Steering, Suspension, & Brakes

tips, technology, tools and techniques related to non-driveline mechanical components

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rudy
rudy palos

(1 posts)

Registered:
04/15/2014 01:04AM

Main British Car:
Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: rudy
Date: April 15, 2014 01:16AM

I am building a MGB with a small block chevy.Does anybody know of a flexible steering shaft like the one on Henry Byrds MGB ?


mgb260
Jim Nichols
Sequim,WA
(2463 posts)

Registered:
02/29/2008 08:29PM

Main British Car:
1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8

Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: mgb260
Date: April 15, 2014 02:20AM

71-72 Pinto's had a flexible cable steering connection. See if you can get a new replacement one, not used.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/2014 03:54AM by mgb260.


IaTR6
Dennis Costello
Central Iowa
(192 posts)

Registered:
12/29/2007 02:53PM

Main British Car:
'73 TR 6 '97 Explorer 5.0

Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: IaTR6
Date: April 15, 2014 12:34PM

Ken Schmidt has a flexible shaft in his TR6 I think. I made the mistake of asking about that idea to a Borgeson vendor - his answer wasn't nice! Try SS White co. (?name), they make all kinds, but I never investigated the cost. I did find that if the diameter is fairly large, the torsional stiffness is pretty high. Essentially, very few people have tried this approach, and some who haven't, don't recommend it. I would be interested in what Ken has to say about his solution, as on the surface it seems like a novel idea.
Dennis
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74ls1tr6
Calvin Grannis
Elk Grove,CA
(1151 posts)

Registered:
11/10/2007 10:05AM

Main British Car:
74 TR6 / 71 MGB GT TR6/Ls1 71 MGB GT/Ls1

authors avatar
Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: 74ls1tr6
Date: April 15, 2014 01:56PM

Ken has sold his TR6.


ghornbostel
Greg Hornbostel
Nebraska
(76 posts)

Registered:
09/02/2013 01:41PM

Main British Car:
1957 TR3 Buick 231 evenfire V6

Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: ghornbostel
Date: April 24, 2014 01:38PM

Have you thought about a offset box. They come in different lengths or you can make your own.

regards
Greg Hornbostel


pspeaks
Paul Speaks
Dallas, Texas
(698 posts)

Registered:
07/20/2009 06:40PM

Main British Car:
1972 MGB-GT 1979 Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: pspeaks
Date: April 25, 2014 01:51AM

I made one for my t-bucket so I'd nave a place to put my left foot; not hard to do and took me a little less than a day. It' been working like a champ for six years and shows no signs of wear. A friend owns the car now and he loves it. I used a milling machine because I have one, but it could easily be done with a drill press.

Paul



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2014 01:53AM by pspeaks.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6469 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: April 25, 2014 10:50AM

How does that work? I made one for a recumbent bicycle once that used sprockets and chain. It worked pretty well for that.

Jim



mgb260
Jim Nichols
Sequim,WA
(2463 posts)

Registered:
02/29/2008 08:29PM

Main British Car:
1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8

Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: mgb260
Date: April 25, 2014 12:44PM

Speedway Motors has them in different lengths/offset. Expensive though at $699.
8452000_L.jpg


ghornbostel
Greg Hornbostel
Nebraska
(76 posts)

Registered:
09/02/2013 01:41PM

Main British Car:
1957 TR3 Buick 231 evenfire V6

Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: ghornbostel
Date: April 25, 2014 03:29PM

Mine has a 6" offset. It gave me a better angle on the steering sector plus it allowed me to use the stock directional signals and horn on the TR3. I used number 40 chain and 16 tooth sprockets between 2 quarter inch steel plates. I bushed all the shafts but you could probably get some needle bearings in there somehow.

regards
Greg Hornbostel


pspeaks
Paul Speaks
Dallas, Texas
(698 posts)

Registered:
07/20/2009 06:40PM

Main British Car:
1972 MGB-GT 1979 Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: pspeaks
Date: April 27, 2014 04:55PM

Jim, Greg, that's exactly what I did using two aluminum plates, go-cart drive sprockets and chain. I used a third sprocket as an idler so I could adjust chain tension. After all these years it hasn't been re-tensioned and has no play. Yes...I could have bought a chrome plated one, but I have about $15 in it and it lives under the carpet.


