Hi ... We use this system to convert to RHD..its just a longer version.....in 70' & 80's american cars the air con and heater box wont let you run the steering down through the firewall ...we have a manufacture here who is licensed and has it engineers certified for Aust condition...makes for a good conversion as you aren't screwing with the steering geometry swapping from one side to the other...ie; steering box and idler arm reposition on chassis rails....Fully loaded BB Pontiac firebird is a typical one....Doug
works on COEs too. 1 of our own built this set up: here is the thread: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=600320&highlight=chevy+coe&page=3
I had to laugh I had one of those 2:1 timing chain quickeners. steered like a go cart. took me right into the wall. never could get the hang of it.
I am considering one, i have cowl steering on a project and the drag link has a horrific angle, doing the chain drive i can lower it down to level so the axle, bones and drag link rise and fall at nearly the same rate while having enough space inside for the stock model 'a' clutch pedal.
I've been considering something like this also for my '51- I only need a few of inches of offset and I can avoid another u-joint and a support bearing. Any ideas?
That seems a little odd - I was under the impression that NSRA had awarded these as one of their 'Best New Products' at some point?
Yep. Found out about it acouple of months back. Really intresting stuff. Anyways, why didnt you have it mounted in the enginebay near the firewall and in plain site? like Hollywood hotrods did on that cad powered rodster. It looks awesome imo. As for the wheels. If you are new to this do some research and study a few pictures. There is a world out there, and many wheels that look a lot better than the torque thrust ds you want. Hell, the ones you have now lok better, you just need a set of thin whites. 4 link conversion is classic, but you can set up the leafs to have a lower and stiffer ride if you want too. DO NOT pro street it.
Oj, I was one of the guys who recoiled in horror when I first saw these things, and then I thought about how long a motorcycle chain lasts with MUCH more load on it (try pushing your bike uphill by rolling a tire), in much worse conditions. It still wouldn't be my first choice, but I think they've proven themselves...
????!!!!!!!, I tried not to comment, but I'm going to have to be that "guy"! Since you're not talking about squeezing into a model T, there may be another fix besides a chain drive column... Any of my buisness, maybe not, but someone should say it.[/QUOTE] When I was comming up 6' and 235 was considered big (real big). It is common for the youth of this era to be bigger than that and healthy. Every generation seems to get bigger in stature. my dad could stretch and reach 6' and never weighed more than 180 in his entire life. he was considered to be a big man in his time. my grandad was only 5'3" and weighed 145 when he died, he was of normal stature for his generation. Ts and As were designed to be comfortable for someone of my grandad's generation, the AD truck would have been designed for someone from my dad's generation. if you notice cars stedily got bigger until we decided that smaller cars were better for the environment. Ergonomics has played a part of vehicle design from the beginning. It was not called ergonomics back then but the buying public was taken into consideration. You thought I was trying to insult young people I was just stating a simple observation. I actually don't have anything against any generation that is represented on this board. I do have a bad feeling toward the ignorant. But I doubt that anyone responding to this thread falls into that catagory. By the way a chain drive is usually a fix for an engine placement or seat placement problem. if it worked in this situation than it is a good fix.
Hi guys I am the guy that designed and manufactures Steer Clear. I would like to take the time to address the concern that some have with the safety of a chain drive steering and the NHRA. Chain drive steering is nothing new it has been used in all different types of vehicles and even some aircraft use chain to move control surfaces. Good enough for the FAA, but not the NHRA!?! Ok lets talk about the NSRA rule about it. About 30 years ago the NSRA had a car built to give away. When it was delivered it had a poorly designed chain steering unit in it that didn't even have a cover over it. That is when the rule was made. I have talked with the head of safety a lot of times in the last 6 years to try to prove to them how safe it is, but they still refuse to even consider discussing the mater. No one ever gave me a good reason as to why until recently. On what turns out to be my last attempt to try to reason with them I was told that they have over 4000 inspectors and each has a rule book, and any changes would mean they would have to reprint them and it would cost them too much. It was like a light went off, now I get it!! So are they safe? I say HELL YES! Just ask some one that has one like Gene Winfield he loves it and wants another one for an upcoming build. I take a lot of pride in Steer Clear and look forward to answering any questions. Thanks Dave
I don't think that a lot of us put a lot of stock into what the NSRA thinks. There "saftey inspection" is a lame attempt to belittle fellas like me that have been building and driving since before there was an NSRA. Here is the big question as far as saftey is concerned, is your product DOT approved or at the very least SEMA approved? I think if I needed someones approval for a hot rod part I would be looking in that direction.
