Browbeater T

[Hackerbilt]

Finally able to get a bit more done with the T! Been a busy week at off topic stuff!

Have the new windshield posts painted and cleared.
Had it arranged to have a new glass cut but the day I called was my friends last day for a couple of weeks. Going in for an operation!
Well...what to do now!?!?

Called another buddy who works as a commercial glass installer and he said no problem at all.
Have one for you tomorrow.
Gave me a text the next day to drop over to his house and pick it up.
He had TWO cut...no charge!!!!
He said he just grabbed two laminated glass "off cuts" going to the garbage bin and cut them to size on his dinner break!
Said he cut two because he knows what I'm like...whatever that means. LOL

Keep those commercial glass places in mind when you search for glass. Could save you a few bucks over the automotive glass places.
I was gonna happily pay $80.00 bucks for one glass!

Should be on the road sometime next weekend.

 

[Hackerbilt]

I'm out and about a couple of weeks now!
Windshield is all finished up except for the wind wings.
All in all I'm pretty happy with it.
Still need to re-angle the seat bottoms to get me down a little lower to make the low top viable.
(and yes...bad Ackerman angles really do suck! Thats on the list for next winter. )

 

[EX JUNK]

Very nicely done ride.

Jim

 

[Spanky]

Nice looking ride, Hacker! How far off is the Ackerman in your car?

 

[rubicon]

Nice work. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your ride.

 

[Gerry]

...bad Ackerman angles really do suck! Thats on the list for next winter. )

Good to know you are sorting it out. So many people don't bother.

 

[Hackerbilt]

Nice looking ride, Hacker! How far off is the Ackerman in your car?

Good to know you are sorting it out. So many people don't bother.

It looks worse than what it is because the original Chevy steering arms are mounted to the outside of the spindle bosses. That makes the arms aim inward.
Even with it not being as bad as some cars I've seen, it still causes a lot of scrubbing when taking a tight turn on loose surfaces, and turning while backing up makes it very obvious something isn't right.
Still...on the road or highway the car is great. She has a lot of long distance runs under her belt!

This year I upsized my draglink and Heims.
Gonna do the same to the tierod this winter so I'll make or buy some arms with the joint holes farther out towards the rotor.
Should be able to add an additional 2.5" or so to the tierod length, which will make a noticeable difference.

 

[Hackerbilt]

What great weather we have been having up here this summer.
Been to two excellent outdoor show/meets in neighbouring towns so far and hoping to get the weather to make a 4 hour jaunt out to central for another next weekend. 4 out, 4 back...2 hours at the show!!!
I've missed all the local stuff...just not really into displaying the car unless the rad and windshield are full of bugs I guess! LoL
I have my windwings now and will install them this week. Hoping they cut some of the highway wind buffetting down a little bit.

Just put on a big 14" air cleaner and it really adds to the car compared to the little triangular one I was running before.
My daughter and I took a couple of hours today and made a run to the little beach at Witless Bay. No real reason...just to be together and drive.
A little cool with the breeze off the North Atlantic but not too bad.
Then we went to Cape Spear and watched the whales for a bit. Fun morning!

 

[fletcherson]

What great weather we have been having up here this summer.
Been to two excellent outdoor show/meets in neighbouring towns so far and hoping to get the weather to make a 4 hour jaunt out to central for another next weekend. 4 out, 4 back...2 hours at the show!!!
I've missed all the local stuff...just not really into displaying the car unless the rad and windshield are full of bugs I guess! LoL
I have my windwings now and will install them this week. Hoping they cut some of the highway wind buffetting down a little bit.

Just put on a big 14" air cleaner and it really adds to the car compared to the little triangular one I was running before.
My daughter and I took a couple of hours today and made a run to the little beach at Witless Bay. No real reason...just to be together and drive.
A little cool with the breeze off the North Atlantic but not too bad.
Then we went to Cape Spear and watched the whales for a bit. Fun morning!

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Nice pic! I never noticed your roll bar before. I'm planning on one almost exactly like it. More of a rear collision safety than a roll bar for me. I've had major reconstructive spine surgery, I'm gun shy. I incorporated some steel reinforcements for the seat and sides of the body too. Not that it will be safe by any stretch, but a minor collision may not turn into a catastrophic event, imho,

 

[Hackerbilt]

Nobody should ever assume these little things are safe.
I also have a steel reinforcement around the seating area as far as the doors!
In the cars previous life as a street/strip warrior it had a bolt in cage. I used the old mounting points for that to anchor the seat back brace (1x2 tube structure) and the body reinforcement as well.
As a result the body is held to the frame by 16 3/8 Grade 8 bolts!
Definate overkill I know...but the bolt locations were already there so I just went ahead and used them all. LoL

 

[butch27]

Good thing about the Ackerman.

 

[old round fart]

Will the Chevy steering arms clear the rotors if you turn the arms around? That will get acurman closer.

 

[tfeverfred]

Will the Chevy steering arms clear the rotors if you turn the arms around? That will get acurman closer.

They might, but it looks like the spring, shocks, etc. would be in the way.

 

[old round fart]

They might, but it looks like the spring, shocks, etc. would be in the way.

No. Wrong direction! Unbolt arm and turn it over. The tie rod will still be in the front but would be closer to the tire. The line to the center of the rear end would still line up going through the kingpin and tie rod end. Just thinking.

 

[Hackerbilt]

Steering arms need replacing to correct the Ackerman. For various reasons, flipping, turning around etc won't work.
It will be handled over this coming winter....

 

[EX JUNK]

Steering arms need replacing to correct the Ackerman. For various reasons, flipping, turning around etc won't work.
It will be handled over this coming winter....

I'm happy to see that you are aware of the improper or lack of correct Ackerman and are going to correct it.

Jim

 

[Hackerbilt]

FINALLY managed to make the time to get the wind wings put on.
My windshield is only 11ish inches but I left the wings at 16" and dropped them a bit low for better side coverage.
They still clear the doors and are all but invisible anyway. The mounting setup I came up with holds them very well but can be adjusted if needed.
I cut up a couple of import hinges I had kicking around to get some thick right angle pieces and as an added benefit the mounting holes were already there to use.
Used some stainless washers and fasteners to hold it all together.
Can't wait to try them out.

 

[tfeverfred]

You're right about being invisible. I had to look twice to see them. Nice job!

 

[Hackerbilt]

You're right about being invisible. I had to look twice to see them. Nice job!

Thanks.
Hope they actually work!
I'm a bit iffy on the look they give for some reason, but hopefully they work good and then getting used to them won't be so painful. LoL