MTFCA Forum

I’m getting ready to start building a 1926 speedster on a complete frame/engine I just bought and was trying to figure out how tyrone thomas did his center steering in his buck t special. Anyone have a clue?



Travis Towle
Topeka, Kansas

785-408-3409

Rajo offset spindles are suppose to do it for a T.

Most of the one man cars used a worm gear steering box mounted above the hogs head, aligning the steering wheel to the center of the chassis. From there, the “side steer” drag link can be coupled to Model A steering arms mounted in T spindles. This is the only pic I have at the moment where you can see the bracket on the frame to support the extended length pitman arm shaft and Model A type drag link (presumably tie rod too)

I thought you were asking about self centering steering, sorry. Dan

Years ago, I knew someone that had a real original one man model T racing car. Narrow body, driver sat in the center. The steering gear was mounted on the frame rail alongside the engine. It was some sort of era common gear type steering column. The brackets held the gear crooked, and allowed the column to angle over such that the steering wheel was basically centered in the body behind the engine. The column was crooked, the steering wheel was crooked, and the pitman arm swung crooked. It connected up to the front axle just fine and steered just fine. The fellow said that although the steering wheel was crooked, after a few minutes of driving it, it felt just fine and was fun to drive!

Think this is what Wayne is talking about

This is Tyrone Thomas car. Some other mod's done to it
https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/5 ... 1231466278
By tyrone thomas on Thursday, January 08, 2009 - 04:55 pm:
George. To start, through months of researching race cars of the 20's one thing I found some moved the engine back 6 inches to better balance the weight between the front and rear. That meant I had to cut 6 inches out of the drive shaft and tube. Also had to install a second crossmember 6inches back for the front engine mount.
Now being that the cooling fan is now 6 inches more removed from the radiator, I had to move the radiator back the same 6.
Because most of my 6'4" height is in my torso I wanted to raise the hood line so that I would not overpower the car and look stupid by being too tall in the seat. I raised the radiator and top hood and body line up 3 inches by using 3 x 1.75 inch steel rectangle tubing on its short side. This then caused the fan to sit to low to the radiator so I installed a fan bracket for a 26/27 T. Doing that brought the center of the fan more in line with the center of the radiator.
Now not to make a short story long but here is what I think you are asking for. And George you have to promise not to tell anyone my secret. OK??
I took a front crossmember made "V" cuts in the two vertical side webs (hard to draw a picture with just words) at the ends of the flat section where the engine sits, on the orginal member. Putting the member on the floor upside down I pressed it down till the crossmember was now flat across the top. This brought the four (8) sides of the "V" cuts together enough to weld back closed and make solid again. I then made two "Z" brackets and bolted then to the bottom of the orginal, still in place crossmember. I ran bolts vertical and horazontal throught the brackets and the orginal crossmember to make it a solid joint. I did beef up the the joint with some extra metal. I then bolted the now flatten crossmember (flat side up) to the underside of the top part of the Z. I used two bolts. Then I took the orginal spring mount that has the hole for the starting crank handle goes through? I took that and turned it upside down to normal and used it to hold the springs in the crossmember. As luck would have it I could lengthen my crank handle
6 inches and it fit perfectly through the now upside down spring mount so I can still crank start my car which is good sense like any true race car is stripped down to the bare needed items to run.
So it is so long. If you want send me an email to
smilebigtt@yahoo.com and I will send you close up photos of what I did. ty
PS I'm to tired now to proof read all this, so please forgive any mistakes.

The Tyrone Thomas car posted by Frank B I think has a Franklin steering gear in it. I have never had a good opportunity to see one in a Franklin automobile, to see where, how, or why it is the way it is? But they were popular way back in the day for racing cars, and continue to be desirable for restoring or recreating era racing cars. Mounting the gear above the model T's transmission with their unusually long pitman arm shaft sets the steering column square with the car and eliminates having the steering wheel crooked in narrow one-man racing cars.
Both methods were used in the era on one-man racing cars. the few degrees crooked steering wheel wasn't enough to cause any serious issues even at racing speeds. But a lot of people thought being square with the car was classier and somehow better.
I like them either way.

Thanks for the information so far. It’s good info. I just bought a 1926 complete frame and engine from a guy who used the body for a damn hot rod and I’m very serious about building a center seat speedster now that I’m done with my 1926 runabout (after sand blasting it twice and 20 years of work lol).

I was out in my museums display area last night looking it over and it looks like I could just totally remove the reverse peddle (don’t need it as the point is to go forward) and drop and swing the steering column into center position but like it’s pointed out the steering wheel would be crooked. I also found a non period correct steering moving box sold by speedway but it way ups my cost. I would really like to copy what Tyrone did. I liked how he kept it period correct. I also plan to move the engine back, but I plan on moving the whole rear end and everything back with it so I don’t have to cut the driveshaft and I can add length to the car frame when I lower the rear end.

I have searched every post I could find Tyrone in and reached out to him by email too. I just loved what he did. I would really like to keep it period correct.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Steer-Cl ... gIOCPD_BwE

Travis Towle
Topeka, Kansas

I have a Franklin steering unit converted to single center steering for a vintage sprint car or speedster. It is extra to me and would be glad to send you phots if interested

frontyboy!!(brasscarguy@comcast.net)

From the Speed and Sport book

More info on the Franklin Box https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/thr ... es.328066/
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However this looks similar to the one in Tyrone's car but not the same
Its a Schroeder box https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/thr ... x.1069944/
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/thr ... ox.753434/ --