Thread: 27 chevy p/u

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i like before and after photos

driving the 27 around yesterday after work.
truckers give you the thumbs up.
regular cars flash their lights and honk horns.
and i stopped behind a schoolbus.
the kids freaked out.

Originally Posted by J. Robinson

I forsee some serious bumpsteer in your future... Has that Pittman arm been cut and rewelded near the spline?

Originally Posted by billy zz

bumpsteer
thats what i keep hearing from folks online.
i wonder why a guy with all these years experience would build something that either wont work or would be dangerous?
i will see him this weekend and see whats up.
thank you for your concern.

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Probably because bump steer isn't that big of an issue on dirt track cars, some of the older cars and builders never addressed the issue at all. Bump steer gets worse as the amount of suspension travel on the front end increases, doesn't look like your's is going to have a lot of travel on the front.....

you guys had me worried about the bumpsteer issue.
i have installed a stabilizer.
and now that it is legal to drive i have been blasting around on the bumpy laplata hwy.
i went over some rr tracks at around 60mph
and i didnt have any real problems
it stayed pointed where i wanted it to go.
after every drive i look at welds and bolts etc.
but i am probably just being a worrywart.

Originally Posted by billy zz

you guys had me worried about the bump steer issue.
i have installed a stabilizer.
and now that it is legal to drive i have been blasting around on the bumpy laplata hwy.
i went over some rr tracks at around 60mph
and i didnt have any real problems
it stayed pointed where i wanted it to go.
after every drive i look at welds and bolts etc.
but i am probably just being a worrywart.

That's Great............... Sounds like you're having fun, thats what it's all about. As for bump steer it looked like it would give you problems. But if the axle and drag link move in the same arc, or really close, thats all that counts. And if your front spring is stiff, the less axle travel over bumps the less bump steer you would have even if not perfect. Looks like your guy knew what he was designing even if it looked questionable. Hope everything works as planed. It's alot more fun when you can drive the snot outa it and not have to redo somthing.......... Have a blast...........

Worrywart?? Nah, there's nothing wrong with being careful and vigilant with a cusom built vehicle, especially the first few hundred miles during "shakedown". If bumpsteer hasn't been a factor yet, it is probably a non-issue. As Dave intimated, the less the front end travels (up & down) the less a factor bumpsteer will be.

I still am skeptical of that Pittman arm. Any welding I do on steering components ALWAYS gets gusseted or reinforced somehow. Also, your builder cut and welded it at the splined end which is where it suffers the most stress. If it ever breaks, it will probably do it without any visible forewarning. Maybe I'm the worrywart, but I had a steering shaft snap at a weld in one of my stock cars years ago. It was the ultimate "Oh $#!t" experience; the concrete wall was not very forgiving at 70mph. I would hate to have that occurrence on the street...

Having said all that, though, driving a lightweight fenderless vehicle is about the most fun you can have on the road, right?

Originally Posted by J. Robinson

Worrywart?? Nah, there's nothing wrong with being careful and vigilant with a cusom built vehicle, especially the first few hundred miles during "shakedown". If bumpsteer hasn't been a factor yet, it is probably a non-issue. As Dave intimated, the less the front end travels (up & down) the less a factor bumpsteer will be.

I still am skeptical of that Pittman arm. Any welding I do on steering components ALWAYS gets gusseted or reinforced somehow. Also, your builder cut and welded it at the splined end which is where it suffers the most stress. If it ever breaks, it will probably do it without any visible forewarning. Maybe I'm the worrywart, but I had a steering shaft snap at a weld in one of my stock cars years ago. It was the ultimate "Oh $#!t" experience; the concrete wall was not very forgiving at 70mph. I would hate to have that occurrence on the street...

Having said all that, though, driving a lightweight fenderless vehicle is about the most fun you can have on the road, right?

i guess i will have him weld a diamond shaped plate on both sides. (he insists it doesnt need it.)
i know he welded the arm on his daughters rod and it has been driven for years.



and this is by FAR the FUNNEST car i have ever gotten my mitts on!

Here's a couple more ways: Take a piece of 3/16" thick flat stock about 1/2" wide and 5 or 6 inches long, wrap it around the top of the arm and down both sides so it extends past the weld joint at least 3/4". Weld it completely solid, both sides and ends, and then dress it with a grinder until it becomes almost invisible. The first picture below is not a steering or Pittman arm and it's not welded completely, but it helps explain how I would wrap it... The second and third pictures are a steering arm from a Jeep spindle that needed a second hole added. It was strapped just on both sides with 5/16 round stock, welded, and ground. After a little flat black from a spray-can it looked like it was made that way. Either way works and the joint will never break.

it is odd
old ladies LOVE this thing.
whoda thunk?

got the plexiglass in the doors and used long strips of adheisive tape velcro as window regulators.
it works very well and was dirt cheap.
i got tired of having to reinvent the guts on these doors.
now i am looking for jute carpet padding as a noise damper/insulating material to put in the doors etc.
use some spray on glue and get busy.
i also need to reinforce the beds box walls to reduce rattling
at this rate i will have this car dialed in by spring.

Good for you Billy!

once i get the insulation installed.
i am covering everything with black carpet.
that will add a bit of deadening/insulation itself.
a lot of guys say they want to hear the throaty roar etc.
but between the incredible wind noise
the rattles and squeaks
and the engine
i cant hear myself think!
eventually i would like to have music in this car.
just because it looks barebones/old school
doesnt mean i cant have a heater ,tunes and be comfy.

Originally Posted by billy zz

once i get the insulation installed.
i am covering everything with black carpet.
that will add a bit of deadening/insulation itself.
a lot of guys say they want to hear the throaty roar etc.
but between the incredible wind noise
the rattles and squeaks
and the engine
i cant hear myself think!
eventually i would like to have music in this car.
just because it looks barebones/old school
doesnt mean i cant have a heater ,tunes and be comfy.

I'm with you. I gotta be warm, and I gotta have my tunes. That open header stuff is cool for a few mins, but I ain't 20 anymore. Mine isn't quiet but you can listen to the radio and it doesn't drive you nuts after a few mins. I have found as I have gotten older the noise that I used to like, IE race cars, open headers, loud rock and metal, now just puts me on edge after a bit. I can't even listen to a whole ac/dc CD anymore. After about 3 or 4 songs the beat just gets me edgy, and not in a good way. Loud exhaust does the same thing to me. I used to drive around a gutted 55 Chevy, ex drag car, open headers and no radio...................... loved it. Now I'd shoot my self after about 20 mins.................... Ain't getting older fun..................................

Originally Posted by dlotraf33

I'm with you. I gotta be warm, and I gotta have my tunes. That open header stuff is cool for a few mins, but I ain't 20 anymore. Mine isn't quiet but you can listen to the radio and it doesn't drive you nuts after a few mins. I have found as I have gotten older the noise that I used to like, IE race cars, open headers, loud rock and metal, now just puts me on edge after a bit. I can't even listen to a whole ac/dc CD anymore. After about 3 or 4 songs the beat just gets me edgy, and not in a good way. Loud exhaust does the same thing to me. I used to drive around a gutted 55 Chevy, ex drag car, open headers and no radio...................... loved it. Now I'd shoot my self after about 20 mins.................... Ain't getting older fun..................................

X2 - Ain't it the truth? Sigh..............

heck
i dont even drink anymore.
what happened?

hood ornament.
i went to a mom n pop trophy store and when i told em what i wanted it for they let me root around in the back room looking for cool stuff.