I didn't want to quote Opentracker's $175 price, but since he's done so I'll chime in that this includes shipping, and that I'm very happy with the service. Once I mailed him a money order (available at every 7-Eleven on the planet), the perches arrived within just a few days. They look great. I haven't installed them yet -- they have joined the Slide-A-Links/Fays2/4-wheel spring swap/T-5 swap/Baer-Tracker combination project piled high in my garage -- so no road test yet. But as of now I would recommend Opentracker roller perches to anyone.
Another good source for Roller Spring Perches.....
- Thread starter thehueypilot
- Start date
-
Sponsors (?)
I talked to Jerry at Paris Machine and he said he could modify and ship to me for $175. he said that hueypilots was his first set so they cost a little more. and he said they also take credit cards so you dont have to go and buy a moneyorder he also said he was a full service industrial machine shop and not a backyard garage
carcrazy54 said:
so you would rather pay someone to make an invention, that was invented by one of the members of this forum in his "backyard garage", than to pay the guy who invented it in the first place? opentracker will gladly help you build your own but don't pay someone to make something you can buy from him just because he builds them in his garage. number 1 that's just plain disrespectful, number 2 opentracker really only started selling them because he had so many people requesting that he make some for them because they didn't have the tools or whatever to build them on their own. opentracker also uses whatever money he makes on these to fund his open track cars which leads to more inventive products.
bnickel said:
I'm not sure if he invented them or not. I can't remember if they were already for sale beforehand. But doesn't matter. Jon apparently has more work than he can handle, between his own prodjects, and finding time to build these. If I couldn't have made them myself for 5 bucks, I would have bought them. But I wouldn't have waited too long for them to be made. So I don't know how it's desrespectful if the guy has a thread dedicated to showing you how-to. When I talked to him, he didn't know when he could make more. Maybe tat's different now. But at the time I would have gone somewhere else, just to have them in my hand.
10secgoal said:
10sec, i was not referring to you i was talking about carcrazy54's apparent attitude about john's parts, because he builds them in his "backyard garage".
no offense to you but his comments seemed very wrong to me. John did actually invent the use of the roller bearing perch. true it is a variation of the bronze bushed roller perch, but even that was actually invented by ford in the early 60's, they just decided to use rubber at some point because it was more cost effective and less maintenance intensive. anyway John was the first to make one with a sealed roller bearing.
I personally would rather buy from the perrson that builds something and stands behind his own work, uses that product himself, and continues to communicate with customers and the community about said product.
A company is more anonymous and is not here supporting our hobby and helping group knowledge.
That said, having choices is better than being limited to one solution.
A company is more anonymous and is not here supporting our hobby and helping group knowledge.
That said, having choices is better than being limited to one solution.
By "articulation" you mean fore and aft movement not up and down right?bnickel said:
Yeah, you're probably right about the lower, although as tight as some strut-rods are with steel inserts and poly bushings there is not too much fore-aft movement.
But I'd think the uppers could really use this, they see more movement (as a matter of degrees) than the perches do. The reduced friction and wear are definite plusses, and it would be great to have them sealed so you don't have to lube it up, or take action so that you CAN lube it.
Just a thought, I'm going to get the GW coilover setup one of these days.
Edbert said:By "articulation" you mean fore and aft movement not up and down right?
Yeah, you're probably right about the lower, although as tight as some strut-rods are with steel inserts and poly bushings there is not too much fore-aft movement.
But I'd think the uppers could really use this, they see more movement (as a matter of degrees) than the perches do. The reduced friction and wear are definite plusses, and it would be great to have them sealed so you don't have to lube it up, or take action so that you CAN lube it.
Just a thought, I'm going to get the GW coilover setup one of these days.
Edbert, i think John was attempting to do that at some point but not sure whatever happened to that project, i know he was going to attempt using bearings in the front spring eye at some point, again not sure whatever happed to that idea either
Agreed.
I will also attest to the quality of Johns work. COULDN'T have been done better by the LARGEST machine shop. It's not rocket science. It's cutting and welding and the quality of the welds is terrific.
And I HAVE seen shoddy work from "Real" machine shops many times in the past. So it really is baseless. It boils down to the individual who is operating the equipment.
Chris Barton
I will also attest to the quality of Johns work. COULDN'T have been done better by the LARGEST machine shop. It's not rocket science. It's cutting and welding and the quality of the welds is terrific.
And I HAVE seen shoddy work from "Real" machine shops many times in the past. So it really is baseless. It boils down to the individual who is operating the equipment.
Chris Barton
bnickel said:
Edbert said:But I'd think the uppers could really use this, they see more movement (as a matter of degrees) than the perches do.
