Re: Has anyone braced a K-frame in the car?
[Re: jcc]
#1155341
07/23/12 02:24 AM
07/23/12 02:24 AM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,168 Vancouver, WA
MoparMarq
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,168
Vancouver, WA
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Any installed pics?
I'll have one of the sector support kit by the end of the week. (It's kind of handy having Firm Feel less than a mile away.)
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And the purpose, if I understand it correctly, is to prevent "flexing" of the 1.25"? sector shaft, to lighten the load on the OEM sector bearings, AND to basically supply another mounting point for the PS box? I can't imagine shaft has much relative flex in the scheme of things.
If you take a look at the FSM, it is plainly obvious that the design of the steering gears does not plan for very high steering loads. The "cross shaft", or what we have have been referring to as the sector shaft, has ONE bearing supporting the load. Mainly, it appears that the bearing is to precisely locate the cross shaft w.r.t. the worm (input) shaft. The bottom end is held mainly by the housing, seal, and dust boot.
The "flex" in the steering system is a combination of (a) sector shaft flex, which admittedly is likely small, (b) housing flex, also probably fairly small, and K-frame steering gear mount point flex, which probably is the majority.
I see the sector support kit as having a two-fold purpose: (1) reducing the flex of the above mentioned elements, and (2) reducing the stress and wear on the steering gear housing at the lower end from the loads on the sector shaft.
We've all driven late-model cars - even my '86 Supra is still better than the RR in the handling department - why not help our vintage iron as much as possible with the tech improvements?
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Re: Has anyone braced a K-frame in the car?
[Re: Rick_Ehrenberg]
#1155342
07/23/12 02:36 AM
07/23/12 02:36 AM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 733 Nampa, ID
MadMatt
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 733
Nampa, ID
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Quote:
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The bearing is a nice idea but is the new bearing kit a fix for those who won't or can't or don't want to weld their k frame? It seems a properly welded/reinforced k frame would not require this additional piece as the steering box is now held very rigidly.
Has an evaluation been done to see if there is any discernible flex in the steering box mount after a full gusset and weld?
I usually use the unscientific approach, by looking at how much the pressure hose's chuck end (on PS cars) moves around when moving the steering wheel back 'n' forth a few inches, car at rest. In fact, this is how I discovered K flex 40 years ago!
From what I've seen, this simple bolt-on helps more than all the gusseting I've done over the years, and that's a lot! In fact, unless I was building another real road racer or auto-X'er, this is all I would bother with.
Again, I haven't measured, this is an eyeball estimation. Measurements, to be worth anything, would need to be done on the same car, same weight, same tire footprint and air pressure, etc.
Remember, no matter how much stiffness you add, the pitman (w/o the added bearing) will still be cantilevered out there.
'Course, it can never be too stiff... ;->
Rick
I installed one on my '70 Dart with Firm Feel level II box. It did take more like an hour than 10 minutes, but I work slow. However, it was definitely worth the money and the effort, and I could immediately feel the difference.
Some see the glass as half empty, some see the glass as half full. I just drink straight out of the bottle.
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Re: Has anyone braced a K-frame in the car?
[Re: Dan P]
#3222834
03/26/24 07:06 AM
03/26/24 07:06 AM
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,759 Florida
BDW
master
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master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,759
Florida
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Re: Has anyone braced a K-frame in the car?
[Re: blown340]
#3223223
03/27/24 08:20 PM
03/27/24 08:20 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 31,078 Oregon
AndyF
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 31,078
Oregon
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Just do what the old NASCAR boys used to do. They would weld the K frame right to the car just to make everything nice and stiff. Here is a picture of a NASCAR chassis I took a few years ago. I think this chassis was from the 70's or maybe early 80's. It was still a torsion bar, leaf spring car so it was before the switch to trailing arms and coil springs.
Some of the parts are interesting to look at. The fabricated knuckle is very crude. Looks like a disc brake knuckle welded to a truck knuckle? The anti sway bar setup is fabricated, the strut bar is gigantic, the hubs are from an Imperial or a light truck or something along those lines.
Last edited by AndyF; 03/27/24 08:22 PM.
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