My mean green hornet

I wonder if a tapered sleeve would help give you more options. An 8 degree cone in brass bronze or steel could be fitted between a smaller ball joint stem and the tapered hole of the suspension component.
Thanks, yeah I have considered a tapered sleeve, not ruled it out either. I’ve seen both tapered to straight mostly used for rose/Heim joints and also tapered reducers to fit smaller diameter tapers and open up the choice of tie rods/drag links.
It would be really useful to use an off the shelf readily available Moog tie rod, but there’ll be more angle available with the Heim joints.

That staked Steinjager item above has 44 degrees total apparently..

Jim
 
I am quite interested in this thread as I am contemplating a similar setup for Pooh. I was planning on remaking the entire lower suspension setup with new Heim joints, and allowing adjustability at the tie rod ends. This would simplify adjustment rather than messing about using shims at the bulkhead mounts to sort out camber/castor/tracking etc. I am looking at Heim joints for all ends (expensive but worth it for a racecar), with thick wall chromoly tube all round. Once I can sort out my design I will attempt to chuck it on the forum for comment.
Keep at it, there are those of us out there who think a lot like you, as scary as that may sound...…………………..
 
After some more thought, parts research and measuring I’ve come to a conclusion or two.

Firstly I’m not sure using an adapter stud is the best plan here as the Heim joint would be in single shear. Since it’s a critical component I’ll feel more comfortable with a tie rod I think.

Thinking carefully about using a different thread on either end of an adjustable rod, it seems to me that wouldn’t work as having different TPI left and right would want to travel at different speeds and bind.

The taper is very large on the Rover components, shared as far as I can tell with Chevy Blazer and a few other GM trucks 68-72, and International Harvester

That leaves a couple of off the shelf items with the correct large taper and 3/4-16 left hand thread.

Moog ES375L
1F987281-90E2-48B2-8F2B-ADFD33ECDE36.jpeg
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International custom 3/4-16 aftermarket, original is 11/16 like early Fords (which have too small a taper annoyingly)

64DD6193-D802-4E2E-A205-489F217BCE39.jpeg

The Moog is expensive for a tie rod but obviously good quality.
The other is more reasonable but will need to be shipped from California
There’s also the Steinjager part I listed earlier which would be a direct fit.

Here’s the correct size tapered adapter studs for reference

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Jim
 
This is the strut rod we are talking about here ?
To act as a turnbuckle yes both threads the same pitch, L + R
You can then either get some thick wall seamless tube that will tap out to the corresponding thread, or make some threaded bosses ( weld in inserts ) and do it that way.
In making a main lower arm you have to consider how the swivel joint taper is going to be incorporated into the new tubular arm.


Camel race replica front arms below.
Looks like the adjustment here is achieved by drawing the bolt and rotating the rod end. With a UNF thread half a turn at a time will be fine enough to get it where you want it. OK infinite adjustment is nice, but it is a saloon car remember not a Radical !
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Strut arm indeed.
No issues on making the turnbuckle, I’ve got the tubing and threaded inserts all ready to go, I’d just really like to get an off the shelf tie rod for the connection to the main arm, rather than cut up Rover strut arms.
I’d planned to modify the main arm to retain both original tapers at the wheel end for simplicity, and make that adjustable too.

You’ve sent me those photos before, and it does show that car didn’t need much misalignment travel at the join of the two arms being that it’s a Heim captured in what looks like a fairly tight double shear bracket.

I do like that the design means both arms are properly inline where they join and not offset slightly, seems to make for a better wishbone

On a side note, I’ve noticed that some Porsche front suspensions have non parallel mounts. Their strut arm clevis joining the main arm horizontally with a bush.


D9BD9D6E-B65B-4921-B92B-8BFFE8443CA4.jpeg79D56F84-A41D-454B-873A-C3307A6A8F3C.jpeg5F6CE503-879C-4CF1-8025-AB7DCF8FC3CD.jpeg

Jim
 
In between trying to finish a lathe restoration/update to VFD and some other projects this week I’ve made some kind of progress with the car.

Mocked up the new rear arches and wheels again to work a few base unit repairs out and exactly how I’m going to stretch the wings.

