Steering top mounts 1

[WVonk]

Hi

Am am trying to make a adustible top mount for my track day car.The problem is I need a spherical thrust bearing.After looking for some time I cant seem to get the right thing. If any body can send me a part number or a drawing of how these thing work i would greatly appreciate it,as I would like to make them my self(the top mount)

 

[Fabrico]

Are you talking about some kind of rack to cary a car, or some kind of mount on the car to pick it up by?

Most spherical bearings take a fair bit of thrust, what are you looking for?

 

[NormPeterson]

Sounds like a real bearing for a strut mount instead of a compliant material that accommodates caster & camber gain via deformation. I'm thinking it would be sort of like SVO's "Onion head" or some of the aftermarket caster/camber plate offerings for the Fox/SN95 Mustang. Perhaps a large monoball could be made to work if the thrust capacity is sufficient to handle the strut compression loading. Might get a bit noisy after a while, though.

Norm

 

[GregLocock]

We use a ~32 mm spherical joint to take the full weight of our car. So, it is certainly doable. Figure on a load rating for your car's corner weight * 4, for a circuit car.

Make sure the seal is good otherwise as Norm says you'll get horrible clunks as it wears.

Should be a pretty good system.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[WVonk]

I Have a few options.Linear Spherical thrust bearings which will take the dynamic thurst load(which is perfect) or a pure thrust bearing that can take misalignment but not dynamic!Now a sperical Thrust bearing is one half so in the direction of thrust it will work but in the other not(it will fall apart like taper roller)The solution for this is to run 2 bearings,back to back.This makes the assembly bigger and more expensive.The Mustang top mount is what I need but just the bearing,what bearing are they using?Are these just plain spherical bearings or purposly built items?

 

[GregLocock]

I don't know what they use, I could find out, but then they would shoot me. A plain ordinary 32 mm ball joint is fine. Think tierod end on steroids.

Alternatively go to a scrap yard buy one from a Mustang and cut it in half with an angle grinder.

I think some companies use a ball bearing set into a rubber bush.



Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.