Welcome to Club Hot Rod!  The premier site for everything to do with Hot Rod, Customs, Low Riders, Rat Rods, and more. 

  •  » Members from all over the US and the world!
  •  » Help from all over the world for your questions
  •  » Build logs for you and all members
  •  » Blogs
  •  » Image Gallery
  •  » Many thousands of members and hundreds of thousands of posts! 

YES! I want to register an account for free right now!  p.s.: For registered members this ad will NOT show

 
Like Tree41Likes

Thread: Last chance bucket list bucket/bobtail/modified/track-roadster
          
   
   

Reply To Thread
Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 53
  1. #16
    rspears's Avatar
    rspears is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Gardner, KS
    Car Year, Make, Model: '33 HiBoy Coupe, '32 HiBoy Roadster
    Posts
    10,988

    Quote Originally Posted by Zandoz View Post
    I'd like to avoid spacers/adapters if at all possible. Back in my VW days I had constant problems with them. Also, because my bolt pattern is the same as 20+ years of Mustangs, the adapters are premium priced...almost as much as the smoothies, and I'd still need wheels.

    Plus there me be an appearance issue with spacers. Most are around 2" thick. My rear axle is already very wide...61.5" between wheel mounting surfaces. A lot of that will be taken up with the body tucked back between the wheels, but I suspect another 4" or so would be looking way too wide.

    If I run across a set of wheels I really like and can afford, I'd consider the adapters...but they'd have to be special.
    The conversion from 4-lug to 5-lug axles & brakes is not that tough, the parts are readily available and it will be a huge improvement to your project. Just Google Ford 4 lug to 5 lug conversion and you'll find a ton of information out there from the Mustang crowd - all of the Fox body Mustang's came with 4 lug axles, and swapping to 5 lug is one of the first things guys do. Lots of all in kits out there, too, but you can do it with salvaged parts and save some money if you take time to do some research.
    Last edited by rspears; 05-26-2015 at 07:24 AM.
    NTFDAY likes this.
    Roger
    Enjoy the little things in life, and you may look back one day and realize that they were really the BIG things.

  2. #17
    Alleycat's Avatar
    Alleycat is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Jackson
    Car Year, Make, Model: 85 ElCamino, 74 Harley Sportster
    Posts
    15

    Quote Originally Posted by rspears View Post
    Welcome, and good luck with the project. One comment/suggestion, take a look at the tires you plan to run, and be sure that you can find them in 15's which are getting harder to find all the time. OEM's pushing to larger wheels, shorter sidewalls are changing the tire availability big time. I'd look at some bigger wheels, if I were you.
    Just be glad you don't have 14's.
    If it aint broke, work on it some more.

  3. #18
    Zandoz's Avatar
    Zandoz is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Alexandria
    Posts
    41

    Quote Originally Posted by rspears View Post
    The conversion from 4-lug to 5-lug axles & brakes is not that tough, the parts are readily available and it will be a huge improvement to your project. Just Google Ford 4 lug to 5 lug conversion and you'll find a ton of information out there from the Mustang crowd - all of the Fox body Mustang's came with 4 lug axles, and swapping to 5 lug is one of the first things guys do. Lots of all in kits out there, too, but you can do it with salvaged parts and save some money if you take time to do some research.
    Those conversion kits are too expensive for my budget, but I'll have to look into doing the conversion with salvage parts.
    Bill

    “Simplify, then add lightness,” -- Colin Chapman

  4. #19
    Zandoz's Avatar
    Zandoz is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Alexandria
    Posts
    41

    Quote Originally Posted by Alleycat View Post
    Just be glad you don't have 14's.
    Yeah, I bet they are hard to come by these days. I remember having problems finding wide low profile 14" tires for a Le Mans I had...and that was 20+ years ago.
    Bill

    “Simplify, then add lightness,” -- Colin Chapman

  5. #20
    techinspector1's Avatar
    techinspector1 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Zephyrhills, Florida, USA
    Car Year, Make, Model: '32 Henway
    Posts
    12,423

    5-lug on the front and 4-lug on the rear will not be a problem. Carry a can of Fix-A-Flat with you, you won't have room to carry a spare anyway.

