BritishV8 Forum

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 ?

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

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

Ken has sold his TR6.

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

regards
Greg Hornbostel

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

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

Jim

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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 ??

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

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

Well, you *could* just put the little steering wheel inside the dish of the big steering wheel...

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



Paul

Back to basics... doan need stinkin steeering wheeel, use tiller with slide/adjuster Brodie Knob ! This thread is now twine, an all jacked-up.