Im So Frustrated
 

GUYS

the radrambler project
this project is driving me crazy....
i just ran into another problem that is just makes my stomach turn..
its my fault for not checking somethin when i test fitted the original lsx motor with no oil pan (because i didnt have it at the time )..so i guessed ON MY APROX. CLEARANCE.DUMB ASS MISTAKE.
my pinion shaft on my rack is so close to the pan rail i cant get the universal on the pinion SHAFT....so i called flaming river ....and came to a conclusion..
im kinda DICKED..i have to offset the rack to the left and now im building in a bumpsteer issue for a car that supposed to handle great........
fffffffffffffff

i know i wont have alot of travel in the suspension because its set up so tight . so how much it affects the car i wont know until i put it all together and drive AND HIT BUMPS......GREAT

all this because i had to have an ls1..AND I SHOULDA WAITED UNTIL I HAD THE CORRECT PAN TO TEST FIT.
SOMETIMES I DONT KNOW WHEN TO CUT MYSELF OFF OF THE LATERAL-G JUICE..:lol: ...IT LIKE A DRUG....ALWAYS WANTING MORE AND BETTER

everything worked fine before
this was built around the lt1 i had when the front suspension was built...no problems..MODIFY ONE HEADER TUBE AND THAT SETUP WAS GOLDEN.
NO I HAD TO MAKE THE CAR LIGHTER !!!..LS1 ..YEAH...

NOW IM JUST SICK.....PISSED ...MAD AT MYSELF ...:willy:

SO LET ME HEAR HOW STUPID I AM...CAUSE I NEED A GOOD ASS WHIPPING ABOUT NOW.......

anyone else feel my pain..

radrambler

Don't be so hard on yourself
 

We all have had problems like this.

Post a picture so folks can take a look. Maybe we can come up with an alternative.

Instead of a universal at the rack how about a solid shaft extension to a place where you can put a universal on? Is it a flaming river rack or an ARG? Would a different rack solve the problem? I may know of another rack kit that might work.

rack
 

payton


thanks man.. i need a serious pep talk...
the rack is from sweet mfg...its a circle track manual rack...
ive been studying the problem that last few minutes...since its has to be corrected..
i can raise the motor up some and get more clearance (make new mounts) .can only raise a fraction of an inch at the trans because the it hits the tunnel in one spot .(that could be clearanced)
i can take a little off the pan rail.like 3/16 .it stick out pass the block right where i need clearance..
the universal starts to go on the splines but it gets fat to quick and thus will not go on......
i turned on my camera ...battery is low . gotta recharge..
ill post a pic...asap

radrambler

From some of the circle track racks I have seen
 

The input shaft is more towards the middle of the rack than a mustang II style rack. You may be able to get a mustang style rack that is dimensionally the same as the rack you have, but the input shaft is moved further out away from the motor. That is going to cost you in the $400 range. 3/16 does not sound like a lot to take off. Maybe grind on the pan, slot the motor mount holes on the drivers side and raise you motor 1/4 to 1/2 just on one side.

Pictures will help

rack
 

payton

as soon as i found this problem i thought the same thing call flaming river get specs buy new rack and done. NOT..gave the tech guy the info he needed and he said looks like your gonna have to move the rack left of center to gain clearance....
ive been studying this and if i raise the motor some and maybe use a coupler at the rack pinion and then a piece of shaft then u-joint .coupler seem to be about 1 inch in diameter 2 INCHES LONG that would get me connected and up beside the block then put ujoint....
ISNT CAR BUILDING SO MUCH FUN.......:willy:
thanks for trying to help ..its not solved yet. but im working on it

RADRAMBLER

Good luck to you!
 

I dropped my car 1 inch in the back and had to mill a little off of each wheel spacer. I also need to clearance my tail pipes and have them recoated and trim my bump stops.

Yea this stuff is fun. Keep us posted.

The LS1 was worth it. It makes great power, you will get 26 mpg, easy to mod and you will save a little weight.

If it was easy everybody would do it. Why do you think so many cars look like crap and have such crappy engineering, Cuz some body would actually offset the rack and never even consider the consequences. Mavel engineering can custom make you a rack, or I know woodward sells there own U joints for there racks that are smaller then the flaming river units. You might also buy like an ATS oil pan and just notch the corner to gain some much needed space. Could you move the rack just a tic forward? Is the rack you are using power or manual? Could you adjust the steering arms and make the steering a front steer set up? you might have to do combo of like 4 things to fix it right, but a proper fix is always the best. Have layed out your exhaust yet? That is another issue to address at the same time along with steering column location. Change one thing and modify 10 other items.

Rodger

get a sweet rack with a remote servo, or better yet tell us the width of your pivots on your current rack, if its been designed to have good geometry, all you need to do is match pivot height and width, then build steering stops

rack
 

roger ..the rack is manual and its a circle track rack.it is front steer setup.. the rack mount just under the pan .pan works great.. just i didnt have it in place when i built the mounts plates .
this is what i should have done.
so i should have raised the motor and trans slightly more all together.
then fabbed the motor mount plates that go on the block. and had the clearance for the joint next to the pain rail.if i would have set up the engine /trans higher in the frame i wouldnt have run into this...but lowers the better for c.g.
what i need is a joint 3/4 36 spline thats about 1 inch in diameter for 2 inches then the ujoint then joint goes to round for shaft.
its just tight next to the pan edge flange and block there.

i looked at woodward joints they do look smaller in diameter...
thanks for input rodger....:thumbsup: ..

radrambler

Oh I thought your steering was in the rear. I know Woodward makes a female couplers that are just straight couplers. I use them to connect the servo box directly to the rack input shaft. If you could come up with some splined shaft to slip inside the coupler, that might solve your problem also.

Rodger