Thread: The Roofus Special

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What model/year Toyota did the rack come from??

Originally Posted by bannedleader

What model/year Toyota did the rack come from??

1994 Tercel with manual steering.

It is the same turns lock to lock and distance traveled as the stock jag box, but a lot more compact.

When I started this thing, the idea was to knock it out and drive it to Bonneville for speed week 2010. That didn't quite happen.

...but I am still going to speed week....and (maybe) the H A M B drags .....and then Frog Follies. It will be a month until I get back to Roofus. Hopefully the heat won't be as bad then.

Actually mounting the steering rack was one of things that I somewhat dreaded doing.

The arched front crossmember looked cool, but was not a very friendly location for clamping down the rack. But it was something that had to be done. ...so I did it.

The plan was to mount it with two clamps. One clamp would control front to back and sis to side posioning. The other would just be front to back.

Once again, the raw materials were junk from the barn. I think this piece of heavy wall tubing used to be a physical therapy machine that dad bought cheap at an auction (for the metal).





I decided to use 7/16 bolts for mounting it. He I am checking to see if I have room for these nuts. I ended up welding the nuts to the underside of the mounting bracket.


Here it is welded to the saddle that the rack tube rests in.


Now the other side of the saddle is tied to the crossmember


Even though this was some pretty heavy material, I gusseted one of the sides.

Same thing on the other side.







Now to start fabbing up the straps.

I started on the end that I just made the bases.



The other end of the straps will be secured by nuts and bolts through the flange of the crossmember.


just connect the dots.




...and then gusset the hell out of it so that the bends in the straps stay where they are supposed to be.


Other clamp done. Guset was done differently (clamp on this side is farther outboard...less ground clearance), but should be plenty beefy.






Boots look like crap.




But they are necessary


The spring should block out most of the view


Oh yeah, the u-bolts I bought were too small. They won't work

Went to the Pumpkin run today and hit the swap meet. I bought another set of square u-bolts. Hopefully these will work.

I also bought a gas tank of unknown origin. I'm guessing teens or twenties. it has a built in gas gauge (go to the back of car to check fuel level).

And a spare tire cover that I plan on cutting into cycle fenders.

Looks like I am going to get to work on the car this weekend. Not 100% sure what the next step should be.

I'm guessing that it should be to permanently mount the front crossmember and mount lower control arms. Once the arms are set, I should be able to plant my shackle hangers in the right spot.

That will probably tie up the whole weekend. If it doesn't, I will try and nail down the design for motor mounts and the path for the steering shaft....right now they look like they will be competing for the same space. I probably need to figure that out be fore I move to the upper control arm fab process.

I was going to work on my car again this weekend, but......

.....mother nature gave me something else to do.