How not to do a straight axle

Leon · December 30, 2006, 08:14:35 PM

I just saw this on Ebay and was less than impressed with the power rack on a straight axle.

OldSub · December 30, 2006, 08:33:15 PM

This idea keeps coming up on The Stovebolt and on the HAMB. There is even a kit available now to do it on old Chevy pickups.

My brother bought a '36 Dodge pickup a while back that came with rack and pinion on a straight axle. It was hacked together and he is trying to fix it rather than replace it. I suspect he'll give that up once he drives it.

Charlie Chops 1940 · December 30, 2006, 09:28:40 PM

It just doesn't work...period.

Charlie

Rrumbler · December 30, 2006, 09:45:30 PM

deleted

Crosley.In.AZ · December 30, 2006, 09:56:02 PM

Seems dangerous to me....... the suspension moving around , up & down.

oiler · December 30, 2006, 10:32:58 PM

What the hell kind of tires are those?

Flipper · December 30, 2006, 11:07:54 PM

Quote from: "oiler"What the hell kind of tires are those?

Mickey Thompson Sportsman fronts (to match their big fat rear tires)

Leon · December 30, 2006, 11:14:04 PM

I'm wondering how they plan on connecting the rack to the steering column safely with that rack moving around?

Carps · December 31, 2006, 01:43:21 AM

Looks to me like they've also fitted it to the wrong end of the chassis.

Automotive ride and handling 101, reduce unsprun weight, I can see an easy way to remove about 70% of the unsprung weight right there.

donsrods · December 31, 2006, 06:42:46 AM

I've never been a fan of rack and pinion steering on straight axle cars period. I know some people have done it and swear it works well, but I still don't like them.

The main problem is, if you mount the rack solidly to the frame, as the axle moves up and down you get changes in the steering (bumpsteer). There were some attempts in past years for people to mount it to the axle, like here, to solve that problem, but those were marginal too.

Buddy of mine had a bucket he bought with a rack system. I had to bring it home from a show for him one time, and it was white knuckles all the way. I guess he got used to it, but it was a scarey ride. You never knew when the car was going to just take off on it's own and go shooting sideways, even on the smallest road dip.

Don

GPster · December 31, 2006, 09:02:06 AM

I just happened on a company's ad the other day that had a "one sided" rack for cross-steer (and drag link?) applications. It must be a new design because racks seem to have so little travel and are so fast in doing it. That shortness of travel and the speed that it does it would really aggravate that "Bump Steer" plus the short length of the tie rods. Straight axels (or dropped) look best out in the open air. If someone was concerned about looks ( so much that he changed spindles to get the round back ones) they certainly wouldn't hang that "Monkey Motion" behind it. GPster

Charlie Chops 1940 · December 31, 2006, 10:49:57 AM

Quote from: "GPster"I just happened on a company's ad the other day that had a "one sided" rack for cross-steer (and drag link?) applications. It must be a new design because racks seem to have so little travel and are so fast in doing it. That shortness of travel and the speed that it does it would really aggravate that "Bump Steer" plus the short length of the tie rods. Straight axels (or dropped) look best out in the open air. If someone was concerned about looks ( so much that he changed spindles to get the round back ones) they certainly wouldn't hang that "Monkey Motion" behind it. GPster

It's called a Unisteer and mounted in place of a Vega box. The only down side for that is an increase in turning radius. Wzjunks latest '32 hiboy has one. It works fine - just takes a little more planning in tight spots. I drove it a month or so ago and it's okay - just different

Charlie

OldSub · December 31, 2006, 02:40:04 PM

Quote from: "Carps"Automotive ride and handling 101, reduce unsprun weight

And if you don't care about ride and handling you still have an always active slip joint to contend with.

I think it's a bad idea all around.

dragrcr50 · December 31, 2006, 03:39:16 PM

I am just trying to figure out how to get it home if i buy it...I sure would like to have that project, and yes throw away the rack .. however with a slip joint it works well actually just really ugly... I would like to untub it hehe and build another gasser......

39deluxe · January 02, 2007, 01:38:02 AM

This might be why it's on Ebay. He just didn't want to start over again and do it right.

Tom