Old Open Wheel article

Puppy · 7/6/16, 6:53 AM

Does anyone know of a place online that has the article on the industrial torque converter used on a midget to speed up the steering? I don't know what year it was, but maybe someone in this group knows, thanks much!!!

Graham08 · 7/6/16, 8:15 AM

You're looking for a Char-Lynn torque multiplier. I believe Eaton is their parent company now. They don't speed up the steering, but multiply the torque the driver applies to the wheel for power assist. I worked on a supermodified that had one of these. They work OK, but the feel is different than conventional power steering because of how they work. You don't get much feedback through the wheel of what the front tires are doing.

We eventually took the Char-Lynn out of the car I was working on and replaced it with a conventional Sweet power rack and pinion.

With all of the available options now for power steering, I would only install one of these as a last resort. It's going to take up a fair amount of space and require some custom pieces to work.

I vaguely remember the article you're talking about. Any idea roughly what year it was from? I have a large collection of old Open Wheel magazines and might be able to find it.

jjones752 · 7/6/16, 9:01 AM

Seems to me it was tried on the TMC Sprint Car, and one of the issues it had was that it would allow the driver to keep turning the wheel after the wheels had reached full-stop, which may be what Graham08 was referring to as lack of feedback...

TQ29m · 7/6/16, 9:26 AM

JMHO, and I'm sure you've tossed it around, but I think I'd change some arms and see what happens, you could probably borrow enough to try it, or modify some old ones, Just a thought. Bob

Graham08 · 7/6/16, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjones752

Seems to me it was tried on the TMC Sprint Car, and one of the issues it had was that it would allow the driver to keep turning the wheel after the wheels had reached full-stop, which may be what Graham08 was referring to as lack of feedback...

Interesting. Not actually what I was talking about...it just has a really different feel compared to normal power steering.

I never tried to turn it past the travel of the rack with the engine running. It would let you steer the car in the pits without having the engine running, with a pretty wide dead zone in the center, like there was a mechanical stop in it that you were hitting to make the wheels turn without pressure on it.

jjones752 · 7/6/16, 12:58 PM

I could easily be mis-remembering but that's what stuck in my head. I did a google search for past Open Wheel Magazine articles and I did find an index of articles but not the articles themselves; it may well be that what you're looking for is in the May 1989 issue, titled "SAMMY'S NEW INDEPENDENT SPRINTER". I know the TMC car with the forklift steering assist was novel in many ways and it could have had I.F.S. as well. I was separated from my stack of old OW's long ago but someone on here may be able to verify...

chop · 7/6/16, 5:24 PM

I was reading this post and trying to remember the car. I am a bit fuzzy on it, but it was a one off sprint car Sammy made. It had coil over shocks on the front. Seemed like they were mounted on a 45 degree angle with a rocker arm system (seen it on some of the pavement sprint cars in the auto value club). The car had a rack and pinion. The steering wheel was connected to a" rubber hose" that ran over the top of the engine to the rack. Some where it had the fork lift steering part between the two. Seem like he had to offset the mag on the back of the engine to make room for the "hose" to run over the top of the engine. I think it was right at the end of his time at TMC. Seem like someone got the car soon after he left TMC. I remember him running the car for the new owner at I-96 speedway for an All Start race. Does that sound right?

jjones752 · 7/6/16, 9:49 PM

That's how I remember it too, chop, except I don't recall the ownership change. Sammy must not have had much success with it, otherwise everybody would've been storming the industrial supply houses to get a hold of the latest "Chrome Eagle"...

Charles Nungester · 7/7/16, 10:04 AM

I believe the year was 1990 and the car had both independent front suspension and rack n pinion steering, Seems like the shocks were mounted in a X pattern if memory serves. Im not sure if thats the car he tried to run a CRA Non Wing race at either Husets or Hales Corner and flipped in qualifying.

Had the issue at one point but memory certainly isn't what it used to be. It wasn't the first time either had been used for sure. But It may have been the first time BOTH were incorporated on a dirt sprint car.

