Whats up guys. I don't post much but I do use this resource all the time. The tech and knowledge shared here in awesome. That said I have been building an FED to run with the Southwest Junior Fueler's. Trying to keep it traditional but still compe***ive. Hope this fits in here. image uploader Friend of mine had tack welded this ch***is together over the last year or so in his spare time. He is a professional ch***is builder and has been in the business a long time. gif upload I jumped in on this project in May and started running with it.
got it to my shop in June and started the slow process of welding out the ch***is. I will skip all the pics of welds and jump to the rear-end build. upload gif Jig bars in place and flanges located. now the tubes and brace. upload gif welded out upload gif
finished welding the ch***is and got the head cage bent and welded out as well. free image hosting After 2 1/2 months it Finally looks like a dragster.
Two weeks ago I bought a corvair steering box for 115 shipped and modified it. (dragster box is 475+ out of my budget) wordpress image hosting Got the box in cleaned it up, polished the bearing races, set the preloads, and put it back together. Then measured the required pit-man are extension needed and got to work. image upload Cut the shaft off wordpress image hosting machined both ends for the required extension. image upload Press fit the extension with my BFH! Back in the lathe to true up and tig weld gif upload came out pretty sweet
Just finished mocking up the motor and locating the hand brake, MC, shifter and steering setup. The complete steering set up comes out with 2 bolts + 2 clamps to give access to the trans and rear-end. wordpress image hosting image uploader And this is where I am currently at. The build up will be a destroked Chevy 454 down to 391ci (410ci limit in my cl***), Crower intake, mechanical alcohol injection. Power glide and hand brake. Spoke front wheels and 33's out back on a 200" wheel base.
Looking good! you will really like running with the Southwest Jr. Fuel guys. They are a great bunch of guys and will do anything to help a fellow racer out. I have participated in 2 of their races this year.
Went over to his house the other day to give him a hand with a couple of things and check out the dragster. I wedged myself in the drivers seat while I was there, all you see is motor it's crazy. Awesome work!!!
Sorry about the side ways pic's I'm not a good phone-tographer....lol Chromolly frame, and don't get me to lying on the Corvair years. My box is a '59, I believe '61-'62 they switched to a steel case.
Built the front end this past weekend Axle work post image wordpress upload pngpng Axle mount image upload Made some trick little bungs and built all the steering/pit-man arm rods. hosting images
Sat morning Ric came over and helped me line up and tack weld the front-end mount. Then I spent all day measuring, welding and fabricating all the components for the front-end. By 5pm I was just happy go lucky and proud of my baby. So I climb into the ****pit and make a quarter mile p*** complete with motor noise and all. Then **** **** ****ING ****!!!!!! IT STEERS BACKWARDS!!!! All I could do was laugh....So much for being slick and running the pit-man arm on the right side....lol So Sunday I moved all the steering rods to the left side (where they should have been), reversed the Corvair box, and remounted it. It really works alot better all around.
I was curious about the corvair box, can you turn the input shaft around? That way it will stay as rh steer and mount low? I've never worked with corvair but i turn the shaft around in other boxes. Backwards - that is funny! But i've done that too.
Oj Yeah man that is what I wound up doing, machining the box and flipping the input shaft. That also put the pit-man arm on the left which is normal/traditional way.
Built a mock up axle and the zoomies. Rolled it out side and took a couple pics. wordpress image hosting image hosting Thanks to those that have helped make it happen! The zoomies I cheated or scored. A big radius mandrel bend is $25-35 each. I bought 2" EMT 90's (electrical conduit). They are 2 1/4" od almost the same stuff as exhaust tubing and $6.25 each out the door!!!!! Radius rods and wheelie bar is now done as well.
More stuff...... Front Radius rods. image hosting Adjustable wheelie bar mainly built so it does not drag while towing through the pits. up image hosting down image upload
I built the third member, I will get a coupler in place of that yoke. It's aluminum bolt-thru housing, nascar pinion, lightened spool, and gear. Went 456 ratio with the 33" tires. And will be using 35 spline axles. That is the anti roll device or pinion support on the bottom. image upload upload png image upload
That's about it for now. Motor work starts soon, picked a used set of bad *** strange brakes, the shorty glide planetary, and cover.
You do nice work! That is a kick-*** FED. Should be a blast! Congrats! EDIT: You got any more pics or details on your wagon? It is kick ***! James
2 things; 1) NHRA rules state that if you run a u-joint type coupler that the cover must be .120 steel minimum or that if you run a straight coupler (much better) then the covering can be alu and .063 minimum. 2) I would make another one peice front pinion plate out of alu. and bolt the 2-peice cover on--Why? because unless you plan on re-heat treating what you have , right now you have removed all heat treat from the alu and now instead of T-6 you have "O" condition also I would run a marmon style clamp around the split tube for added safety so as not to open up if things were to get nasty.
Never thought about the loss of heat treat....good call. tks I have the clamps just waiting on the final ***embly. The coupler and axles are on the way. (yoke is mock up)
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