Projects So this is how it starts T RPU turned Roadster

Started whittling the dash down, really pained me to cut it up because of condition but it sure made for a nicer end product. Secured by use of the 3 dash rail holes and 2 factory tabs at each end of the dash . The short 1939+ steering column drop I have is about perfect, first time the channel job is working in my favor for the parts I have. Going to try and get the dash fully mounted tommorow and get on with making it steer.

 

Got the dash mounted today but tragedy struck solvent got on the p***enger side mural and disturbed the paint. Working too fast will bite you every time.

 

Well ****.

guess it’s raining now

 

Yeah not sure if I should wipe it all down to the brown or just let it be.

 

Just let it be drippy for the time being. By the time the car gets dirty again maybe we won’t notice… or maybe air brush correct it. It’ll be alright but it is a bummer

 

I wouldn't rush into changing it, let it sit for a bit & see what transpires

 

I’d leave the Mural alone. Its a drag, but if you had bought it that way I’d like to think you would leave it as is.
The coolness of the whole project overrides a little run in the mural.

 

No progress recently. My OLD miller 200 welder ****ped out luckily a friend let me borrow his newer 200 but it was time to give it back. By some stroke of luck I was able to work on a deal on a gently used MM251 excited to be set up with my own tools again. Did a deep clean of the shop and feeling good about getting back after it.

 

Just in time for a snow day at the shop. Glad you got it sorted

 

Maybe some progress this coming week. Spending the weekend working on getting a new T case/trans/clutch in one of my OT toyotas.

 

Started whittling on my cross steer box, moved one hole inboard to clear the exhaust. Heated the bottom edge of the frame rail and curled it up some for added clearance.

 

Like it grew there! Looks great, moving that hole inboard was a clever idea.

 

Welded the mounting plate to the frame down the line I'll weld and brace it once I decide if it will work or not, nice clearance between the radius rod and the steering box is good even with a pretty heavy guy bouncing the front end. Before I shorten up the tube for the drag link I'm unsure if I should bent the pitman arm out so the drag link isn't pulling at an angle but rather inline with the eye on the hairpin. Rick fron Nobel referred me to a publication by Pete and Jake's and it seems that my pitman arm facing up might make for bad bump steer. Maybe the hairpin needs heated and bent up?


Refer to some really quality photos below.

 

Nice to see a steering box and column being used and not those modern universal joints. You may need to lift the front of the drag link to avoid bump steer. JW

 

Guys please don’t de rail this thread into another ******** bump steer **** show.

the whole bump steer thing generally centers around cowl steering but applies to side steer on the frame as well. You just want the radius rod and the drag link to be moving in parallel as much as possible. When they get into moving in different Arcs the bind turns into bump steer.

With the pitman arm vertical the end of it is basically in the same spot it is stock just moved up to match the dropped axle. If that car has bump steer it’s going be about the same as a stock model A. And while it might exist you don’t hear people having a melt down about it.

to test to see bumpsteer tie it all together and have someone jump on the front cross member- with motor, radiator, full weight in place- and watch to see if/how much the steering wheel turns.

if you have clearance for the full range of motion for the pitman arm I don’t see any reason to bend it. If your wanting to bend it to more or less clock the pitman arm that’s not necessary, you can file the spline in the pitman arm to let you clock it to where ever you want it.

 

If that's the case I'm just going to follow what I know from toyota 4x4 side steer geometry and just keep the drag link as flat as I can. If this dosent work I'll change it down the line.

 

I stand by what i said, geometry doesn't lie. Gone. JW

 

I might heat the hairpin and lift it. To keep everything inline it may be possible to take some old tire rods and s**** tube and weld it together and jump on the front end to simulate bad bumps.

 

He’s not wrong.

I was probably over dramatic with my reply. Seen to many bumpsteer and u joint angle threads that spiral on for dozens of pages and was a little hair triggery on it.

 

Thanks Tim, i have sent a PM to @chlsnk explaining how all this works to keep this thread BS free. JW

 

A few years ago when I was building my T , this hot ****on you speak of flarerd up. I was like **** it and just quit updating my build thread fo a very long time. I totally understand your hair trigger on this.

 

Can you explain or illustrate this comment?

 

file a new 'gap ' in a diff location than the one existing...

 

^^^^ Visual of what Pat is describing.

Remove the wide splines with a tri-file; so the arm can be installed in a different location.

 

Bingo^

 

Made up a drag link today and jumped on either frame rail until they bottomed out and didn't really get movement at the wheel. I know this isn't a pothole at 70mph but it was a real world experiment. Sticking with the design until I can drive it down the road and I find it a problem. Next step is to find a tasteful way to add a gusset to the plate the steering box mounts to. Held up a few pieces of s**** and this chunk of motor mount might offer some of the material needed.

 

One of the new guys at the shop next door just took possession of a 47 dodge "ratrod" I guess you would call it. Most of it is scary but the steering is really scary, makes me feel alot better about what I built. Put some weld on the scabbed together steering arm and welded up a oval tapered hole and reamed it to 7°. Guy he got it from was very proud of what he had built

 

Really cool build! Subscribed.

That r*t rod is absolutely terrifying.

 

That looks about right except it needs more Maltese crosses and spider webs. Geez, I can't even see the requisite bottle opener. I have a whole file of pics of RR contraptions on my PC - most saved off FB. I think the file is named "Stupid Builds". I never post them as I fear offending some other members.
D