I didn't see it being a problem, the perches. But Jon explained it, and why they work so well, and damnit, I had to have a pair right then. I needed more traction since I moved to an area with a track that doesn't know what VHT is. Never had a problem before moving here. When the control arms drop, you can see the coil spring is bowed out. That mean the shock is being pushed the same way because the perch doesn't turn at all like it should. Puts the shock in a huge bind. You may already know that. But I went to the track after I put them in and dead hooked with 28 psi in the et streets becuase I forgot to air them down. And everytime a roller perch is talked about, I will say this.
I am that damn happy with them.
I have been to the Opentracker shop. It just happens to be in his backyard. So he might not have a $5000 milling machine, but it isn't necessary to make these perches. John makes every single perch by hand. He is selling these to people who will use them in the harshest driving conditions. He is selling you quality. If they weren't, no one would buy them. I've figured, these things could be punched out by the thousands in China. But who wants and trusts buying that. The guy doesn't hide the design. He keeps no secrets about them. If you order a set he will have them to you in a few days. These cars have been on the road for 40 years, and no one has mad a sealed roller bearing perch until John made his. I'm sure Opentracker Racing Products has sold more of these than any other shop will ever.
John, I know your reading this. I'm getting a welder soon. And I esniped a 65 Fastback shell.
John, I know your reading this. I'm getting a welder soon. And I esniped a 65 Fastback shell.
Uh....Bull****....Nobody took your comment wrong. It was taken at face value and nothing less. Your comment WAS insulting to John. Don't apologize and then insult OUR collective intelligence by stating that everyone who called you on it was WRONG because we didn't read your comment correctly..........WTF kind of apology is that?
Chris Barton
I talked to Jerry at Paris Machine and he said he could modify and ship to me for $175. he said that hueypilots was his first set so they cost a little more. and he said they also take credit cards so you dont have to go and buy a moneyorder he also said he was a full service industrial machine shop and not a backyard garage
Chris Barton
carcrazy54 said:
I talked to Jerry at Paris Machine and he said he could modify and ship to me for $175. he said that hueypilots was his first set so they cost a little more. and he said they also take credit cards so you dont have to go and buy a moneyorder he also said he was a full service industrial machine shop and not a backyard garage
bnickel said:
Check out this arm on a Cobra Automotive Mustang.
Cobra Automotive upper arm
It has a zerk fitting and a different nut on the shaft kit. They must have made a new shaft and welded a sleeve in the arm for a bronze bushing. Very cool! Lot's of other stuff going on there too. Check out the roll bar end diving into the upper shock tower, the adjustable bump stop, cut back outer shock tower, change in dive angle, bronze perch and the cracked rotor.
I may get into something like this along with the bearing in the leaf spring at some point. I would try and use a sealed bearing for the upper arm rather than a bronze bushing. ORP will soon be in a comercial building with a lot more tools than I have in my shop, and technically, my shop is in the side yard. The back yard is full of cars. Check out this racing perch, lot's of work here.
Racing perch
John
67coupe351w
New Member
I dont know if I had a unique experiance or not but after I rebuilt my 67's suspension the upper A-arms are STIFF.
I can see why though, there is a ton of friction in the pivit point with it threaded into the A-arm and shaft.
It seems to me that putting rollers in this location would significantly free up the front suspention although the problem I see is 1) the space availible to work in and 2) The need to use angular contact bearings to keep the arm located in its proper position which means installing bearing races.
That being said, I'm sure Opentracker could handle it based on the other parts he's designed/built. I'll tell you what, figure it out for us and we promise we wont ask you to build them, we will bring the pics to a pro
I can see why though, there is a ton of friction in the pivit point with it threaded into the A-arm and shaft.
It seems to me that putting rollers in this location would significantly free up the front suspention although the problem I see is 1) the space availible to work in and 2) The need to use angular contact bearings to keep the arm located in its proper position which means installing bearing races.
That being said, I'm sure Opentracker could handle it based on the other parts he's designed/built. I'll tell you what, figure it out for us and we promise we wont ask you to build them, we will bring the pics to a pro
Good point. I would think that's why Cobra may have used a bronze bushing. They could have left a shoulder on the bushing to control side to side movement. They do take a lot of force under braking. One reason I haven't gotten into it yet is the fact that we don't run for points or money. The arms do free up after some use and if some care is taken to lube and deburr the shaft kit, it won't be so stiff. Also, taking out the rubber seals will free it up some too but I wouldn't do that on a car that will be a daily driver. It would be a lot of work for a little bit of gain. Now if it was a solid rubber bushing like the Camaro's and AMC cars, that would be a different story.
John
John
Similar threads
- Locked
