[cocobolo]

Has anyone used chain steering recently?

I understand that many of the big rigs use this system, so I gather that it is quite legitimate.  It is a way of avoiding the interference problems so frequently encountered with a steering column and the drivers side exhaust so common with our cars.

Back in the early '70's, I belonged to the Klondike Auto Racing Association (KARA) and we routinely used such a chain steering system on our track cars.  The last car I used it on was a '34 Ford Vicky body which sat on a '60's Chevy chassis and drive train.  We often had our driving position in the centre of the car, as opposed to the usual left hand side.  This gave great flexibility for the location of the steering shaft.

I'm thinking that this would work well with a rack and pinion as you can get the steering shaft down very close to the frame right out of the firewall.

Just thinking about it at the moment.  And wondering if anyone has run into this previously.

[sammons]

I've wondered that myself. Been trying to help out a freind with a '36 ford p.u.  All was fine with the sbc that has been in there since the 60's, and he decided to go with a 302 ford. Nothing fits now, and have tried 3 different header set up's. Nothing else seems to work, and that would cure all.

Been looking at Speedways Steerclear #845-1000 offset, but a bit hesitant to recomend it. I just haven't talked to anybody that has actually used one. I never will forget opening season at the local dirt track back in '67 watching the green flag drop and seeing a fresh '57 go straight off #1 and through the fence because the chain jumped off. Now I know this can't happen on these store bought units, but that always stuck with me.

Would be nice to hear from someone who has used one. Do they steer any different,  smooth, etc.

[cocobolo]

I've wondered that myself. Been trying to help out a freind with a '36 ford p.u.  All was fine with the sbc that has been in there since the 60's, and he decided to go with a 302 ford. Nothing fits now, and have tried 3 different header set up's. Nothing else seems to work, and that would cure all.

Been looking at Speedways Steerclear #845-1000 offset, but a bit hesitant to recomend it. I just haven't talked to anybody that has actually used one. I never will forget opening season at the local dirt track back in '67 watching the green flag drop and seeing a fresh '57 go straight off #1 and through the fence because the chain jumped off. Now I know this can't happen on these store bought units, but that always stuck with me.

Would be nice to hear from someone who has used one. Do they steer any different,  smooth, etc.

That must have been a nice surprise for the driver!

The way to avoid that - at least what we used to do - was that you made up an enclosure for the two gears, the chain and an idler gear.  It looked similar to a timing cover for your motor, except that it was longer and skinny.  We used a very heavy roller chain, and I don't ever recall anyone having difficulty.  If you are really in to fabrication, you can make it so that you can alter the gear ratios as you do with a quick change rear end.  I never did that, just used something like a small overdriven ratio to speed up the steering.  I think I still have a length of heavy roller chain here somewhere.

I'll have to look at the Speedway unit, haven't done that yet.

[cocobolo]

Sammons, thanks for the Speedway part number.  That looks like what we used to make, except I think we must have used a bigger gear.

A bit pricey at $700 U.S., which would translate to $900 + landed in Canada, but a nice looking unit for sure.  I see they show the unit mounted outside the firewall, but ours were located in the passenger compartment, right up against the firewall.  I suppose either way would be OK, but if you want a cleaner engine compartment, the inside setup would achieve that.  We used to weld angle iron to attach the steering unit to in order to keep it nice and stable, then we bolted it in place.

[sammons]

Cocobolo, I looked up Wizzard Fab-Steer Clear (Sac, Ca). Their pic's show them also mounted inside, availible from 8" to 20" life time warranty.  $599 unpolished version, and if you buy 3 or more price drops to $510. I guess if you had 3 buddies that needed them, not terrible.

Of coarse if you got fab skills for yourself, that's different.  But for someone who doesn't?  With somemore reading I might recomend to my freind.

[trbomax]

In the drag boats we used#50 roller chain to turn a shaft that ran along side of the engine stringers,all the way to the back of the boat.A pittman arm on the shaft was connected to a steering arm on the rudder shaft. I used a swinging top ideler,much like a blower drive,to maintain tension on the chain under the dash. This was sop untill the push-pull enclosed cable steering units came out in the mid 70's.

[EDNY]

I have been saving Chevy timing gear chains and crankshaft gears with the idea of making my own offset chain drive in the future..they look like the ideal starting material?

[cocobolo]

I have been saving Chevy timing gear chains and crankshaft gears with the idea of making my own offset chain drive in the future..they look like the ideal starting material?

Oddly enough I too was thinking about timing gears.  I think you would only need the small gears and maybe two chains.

I went down to our local cheapie auto supply this afternoon, (Princess Auto) about the equivalent of your Harbor Freight and they have all sorts of different gear sizes which are very heavy duty, between about $5 and $9 each.  They had a 10' length of matching chain (I should have looked at the number) but very heavy stuff, for $32.

Making your own could be the ideal thing, because you would be able to get precisely the length you wanted.  I also think it wouldn't be that hard to make a strong tensioner so you could avoid any slack at all.  A couple of bearings and a bit of steel and you're in business.  You would need a u-joint at both top and bottom I think, depending on the angle from the top of the unit to the steering wheel.  If you could make that straight at the top, you could eliminate that u-joint.  Add your removable steering wheel and voila!

[EDNY]

You can see the potential with two matching gears...

[cocobolo]

You can see the potential with two matching gears...

Exactly...and if you needed it longer, just break one link and add a second chain, or even just part of a second chain for whatever length you need.  Excellent idea!

I picked up the Princess Auto catalog as well yesterday, and they have all manner of gears and different chains.  All inexpensive so you can pretty much make up what you want.  They only have a single type of u-joint, which is 3/4", but I'm not sure if it would be strong enough for a steering setup.  Maybe, just not sure.  I think I would pirate something off a regular car instead.