2016 - Beer Crate Racer (winner)

[chancer]

This thing will weigh like 80lbs, has a wheelbase of 24 inches and an inside track width of 15"
I don't think we will have an issue.

I'm tired, Tommorrow steering arms and a little Ackerman.

 

[bob58o]

(In deep movie trailer voice)

When Patience and Perseverance can't pay the Bills....
And our protagonist is down on luck..
With only ONE "Chance" Left...
Faced with the decision of a lifetime...
New Steel VS Pro Tractor...
Coming This Christmas to a theater near you.....

...
I don't know why I ... so much...

 

[chancer]

I love my Protractor angle finder.
Funny thing is I used to have one for work, but rarely ever needed it. So I lost it.
Now that I bought one... It will show up.

 

[Poboy kartman]

I love my Protractor angle finder.
Funny thing is I used to have one for work, but rarely ever needed it. So I lost it.
Now that I bought one... It will show up.

Of course....this is why I own two of everything! The one area I fell short in was wives....I only had ONE. of them....and....looking back...since I had three girlfriends when I got married.....(prolly shoulda kept two!)

Really....I wished I could find my first daughters mother...she was already gone before I found out she had my kid! (She's somebody else's kid now....and I don't want to mess that up....but...I kinda wish I'd picked her now....cause she was smart and cool....(smart enough to get somebody else to raise our kid!!!!)

 

[chancer]

Help

What is the good rule of thumb, theory or Formula for...
How long should the steering arms that weld to the Spindle barrels be?

I read once: "Half as long as the spindle bolt". But that makes no sense to me
I wont say here I heard that from Grant who heard it from GoPowerSports. ooops.

 

[Poboy kartman]

GHETTO ACKERMANN!!!!! That puts you in the "hood".....ie:the "neighborhood" ....not exact but close!

I don't think we REALLY have to tell you how to figure this out....but if so....let us know!

 

[chancer]

I know how to do Ackerman, But you can still use a longer or Shorter arm.

 

[chancer]

I picked up these "laser" cut /brackets at my metal supply place. They have all shapes of pre cut stuff for Wrought Iron Fence and Off Road Truck stuff.
I am using them for my steering arms.
You can see where I shaped the one. This will wrap part way around my Spindle barrel for added strength. I cut a round hole with a hole saw then used a grinder to shape the rest, The big divet is to allow st steering to move further without hitting the spindle bracket.

 

[chancer]

Ackermann? Acker who.
Ok so the this, err well I dunno but everybody says to do it for proper handling.
You want the bolt hole in your steering arm where the tie rod attaches to line up with a line running from your spindle bolt to your axle center.

To achieve this I run a string from the spindle bolt to the rear axle center. Then I hold the arm in place, have my wife double check alignment, and tack it. Then recheck, and put another tack.
Lather Rinse Repeat for the other side.

 

[chancer]

Still making progress today. Not much to report. Finished the other Steering arm, and am working on the design of the Steering Column and Shaft.
Smoke coming out my ears. trying to figure compound angles. and Make it look nice. and come out correct.
No pics tonight More good stuff tomorrow.
Thanks for lookin

 

[bob58o]

Ackermann? Acker who.
Ok so the this, err well I dunno but everybody says to do it for proper handling.
You want the bolt hole in your steering arm where the tie rod attaches to line up with a line running from your spindle bolt to your axle center.

To achieve this I run a string from the spindle bolt to the rear axle center. Then I hold the arm in place, have my wife double check alignment, and tack it. Then recheck, and put another tack.
Lather Rinse Repeat for the other side.

Does it count if your wife does the welding? Seems like cheating? Lol

 

[Poboy kartman]

Does it count if your wife does the welding? Seems like cheating? Lol

From what I've read in some of your posts Bob, that might not be a bad option for you!

 

[landuse]

From what I've read in some of your posts Bob, that might not be a bad option for you!

LOL.

Good work so far Eric. Slowly, slowly catchee monkey

 

[chancer]

Does it count if your wife does the welding? Seems like cheating? Lol

No I missed a comma or something, She is just 1 step involved.
She double checks, then I WELD!

 

[chancer]

Here is a little of what I have been up to.

The long tubes are the uprights for the steering Rod.

They angle in 15° The tops are cut at 30°.
The center piece will be remade with 45° cuts
So it all lines up with no open tube ends.

Amazing 45+15+30= 90° All of a sudden the smoke stopped coming out of my ears!

 

[chancer]

2 things I love now...
My Protractor angle finder
and
This old Chopsaw!

 

[Poboy kartman]

Here is a little of what I have been up to.

The long tubes are the uprights for the steering Rod.

They angle in 15° The tops are cut at 30°.
The center piece will be remade with 45° cuts
So it all lines up with no open tube ends.

Amazing 45+15+30= 90° All of a sudden the smoke stopped coming out of my ears!

Ummmm....no....it won't work! Your math and figuring are wrong....(sorry to say) and the only way to make miters is with equal degree cuts!

Gimme just a sec....and I'll be right back and explain!

-------

Ok....ALREADY DID THIS ONCE AND MY PHONE SCREWED UP!

Your top angles are NOT 90°! They are angled in 15°, therefore, the angles are 90°-15°=75°! Now, the only proper way to make miters is with equal degree cuts....so ...75÷2= 37.5°! So both pieces should be cut on that angle.

To further explain: a box is 360°...4 corners at 90°....so if you were to put a bottom piece on...you would ADD that 15° back in : 90+15=105. ÷2=52.5°...See how easy that is when us dumb hick Texans explain it?

 

[chancer]

Oh you are Correct. It is a 75° angle on corner.
45° on my top tube and 30° on my side tubes = 75°.

I wrote out the math wrong in adding the Extra 15° the rest of the 30°.

You see for a 15° down tube you need a 30° matched with a 45° to get your Final 75° angle.

Well now that there is Smoke coming out of Y'alls Ears. STOP reading and just look at the pic

 

[Poboy kartman]

Some how we are both right. 75° was the angle I found after I tacked it. From the level top-to the sides going down.
So it was a 15° angle. 15+75 =90 (corner of a box)

But I did also set My Chop saw at 30 and 45. and everything worked out.
I only had to adjust (grind) one of the cuts and it was just a leeetle bit. I dunno.
I will post a pic in a minute.

Something else though. I cannot just set my bearing hangar cut to 15°, because the bolts go through the 1" stock Squarely. Therefore holding the hangar at 75°.

Plan B...

At 45° and 30° you can get the sides to mate....but not the top and bottom....(as the 45°cut is LONGER than the 30° cut).....in one inch...it's not toooooo bad ....but lay that out on a 2×4 and see what happens!

 

[chancer]

At 45° and 30° you can get the sides to mate....but not the top and bottom....(as the 45°cut is LONGER than the 30° cut).....in one inch...it's not toooooo bad ....but lay that out on a 2×4 and see what happens!

Yep the 45 was a little long, So I centered it, it was about the thickness of the tube wall off. With it centered the weld bead will fill the difference.
Yes luckily it is on 1" pipe.
On a 2x4... Well the "Immigrant Framers" we have here in So Cal. Dey jus geet dat part pre made a dee Truss factree Yo.