Caster question

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 11:37 pm

Been taking the body off my Veep today and noticed that the beam is angled out at the top. I never drove it before stripping it down, but this just seems wrong to me,, the chassis has had some alteration up front to a standard Veep chassis and I cant think why it was done this way,, any thoughts guys??. At a guess I would say the beam tips out at the TOP by about 3/8'',,, Im tempted to cut the chassis & alter it so the beam is either upright or tipping out slightly at the bottom. Its not going to be lowered,, if anything slightly higher. Wish I had driven it before ripping it apart now

,, body & chassis going for blasting soon so don't want to be cutting & welding once its painted. I know its hard to guess what this thing needs,, but some of you guys are experts in this field,, so I shall go along with you :help: ps, I dont want to pack it out with caster wedges,, seems wrong to me on a custom made chassis.

1MINT86 · Post by **1MINT86** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:45 am

Mel, I have built quit a few race car tube chassis and found 6 degrees to be a starting place.

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 10:24 am

[QUOTE="1MINT86"]Mel, I have built quit a few race car tube chassis and found 6 degrees to be a starting place.[/QUOTE] Greg, Thanks for your help,,,, just been trying to work this out and come up with around 5/8'' caster to get around 6 degrees,, does that sound about right?? At the moment the lower part of the beam tips the wrong way by 3/8'' making it an inch out,,,, thats if my calculations are correct,,, if so it must have been hell to drive.

1MINT86 · Post by **1MINT86** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 4:30 am

Mel, The way I have measured caster in the past is to level the chassis and then put a protractor against the beam, tilt the top tube back to 6 degrees. I don't really know what 6 degrees would equate to in inches.

manxdavid · Post by **manxdavid** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 7:00 am

Can you just use an ''angle finder' and take a measuremet from a chassis you know is good, like your old Buggy and use that?

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:31 am

[QUOTE="1MINT86"]Mel, The way I have measured caster in the past is to level the chassis and then put a protractor against the beam, tilt the top tube back to 6 degrees. I don't really know what 6 degrees would equate to in inches.[/QUOTE] Thanks again Greg,, that sounds the best way I guess,, will be interesting to find out how far out I was with the 5/8'' thing too.

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:59 am

[QUOTE="Manxdavid"]Can you just use an ''angle finder' and take a measuremet from a chassis you know is good, like your old Buggy and use that?[/QUOTE] Maybe I will dig the ol buggy out the barn & check it against the Veep chassis before welding the beam brace in place with 6 degrees caster. This ain't no real 4X4 Jeep so to make up for that it needs to be set up right,, I have to proove to the real Jeep boys that this 2WD Veep can kick ass without sucking too much gas

JEEP= Just Empty Every Pocket

its getting that way now,, but your gonna luv it Dave

manxdavid · Post by **manxdavid** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:20 pm

Did you get Allen's email about him coming over in August? You can take us both for a ride in the Jeep...

fubar · Post by **fubar** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 4:33 pm

I wonder if they built it that way to make it easier to steer at low speeds? Or perhaps they had positive and negative caster mixed up? It had to be pretty unstable anything over 35mph.

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:21 pm

[QUOTE="fubar"]I wonder if they built it that way to make it easier to steer at low speeds? Or perhaps they had positive and negative caster mixed up? It had to be pretty unstable anything over 35mph.[/QUOTE] Funny you should mention that because I did drive it around the garden before taking it apart,, but never even got out of first gear,, so not fast enough to tell how it was going to handle & stay in a straight line at speed. What I did notice was how VERY easy it was to steer,,, even at a standstill it was like it had power steering off an early 60s vehicle. Just wish I had taken it up the road now,, but I never noticed the beam tipping the wrong way then.

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:43 pm

[QUOTE="Manxdavid"]Did you get Allen's email about him coming over in August? You can take us both for a ride in the Jeep...

[/QUOTE] Got Allens mail,, I did reply to him,,,, sorry,,, think I was meant to reply to all

. Veep wont be ready by then,,, Hey Dave,, are we going to the pub before or after our fiberglass lesson??? :drinking: got a great little pub lined up,, its run by an Australian couple, great food, good beer, curry free zone too

manxdavid · Post by **manxdavid** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 10:53 pm

[QUOTE="mel hubbard"]Got Allens mail,, I did reply to him,,,, sorry,,, think I was meant to reply to all

. Veep wont be ready by then,,, Hey Dave,, are we going to the pub before or after our fiberglass lesson??? :drinking: got a great little pub lined up,, its run by an Australian couple, great food, good beer, curry free zone too

[/QUOTE] Sounds good mate, is there a Travellodge or similar nearby?

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:49 pm

[QUOTE="Manxdavid"]Sounds good mate, is there a Travellodge or similar nearby?[/QUOTE] Think theres one at Kings Lynn, bout 10 miles up the road,, or a good B&B just opposite the Woolpack (Aussie pub) not so far to crawl. See Pete for Travel lodge details, he seems to get em for ?10 a night. Anyone else on here up for the first annual unofficial Manx club UK meeting?? if so fly to Stansted,, I'll pick you all up in that Jeep Dave posted :drinking:

manxdavid · Post by **manxdavid** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:04 am

[QUOTE="mel hubbard"]Think theres one at Kings Lynn, bout 10 miles up the road,, or a good B&B just opposite the Woolpack (Aussie pub) not so far to crawl. See Pete for Travel lodge details, he seems to get em for ?10 a night. Anyone else on here up for the first annual unofficial Manx club UK meeting?? if so fly to Stansted,, I'll pick you all up in that Jeep Dave posted :drinking:[/QUOTE] The b&b sounds good, when you've agreed dates book me in!!!

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 10:30 am

The B&B is called ''The White House'' Phone Number > 01945 880741 If no joy with that we could try the Queens place at Sandringham, its only 15 miles away,,, just tell her the White House was fully booked and George W said it would be OK

Hope this bloody rain stops by August,, its been the wettest summer ever here in UK this year.