Thread: Think Safety Think Safety!!!

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Just a little note to all who build and fab. We are all guilty of cabin fever,can't wait to get out and drive that new project.Well,today i took my incomplete rat for its maidon voyage.NO RADIATOR, BATTERY BUNGIED TO FRAME, 2 GAL. GAS CAN WIRED TO HOOD, MILK CRATE SITTIN ON FLOOR(what little there is of the floor) AND DOWN THE DRIVE WAY I WENT. Three minutes later i'm walkin home kickin myself (hard). STUPID,STUPID,STUPID. I hit third gear, hit the gas, hit a bump,HIT THE DITCH! super bad bump steer. I just came in the house to post this when i noticed a reply on my thread. The reply read you may want to rethink your pitman arm angle. Well I was in to big of a hurry. DDDDUUUUUU. Slow down, look, think,and if you don't know or your not sure, ask. I'm not kickin everyone for me stupidity, just reminding to think SAFETY!!! Now i gotta go fix some stuff. Keep Roddin!!! Safely

Ah, I bet there isn't one of on here who haven't done similar things. I can't count how many times I've been so anxious to take that first ride that I went off half cocked with parts just propped up in place and me sitting on the milkcrate, or how many times I've had to push the car back home when it didn't quite finish that first ride.

Come on, life would be too boring if we did things the way they should be done all the time !

Don

Good News Is.......... you were able to walk back to the house. The rest you will figure out. I've seen some of those with the pitman arm up from frame rail. I don't see how any work without major bump steer. Same with the cowl steer that is real popular. It's alot different on a race car, with the stiff springs and usually only turning left. Your setup may be do able but you have to get the arc that the ft axle makes as it travels real close to the arc of the drag link. Moving the steering box closer to the frame and using a ujoint in the steering shaft and if I remember your pic correctly also moving the steering box back where the pitman arm is closer to the mounting point of your radius rods. And if I am rembering this incorrectly, well then never mind. Hang in there you will make it...........

my first ride in the monte i was sitting on a cinder block. more stable than a milk crate yes we have all jumped the gun.

It was a nice short ride though. I was trying to hurry and get this thing done by Sept. 15.. There is a Semi truck show in st. Ignace, Mich. All the truckers i talk to say there has never been a home built rat semi that will pull a trailor at the show. Well maybe i'll be there maybe not. But i will slow down and be safe from now on! ha ha ha . I would like to hear some foolish things we all have done! Thanks and be safe please. Keep Roddin!!!

Foolish things... I was putting the glass in my wifes 57 chevy passenger door, and got called away.. Came back after dark. Backed my truck into the shop and heard a strange noise...........Yet bent the door around backwards. All most got away with it but she paid me an unexpected visit the next day. She didn't see it till she was going out.. I'll let you figure out what happened next

i bet your ears are still ringing charlie.

Oh NO !!! Why couldn't it have been something from China or Japan, BUT AMERICAN IRON !!!!!!