I believe the Steer Clear won best new product at SEMA. NSRA are a bunch of old fools who cling stubbornly to what they think is the way things should be.
A company by the name of Regina supplies all of Harley primary chain they are also big in dirt bikes all of their products are made in Italy and all the motorcycle product is available in the states Their US office is in WI close to the HD plant, go figure!
I actually don't have much that is any nicer than that to say about them. Had a run in with one of their inspectors once, oh well just sour apples I suppose.
I am an NSRA inspector, and am sorry you had a bad experience, but we are VOLUNTEERS who just try to be an extra set of eyes looking at things from another perspective. I can only speak for myself, but unfortunately, I have run into guys like PnB who have a negitive attitude about having their car inspected. Their tune sure changes when I find something that saves them a breakdown!! I am not doing it to judge them or their car, but to act as a second set of eyes that will maybe spot something the cars owner may or may not see. The inspections look for things like mis-routed brake/fuel lines that maybe rubbing, missing /loose nuts, basic things like that. I am not an engineer, but have been around this long enough to spot things that may leave you stranded, or worse....dead! There is plenty of stuff like wiper and mirrors that you can easily check, but when's the last time you made sure your rear brakeline wasn't about to rub through, or your pitman arm nut was about ready to fall off? If you don't want your car inspected, just say no. Please do it politely though, as we are just car guys like you who are looking out for everyones safety. Like it or not, if something that wasn't safe (but could have been pointed out by an inspector and fixed) breaks on your car and kills you or someone I care about, it sucks for ALL of us. As far as the chain drive steering issue.... Unfortunately, they have to make it a black and white rule. It's hard to say that the guy with the bucks to buy a "steer clear" is ok, while the guy with cam sprockets and the timing chain , or worse yet, the guy with the 10 speed bike sprockets and bike chain are wrong without being pissed on more about how NSRA is all about rich guys and their high dollar street rods..........
As far as the chain drive steering issue.... Unfortunately, they have to make it a black and white rule. It's hard to say that the guy with the bucks to buy a "steer clear" is ok, while the guy with cam sprockets and the timing chain , or worse yet, the guy with the 10 speed bike sprockets and bike chain are wrong without being pissed on more about how NSRA is all about rich guys and their high dollar street rods..........[/QUOTE] I manufacture Steer Clear so I know what it has been like dealing with the people in power in the NSRA, not good! Don't get me wrong I am more than happy with, and support the guys who volunteer as inspectors. I just have a problem with an organization that claims to be concerned with safety yet will not even consider that a rule may be unfair. I have been selling them for over 6 years and never had any problems! You have to admit that the NSRA could revise the rule if it wanted to and more clearly define what is acceptable. I have offered a lot of information on the engineering and testing of Steer Clear to the past and present national safety directors and they won't even consider it. All of this would not be an issue with me if people knew the truth about the rule and Steer Clear. As an inspector What will you tell someone that asks weather it is safe or not? It has been told to me that some inspectors have said that it is not safe. To this I say that they do not know what they are talking about
if you've ever been in a small plane with dual control yokes,then you have trusted your life to chain steering. If I remember I will try to get some pictures of the chain system on our aircraft that we make. It's interesting, i've never heard of one failing,
My problem with chain drives would not be with them when they are new, but after they have many miles on them. Chains stretch and after they have stretched so far they must be replaced. I know chains are used to transmit torque in motorcycles, and i also know how often they require maintence, i have to adjust the primary chain in my bike twice a year on my sportster and clean and adjust the rear chain on my Suzuki about every 500 miles. I understand that "X" car weighing "X" pounds with power steering, "X" front suspension and "X" tires may never stretch out or wear out a chain drive, BUT, "Y" car weighing "Y" pounds with manual steering, "Y" front suspension and "Y" front tires may stretch out the chain at some point. And one last thing about how you never hear of one failing in an airplane, maybe it is because of the routine FAA inspections that look for things like a worn out chain and mandate that said chain needs to be replaced before said airplane can fly again. I would also like to add that i am not an engineer and that i am FAR from a chain drive expert and that i am merely relaying my thoughts and some of the concerns that i personally would have.
