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dustymojave Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2007 Posts: 5802 Location: Lake LA, Mojave Desert, SoCal
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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TDCTDI wrote: |
Hey Dusty/Richard (let me know if you prefer Richard instead), |
I wrote an answer to this post Thursday nite. It apparently did not make it through the web.
My parents named me "Richard". I like that name, but do not use other versions or nicknames based on it. Several years ago I was using a Yay!-Who? ID (they were my ISP working with AT&T) which was based on my name. Since Samba at the time used a Yay!-Who? ID for registering on this site at the time, my Samba (and most other forums and such) ID was that one based on my name. Then while I was vacationing one time, some knucklehead at Yay!-Who? mistakenly deleted my account, including my ID. Then all of my forums and such would not let me in, including the one I owned. So I had to create a new ID. After trying a great many, I tried MojaveRacer208. That worked for some, but then I started running across sites which claimed that name was already taken. I've never run across anyone else using it anywhere. Must have been taken by me, but oh well. Then I finally tried DustyMojave.
That name fits me very well as I live and play in the Mojave Desert. It's a windy and dusty place to live, but I LOVE it. Playing in it is even MORE dusty. And I LOVE playing in the dirt.
So either Richard or "DustyMojave" (or just "Dusty" for short) is just fine by me.
'Nuff 'bout me...
TDCTDI wrote: |
..., my plan is to use two steering boxes with the one on the right serving as an idler arm & flipping the pitman arm on it to mirror the drivers side with a drag link in between. I'm going to use ford tie rods & ends. This will require enlarging the tapered seats on all the holes (thus correcting the tapered seats that will now be pointing downwards on the inverted passenger arm). What's your take on this as I'm sure I'm not the only one to have done this? |
I've seen it done. In some respects, it makes some sense...for very short travel pavement cars.
Many folks are bothered a lot by the bump steer inherent in the VW beam front end. The setup you propose will balance the steering and provide the same bump steer on both sides.
The stock VW setup provides not very good bump steer on the right side and horrendous on the left. What you propose gives you Horrendous bump steer on BOTH sides.
The Super Beetle system of having an idler on the right side with a "drag link" rod from the steering box pitman arm to the idler arm with the 2 equal length tie rods connecting to the middle of the drag link is much better. That drag link needs to be very stout so it won't bend in the middle. But this setup can provide a very minimal bump steer and the pitman arm doesn't need to be cut or welded or flipped.
I recommend using the trick of installing a shim washer between the pitman arm and the bottom of the steering box (in this case, BOTH steering boxes) to improve durability of the boxes. _________________ Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 7:36 am Post subject: |
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Great, thanks for the insight Richard. Now that being said, a man with that much experience in off road Motorsports & has years of intimate knowledge of the desert has just given us a history of all of his account names, I think we should research the forums for cryptic clues to the whereabouts of his horde of 50 plus years of racing memorabilia, vintage parts and or precious metals/medals (even a vintage racecar). If there isn't any, then the forums could be the treasure, but... It could be an idea to sell books & to vex off-roaders & vw enthusiasts for decades. |
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dustymojave Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2007 Posts: 5802 Location: Lake LA, Mojave Desert, SoCal
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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TDCTDI wrote: |
Great, thanks for the insight Richard. Now that being said, a man with that much experience in off road Motorsports & has years of intimate knowledge of the desert has just given us a history of all of his account names, I think we should research the forums for cryptic clues to the whereabouts of his horde of 50 plus years of racing memorabilia, vintage parts and or precious metals/medals (even a vintage racecar). If there isn't any, then the forums could be the treasure, but... It could be an idea to sell books & to vex off-roaders & vw enthusiasts for decades. |
ROTLMFAO
The vintage racecar is the Hi Jumper in my avatar (shown here pitting at main in the 1980 HDRA Fireworks 250 at Barstow).
Still have it. I can see it if I take 2 steps from this chair.
