Another build thread? Yep, my track-style T

[J. Robinson]

Mounting the radius rods is pretty straightforward but there are a number of steps...

I begin by adjusting them so they are the same length. To do this, I start by "eyeballing" the adjustment of the rod ends to see if they have the same approximate amount threads showing. Next, I bolt the two of them together (just finger tight) with all 3 bolts the same direction and lay them on a flat surface. If all 3 bolt heads lay flat on the surface, that's it. If not, then take the offending bolt out and adjust the rod end in or out to change things, put the bolt back in, and try it on the flat surface again. Sometimes it takes multiple tries to figure out which rod end to adjust. Just keep fiddling with it until you get it right and snug the jam nuts to keep them where they are. Then give the batwings a trial fit and put these assemblies aside for a few minutes.

In this case, I was able to clamp the axle directly to the front of the frame. I used a couple of nylon spring grommets for spacers, but I could easily have used plywood pieces or anything of the right thickness to space the axle away from the frame. Some careful measuring is needed here; the axle must be centered to the frame within 1/16th of an inch.

Now I fit the batwings and radius rods to the axle. I had to take a bolt out to get the batwings between the axle beam and tie rod and then put them back together. Now is the time to snug the bolts with wrenches. (Incidentally, I use regular nuts for all this preliminary assembly for ease of installation. When the car is assembled for the final time after painting, etc., I will exchange them for self-locking nuts.) I use wood blocks, paint paddles, stacks of washers, whatever, to prop the back end of the radius rods in position. Also, the front of the radius rods (with batwings) have to be in matching positions. I used the existing perch bolt holes in the axle as locators for the batwings. When I'm satisfied with the position, I measure the angle of one batwing with a protractor and then adjust the other one to match it. (If you don't have a protractor, use a piece of poster board. Cut it, trial and error, until you find the angle of one batwing. Then use it to match positions on the other one.)

When the positions matched, I put a substantial tack weld on the top of the axle. With a combination square, I checked the vertical squareness of the batwings in relation to the axle. One was right on; the other required only slight adjustment with a ball peen hammer. When I was satisfied with both of them and confident that they were matched as perfectly as I could get them, I put another tack weld at the bottom of each batwing and then welded the top completely on one side. (I will finish welding all the way around both sides of the batwings when I disassemble the front end later.)