LocostUSA.com

I marked on my table the length of each of the four legs, based on my guesses in Wishbone and some chicken entrails for good measure. I am still tweaking these, but so far the threads are plenty of adjustment. Nice to know I can invest another $0.15 of PVC and cut a new leg in about 2 minutes if I need to.

Anyway, I laid the parts on the table, aligned with my full-scale sketch. That matches the lengths found in the Wishbone probram...I think on the F5 screen. Note that you'll line up the center of each rod end, not the length of the tubing, fittings, etc.

I originally measured up into each coupler, adding, subtracting, etc. Then I realized I could just measure the couplers center-to-center (as shown) and that takes care of everything. (well, knock off a sixteenth for the lip in the center of the coupler...or just ignore it and count on the saw's kerf.)

A finished upper A-arm. Later on you'll see I drilled through coupler and tube in one shot to accommodate a cotter pin. I like this better than gluing, 'cause you can undo it. Plenty sturdy. This was particularly attractive since I promised Jack I'd send the bits back once I had it all worked out!

BTW, I told Jack he should offer loaner kits like this to builders. Maybe sell it for $20 and apply that to the control arms upon return. Or do like he did for me...I bought the rod ends and brackets from him, and they came with the PVC ends all set up on loan. I think it would be a bit fussy and bothersome (but still worthwhile) to build up these bits for a single car, but man, was it nice to just open the magic UPS box and slap all this together.

The first time I "offered it up" to the car. I didn't have the FU tubes in yet, pending the suspension design. I used dowels to align the inboard ends. (Okay, one is some 3/8" ratchet extensions...dowel worked better) I taped the rod ends to the dowels to match the fore/aft distances Wishbone reported, to help determine where FU2 would go.

Man, this is fussy work. It was really challenging measuring and locating all these points in 3D. Starting over, I would erect a true, level table under the front end of car to represent the ground at ride height. That is, with my frame on sawhorses 36" tall, I'd have a sturdy table 31.5" high across the front end, yielding my target 4.5" ground clearance to the frame. You could just do this from the floor, but who wants to crawl around on the floor all day, and floors tend to be a bit irregular.

That way, I could draw my X/Z axes (Wishbone nomenclature) on the table, sketch out where everything is supposed to end up, the measure up with a square and/or a plumb bob for the height (Y) of each point. Gosh, now that I've written these words, I wonder why in the world I didn't do that. Hmmm...might still be worthwhile...

Front view. You can get some idea of the gyrations I went through measuring stuff in space.

Centerline reference is very important. I think I'm going to weld in tiny little posts to run strings over or something. In fact, that would have been handy from day one. Next time will be so much easier...

The dowels seemed clever, and served their purpose, but quickly got annoying. I clamped the rod end brackets in place, and could actually start bumping and drooping the tire. I can't express how gratifying that is. It's one thing to read the numbers and see the mickeymouse DOS graphics in Wishbone...quite another to say, "hey...there's 2 more degrees of camber when it goes this way!"

-dave

ps. If you ever think you have enough clamps...you're wrong!

Excellent examples and pictures. Thanks!

Looking good Dave

J. R.

Nice work. Make sure you add shocks and steering parts to your mockup before you decide you're done. I did all that a year ago and I'm up to my tits in trying to remember how it all went together now it's painted.

These photos will be invaluable when you come to assemble the car later.

-S

How much for the dog?

Priceless!

So I took off work Wednesday to run up to Cincinnati to pick this up:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 075413266&

10"x24" Jet Lathe, No. 1024P, 1-1/2 HP,115 Volt

It's funny...I know what 10x24 means when talking about a lathe. But still, when I got up to Cincinnati to pick it up, I was flabbergasted by the size of this thing. I was picturing a 2' log, and expecting the lathe to be a little bigger than that. "You get that end, I'll get this end," sort of thing.

NOT EVEN CLOSE! It's almost 5 feet long, hangs off the front of a 30" deep bench, and set my T100 down on its haunches when the gantry crane set it in the bed. I'm guessing it weighs around 700 pounds. It's still in my truck because I can't get the truck and my engine lift in the same place yet. I'm not too worried about someone stealing it! I was afraid I bit off more than I can chew, but I've since warmed up to it and look forward to making I-have-no-idea-what with it.

Ooooh...best of all, it's got a really big spindle bore. I haven't measured, but I think it's 1.5". Turns out it's 220V, not 110. No big deal...I've got 220 in the garage, and maybe now I'll get around to rewiring the mill for 220 once I run a circuit over there. The power cable looks circa 1962, and will be replaced. Not sure if I'll put a plug on it or just hard-wire it. I guess maybe a plug for safety.

It didn't have much in the way of accessories. I'll need to buy a tool post, cutters, and sooner or later a 4-jaw chuck. Oh, and a set of outside jaws for the 3-jaw, if I can find some that fit. It needs a LOT of cleanup. My instructor suggested taking it to the spray-wand car wash! I think I'll try liberal application of elbow grease first.

We ran it a little and it is smooth as silk. Everything moves nicely, with less than .001 runout and very little backlash...except for the cross-slide. We didn't actually cut anything, as the oil system needs a little work. One of the sight-glasses was missing, so it's likely lost oil in one of the journals.

Look for more round, shiny things coming out of my shop in the next few weeks!


Oh, and maybe some car parts. Like I need another project!


-dave "turn, turn, turn" hempy

Ya know...it blows my mind that this lathe was $600 -- twenty dollars less than a new, 90 pound 7x14. I swear, I'm never buying anything new ever again. Built in 1977 and still running great.

Nice buy!

PS. Got my rod extensions yesterday and they work PERFECT!! Thanks.


J. R.

Nice score on the lathe, perfect size for most jobs.

Rod

Dave, that's awesome. At this point, ( hate to plant this seed! ), the whole donor concept is kinda almost moot. What you need now is stock and more stock. Big billets of stock, piles and piles of stock.

Heck that motor is looking a little bulky, maybe whip up a 2-3 litre pushrod v8, it would be small and sound nice. Then you could point at your car and really say "I built that".

Have fun, your doing stuff I always wanted too and am starting to realize will not have time to unless I get going!