    A full R&P unit tied to the straight axle (the only way you can use R&P with a straight axle and prevent bump steer) will look hinkey and cause the old guys to laugh at you. Uni-Steer makes a unit with only one tie rod that works great with early straight axle cars.
    1928-1940 Street Rods - Ford - Rack & Pinions - Search By Product
    A guy with a sharp mind could modify a conventional R&P into a single tie-rod, cross-steer unit to do the same thing.

    The most popular tire size in the immediate future will likely be 16".

    .
    Last edited by techinspector1; 05-26-2015 at 12:28 PM.
    36 sedan likes this.
    PLANET EARTH, INSANE ASYLUM FOR THE UNIVERSE.

  6. #21
    Zandoz's Avatar
    Zandoz is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Alexandria
    Posts
    41

    Quote Originally Posted by techinspector1 View Post
    5-lug on the front and 4-lug on the rear will not be a problem. Carry a can of Fix-A-Flat with you, you won't have room to carry a spare anyway.

    A full R&P unit tied to the straight axle (the only way you can use R&P with a straight axle and prevent bump steer) will look hinkey and cause the old guys to laugh at you. Uni-Steer makes a unit with only one tie rod that works great with early straight axle cars.
    1928-1940 Street Rods - Ford - Rack & Pinions - Search By Product
    A guy with a sharp mind could modify a conventional R&P into a single tie-rod, cross-steer unit to do the same thing.

    The most popular tire size in the immediate future will likely be 16".

    .
    I agree on the 4/5 lug issue. The only viable reason for changing over would be to enable a specific wheel style...and so far, other than finding more of the Lincoln wires or some other wire wheels, I don't see much chance of running across any must-have wheels that I can afford.

    It's funny you mention not having a spare. I do have a spare Lincoln wire wheel, and the idea of doing a speedster style rear mounted spare frequently comes to mind.
    1917-ford-model-t-speedster-12909.jpg

    I will be chassis mounting the R&P. Yes, there will be bump steer, but with the correct positioning of the rack and the use of good steering damper(s) it can be minimized. The DIY Unisteer has been the backup plan all along.
    36 sedan likes this.
    Bill

    “Simplify, then add lightness,” -- Colin Chapman

  7. #22
    techinspector1's Avatar
    techinspector1 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Zephyrhills, Florida, USA
    Car Year, Make, Model: '32 Henway
    Posts
    12,423

    Quote Originally Posted by Zandoz View Post
    I agree on the 4/5 lug issue. The only viable reason for changing over would be to enable a specific wheel style...and so far, other than finding more of the Lincoln wires or some other wire wheels, I don't see much chance of running across any must-have wheels that I can afford.

    It's funny you mention not having a spare. I do have a spare Lincoln wire wheel, and the idea of doing a speedster style rear mounted spare frequently comes to mind.
    Attachment 63715

    I will be chassis mounting the R&P. Yes, there will be bump steer, but with the correct positioning of the rack and the use of good steering damper(s) it can be minimized. The DIY Unisteer has been the backup plan all along.
    With all due respect, I think you'll find that ANY bumpsteer will be unacceptable unless you enjoy punishment. Been there, done that. To me, the biggest part of enjoying a car that you build yourself is having all the parts work in concert with each other in a fashion described by the OEM's designs and that includes ZERO bumpsteer.

    .
    Last edited by techinspector1; 05-26-2015 at 01:46 PM.
    NTFDAY, rspears and 36 sedan like this.
    PLANET EARTH, INSANE ASYLUM FOR THE UNIVERSE.

  8. #23
    34_40's Avatar
    34_40 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    New Bedford
    Car Year, Make, Model: 34 Ford 3W Coupe Replica
    Posts
    14,606

    Welcome Aboard Zandoz! Nice to see you here and I hope you enjoy your time with us.

    The project sounds nice, it's clear that you've been doing the research/homework and identifying what you want / need.