Proof of winning a Championship
My brother's father-in-law (and the guy who had already given me my 1st ride in an offroad buggy - his Burro) Ernie (Elmer) Waring, NORRA Tech Chief at the finish (big guy with beard) - a screen shot from Bruce Brown's coverage of the 1967 Mexican 1000:
and Ernie at the 1970 Mexican 1000 (not my pic):
Me working Tech at the 1975 SCORE Baja Internacional (500) - In the red oval at the right inspecting the Funco SS1. My 65 Baja was parked next to the famous wall straight to the right of the camera.:
Me racing a 1600 buggy with Jeff Hibbard in the 1989 SCORE Baja 500:
Me racing my Hodaka 250 in the AMA District 37 Desert Vipers European Scrambles at Cuddeback Dry Lake June 1977 (2nd in Class):
Still have it. Sitting next to the front bumper of the Hi Jumper.
With my '65 Baja at the summit of Sherman Jeep Trail in the Sierras, May 1976:
Had enough yet?????? Give in???
_________________ Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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HECK NO! That's awesome! Put it all together, I'd buy that book. Hell, you could get your own movie deal, kinda like "Worlds fastest Indian". Keep it coming. I want pics of your steeds as they are now too. Thanks Richard. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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Back to the beam modifications, since I didn't have a drill bit with the correct angle, I need to grind the grub screw for the adjuster to match the bit. I'm using a little glass sealing cord to adhere the screw to the socket. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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And here's what they look like before & after compared to the drill bit. (I took a sharpie to the modified one so it was easier to see) |
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dustymojave Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2007 Posts: 5802 Location: Lake LA, Mojave Desert, SoCal
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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Better if you re-profile the drill bit. The grub screw needs to penetrate kinda like a weld needs to. If it doesn't have sufficient penetration, there's potential for slippage of the leaves.. Note that stock grub screws have a relatively blunt tip and the hole is blunt as well so it doesn't make the leaves too inclined to break at the grub screw hole. _________________ Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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Darn it, thanks Richard, I'll have to work on that. Thankfully I haven't done the lower spring pack yet so I'll have not have to redo the upper. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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I'll only have to redo the upper, f#%€Łg auto correct. |
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dustymojave Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2007 Posts: 5802 Location: Lake LA, Mojave Desert, SoCal
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know what's going on with the Samba forums and my email software right now. Every thing I do, I have to re-log in to either one. Read a post - log in. Read an email - log in. write a post - log in to send. write an email log in to finish typing it, then log in again to send. They're driving me NUTS!!!
You DO know the 21st Century spelling for the word "Frustrate", don't you?
"C-O-M-P-U-T-E-R"
_________________ Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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Another followed me home, fortunately a buddy saved me from myself & liberated it from me. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 7:45 am Post subject: |
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To correct the taper in the leaf spring retaining divots i found these. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 7:50 am Post subject: |
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Already a little skeptical about the amount of threads on the supplied retaining grub screw & knowing there would only be half of that after modifying them again, I decided to make some more. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 7:57 am Post subject: |
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After ORANGECRUSHer's comment about the dubious quality of the adjuster bolts I decided to to use those to cut down & use as new grub screws. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 8:08 am Post subject: |
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After trimming it to length I inserted my 6mm socket into my drill & ground the taper onto the new grub screw. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 8:12 am Post subject: |
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Here's the new grub screw compared to the original supplied with the adjusters. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 8:16 am Post subject: |
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And after a few adjustments, the grub screw uses all the threads available in the adjuster & even if it works loose it can't back out once it is in position. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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I've started replacing balljoints on the trailing arms.
After scraping 45 years of crud off the arm, I used my scribing tool to mark the original position of the balljoint. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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Here's one of the arms cleaned up with a new ball joint. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12850 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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Here I am pressing the ball joint into the other upper trailing arm, I had to get a little creative with sleeves & sockets so as not to damage the ball joint, boot or trailing arm. You can barely see the marks I made to line up the ball joint. |
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