Paul


ghornbostel
Greg Hornbostel
Nebraska
(76 posts)

Registered:
09/02/2013 01:41PM

Main British Car:
1957 TR3 Buick 231 evenfire V6

Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: ghornbostel
Date: April 28, 2014 10:29AM

Yeah, my sprockets came from the farm supply at $4 and some scrap 1/4" laying around and some Bridgeport time. I was wondering how long it would take before I'd have to retension the chain but you answered that for me Paul. Thanks.....

regards
Greg
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Dan B
Dan Blackwood
South Charleston, WV
(1007 posts)

Registered:
11/06/2007 01:55PM

Main British Car:
1966 TR4A, 1980 TR7 Multiport EFI MegaSquirt on the TR4A. Lexus V8 pl

authors avatar
Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: Dan B
Date: April 28, 2014 03:24PM

You could change your steering ratio by using a bicycle Derailleur setup. Just think.....; )


ghornbostel
Greg Hornbostel
Nebraska
(76 posts)

Registered:
09/02/2013 01:41PM

Main British Car:
1957 TR3 Buick 231 evenfire V6

Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: ghornbostel
Date: April 28, 2014 04:00PM

The Deraileur only works in one direction, but yeah, the possibilities do boggle the mind (Clint Eastwood I think). However if you were to use a tensioner that was solid after ratio change and had a stack of sprockets on the input and output shaft it would work. It would only require a slot to be milled in the side plates and a spacer for each set of sprockets. Put it out in the open so it doesn't become a PITA to change (engine side of the firewall). Good thinking Dan...


DiDueColpi
Fred Key
West coast - Canada
(1365 posts)

Registered:
05/14/2010 03:06AM

Main British Car:
I really thought that I'd be an action figure by now!

authors avatar
Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: DiDueColpi
Date: April 28, 2014 08:13PM

Yah, Dan.
But then you just go down the road making that annoying clicking noise when you're set 1/2 way between sprockets.


Dan B
Dan Blackwood
South Charleston, WV
(1007 posts)

Registered:
11/06/2007 01:55PM

Main British Car:
1966 TR4A, 1980 TR7 Multiport EFI MegaSquirt on the TR4A. Lexus V8 pl

authors avatar
Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: Dan B
Date: April 29, 2014 08:10AM

And if it got stuck between shifts......

It's a lot of fun to spin the steering wheel and have nothing happen at 60mph on a two lane road with your car drifting into oncoming traffic. Been there, done that



roverman
Art Gertz
Winchester, CA.
(3188 posts)

Registered:
04/24/2009 11:02AM

Main British Car:
74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L

Re: Flexible steering shaft, straight forward engineering
Posted by: roverman
Date: April 29, 2014 10:54AM

Steering should remain "shiftless". Why not servos'/slots, on the steering arms, to change their effective length, no wait/wait, 2 stacked steering wheels, of different diameters. Obviously here, the top one should be collapsible ??


DiDueColpi
Fred Key
West coast - Canada
(1365 posts)

Registered:
05/14/2010 03:06AM

Main British Car:
I really thought that I'd be an action figure by now!

authors avatar
Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: DiDueColpi
Date: April 29, 2014 05:25PM

Oh Oh Oh Oh I've got it!!!

A collapsible tiller.
Just pull it out to the right length and then "twist to lock".
It's so stupid it's simple.

Cheers
Fred


pspeaks
Paul Speaks
Dallas, Texas
(698 posts)

Registered:
07/20/2009 06:40PM

Main British Car:
1972 MGB-GT 1979 Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: pspeaks
Date: April 29, 2014 06:13PM

If you think of it, the rotational speed and stress of the chain and gears is almost nil compared to the design limits of the components (unless you use bicycle parts that is :-). Funny, but it never occurred to me to make one for my MG. It would have been fun this past winter, when it was 16 degrees outside, setting at the milling machine in a heated garage with a cigar and a hot cup of coffee. Oh well, I guess what I've got will just have to do.



Paul


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6469 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: April 29, 2014 07:09PM

Well, you *could* just put the little steering wheel inside the dish of the big steering wheel...
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pspeaks
Paul Speaks
Dallas, Texas
(698 posts)

Registered:
07/20/2009 06:40PM

Main British Car:
1972 MGB-GT 1979 Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Flexible steering shaft
Posted by: pspeaks
Date: April 29, 2014 07:30PM

I hadn't thought of that Jim, that's a great idea....



Paul
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