Thread: Rat Rod Rules

Tweet

rules for a rat rod? if it isnt inspired by the dodge prowler, if performance out-weighs comfort, and if it isnt covered in crap that is stricly decorational, its probably going to be considered a rat rod by someone. dont get me wrong, there are total piles of junk out there with intention to look rough. in my cars, i strive for performance, reliability and most of all how fun they are to drive. no fake stuff, nothing other than what it needs to go fast and be somewhat legal. shiney paint a nice chrome are what you worry about later when you get the money. so take a look at the craftsmenship and quality of work before you come up with a label to put on it.

Originally Posted by whiteshark

Yes. These things arent built to compete in speed contests. Just for cruising around. Im more concerned with the honda civics riding around on all donuts. Just my opinion but I think that the wrenches are a bad @ss idea.

Hey man I todally agree with you I think that the wrenches are pretty cool. I think that is a very origional idea. I wouldnt put down a guy for that cause that adds character to the car.

as i recall i dont think the idea itself was critisized, it was the safety factor that was in question, the idea is unique, but not very safe, if youve ever noticed most pittman arms are fairly beefy, and hand brakes is plain suicidal

no amount of rationalizing could ever convince me that wrenches instead of a pitman arm is a good idea!!!!! I wouldn't want to be near it if all he did was drive it on and off the trailer......

I understand they arent safe to have on an everyday driver but for someone who wants to have just a stictly show ratrod then this would be cool for that. As for the hand brake that is just crazy, but I guess theres people that like that. I agree that the hand brake is very suicidal.

So now there are "show only" rat rods???? What do you do, trailer them to shows??


This must be kind of like those showcars in the '60's that had no pistons or guts in the transmissions, roll them off the trailer and push them into place, win your trophy and go home.

Funny how rat rods have evolved from a protest against showcar/trailer queens, and now have become that themselves.

Very confusing.


Don

Originally Posted by choptopratrod

I understand they arent safe to have on an everyday driver but for someone who wants to have just a stictly show ratrod then this would be cool for that. As for the hand brake that is just crazy, but I guess theres people that like that. I agree that the hand brake is very suicidal.

The problem I have with the "show only" concept is that someone uninformed may look at it, think it's kewl, and go home and put it on his own driver...... As for a show only rat, I thought the idea of rats was to throw something together with parts on hand and drive it???? Not long ago I was being pounded for hauling a Hot Rod in my trailer, now it seems to be acceptable for a rat rod to be show only?????

Anyway, whether it is show only or some fool actually thinks a wrench will make a good pitman arm, I don't care if it's on a low bucks rat or a $200,000 concept car, IT'S A BAD IDEA, and conveys an inaccurate image of what works and what doesn't to the uninformed......

Originally Posted by choptopratrod

I understand they arent safe to have on an everyday driver but for someone who wants to have just a stictly show ratrod then this would be cool for that. As for the hand brake that is just crazy, but I guess theres people that like that. I agree that the hand brake is very suicidal.

but the fact is, that car was not show only, it was driven, and it was sold on ebay as being road legal. when the cobbled wrench pitman arm fails, sombody will die or get seriously injured, that is a problem. specially when that fault makes all hotrodders look bad, weather it be sombody with a 100K show car, or the guy with the Rat rod ( not ment in a bad way ), there all going to look bad from it.

The first question you should ask yourself when putting ANY questionable part on yours or somebodies elses car is "Is this safe?".

Safety is rule #1.

I can see how using a wrench for a pitman arm would be unique and cool, but if its some crappy $3 chinese wrench, id reconsider installing it as one of the most vital parts of your car.

....its a cool looking idea the wrench, but very unsafe ,how does one still have a cool idea and be safe ?......A nice forged billet one off wrench of proper size and strenth , cnc or lazer cut to look like a wrench.

Originally Posted by Peiceofpaper

The first question you should ask yourself when putting ANY questionable part on yours or somebodies elses car is "Is this safe?".

Safety is rule #1.

I can see how using a wrench for a pitman arm would be unique and cool, but if its some crappy $3 chinese wrench, id reconsider installing it as one of the most vital parts of your car.

even if it's a snap on wrench, it's still unsafe, because a wrench is not designed to be used as a pitman arm, there's stresses, and Harmonics that go thru a pitman arm, that a wrench could not withstand no matter what the quality. now wrenches for head light brackets would be cool, and a suddle way to show creativity.

?......A nice forged billet one


Im gonna pick on you for that one, i got what your saying, and i think that would be a good idea, some of you engineers could make a fortune on this, but i think forged and billet are two different things, i guess you could forge a shape out of a billet of material, you know what im saying, but back to the cool idea, i think a nice engineered cnc cut pittman arm could possibly work, and to make it look like a wrench could be done in a safe manner

Wouldnt tool steel be harder than cast steel like most pittman arms, or would it be too brittle ?, i dont think there forged are they?

Forged is heat and pressure formed in a die. Billet is carved from metal stock.

Thats why i was picking