...well, sorta. Got my front Lima brackets put on & the front suspension mocked up on the "go devil".

More;



Steering tie rod & drag link clearance (not much)

Last ones for now;





These brackets give 3" of drop - combined with heated & bent spring ends and two leaves removed I'm right at 5.5" of drop. The weight of the motor should drop the front another inch and a half, so my tie rod will just 'kiss' the pan at that height. I can gain that inch and a half clearance between the tie rod & pan back by reversing the spindle arms.

Not sure if you can tell from these crappy cell phone pics - the brackets use the stock spring perches, so the factory 5.5* of caster is retained. In addition, they are cast & milled with approx. 2-2.5* of additional caster, so total caster is in the neighborhood of 7.5-8*. She should track nice & straight.

Gary, you probably already know this but make sure you put the two straps on that go from the wishbone connection to the bottom of the spindle bolts to keep that whole setup from moving sideways in a hard corner. That looks just like the one John Steele just bought. He is going to repop them.

Stan,

Yes, I saw the one's John got on Ebay...that was the first time I had seen the braces going from the bracket to the kingpins...great idea! Speaking of John Steele, I need to get in touch with him, I have the rear spring hangers but no brackets. I'd love to get some measurements from him so I can fab those up.

The great thing about the whole "Limaco" and "Equipto" bracket setup is that;

1. No frame modifications needed - one simple bolts or rivets in the rear crossmember and that's it. Everything else is a simple bolt-in, so returning to 'factory spec' is as easy as turning a wrench.

2. Stock spring perches retained. This IMHO is a huge advantage over the Laurel-Roof style which eliminates the stock spring perches and puts a great deal of stress on the springs to maintain proper caster. The Limaco and Equipto brackets actually add an additional 2 - 2.5* of caster ensuring stability at speed.

3. Factory steering & wishbone setup used. Another great advantage over the Laurel-Roof and similar underslinging brackets.

The only disadvantage I see to these style brackets is the potential for lateral movement you indicated. This is easily solved by a 3/8" steel strap. The only other possible disadvantage is that they only provide 3" of drop in the front...I believe the Laurel-Roof brackets yield 4".

Stan, one thing for you and John to consider...the reason the Limaco brackets were cast in manganese bronze rather than iron is that it is typically easier to obtain a 'good' casting from bronze than iron. Manganese bronze is typically harder and more resistant to fatigue than iron. I would be very concerned about inclusions in a cast iron suspension component, especially if using a backyard type foundry.

My $.02 anyway.

Gary, I have a bunch of 1 inch by 1/8" strap if you think you could use it to make those straps. Looks like you could measure, cut, drill 2 holes in each one then round off the corners with a grinder. I enjoyed the visit earlier, if my wife hadn't have been with me I could've stayed longer but it wasn't a garage sale or Wal-Mart so she's ready to go.

awsome

Here's a period photo of a t-based "go-devil" with a Fiat inspired radiator shell and Limaco or Equipto brackets;

The braces appear to me to be made of the straps that brace the running boards. Maybe a little lighter strap. I think they are necessary for the safety aspect.

John is working with an machinist to make the brackets. Some kind of high spiff billet and a big CNC mill, I think. I haven't really talked to him about it. It's his project, not mine.

Side note:

The speedster in the period photo has a Minnesota license plate - the vanity tag on the radiator is "Thief River Falls."

Thief River Falls, MN is the home of Arctic Cat.

Gary, Nice progress! By the way, is that a brass radiator behind that shell in the vintage photo?
Drive safe, W2