well im the guy whos going to make his own from crank sprocket and a double roller timing chain. and im going to bet my life on it.and thats something that means a hell of lot to me!mr inspector maybe i read it wrong but to me it seems you are questioning my fab skills.and my intelligence.my welding has passed every stress test ive taken. everything i have designed and built has had safety on the forefront.chain drive is nothing new. it has been here for a long time.someone has had the forsight to design and build a better mouse trap.and im kinda going with mr beaner on this one i dont really approve of nsra anyway.but im sure your not gonna cry over this.i think any organization that will not approve the steer clear is just fighting new ideas. you know like stay with what we know.it cant be good or safe or we would have had it a long time ago.there is no good reason for front wheel drive either but every car manufacturer is using. ever had a front wheel drive car get away from you on a wet pavement.i have and i didnt like the way it handled.anyway im getting away from the subject here.nsra doesnt have to print new guidelines to approve this .ever hear of supplements. oh hell im tire and imgoing to bed goodnite guys.goodnite mr.inspector.
nsra23,i hear you on the stretching on a bike chain. ive built alot of custom bikes here at the shop. some with some really long chains. i had to add tensioners to keep it right. thats how i was going to build mine. with some type of built in tensioner.and have in incased like steer clear so that if the chain did stretch it could not come off the gears.and it wont be near or even close to the length of a bike chain. so stetch will be at a minimum.the more links in a chain the more links to stretch.i think lol
Back in the late 50's a friend of mine built a Model A sedan with chain drive. I don't have a clue how it was rigged up, but there is no way in Hell that his set up could have been safe. I found out after I rode in his car that he had used a bicycle chain and sprocket set up. Had I known that in advance, I would not have ridden in his car. these new deals are safe as can be. Nuff said by me. Later, Dick
I'm sure there is some sort of inspection protocol on these drives, plenty of stuff in the steering and suspension wears out and should be inspected on a regular basis anyway. I think with the relatively light load on this drive, it's not going to stretch for a very long time. I know bike chains and timing chains wear out, but they are under much more load, and also operating at a much higher rate of speed then this. It's a little off topic, but on the subject, at one point I had a very early 70's Honda car that had been converted from RIGHT hand drive to left hand drive, by a chain system, the chain ran under the dash, with the steering box on the right side, the master cylinder was also on the right, with the pedals connected with torque tubes running under the dash also. I wish I had taken pictures of that car, as I've never seen a conversion like it again
Its a cop out... A chain might stretch... It would stretch a lot more and a lot faster if it was closer to its design limits. ( although, if I was going to build one I'd put an adjuster in it. ) And one might fail, so they dont like any. What do they do when they see a cracked wishbone or one with wore out bushings? Condemn all the good ones too? All that said, putting a chain in the steering column would be a very last resort kinda thing for me. Seems to me, you should be able to find a more elegant sollution in most situations....
Utter nonsense. There is no comparison whatsoever possible when discussing chain steering devices like Steer Clear or chain controls in airplanes vs power transmission chain drives like what is on motorcycles. A motorcycle chain operates out in the environment and is subjected to rain and dirt, as well as transmitting far more power and torque than an enclosed steering chain will ever be subjected to. Same goes for the very light loads an airplane control system will be exposed to, and the clean environment it operates in. An enclosed chain in a device like a steer clear would not suffer anything close to requiring replacement even after hundreds of thousands of miles. If we are going to make comparisons they should at least be made from some basis of knowledge. And they should make sense.
First, my Beechcraft Bonanza has a chain drive steering and I've never given a thought to it's failing. More importantly, your 47 Chevy looks like my 46, and I know that an option on that truck was a 1 ton p/u with dual rear wheels and wider versions of the stock 1/2 ton fenders. These fenders may be available in someone's junk yard or a swap meet. Just an alternative to tubbing the rear. Good luck!
Remember NSRA screwed us "traditional" hot rod guys a couple of years ago by changing the criteria that we held dear, and spent millions of dollars supporting, by allowing the very cars we mostly despise into their events. All in the hopes of keeping their bank accounts full, NOTHING MORE. After that I don't have any trouble discounting their little "rule" about chain steering. Frank
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