Reply To: Polybook – Jake
Chassis steering done!
Another angle, with the frame and suspension removed for clarity:
A lot of little parts, with some complexity. This is an older style Pitman or worm-sector steering arrangement, which I suppose makes sense since this is an older vehicle, heh.
It’s also going to have the power steering option, and that’s why you see a few extra components that might not immediately make sense to you, like that hydraulic cylinder right in the middle – this is when power steering on consumer vehicles was a relatively new thing and was somewhat rudimentary compared to the modern-day setup. The way it worked was, the steering gear (big green thing on top) is connected by a lever to a hydraulic control valve (the pink thing below it), which mechanically detects when the driver is having to use an amount of force over a certain limit – around three pounds, according to the features brochure – to turn the steering wheel. If that is the case, the control valve sends hydraulic fluid through a pair of hoses to either push or pull a ram cylinder (green thing in the middle), which helps move the steering mechanism, saving the driver some effort. A second pair of hoses connects the control valve to the power steering fluid pump, which is attached to the engine of course. I haven’t modeled the hoses yet, I’m going to make them along with the pump when I build the engine, which I’ll be starting on not long from now.
But first, I’m going to model the wheel hubs and brake components (the ones that can be seen, at least). That shouldn’t take long at all – just a handful of nice simple parts to relax on before I start on the engine, which is going to be pretty intense.
I have a nagging urge to try rigging the steering and suspension. I’m trying my best to ignore it…