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11-08-2007 | 08:18 PM
Tech Elite
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,192
From: San Francisco
OK, here's a little lesson on cutting down the steering blocks on the old style AE front end.
1. two stock blocks, one with the front tab cut off and a line scribed on the bottom as a cutting guide. I take 1mm off which will allow a 2mm smaller tire to be used on the car. You can do this on a mill or with your dremel, I use a sanding wheel.
2. stock block and cut block ready to install. Make sure both steering blocks are exactly the same thickness or your car will be permanently tweaked.
3. you will have to shorten the kingpin a little on the top or it will hit the wheel (on regular 34mm diameter wheels)
4. You also have to remove a little material from the top front corner of the suspension arm for the same reason.
5. Here's the order in which the parts go together. The two shims on top of the block (in this case the white plastic shim and the metal kingpin shim)have to equal the amount you cut off of the block. EDIT oops! I just noticed that the steering block is upside down in the pic. Don't install it that way! LOL The cut side goes toward the bottom.
continued in the next post
1. two stock blocks, one with the front tab cut off and a line scribed on the bottom as a cutting guide. I take 1mm off which will allow a 2mm smaller tire to be used on the car. You can do this on a mill or with your dremel, I use a sanding wheel.
2. stock block and cut block ready to install. Make sure both steering blocks are exactly the same thickness or your car will be permanently tweaked.
3. you will have to shorten the kingpin a little on the top or it will hit the wheel (on regular 34mm diameter wheels)
4. You also have to remove a little material from the top front corner of the suspension arm for the same reason.
5. Here's the order in which the parts go together. The two shims on top of the block (in this case the white plastic shim and the metal kingpin shim)have to equal the amount you cut off of the block. EDIT oops! I just noticed that the steering block is upside down in the pic. Don't install it that way! LOL The cut side goes toward the bottom.
continued in the next post
Last edited by odpurple; 07-10-2008 at 07:43 PM.
11-08-2007 | 09:20 PM
OD - Do you run your steering links like that? You must have some horrible bump toe in. Get some longer ball studs for your spindles so the steering links don't angle down like that.
11-08-2007 | 09:48 PM
Tech Elite
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,192
From: San Francisco
Its and older car and one I built before I figured out the bump steer thing, I just used it for the tutorial because it had the old school front end on it. I mostly run the servo angled these days anyway
11-09-2007 | 06:08 AM
OD - Nice instruction on the "Old School" front end!
For us who have been around for a few decades, getting these parts to work has been the "Hobby" side of the sport. I still run the old school on a few cars for carpet. Back a few posts I saw the aluminum reinforcement for the arms. That looked much better machined and engineered from what I had built.
I'm not as proficient on the new style, but with the IRS arms, and some of the CRC parts, maybe it's time to play!!
For us who have been around for a few decades, getting these parts to work has been the "Hobby" side of the sport. I still run the old school on a few cars for carpet. Back a few posts I saw the aluminum reinforcement for the arms. That looked much better machined and engineered from what I had built.
I'm not as proficient on the new style, but with the IRS arms, and some of the CRC parts, maybe it's time to play!!
11-09-2007 | 12:30 PM
Tech Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 939
From: On a Stage or Stand somewhere
OK, here's a little lesson on cutting down the steering blocks on the old style AE front end.
1. two stock blocks, one with the front tab cut off and a line scribed on the bottom as a cutting guide. I take 1mm off which will allow a 2mm smaller tire to be used on the car. You can do this on a mill or with your dremel, I use a sanding wheel.
2. stock block and cut block ready to install. Make sure both steering blocks are exactly the same thickness or your car will be permanently tweaked.
3. you will have to shorten the kingpin a little on the top or it will hit the wheel (on regular 34mm diameter wheels)
4. You also have to remove a little material from the top front corner of the suspension arm for the same reason.
5. Here's the order in which the parts go together. The two shims on top of the block (in this case the white plastic shim and the metal kingpin shim)have to equal the amount you cut off of the block. EDIT oops! I just noticed that the steering block is upside down in the pic. Don't install it that way! LOL The cut side goes toward the bottom.
continued in the next post
1. two stock blocks, one with the front tab cut off and a line scribed on the bottom as a cutting guide. I take 1mm off which will allow a 2mm smaller tire to be used on the car. You can do this on a mill or with your dremel, I use a sanding wheel.
2. stock block and cut block ready to install. Make sure both steering blocks are exactly the same thickness or your car will be permanently tweaked.
3. you will have to shorten the kingpin a little on the top or it will hit the wheel (on regular 34mm diameter wheels)
4. You also have to remove a little material from the top front corner of the suspension arm for the same reason.
5. Here's the order in which the parts go together. The two shims on top of the block (in this case the white plastic shim and the metal kingpin shim)have to equal the amount you cut off of the block. EDIT oops! I just noticed that the steering block is upside down in the pic. Don't install it that way! LOL The cut side goes toward the bottom.
continued in the next post
Thanks......off to the mill.........
11-09-2007 | 12:48 PM
Tech Elite
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,192
From: San Francisco
OD - Nice instruction on the "Old School" front end!
For us who have been around for a few decades, getting these parts to work has been the "Hobby" side of the sport. I still run the old school on a few cars for carpet. Back a few posts I saw the aluminum reinforcement for the arms. That looked much better machined and engineered from what I had built.
I'm not as proficient on the new style, but with the IRS arms, and some of the CRC parts, maybe it's time to play!!
For us who have been around for a few decades, getting these parts to work has been the "Hobby" side of the sport. I still run the old school on a few cars for carpet. Back a few posts I saw the aluminum reinforcement for the arms. That looked much better machined and engineered from what I had built.
I'm not as proficient on the new style, but with the IRS arms, and some of the CRC parts, maybe it's time to play!!
Those arm braces are from SpeedMerchant. They come anodized blue, and for Carl's car in the pic I removed the anodizing with oven cleaner and polished them to match the other aluminum pieces on the car.
11-09-2007 | 11:25 PM
Tech Elite
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,662
From: Brampton ont canada