have their reasons and there's no doubt they know what they doing with respect to Hot Rods. I think they just give you a conservative starting point knowing the car is not at it's finished weight and will settle some. It is a static measurement at ride height but that's all it is. Fact is every car is somewhat different with respect to weights (Front to Rear percentage and Total), spring rates, brake bias, shock valving, steering geometry, and suspension geometry. All of this will affect how much suspension travel and bump steer any given car will have in different situations such as hard braking, acceleration or road conditions at different speeds. On a race car or a factory coil spring car it's easy to measure shock travel, remove the springs, move the suspension through that travel, measure bump steer and then make the needed improvements. It seems to me a straight axle car with a transverse leaf spring, and cross steer is somewhat limited. In the end we might have to make some adjustments, like to the pitman arm, after the car is finished to make it better. It won't be too shitty
Did you flip the tie rod on the pitman arm to go on top and leave the one on the steering arm on the bottom of the arm? If you did, does this effect anything? I have mocked it up that way and it is much easier to line up instead of having both tie rods on the bottom. I have notched the mounting bracket on the box and slightly knotched the motor mount bracket and can barely get the pitman arm side lined up where it needs to go. Going this direction makes the mounting bracket stick up above the frame about an inch. It don't look right. I have a Boling Brothers aftermarket frame for a SBC. I am afraid to make the knotches deeper for fear of losing structural integrity.
Yep. Drag link end is on the top side of the pitman arm and on the bottom side of the steering arm. The tie rod ends are also on the bottom of the steering arms. I don't see any issues with it. The only issue I found was at nearly full lock my tie rod hits the Panhard bar mounting bolt (left side) just before it is supposed to hit the stop in the axle. I'm going to countersink that bolt head.
My steering box can go up another 1/2 inch but not necessary because the lowest point of the car is the front axle and the oil pan. I think I will leave mine like TomcatII.
That is the way mine ended up. The rod end on the pitman arm is on top. It seems to want to work that way without having to heat up the pitman arm and ruin the shine. Thanks for the info.
Yeah, mine is about the same. I don't think anything is lower than the center of the axle. Every car is different though and nearly impossible to mock up the total finished weight. I tried to get most of the weight on there. I do have a couple other pitman arms to play with. One has a 1" offset. So when it's really done I do have some options.
When my car had a Chebbie engine , I had to weld a piece of 1/4 plate to act as a skid plate on the oil pan. Goin over driveway curbs was hairy . Ford is no where near as low
Doesn’t matter if the axle is lowest, as it will rise over that big bump (think speed bump). But the pitman or oil pan or exhaust will catch that concrete. For safety, it shouldn’t be the steering.
if you have a stock 22 to 1 ratio steering gear box ask yourself the question why they have started to manufactrure a 16 to 1 ratio vega steering box then ask yourself why they call it a 'QUICK' ratio then tell yourself that the 16-1 ratio gearboxis simply the 'CORRECT' ratio vega steering gear when used in conjunction with a 1940 ford model 78 7'' long steering arm input. then choose the correct length pitman then work out the sweep to get the 2 3/8 or 62mm travel each way then dial in the spindle stop nuts so you are not smashing the ball nut into the inside of the casting and strenth ching the thin brass twin helical ball guides then when installing find the dead ahead tight spot, mark with a centre piunch 'like stock' to keep you locked dead ahead especially IF you are going to mount the box flat to a tapering frame rail and 'think' its a good idea to point thje pitman arm straight ahead - -this is incorreeeect, as you are no longer in the middle of the box, you have limited the travel to one side, which may cause the box travel to not get to the spindle stop that side, so what happens is, on your brand new box you proceed to adjust the steering gear box in the incorrect position for straight ahead, so its over tight when it travels to the middle - -inducing premature wear, then proceed to smash the granny out of it enwhacking the ball nut against the inner casting, forcing the twin helical balls into the thin brass guides and stretching them then complain that the boxes are no good
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