Steering Column

[JHarshbarger]

We are reconsidering the steering column carrier on our car. In the past we've run a Cane Creek headset off a mountain bike. With the rack we're using this year, the steering shaft will only need to be restrained from rotating in the vertical plane.

I'm curious as to what other teams are running for their "steering column carrier" (for lack of a better word). Does anyone run rod ends with a shaft collar for a simple, adjustable steering column?

[McMasteRacer]

we use a needle roller with a shaft collar over the steering shaft.

i have a couple pictures of teams using a rod end

[MikeDutsa]

we just used an aluminum bushing on a steel shaft. effective, cheap, easy.

[Chapo]

A bit of machined delrin does the trick for our team.

Matt

[Drew Price]

'Oilite' oil impregnated bronze.

Best,
Drew

[rjwoods77]

Drew,

Who wrote that quote? It couldnt be more to the truth.

[Brian Evans]

Just about every Saturday night short track circle track car running in America uses rod ends to hang the steering column.

I use a Delrin bushing in panel or bracket, usually.

Brian

[Drew Price]

Rob,

It's printed on the window of an upscale modern home furnishing store here in Evanston, called Design Within Reach, www.dwr.com (http://www.dwr.com/). Really cool stuff, sort of minimalist Scandinavian influenced? Don't know if it's things I would want to have in my house, but the design side is definitely there.

Best, Drew

[vreihen]

Originally posted by Brian Evans:
Just about every Saturday night short track circle track car running in America uses rod ends to hang the steering column.

Our local dirt track store carries QA1 rod end bearings with a slightly oversized 0.757" bore for this very application.

I have seen everything used as steering column supports, from a saddle strap and nylon bushing to a vintage Formula Vee with (I kid you not) a block of wood with a hole drilled in it bolted to the dashboard.....

[Brian Evans]

From what I understand, one of the most highly regarded US built and designed FF2000 and Formula Ford car uses a hole in the dashboard, which is made of plywood. The upgrade is apparently a bushing in a CF dash. Supposed to work very well. Part of it's design includes the ability to fly-away if the knees are driven backwards in a high impact frontal crash. Not everything needs to be high tech, just well considered.

Brian

[murpia]

Try these, nice and light...

http://www.igus.co.uk/wpck/default.aspx?pagenr=2507&C=gb&L=en

Regards, Ian

[JHarshbarger]

Appreciate all those replies. For those that run a top mount rack: do you run a u-joint in the middle of your steering shaft? I know judges in the past have been concerned about other components in a front collision, but we haven't run a top mount rack before. Is a u-joint that will "buckle" the steering shaft in the event of a front collision advisable? This would keep the steering wheel/shaft from contacting the driver, but it would need quite an impact for this to happen (rack is located about 16" rearward of the front bulkhead).



Those pillow blocks look great and would also be ideal for U-bar type ARB mounting with removeable arms.