front tie rods

[flatheadgary]

is it just me or does having the tie rod out in front make anybody else nervous? i will go to great lengths to get it under the frame when i build a car or in the top holes of the spindels and run it in front of the radiator. i know when i have driven some of my t's and pull into a parking stall and there is a pole standing there, it just freaks me out that i might hit it. i wouldn't imagine it would take much to bend it.

 

[thomas]

I have a spirit and it is behind the front end. I to was concerned about that when looking for a kit.

thomas

 

[Youngster]

No...it's not just you. After all these years of building T's, I still cringe when I see this done. I,ve never run into anything with my T's, but I have hit all kinds of 1' tall critters on these Minnesota hyways. I'd hate to think of whay could have happened.

 

[tfeverfred]

Ya know, I really didn't think about that till way after I got my front end on. Yea, it doesn't take much to bend it and it will ALWAYS be on my mind. About the only thing good about that set up is that it's not as low as it could have been. I think mine sits about 8" or more clearance from the ground.

Memo to self: Watch out for poles, dogs, cats, trees and tree stumps!

 

[flatheadgary]

thanks for the replies. i know that they build the steering arms to have correct ackerman, but you got to be careful of what rims you run or the tie rod ends will hit the wheel. i am not sure, but tp frames might be to short to run it anywhere else. i have always used the size of frame in the ccr build plans which gives a long front. i have also made very long spring/radius rod plates so the rod doesn't hit anything in the front. maybe it's the disc brake mounting?

 

[butch27]

I,ve preached this for years! Your tie rod should NOT be your front bumper.

 

[tfeverfred]

Yea, it truly isn't the wisest setup, but then neither is a hot rod a safe car any way you slice it. How many are running around with a ground clearance of 4" or even lower and a 3' by 1 1/2' piece of glass held in front of your face by 4 screws? Quite a few, I bet.

No matter what you do with these cars, the one thing you HAVE to do is be aware of where you're going, the kind of road you're on and above all, what is going on around you. You can't expect these cars to be as safe as a regular car. They never will be. The most you can do is make them as safe as you can and keep your eyes open. If your into hot rods to be safe, you may be into the wrong hobby.

No front bumper. No rear bumper. No shoulder restraints. No air bags. No side impact bars. Seat belts, that for all intended purposes, are useless. A suspension based on 100 year old technology and a soccer mom on a cell phone behind you doing 75MPH. The list goes on and on. So, if you intend to build a car with all those features, you're wasting your time and money because what you'd be building is down the street at the Honda dealership.

 

[flatheadgary]

fred: so true!! as far as a wreck goes i sold a t to a guy and he got center punched by a red lite runner and the t kept him from getting hurt to bad. the t held up pretty good but was bent in the middle and the body shattered.

 

[Youngster]

Pet peeve-Totals tie rod in front of the axle.
It's difficult to talk folks out of this setup when the largest producer of T kits has been doing it for so long. I'm tellin' ya guys, this is not the best way to set up your tierod!

 

[terrymac]

Maybe not the best way but it sure adds to" the look" Along with the hot pipes by the door, poor belt set up, flex fans, etc etc. BUT it's all about the fun

 

[tfeverfred]

Pet peeve-Totals tie rod in front of the axle.
It's difficult to talk folks out of this setup when the largest producer of T kits has been doing it for so long. I'm tellin' ya guys, this is not the best way to set up your tierod!

On that we're agreed. On my next one, I'd probably go with another set up. As it is, I'll just have to be aware that it's out there. At this point, it's something I have no intention of fixing.

Kinda puts me in the catagory of the motorcycle guys with a jockey shift. Crazed daredevil, looking for adventure. Not too smart, but looking. The wire wheels kinda had me guessing and if I had not gotten such a good deal on them, i wouldn't have 'em. But NOTHING to me says T Bucket like wire whells on the front. Sacrificing safety for cool. Not too bright.

 

[realsteel27]

i think if your that worried about the suicide front end set up, doesnt speedway sell drop spindles for most years of straight axles to run the tie rods behind the axle

 

[flatheadgary]

fred, your ride is just too cool. i love those wire wheels on your car.
no, i don't have anything against anybody who wants to run the tie rod in front. like was said, total has been making their t's for a long time and i am sure if they had gotten alot of complaints they would have fixed it by now. i would imagine they have changed several things with their product over the years. i don't think it would be that hard to change it if they wanted to.
realsteel27, i don't think i have ever seen a dropped spindle for an axle before. i would imagine that would be the point of a dropped axle. now they do have longer steering arms that you could bend to put the tie rod wherever you want. through the radius rods or under. like i said before, putting the arms in the top holes of the spindle may cause a problem with the way the disc brakes are mounted. either way, just build them to have fun and after it's running and you don't like it, change it then. i have learned in my short life, anything somebody makes somebody else can figure out a way to rework it.