Matt Seabrook Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 Next I turned my attention to the steering column. I have never liked the steering column set up on my sprint car. Its an Escort top half of the column with the normal dodgy column bushes top and bottom which are less than satisfactory. Also I thought I could make it lighter as well. So I set about rethinking the column. I thought proper bearings and a hollow column should do the job. So off to good old ebay to see what I could find. I brought some seamless tube and some bearings with mounts. The bearings have grub screws on them to pinch the shaft on the bearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Right a small update. The rear axle chassis suspension location is a weak point on live axle Westfields so this needs a little assistance. So thanks to Tom (aka thos) who helped with some new brackets I set about sorting the chassis out. I tried grinding off the old mounts which had already been repair before and could not get the chassis back the way I wanted so the only thing for it was to remove the chassis section and weld in a new section with the new bracket and gusset already welded on. Could have photoshopped it first to make it look prettier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Seabrook Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 The next job will be to mount the bearings on to the chassis and see how we go from there. The old outer part of the column was ground off and checked for weight and the bearings and mounting brackets cam in at almost the same as to old tube. So a hollow shaft to replace the solid shaft should save another couple of KG. The chassis was cleaned and the brackets welded on. The splined section needs to be removed from the old column and welded to the tube as does the quick release mount for the steering wheel. I wanted to make the column run as turn as possible as I want to fit a steering sensor and its not much good if the column is running out of true. when checked the column is 0.1mm true. Good enough for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Seabrook Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 Right a small update. The rear axle chassis suspension location is a weak point on live axle Westfields so this needs a little assistance. So thanks to Tom (aka thos) who helped with some new brackets I set about sorting the chassis out. I tried grinding off the old mounts which had already been repair before and could not get the chassis back the way I wanted so the only thing for it was to remove the chassis section and weld in a new section with the new bracket and gusset already welded on. Could have photoshopped it first to make it look prettier That's the way it is John trying to hold a tiny peace of steel with welding gauntlets does not alway make it easy to get nice welds. The brackets will not fall apart though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug D. Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Nice work Matt Going to be ready for the first sprint?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Seabrook Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Can't see it being out at all this year mate too much to do too much to spend doing it. So looks like I am taking a year off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug D. Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 You can borrow mine if you want? Bit of a serious come down but you'd still be racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Seabrook Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Cheers mate but I think I will save the money and putting in to making the car go properly when it's rebuilt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikpro Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Matt, what type of steering angle sensor you planning on; string pot or just rotary Potntiometer? I have a string pot for mine and the stearing column 'straightness' doesn't really matter. I have put a pulley on my column so that it makes it more accurate; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 QUOTE I thought proper bearings and a hollow column should do the job Matt, Use a "quality" bearing and check annually. Strange as it may seem, steering column is a difficult application for a bearing, low speed and sometimes high axial load can eventually cause the cage to fracture and potentially sieze the bearing (it has happened before) Should inprove steering feel nicely though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Seabrook Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Thanks Carl will add it to my check list of things bearing seem to be more than up to the job though. Fraser thats just what I plan on fitting and yes I was also going to make a pulley to increase the diameter of the shaft. A string pot should give more accuracy than other set ups I have seen. If I am going to do this then I cant see any point in fitting something that's accuracy cant be relied upon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikpro Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Thanks Carl will add it to my check list of things bearing seem to be more than up to the job though. Fraser thats just what I plan on fitting and yes I was also going to make a pulley to increase the diameter of the shaft. A string pot should give more accuracy than other set ups I have seen. If I am going to do this then I cant see any point in fitting something that's accuracy cant be relied upon. I've callibrated mine on some digital turnplates to reord the degrees the loaded road wheel turns and it's spot on everytime. the Pulley makes a big difference - get one as large a diameter as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Seabrook Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Cheers Fraser will turn something up on the lathe to suit. I think this is going to be the next step to getting the car to handle better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriscross1981 Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Update!.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikpro Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 He's too busy Polishing his tool box - and who can blame him! Come on Matt - where's it up to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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