Quote:
Originally Posted by ckau
Yea! Good job. I knew you would like this mod. A buddy of mine tried my yerf after the conversion. His commit summed it up, " It drives like a car!"
Once you get the ball joint issues worked out, proper alignment set, the thrill goes up another notch! It's surprising how much horsepower, speed and handling is lost through a improper front end set up!
That difference in the turning radius and spacing between the tires and frame you mentioned is caused by bad ball joints and/or the rack and pinion not being centered. Disconnect the steering shaft from the rack. Remove the dust boots and manually move the rack to center. and look for a equal amount of teeth exposed on each side of the housing.Try your best to get the ball joints placed in the proper positions. Mark a point on the rims facing forwards. Measure the distance then rotate the rims 180 degrees towards the back , check the measurement. A folding carpenter rule with a sliding extension for inside measurement worked best for me rather than a floppy tape Adjust the steering rod length to give 1/8 inch toe out. Check the tooth positions constantly while taking measurements and adjusting. Position the steering wheel with the center spoke pointed down and reconnect it to the splined shaft.
The floppy ball joints can make this difficult at times and the alighment may not hold for long, again due to the joints but at least you will have the steering rack positioned correctly. Proper camber is impossible with the ball joints. there is no adjustment! your at the mercy of those stinkin things!
A tip.. once I got the correct alignment. I cut an old wooden broom handle to the proper length to act as a gauge. I check alignment by slipping the gauge in place between the rims. saves back and forth constant measuring.
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Thanks for the great advice.
After seeing your entry in the contest I think I will bag the new ball joints and follow your lead on the heim ends. Can I ask where you got yours? The last set I bought was from S&W race cars years ago for the ladder bars on my old Drag Car, but I haven't ever seen them this small. Did you just use a 3/8 joint & bolt on it?