After driving Grumps car round the block a couple of times yesterday (first person other than Grumps to drive his car EVER by the way ), I asked him about steering play.
I realised that I have never driven an older style car with traditional worm steering. And to make things worse, I've been playing with Japanese sports cars for the last ten years which have the most precise steering you will ever encounter, lol.
So, I looked up the systems that most hot rodders use, to keep that traditional look, ie, without using rack and pinion. There seems to be four main systems.
Worm and sector,
worm and roller,
Worm and nut or recirculating ball,
Cam and lever.
Are these all dependant on age, or was it a choice back in the day? And of course which one is best?
I have noticed on some rods, that they have chosen to attach the lever from the steering box through the body of the car, and then attach steering linkage all the way forward to the steering arm. I'm guessing that this will do away with a couple of UJ's and take a little of the play away from the steering?
and it has just dawned on me this very second, that the lack of power steering is why old cars had huge steering wheels! lol
See, I'm learning!
-- Edited by Dave Scott on Sunday 10th of November 2013 11:52:19 AM
Do some research on those "Uni-steer" 'half racks'. Apparently they don't have nearly enough turning radius. Buddy of mine built a '33 and ended up using a Vega box because of the limited range for steering on those cross steer racks. There shouldn't be any steering play issues on any of the styles you choose if it's new stuff or old and still in good shape - old school has worked for many, many years before R&P was popular.
-- Edited by Fordy Acres Car Farm on Sunday 10th of November 2013 03:30:56 PM
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"If I could get back all the money I've ever spent on cars...I'd spend it ALL on cars !!!
about the closest you,ll get to " modern " steering is use a vega box , with cross steering or a flaming river version of it , or a half rack . IMO . My opinion on the long drag link up to th left frt spindle is that older cars used to have the box right at bottom of the column, you used what you had ..77.
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I,m as cool as Milner , but axeually a bit more like Beckwith
I'm not expecting modern steering from my rod, I just had to confirm in my head what was normal, lol.
I've driven big modern cars with rack n pinion, which were badly worn and had a lot of play, so I'm not a viginto steering play. I'm just going through the learning process
Sorry Dave but I gotta ask what vigin is?
-- Edited by entourageguy on Sunday 10th of November 2013 08:17:59 PM
I'm not expecting modern steering from my rod, I just had to confirm in my head what was normal, lol.
I've driven big modern cars with rack n pinion, which were badly worn and had a lot of play, so I'm not a vigin to steering play. I'm just going through the learning process
I learned to drive on a '56 Chevy wagon and a '62 Chevy wagon, both manual boxes. When I picked up my first car (MiniCooper) I had to drive it about 10 miles to get home and my buddy following me asked what was wrong with the steering because I was all over the road. First rack/pinion experience and it was quite a learning experience. Have fun!
It's a hotrod it can be as good or as crappy as you want. Your choice. Spend a afternoon or 2 wandering the local pick n pull at the end of Burlinton street all sorts of hotrod stuff . I kind of like the euro/asian section some nice stuff for a small car
I'm not expecting modern steering from my rod, I just had to confirm in my head what was normal, lol.
I've driven big modern cars with rack n pinion, which were badly worn and had a lot of play, so I'm not a viginto steering play. I'm just going through the learning process
Sorry Dave but I gotta ask what vigin is?
-- Edited by entourageguy on Sunday 10th of November 2013 08:17:59 PM
Thats part of the worm and nut box or better known as the restricted balls box
I'm not expecting modern steering from my rod, I just had to confirm in my head what was normal, lol.
I've driven big modern cars with rack n pinion, which were badly worn and had a lot of play, so I'm not a viginto steering play. I'm just going through the learning process
Sorry Dave but I gotta ask what vigin is?
-- Edited by entourageguy on Sunday 10th of November 2013 08:17:59 PM
just my thought, only, but. i am with slim above on its a hot rod. if you were rebuildling an original car then it would come into play, maybe. my little truck is r&p now and it made a world of difference on whether you jumped in and went to the bitch&stitch night, cruise night, or jumped in and struck out for a couple day jaunt, aka: cruise.
you have to feel comfortable and enjoy the experience.
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---my thought.
Dave,
I used a 40 Ford steering box ion my 29 for cross steer. Either setup works great IF everything is tight. I rebuilt the box with parts from Drake and it was one finger driving across this great country we live in.
In my 56 chebby truck stock frt end , the box felt good , I just rebuilt or replaced the drag link an put in new frt shackles with bushings kit . with 4 matching 235 70 15 inch decent tread radials on white steel wagon wheels . I don't recall any handling problems and had that tub up to 115 mph on many occasions , at 120 the hood was start to jump a bit , 125 it would start to sway a bit , just gentley , maybe a foot or so .
My present 50 chebby truck has an AMC pacer frt end under it with power rack n pinion strg , man that thing is crazy steady at any speed
But when you got an older style steering in a hot rod sometimes you just gotta accept that you gotta run just abit to the left of the ruts in the lanes on our major highways , an just two fingers to the left on the wheel an the thing will go straight as an arrow .
Kinda . ..77.
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I,m as cool as Milner , but axeually a bit more like Beckwith
), I asked him about steering play.
