Looks plenty beefy,and safe. Good job. I can't wait to see it in person,and maybe even race ya! Sparky Poor BoysCC,TN
Hey, looks great!!! and to think I was stupid enought to go out for a test drive with you...HEHEHE...
Oh yummy bootyfab-a-licious! Call me picky here, but I know offroad crossover steering, and a 3/8" mild steel plate gussetted on the far spindle end ain't going to cut it on the highway. Your steering arm is going to deflect up and down as you steer and as you hit potholes, etc. Eventually fatigueing, then failing. At the minimum run a second gusset in the rear like you did the front, then box that area above the two mounting bolts. Now you need to run a gusset up from the back of this box to the underside of your "Flat" steering arm. That will fix it. Props for definately going with the best design possible, it looks good, just needs some finishing refinement.
Looks good, but I'd like to see some more depth to the flat strip arm really. Maye a little triangulation. Oh, and get rid of the ***got pink paint
Ain't it amazing what a difference it makes when a few basic design rules are adhered to ? Steering arm should be fine BTW !
the big thing is that one steerin arm is welded , and most states and provinces weldin on steerin components is against the law and if it fails your liable . not really worth the risk . my two cents
Well...Unfortunately I have to agree with InDaShop...sorta. Sorry. The problem as I see it is you spaced the flat steering arm too far above the spindle attachment bolts and this will cause fatigue problems, not only with the arm but with the two bolts themselves. From what I can see in the pics, (which DO sometimes screw up perspective...) I would have loosened the tierod end at the drag link, turned it to point downward and then fabbed the steering arm closer to the spindle mounting bolts. The actual pivot location of the tierod end would still be in the same place but the height of the steering arm would be greatly reduced, allowing the top bar of the steering arm to be welded very close to the spindle bolt location or even made from a single piece of plate bent in a press brake. That way the strain on the bolts will be in a straighter line and excessive gusseting won't be needed. Gusseting what you have now will limit some potential deflection and arm fatigue, but it WON'T relieve the stresses on the bolts. In my opinion, THATS the big issue here, and could result in total failure of the steering. No shame in redoing something you know...EVERYONE has to sometimes...8^( Sorry to have to rag on it but its a potential safety issue so it just wouldn't be right to say nothing...
Maybe I'm a little paranoid, a little su****ious, a little wary, but them brackets you show do seem fairly simple and straightforward. Have someone look at your bracket while you saw to and fro on the steering wheel, and see if anything appears to flex, even just a tiny bit.
Yes, I would gusset the hell out of that bracket, not only up and down but also out the length of the steering arm on both sides. If you do it right it will look great. You can never be to safe when it comes to steering and brakes.--TV
Build it like a Mack truck. Then you wont have to worry about losing steering when you land back down from those wheelies.
The bottom ones are dropped but they still align with the bolts to keep the stress reasonable. See how the arm aims directly at the bolt bosses? Harry Fabricator is right about the welded components...if you could make it from a prebent piece of steel plate it would be better. Not cheap angle iron mind you, a good piece of bent structural plate or even a section from a piece of rectangular tube would be the way to go. Don't sweat doing it over...ALL builders have a stash of completed cast-offs lying around...NOBODY nails everything on the first shot! I know I have a sizeable pile out back!!! Hahaha I guess someone needs to get Cole a box of Depends for tomorrow!
I guess I'll throw 2 cents worth also. I've never thought those Speedway arms were substantial enough, although I guess they'd be OK , I know I'd never put one on my, or anyone elses car.
Hey Tingler! Why do you have to run your arm over to the right side? Any reason you cant steer it off of the left front? Then you'd have a much shorter arm. No flexing. I'm thinking of doing it that way on my Falcon. I have the room,maybe you don't??? Bernie
Bumpsteer due to the short link length and the potential to angle the draglink tierods beyond their limit as the suspension flexes would be my concern...but I've never tried to do it so who knows!
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