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April 11, 2015 8:29 am  #11


Re: 62 Galaxie (land yacht) is in dry dock to start Rack & Pinion upgrade

dan_6776 wrote:

Just to clarify...by making the bracket greater than 90 degrees the way that you did the tie rods are sitting in a position which permits them to move to their maximum range of motion. Their motion or movement will not be limited?
...just trying to understand...thanks!

Kind of.  everything you said is true but its not quite my motivation.  Its more like "simplest motion"??  A ball joint when moving on its rotational axis is at its simplest most reliable function, so by making the mount vertical I maximized the motion of the suspension that works on the rotational axis of the joint.  It is kind of hard to picture and I wish I had a drawing, if it still doesn't quite make sense let me know and I will try to explain further, I am happy to help!!!
 

 

April 13, 2015 9:21 am  #12


Re: 62 Galaxie (land yacht) is in dry dock to start Rack & Pinion upgrade

This image might help.  Basicaly for best results you mant the majority of the motion on the rotational axis, make sense??

     Thread Starter
 

April 13, 2015 10:51 am  #13


Re: 62 Galaxie (land yacht) is in dry dock to start Rack & Pinion upgrade

Thanks for the picture. Ok, I think I get this now. For the tie rod to work the simplest and most efficient way, it needs to be sitting on it's rotational axis....which would be the way you fabricated the offset bracket.(Am I close? lol)
Would the same apply to a hiem joint? I ask this because the commercial R&P kit used hiem joints. I was thinkng that if a hiem joint doesn't need to sit on its rotational axis like a tie rod joint does, then if offers a little more "forgiveness". In other words, their location/angle is not as critical and this would be why the commercial unit available did away with the stock inner tie rods?
Thinking on a practical level. If this application was on a quad or 4x4 where you are off roading for example and maximizing suspension travel and steering limits, this would all make more sense to me?
I'm not trying to drag this on or disagree in any way, just trying to get my head around this. If I had more experience or knowledge, I wouldn't have to ask these questions. Thanks.

 

 

April 13, 2015 12:28 pm  #14


Re: 62 Galaxie (land yacht) is in dry dock to start Rack & Pinion upgrade

No I think you have the concept down.  Heim joints and ball joints have the same basic limitation in that the shaft, weather it be a bolt like in a heim joint or the stud like in a ball joint, can only move on the secondary axis so far before it comes in contact with the body of the ball joint or heim joint.  I talked to Rick Worth back when he was selling is kits and he started with the heim joints but then went to an option to getting the bracket with the tapered holes cut so that people could use their stock tie-rods.  It was more about cost savings than effectiveness.  

I don't think you will have any problems with the way you have yours set up, as long as you can go through full steering lock to lock with out any binding, with the suspension fully hanging down and again with the suspension fully compressed, than you should be good to go. The reason I set mine up the way I did is I figured why not make it optimal.  I have the tools to make the bracket however it needs to be made so why not try to set things up in the best possible way.  Functionally I doubt there will be any difference between the way yours is set up and the way mine is set up.

     Thread Starter
 

April 13, 2015 5:10 pm  #15


Re: 62 Galaxie (land yacht) is in dry dock to start Rack & Pinion upgrade

Ok, makes sense now.  The stud/bolt coming into contact with the body of the joint is what makes me understand this better. Thanks again.
Looking forward to your next set of install pictures!

 

April 15, 2015 8:39 pm  #16


Re: 62 Galaxie (land yacht) is in dry dock to start Rack & Pinion upgrade

dan_6776 wrote:

Looking forward to your next set of install pictures!

As you know these things always take longer than you think they should here are a few more pix but not much to report.

I made a few more tweaks to my center bracket, sand blasted it, and reworked the reinforcement bars.  I am hoping to weld it up tomorrow than add ribbing between the bars to compensate for the 3/16" plate I used and to make it bullet proof.  I also added a tie-bar between my heim joint bolt to significantly increase their load capacity.


I also fabricated my rag joint to DD adapter (DD shaft still needs to be cut off so that I have just enough to fit inside the DD u-joint)


The DD shaft is currently a press fit into the DD hole in the round plate and I will weld it up on the back side to make it nice and strong.  Even if the welds were to brake they should pull through so it would still "fail-safe"


I am using both the OEM rag joint mounting holes as well as the slots for the studs so that it will be nice and strong.


 

     Thread Starter
 

April 16, 2015 9:22 am  #17


Re: 62 Galaxie (land yacht) is in dry dock to start Rack & Pinion upgrade

I forgot to mention that the "tie-bar" I added (I have learned they are actually called splice plates) is the second improvement over the Wurth design.  It takes the bolts from single sheer and puts them in double sheer which can increase strength by as much as two times. 
 

 

     Thread Starter
 

April 16, 2015 1:48 pm  #18


Re: 62 Galaxie (land yacht) is in dry dock to start Rack & Pinion upgrade

I see what you meant when you said you build things stronger than they probably need to be and then some just in case! lol
Looking good. I can tell already that when your done, your system will be much improved over the Wurth kit. BTW, do you know why that kit is no longer available, considering their seems to be lots of interest out there for it?

 

April 16, 2015 8:36 pm  #19


Re: 62 Galaxie (land yacht) is in dry dock to start Rack & Pinion upgrade

dan_6776 wrote:

do you know why that kit is no longer available, considering their seems to be lots of interest out there for it?

When Wurth it designs was in business he did not do a very good job of customer service.  He took more orders than he had parts to fill and got a terrible rebutation in the classic Gallaxie communuty.  Then both he and his wife had some helth problems and he ended up passing away but even if he hadent passed I don't think he would have stayed in business.  

Unisteer has a rack that is similar to the Wurth design in that it uses the GM j-car rack.
[img]http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTE1WDUxNQ==/z/oxIAAOSwrklU5kNq/$_1.JPG[/img]

I got a little more work done today.  I have the ribs welded in and the welds have been mostly dressed.  I have a little more cleanup to do an I think I will weld a plate cover across the triangle area to keep dirt and water out.  I will also drill two 1/2" holes in the bigger section so dirt and water can drain.

     Thread Starter
 

April 17, 2015 7:28 pm  #20


Re: 62 Galaxie (land yacht) is in dry dock to start Rack & Pinion upgrade

Fantastic work. O/T question, whrer/what kind did you get your front coil overs? Been looking w/no luck.Thanx Lonnie

 

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