Anyone still making these? Where can I get one? They are a low buck, low tech panhard rod substitute to stop bump steer.
I'd be willing to bet YOU could make one. Give it a try. It'll only cost a little bit to try. Then you'll have one and you can say "I made it!"
i would not trust it to hold against much side load with how thin it is at the top. if you do make one mount it behind the axle so it does not look so bad
If that thing bottoms out, you're sure gonna know it... It's cool, though. I've never seen one. ... and, like it's been said... Make one. Bend a piece of 1/2" sq. around a bolt, weld on a do-hickey with a hole in it... Then, make a whatchamajiggy to bolt it to the spring plate, and you got it... Don't seem too hard... Matter of fact, if you're making it for your spacific car, you could make it all one piece... instead of bolt together and adjustable. JOE
Why not just run a dead perch on one side and be done with it. Ive got a buddy with one on a model a and he says it works fine. Dave
For those that think the "fork" looks a little weak; the shadow hides the fact it IS fairly tough. The homemade version I saw a long time ago had a bearing captured between the "fingers" (to reduce wear) and was mounted on the back side of the axle. (suggested above) The only complaint that I remember the owner talking about; was that road noise transfered into the frame. But maybe if the shaft of the bearing was mounted on "poly" bushings, that would eliminate the road noise.
If you're worried about strength, you could try one in front and one behind the axle. Just extend the through-rod out the back also. Be a neat tech post.
That's actually an old hot rod item. I think they are from the 40's. I think they look cool. Diferent, interesting!
I'd put it in back, but made of thick plate with a very wide base, like a "W". I think that would settle strength issues. I wonder if it shrieks in a long, hard turn??
Use a sealed ball or roller bearing in lieu of a piece of tubing pivoting on a bolt. A bronze bushing w/grease & felt seals would be a second choice.
i cant see how its mounted, but i would think you could make it like two rails instead of a fork to solve the whole bottoming out thing.
Actually, by itself it won't eliminate bump steer, it's main purpose is to keep the axle centered much like a panard bar. Frank
The 28-31 models play an "A" note, get the "B" one for your 32 and the "C" one is specially tuned for 34s The whole thing looks weak and sounds like bad engineering.... use dead pearch or stick a panhard behind the axle
Could be wrong - was once before(!), but it would also have a secondary function of lowering the roll centre?
"Magoo" used a version of that on some of his cars. He mounted a rollerbearing to the rear of the axle and used a piece of channel steel as a chassis guide instead of the tuning fork pictured here. Perhaps the channel could be attached to the axle and the bearing to an adjustable mount on the frame to allow roll center adjustment? Doing it like that would keep the channel at a constant height from the ground and the bearing mount could be a little higher to make it less visible AND less likely to scrape ground on a super low ride. You wouldn't get as low a roll center, but it would be less visible if done correctly. I imagine rear mounting would require careful allowances for the axle to arc back and forth on the wishbones or 4 bars. A Urethane skateboard wheel might be useable as a bearing to keep road noise to a minimum...or maybe some other type of small industrial caster wheel with a larger center hole. WOW! ANOTHER use for shopping carts!!!!
who worries about road noise? loud pipes save lives. Brandon & i have talked about those whatyoumaycallits. i think i will try one on my brand new tupperware 3 window. i will put it on the back of the my brand new chassis eng 4" dropped axle. it will attach to the flat cross member that is moved forward 1" on my brand new after market 32 frame.
These "forks" predate the use of Panhard bars on early Fords. They aren't NEWLY designed for plastic kit cars or anything... Even doing the MAGOO design is far from BILLET engineering. Its just a sealed bearing and a piece of steel channel! Road noise could be anything from just slightly increased harmonics thru the floor to a solid CLUNK every time you pass over a pebble. One is acceptable, one isn't. Does Brandon know what your snapping together!?!? LOL
That bushing spins in the apposite direction on one or the other of those legs at all times... How about 2 bearings, or skateboard, or garage door wheels, mounted behind the axle, on a pair of heavy bolts... Then you could make a nice thick rail, or bar for them the ride on either side... no bottoming out... you wouldn't even have to remove them to remove the axle.
Just curious it doesn't really bother me with a thread like this because it's still cool stuff but how do you end up finding a thread from '05 and replying to it as if the conversation is still in full swing?
The fellas around here still build their own. They have been refined a bit a lot of us use a piece of channel and a bearing on the stud that comes out of the axle.
WOW, a Five year old thread - but what the heck, I'll play. I ran one of the bearing and channel types for a while, but twice bent the channel back on a driveway and lost all centering of the axle, so I eliminated it. I now run the dead perch, which Dick Spadarro hates but seems to work fine.
I also ran the bearing and channel thing from Deuce Factory. Worked fine for awhile, then the channel wore and let it have too much slop. Very scary. Put shims in the channel every 3,000 mi. or so. This was a temporary fix that you had to keep an eye on! Suggest a panhard bar or dead perch.
I saw my name on this and thought I don't remember starting this thread - then saw it was 5 years old!!
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