Thread: Followed Me Home II

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Nope it's a Lokar Nostalgia shifter, sorry for the confusion, mine is not one of the models you have to cut off!

Originally Posted by stovens

Nope it's a Lokar Nostalgia shifter, sorry for the confusion, mine is not one of the models you have to cut off!

Steve, the instructions on how to set up the shifter relative to the detents are pretty clear. Not sure why you would be having problems with the tranny not being solid in each gear position. The only reason you would have to cut off the OEM shift lever is if someone welded it on in the past - there's not one type that you cut off, and another that you don't. The point is that you've gotta have the LOKAR shift lever to match up with the LOKAR shifter lever, and then I found that it's critical to follow their direction regarding which side of the two levers the Heim joints ride on. If you try to fit them a different way it doesn't work so good.... Like it says in the lead in paragraph of the instructions, "Read the instructions all the way through before you attempt to install the shifter components." Hope you get it sorted.

Today was the day to attack the steering. It took a bit of "messing", but I finally decided on a mounting point for the mid-point support bearing and it worked out OK. The shaft on the steering rack comes out at a less than ideal angle up and towards the frame rail, almost right at the motor mount support. Here's the two lower u-joints...

DSC01050.JPG

and the tie to the column u-joint.
DSC01051.JPG

The mid-point support hangs off of the motor mount plate, and the center u-joint is right at 2" from the header at the closest point.
DSC01055.JPG

The middle joint is running right at the limit for angle, but it's smooth, no bind so it's good to go.
DSC01053.JPG

Had to grind a bit of a relief in the motor mount support, but not enough to compromise the support. Now I didn't calculate the strength of the remaining cross section on that 45 degree gusset, and if pressed I can easily weld on pieces of flat stock above the C-notch to beef up the metal, but I don't see that it's gonna be necessary.
DSC01052.JPG

Trying to get everything done that needs body to frame reference needs, then the plan is to pull the body and finish the firewall where it was cut to clear the bellhousing, run the exhaust, install the gas tank and fuel lines, and get ready to re-paint the chassis body color vs black. I'm going to leave the differential and ladder bars black, since I'm confident that the paint is right on them (I did it).

Onward, small steps.

Originally Posted by rspears

Steve, the instructions on how to set up the shifter relative to the detents are pretty clear. Not sure why you would be having problems with the tranny not being solid in each gear position. The only reason you would have to cut off the OEM shift lever is if someone welded it on in the past - there's not one type that you cut off, and another that you don't. The point is that you've gotta have the LOKAR shift lever to match up with the LOKAR shifter lever, and then I found that it's critical to follow their direction regarding which side of the two levers the Heim joints ride on. If you try to fit them a different way it doesn't work so good.... Like it says in the lead in paragraph of the instructions, "Read the instructions all the way through before you attempt to install the shifter components." Hope you get it sorted.

Thanks Roger, I haven't had my truck home since last July, but when it gets here I can reply with more info. I believe when I read the instructions it said you mioght have to cut linkage if it interfered with the new connection. In my case it did not. I will update you once I get the truck back. Hopefully
next week as the case may be!

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Originally Posted by daveS53

What's the angle on that middle u-joint? The picture may look deceiving, but it looks like more than 35 degrees from a straight line and that's usually the maximum recommended.

I had to use a double u-joint on my car, because the angle was going to be about 45 degrees. A double joint will do 70, but it also requires a support on both sides. Someone building the same car as mine, posted this picture of his steering shaft. There's a problem there.

As I said in the post above,

Originally Posted by rspears

The middle joint is running right at the limit for angle, but it's smooth, no bind so it's good to go.

but thanks for your concern.

I guess that means it's about 35 degrees from a straight line. EXCUSE ME for not reading more carefully.

Originally Posted by daveS53

I guess that means it's about 35 degrees from a straight line. EXCUSE ME for not reading more carefully.

To tell you the truth I haven't put a protractor on it, as the "ears" of the joint are clearing the "base" of the other side by almost 1/8" and it turns smooth as silk. I have a double u-joint still in the package, but I chose not to use it as I didn't want to mess with a second support. If pressed I can shorten the front shaft up to an inch, lengthen the rear shaft a corresponding about and decrease the angle, but it would put the center of the u-joint very close to the header. I like it the way it is better.

Today's been spent messin' more than getting anything much done. I was troubled that while one side of the hood fits nice at the cowl the driver's side seemed to have too much gap at the corner. Decided to try something, and put a 3/16" shim at the front body bolt and a 1/8" shim at the next one back, and snugged it back down. It worked! Fit is much better at the corner, and a bonus, it tightened up the gap at the top back on the door just a bit, too. Bonus! The beauty of the roadster is that they're more "loose" on gaps and movement, but I like this fit lots better.

Continuing to work down the list of stuff I want/need to get done before pulling the body off. My hope is to pull the body one more time, finish all chassis works & paint the chassis, and then paint the body on the stand before dropping it back on the chassis for the last time. At least that's what I'm thinking today....

Originally Posted by daveS53

I guess that means it's about 35 degrees from a straight line. EXCUSE ME for not reading more carefully.

Just because you care so much I dug out a protractor and measured the center u-joint, which is greater than 30, but less than 35 degrees, somewhere in the range of 33 degrees as best I can tell. You can rest easy tonight, and not toss & turn wondering if I've exceeded the allowables on the steering u-joint.

Seriously, questioning an item of potential safety is never an issue in my mind. A home built car can be a death trap if not done right, so YOU"RE EXCUSED!

I'll bet it was just eating you up!

Good job on the body fit too.. nice when a "easy" fix comes along..

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Dave, not trying to be a smart ass here, but I think (though admittedly not exactly sure where you're coming from on the 60 degree thing) you're fixated on a static perspective. As a matter of math, take 60 from 90 (which would be the two shafts, one absolute vertical the other absolute horizontal) and you're left with 30. Said another way, that picture is deceptive. The card probably is accurate at having a 30 degree edge, but imagine the lower shaft as a continued straight line, then flip that card to where the edge under the guys thumb is on that imaginary extended line and visualize how that 30 degree angle lines up against that upper, angled shaft. Or said another way he's measuring on the wrong side of the angled shaft. Eyeballing it I'd say he's slightly under 30 degrees, so is within spec for the deflection of the joint. Said yet another way, if the joint is laid flat, you should stay within the 30 degrees (in this example) at lifting of one end.

As the steering feedback forces ( return to centered/straight) after a turn---an u joint at or near its limits can/maybe/will have an adverse effect (might be drastic on manule steering) Excuse the mud/bullshit

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I won't belabor the point more except to point out that the card above marked 60 is actually greater than 90.............