    That last pic of the speedster is very cool! As well as the lil red car!!! LOL..

  9. #24
    rspears's Avatar
    rspears is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Gardner, KS
    Car Year, Make, Model: '33 HiBoy Coupe, '32 HiBoy Roadster
    Posts
    10,988

    I agree 100% on the bump steer. Designing for some "acceptable" level of bump steer is like your teenage daughter being a little bit pregnant. The Unisteer is a great product, but you can do a Vega box cross steer cheaper, and eliminate bumpsteer that way, too.

    On your 4 lug/5 lug issue, lots of the speedsters in the mid to late teens had an option for TWO spares in that rear mount position. You could then carry one front, one rear and cover the bases. I still like the idea of having five lug all around, but it's not at all critical. With the size of the wheels & tires you're considering two spares might have you saying, "Does the butt look too big?"
    NTFDAY and Matthyj like this.
    Roger
    Enjoy the little things in life, and you may look back one day and realize that they were really the BIG things.

  10. #25
    Zandoz's Avatar
    Zandoz is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Alexandria
    Posts
    41

    Quote Originally Posted by techinspector1 View Post
    With all due respect, I think you'll find that ANY bumpsteer will be unacceptable unless you enjoy punishment. Been there, done that. To me, the biggest part of enjoying a car that you build yourself is having all the parts work in concert with each other in a fashion described by the OEM's designs and that includes ZERO bumpsteer.

    .
    Quote Originally Posted by rspears View Post
    I agree 100% on the bump steer. Designing for some "acceptable" level of bump steer is like your teenage daughter being a little bit pregnant. The Unisteer is a great product, but you can do a Vega box cross steer cheaper, and eliminate bumpsteer that way, too.

    On your 4 lug/5 lug issue, lots of the speedsters in the mid to late teens had an option for TWO spares in that rear mount position. You could then carry one front, one rear and cover the bases. I still like the idea of having five lug all around, but it's not at all critical. With the size of the wheels & tires you're considering two spares might have you saying, "Does the butt look too big?"
    To me, a minimal amount of dampened bump steer is like a car with understeer or oversteer...it's a trait that you learn to deal with. Very few if any production cars have ideal handling, and almost all require a learning curve to drive in less than ideal conditions. In this case I'm working with the guidance of a couple folks who combined have close to 2 decades of experience with R&P steering on solid axle cars...and myself quite a few years driving bump steering cars with insanely quick ratio steering and no dampers. Then there is the economics factor. This project is VERY low budget, and as much as possible I have to work with what I have...and I've had this R&P laying around since the mid 90s. If down the road it does not work out to my liking, I'll fall back to the DIY Unisteer configuration.
    Bill

    “Simplify, then add lightness,” -- Colin Chapman

  11. #26
    Zandoz's Avatar
    Zandoz is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Alexandria
    Posts
    41

    Quote Originally Posted by 34_40 View Post
    Welcome Aboard Zandoz! Nice to see you here and I hope you enjoy your time with us.

    The project sounds nice, it's clear that you've been doing the research/homework and identifying what you want / need.

    That last pic of the speedster is very cool! As well as the lil red car!!! LOL..
    Thanks for the welcome! I love that speedster...that pic makes me want to try that configuration.
    Bill

    “Simplify, then add lightness,” -- Colin Chapman

  12. #27
    firebird77clone's Avatar
    firebird77clone is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Hamilton
    Car Year, Make, Model: 69 nomad, 73 charger, 74 vega
    Posts
    3,900

    About the two spares conundrum:

    It's not the dress that makes her ass look fat.