33E4925D-103A-444C-8C7F-C8B75FF444FE.jpegD95DDE84-6647-4D1B-910E-CF2E66D7AA24.jpeg9AB49B60-3DA2-4095-BA98-75926F03CA02.jpeg

After more thought and discussion on the lower arms, I have decided to change the design to one more closely resembling the blue racer photos above.
I’m waiting on some forged rod end blanks to weld into the main arm tubing. The end of these will receive a 7 degree taper for the lower ball joint of the swivel pillar.
The strut arm now has a 3/4 LH Heim joint which will attach to the main arm without the offset of a tie rod end.

9FA7FD8C-DFE0-494E-A0F3-FF8FE7AA520E.jpeg6DF6E064-1557-4CE5-AB6C-866286FBD25A.jpeg

Jim
 
Great minds truly think alike. That is almost exactly the setup I was planning for Pooh Bear. I watch with great interest as that is the next major upgrade to be started (after the radiator, oil system, firewall, floor, exhaust........sigh).
I will get around to it one day, it depends on how long we are locked down at home I suppose.
 
I have remembered that I have some pictures of the systems that I plan to shamelessly copy once I have the time. The top one is from a R34 Skyline, and the bottom a Subaru BRZ.
Skyline front lower control arm.jpgSubaru BRZ lower control arm.jpg
As I understand it the bend allows the pillowball centre to remain close to the centre between the two ends to prevent geometry change during the wheels travel. I am hoping that since Pooh will be a racecar he will not have a huge amount of wheel travel so the effects will be minimal. I may have to build a scale model just to make sure.
Hopefully that made sense...………………….
Cheeers
Guy
 
They look good, bet they’re not too cheap off the shelf like that :D

I had to educate myself on what the suspension was like on those cars. The main difference being the two chassis rail connections are both horizontally and vertically mounted, like the Porsche setup I posted further up the page.

I chose to use large forged Johnny joints at the chassis side, from the off road aftermarket. They’re rebuildable and meant to provide some level of comfort and longevity over Heims whilst retaining the smooth and tight range of motion..

Jim
 
Yep, about $850 a side, plus an extra $200 a side for the tension rods, plus extra for bushes etc. Not a lot of change out of $2200 and that is just the lower links!
Nicely made however and as strong as the proverbial strong thing. A must have for the drifting crowd apparently.
 
Had a good morning’s progress on the sheetmetal work.
Finished up the chassis rail sections from when the wire ran out (gas ran out shortly after and managed to get a refill yesterday)

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Then got on with prepping the new inner sill/base unit repair panel. I’m using as much of it as possible

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Almost ready to weld in.
I recently got some 1 part epoxy primer in aerosol form which saves having to mix up small batches and clean the gun for small areas, like inside the chassis rail etc

I’m probably going to upgrade the jacking point design while I’m at this stage, more on that to follow

Jim
 
This is a bit late but what's the problem with having different pitch threads on the strut ends?
Some time ago I made a pair of turnbuckles with M6x1mm LH on one end and M8x1.25mm RH on the other and yes a turn moved the M8 end in or out more than the M6 end but they still adjusted to the right length and didn't bind so am I missing something?
 
This is a bit late but what's the problem with having different pitch threads on the strut ends?
Hey ratwing, how are those carbs treating you on your trike?
Thanks for that. It’s interesting to get your head around if they would bind or not, I had a sudden thought that I should test it in person before committing to buying components.
But now I think more, the fact they are moving in opposite directions means they’re independent of each other. But it wouldn’t be very useful in extreme examples.
Luckily, since that thought, the design has moved on to a better solution anyway

Jim
 
Myself and a friend hit the inner sill fitment today.
All boxed in sections were cleaned up and primed in epoxy before closing, and outer sill also primed ready for the next stage.

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A little fettling was necessary with the added floorpan panel but all slotted into place nicely.
Once I dress the welds flush I’ll perfect the floorpan curves with the hammer and dolly

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ps I love this rotator

Jim
 
This is a bit late but what's the problem with having different pitch threads on the strut ends?
Some time ago I made a pair of turnbuckles with M6x1mm LH on one end and M8x1.25mm RH on the other and yes a turn moved the M8 end in or out more than the M6 end but they still adjusted to the right length and didn't bind so am I missing something?
Sure they are independent, but one turn of the strut rod would move a fine thread X and a coarse thread X ++ its easy to then have one end dangerously running out of thread without realising it.
 
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