bending cast iron

[Hobbiest]

Originally Posted by Goofour Thanks for your responces I am trying to use S10 spindles and brakes on a Triumph Spitfire that I installed a 350 chevy motor in. I modified the controll arms to hold ball joints but I was having trouble with the bump steer because the tie rod arms had to be shorter. Bending the spindle arms outward should fix that.

Is the height of the spindle the same? If the S-10 are taller, then the arms will be in a different arc. The wheelbase on the S-10 should be longer than that of the Spit, so yes it would make sense to ben the arms outward. If there are any attachment points on the spindle which would accept longer bolts, you may be able to make new steering arms out of steel plate. Just some thoughts...hope they help.

BTW...JEFFY? Take a pill daddy-o...we're all just trying to help, including (I assume) you.

[pbhayes]

Hey Guys,
I found this thread and have the same problem as Goofour had when he started this thread. I need to bend a Saab steering arm 1" out-wards to adjust the Ackerman. I see that it has been over a year from the start of this thread so I wonder if Goofour had any luck.
Or for that matter does anyone have any advice especially with regards to cooling the part. or past success / failures

To give you an idea what I am doing:
I am building a 3 wheeler, 2 front wheels for steering (and front wheel drive),
1 rear motorcycle wheel just to hold up the rear.
I have mounted a Saab front end to a 2" square steel tube frame. I used a BMW posi diff. inner C/V joints are BMW outer C/Vs are Saab. (I re-splined the axle shafts) and a custom built centered Mavel rack and pinion.
It is to be powered by an 8" ADC electric motor @ 96 volts.
I mounted the right side spindles on the left side to make it a front steer rig. and to give clearance for the electric motor.
this led to a reverse in the Ackerman angles. (big Bummer) but I can fix it.
(I hope)

Thanks Paul

[Goofour]

I tried heating a spindle from a S10 pick up. I could get it red under the torch but I could not get enough heet into it to stay red for long. So when I bent the steering arm it cracked. I tried twice and failed so I went a different route.

[Switcher]

Maybe this site will help you?

www.blazinlow.com

.

[pbhayes]

Thanks for the reply,
As they say timing is everything. Had I read your reply day before yesterday I may not have tried it, but I made the bends yesterday with no problems. I made a 1" bend in the two arms and got them within .004 of each other. I took the advice of just to let them air cool rather than to insulate them to slow the cool down time. This seems to have worked OK, but I have not load tested them yet to see if they are too soft now. I won't know how close the Ackerman will be untill I replace the bearings and reinstall everything.
($105.00 each) I think it will be about 12" in front of the center line of the rear wheel. but this is as far as I could bend them before they would rub the brake roters.

Thanks
Paul