    It's the fat.
    techinspector1, NTFDAY and johnboy like this.
    .
    Education is expensive. Keep that in mind, and you'll never be terribly upset when a project goes awry.
    EG

  13. #28
    rspears's Avatar
    rspears is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Gardner, KS
    Car Year, Make, Model: '33 HiBoy Coupe, '32 HiBoy Roadster
    Posts
    10,988

    Quote Originally Posted by Zandoz View Post
    To me, a minimal amount of dampened bump steer is like a car with understeer or oversteer...it's a trait that you learn to deal with. Very few if any production cars have ideal handling, and almost all require a learning curve to drive in less than ideal conditions. In this case I'm working with the guidance of a couple folks who combined have close to 2 decades of experience with R&P steering on solid axle cars...and myself quite a few years driving bump steering cars with insanely quick ratio steering and no dampers. Then there is the economics factor. This project is VERY low budget, and as much as possible I have to work with what I have...and I've had this R&P laying around since the mid 90s. If down the road it does not work out to my liking, I'll fall back to the DIY Unisteer configuration.
    Not to beat a dead horse, but bump steer is nothing like understeer or oversteer, which are both predictable and repeatable characteristics which an accomplished driver can compensate for with power and braking in the right combination. One never knows when the bump will occur, and the amount of impact to the steering is not something one can allow for or correct, because it will change again with the rebound. Now perhaps your two "experts" will guide you to mount the rack solid to the axle like Tech pointed out, and all is OK other than it looking funny. Doing a project on a low budget is a good thing, but compromising safety is not.

    Best of luck with your project.
    Roger
    Enjoy the little things in life, and you may look back one day and realize that they were really the BIG things.

  14. #29
    Zandoz's Avatar
    Zandoz is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Alexandria
    Posts
    41

    Quote Originally Posted by rspears View Post
    Not to beat a dead horse, but bump steer is nothing like understeer or oversteer, which are both predictable and repeatable characteristics which an accomplished driver can compensate for with power and braking in the right combination. One never knows when the bump will occur, and the amount of impact to the steering is not something one can allow for or correct, because it will change again with the rebound. Now perhaps your two "experts" will guide you to mount the rack solid to the axle like Tech pointed out, and all is OK other than it looking funny. Doing a project on a low budget is a good thing, but compromising safety is not.

    Best of luck with your project.
    Nope, the cars they built are all frame mount R&Ps.

    If this works, I've gotten my steering for nothing. If it does not work, it will cost me a pair of steering arms and a tie rod to go DIY Unisteer...much less than it would cost to start over with either a Vega or genuine Unisteer set up.
    Bill

    “Simplify, then add lightness,” -- Colin Chapman

  15. #30
    Zandoz's Avatar
    Zandoz is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Alexandria
    Posts
    41

    Just a bit of update...

    Not much has been going on lately. The last few months have been really bad healthwise. Going out to watch the fireworks on the 4th was the first time I've been out for anything other than doctor appointments in quite a while.

    Since then, the rear end has been opened up and verified in good condition. Next will be new seals and bearings...then cutting off the unneeded brackets. It's been a LOT of years since I've wielded an angle grinder, so cutting off those brackets has me a bit apprehensive. I'd hate to mess up those axle tubes.

    Then there is the other HUGE dilemma...the frame. Almost from the beginning of this project, based on all the good recommendations I saw, I knew who I wanted to build my frame. I laid out my plans based on a custom frame of my design...then the builder I wanted stopped doing custom frames, and is only doing his standard frame. I scrapped all the plans I had, and started over around that standard configuration. I got to something I could live with, but wasn't what I originally had in mind, and was less handicap friendly than my original plan. The illustrations in my original post are of that compromise. A couple of weeks ago, I was ready to pull the trigger and order that compromise frame...then a friend told me of a relatively local shop that does custom frames. The shop is an impressive looking operation, but I know of noone who actually has one of their frames, and after living in this area for 13 years, I've never heard of them. Well, out of boredom, I decided to try and recreate the since lost original design, factoring in a lot of parts I did not have back then. The result is a design that is a lot closer to what I originally had in mind, including being more handicap friendly, but also a lot more complex. Now I don't know which way to go....A simple but less friendly design built by someone who's work is impeccable...or a more complex and friendly design built by someone who's work is an unknown commodity.
    Bill

    “Simplify, then add lightness,” -- Colin Chapman

Reply To Thread
Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Links monetized by VigLink