Charles Nungester · 7/7/16, 10:13 AM

Correction, May 89 Openwheel Mag. Can't find the direct issue or transcrscripts but here is reference to the car and some of it's details.
Scroll down to independent sprint car suspensions
http://www.hotrod.com/features/histo...s-and-answers/

7/6/16, 8:15 AM	#2 Re: Old Open Wheel article
Graham08 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 91	You're looking for a Char-Lynn torque multiplier. I believe Eaton is their parent company now. They don't speed up the steering, but multiply the torque the driver applies to the wheel for power assist. I worked on a supermodified that had one of these. They work OK, but the feel is different than conventional power steering because of how they work. You don't get much feedback through the wheel of what the front tires are doing. We eventually took the Char-Lynn out of the car I was working on and replaced it with a conventional Sweet power rack and pinion. With all of the available options now for power steering, I would only install one of these as a last resort. It's going to take up a fair amount of space and require some custom pieces to work. I vaguely remember the article you're talking about. Any idea roughly what year it was from? I have a large collection of old Open Wheel magazines and might be able to find it. _________________________________________________ Last edited by Graham08; 7/6/16 at 8:16 AM.

7/6/16, 9:01 AM	#3 Re: Old Open Wheel article
jjones752 Senior Member Race Count This Year: 19 Race Count Last Year: 22 Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 2,259	Seems to me it was tried on the TMC Sprint Car, and one of the issues it had was that it would allow the driver to keep turning the wheel after the wheels had reached full-stop, which may be what Graham08 was referring to as lack of feedback... __________________ Jim Jones Midwest Thunder Speed2 Midget #97

7/6/16, 9:26 AM	#4 Re: Old Open Wheel article
TQ29m Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6,242	JMHO, and I'm sure you've tossed it around, but I think I'd change some arms and see what happens, you could probably borrow enough to try it, or modify some old ones, Just a thought. Bob __________________ "Being old, isn't half as much fun, as getting there"! Ole Robert I!

7/6/16, 9:49 PM	#8 Re: Old Open Wheel article
jjones752 Senior Member Race Count This Year: 19 Race Count Last Year: 22 Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 2,259	That's how I remember it too, chop, except I don't recall the ownership change. Sammy must not have had much success with it, otherwise everybody would've been storming the industrial supply houses to get a hold of the latest "Chrome Eagle"... __________________ Jim Jones Midwest Thunder Speed2 Midget #97

7/7/16, 10:04 AM	#9 Re: Old Open Wheel article
Charles Nungester Senior Member Race Count This Year: 6 Race Count Last Year: 14 Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 21,271	I believe the year was 1990 and the car had both independent front suspension and rack n pinion steering, Seems like the shocks were mounted in a X pattern if memory serves. Im not sure if thats the car he tried to run a CRA Non Wing race at either Husets or Hales Corner and flipped in qualifying. Had the issue at one point but memory certainly isn't what it used to be. It wasn't the first time either had been used for sure. But It may have been the first time BOTH were incorporated on a dirt sprint car. __________________ Charles Nungester _________________________________________________ Last edited by Charles Nungester; 7/7/16 at 10:06 AM.

7/6/16, 5:24 PM	#7 Re: Old Open Wheel article
chop Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 318	I was reading this post and trying to remember the car. I am a bit fuzzy on it, but it was a one off sprint car Sammy made. It had coil over shocks on the front. Seemed like they were mounted on a 45 degree angle with a rocker arm system (seen it on some of the pavement sprint cars in the auto value club). The car had a rack and pinion. The steering wheel was connected to a" rubber hose" that ran over the top of the engine to the rack. Some where it had the fork lift steering part between the two. Seem like he had to offset the mag on the back of the engine to make room for the "hose" to run over the top of the engine. I think it was right at the end of his time at TMC. Seem like someone got the car soon after he left TMC. I remember him running the car for the new owner at I-96 speedway for an All Start race. Does that sound right?

7/7/16, 10:13 AM	#10 Re: Old Open Wheel article
Charles Nungester Senior Member Race Count This Year: 6 Race Count Last Year: 14 Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 21,271	Correction, May 89 Openwheel Mag. Can't find the direct issue or transcrscripts but here is reference to the car and some of it's details. Scroll down to independent sprint car suspensions http://www.hotrod.com/features/histo...s-and-answers/ __________________ Charles Nungester