I sure could use some help. I have the mounting bracket as well as the box. It is time for me to do this on my own and would love to see some pictures of a properly installad vega box. Instructions would be helpful. Here is my project. I am learning how to weld so if welding is involved, I will do my best. I am not stupid, just incompetent.
This seems to be about where most of them go. Key thing is to keep the draglink parallel with the tie-rod when viewed from the top - although a few degrees back doesn't hurt anything. The draglink should parallel the panhard bar although what usually happens is, the box gets installed so it has faily good road clearance - nothing quite like hitting the pavement with the pitman arm - and then the panhard bar gets installed. If the draglink/panhard bar angles are not a perfect match, that doesn't hurt either although you should get as close as you can without compromising other things too much. Don't be bashful about revamping the motor mount if necessary. And don't make the pitman arm the lowest thing on the car. Seen a few of them done that way and it looks a little spooky to me. Note the height of the Vega top bolt. There are other suitable candidates for a steering box. They will bolt directly to the Vega bracket. Visit the Borgeson website and take a look at their pics of steering boxes.
Just saw your welding comment. Steering components are no place for poor welding. Tack it together and have an experienced welder do the actual welding for you. The welder may use TIG, but he'll probably use a gas shielded MIG welder. To that end, don't tack things with a stick welder or an unshielded MIG welder. The welder won't like it and it contaminates the weld.
Nice car!! There are alot of pictures on various post regarding the vega box build. You will have to box your frame (weld) in the area of your box mounting. After that your bracket mount will be welded to the boxed section of the frame. Like C9 said get yourself an experienced friend. Heres a few poor pictures of my 34. Also search this way for pictures and info... go to google.... and but this into the search box vega box site:jalopyjournal.com Finally..after you get installed and are ready to adjust your setup read this... follow it to a Tee. from another site... I just replaced the Vega box with a <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceName w:st="on">Flaming</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">River</st1laceType></st1lace> Vega replacement box. There are several things I found out in the alignment process that I thought I'd share with the group.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> <o></o> First off, on the original Vega steering box question, I have an answer. The Vega box does allow some free-play when it is off-center - this is normal. So it is imperative to make sure that when you install your Vega box that it is precisely on-center when the car is going straight down the road. The pitman arm must be positioned correctly on the steering box shaft so that it is aligned with the centerline of the car when the steering box is in it's center position, then the drag link is adjusted so that the car is going straight. But I'm getting ahead of myself.<o></o> <o></o> I had the alignment done by Custom Alignment in <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Mountain View</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State></st1lace>. They do a lot of hotrods and race cars so they experts at setting up unusual cars. The first thing they did was check the REAR alignment. Yes, I have a solid axle in the rear but because it is a four-bar suspension system it is possible to have the axle at an angle to the center line of the car - this is called "thrust angle" - and you want to have your thrust angle set to zero in order for the car to accelerate without pulling. As it turns out my thrust angle was off by almost a degree, which doesn't sound like much, but it's enough to make a difference. By adjusting the length of the 4-bars the rear end can be aligned to get zero thrust angle. By the way this also shows up as a difference in wheelbase from side to side. They also measured camber and toe of the rear end. Again, amazingly, there is some slight toe-out (not adjustable, of course) which they believe is due to the rear axle housing being slightly deformed when the brackets were welded on. The toe-out was small enough to ignore, but ideally you would like to have slight toe-in on the rear end. The camber was zero as it should be.<o></o> heres mine..
Thanks for the advise. I will get help in the final welds. I will tack in the mounting plate. Any other picturtes would be apreciated. BC
How do I secure the top bolt into the frame rail? The bottom two are easy. Do I need to drill through the frame rail and bolt it in from the out side?? Do I use a sleve and go all the way through? Brian
I used those pictures to illustrate my question. The bottom screws bolt together and sit below the frame rail. Any ideas???
The top is threaded but the spacer and the bracket is not. What keeps the threaded bolt secure into the spacer and bracket???? Do I need to tap the spacer.
I am alittle confused.. the bracket is welded to the boxed plate. the bracket should have the spacer welded onto it. Simply screw the bolt through the steering box and into the threaded top hole (spacer). Sorry...I hope I understand your question
I am the one confused. My spacers are not threaded. Is that my problem??? How does the top bolt stay on?
Petejoe is right about the top bolt mount is threaded . . . if you have a commercially made Vega steering mount bracket. If it's home-made and welded in you may be able to save the day with a Heli-Coil insert. More than likely the spacer/bushing is small enough to accept the Heli-Coil recommended tap drill size. Heli-Coils work well and if properly installed you won't have any problems with them. 7/16"-NC for all the bolts. What you'll find is the top bolt length requirement requires you to cut the bolt down to the right length so it doesn't bottom on the boxing plate. Use a regular lock washer there and on the two lower bolts, use nylock nuts. Grade five or grade eight bolts will do it here. Try to get USA made bolts. The offshore crap labeled grade 5 & 8 aren't really up to the job like and American bolt is. The crummy bolts are found at Home Despair and like places.
I hate to be a pain in the ass but should I put a sleave throught the frame rail and bolt the top bolt throught the frame? The guy who is helping me thinks it needs it because of the tourqe pressure put on the top bolt on the vega box. Is this necessary? It is a lot more work? BC
No, Providing there is an inside plate welded onto the frame to box the area and the box bracket is welded onto the frame and the top mounting bolt hole is threaded, there is no need to go through the frame rail.
If I understand you, the box boss is threaded but the mounting bracket and spacer are not. So running a bolt in will do nothing. If it were me, I would drill through both sides of the boxed frame, insert a length of tube as a spacer (do not leave this out), and bolt through from the outside, into the threaded box boss, as I believe you are suggesting. Some may not like the bolt thru, but I do. Edit: If the box boss is threaded, bolting through it into a threaded mounting bracket would likely be a problem anyway, since the two threaded parts would bind against each other from tightening the bolt. This could be fixed by drilling out the box boss, but again, this doesn't seem to be your problem.
I guess I will have to cut a hole out of the boxed frame to insert and weld the spacer. Then I will have to re-weld the cut out and bolt through. I wish I could weld. Has anyone else used a spacer and went through the frame rail for the top bolt? BC
Yes; For 4-bars, wishbones, traction bars etc. Generally not done for a steering box. Take a look at an aftermarket frame and you won't see a crush tube. (What you call a spacer.) Crush tubes prevent bolt torque from collapsing the boxed frame rail sides Never heard of a failure with the top threaded piece. Trying to set up a failure here with torque applied with a steering wheel can't be done by most guys. What will happen if you can apply too much torque via the steering wheel is the steering shaft will break and the mount won't. Pay attention to what manufacturers do. Both stock automobile and the hot rod shops. You'll learn a lot about material choice's, thickness, mount technique etc. Too many guys make brackets for a 2300# roadster and similar out of material alloy and dimensions - thickness - that could handle loads from a diesel truck....
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