Photos of My EK (0f sorts)

[AMG 055]

Hi Guys, Been away for some years now and arrived home to lift the covers off my car. Some of you will remember it from 2008 and I bought it in Aug 2009. Spent some dollars on it to get it over the pits and still have a bit to go to get it right. I had to laugh at Blackies comment in Aug when he came across the car and I can confirm that the steering is absolutely shite. I don't want to go anywhere near a carpark unless it is after 12.00am so I really need to do something with the CRS front end, some suggest I should throw it out. If you are reading this Paul, check out the missing join in the windscreen.

Anyway thanks for having a look at it, that's if I have done the photos right.

Cheers, Mark

[AMG 055]

Oh, I forgot the important bit, the motor

[Blacky]

Welcome to the forum mate, I remember seeing that ute at Northside Motor Trimming a while back , is a nice looking rig - IIRC it was set up for or used to have a V8 ???

[AMG 055]

Yeah Blacky, I hunted around the forum the other night because I had seen it on here after I had bought it but not the same thread as I found. At some stage you guys were discussing whether it was up for licencing or not but could not find that thread. Anyway you are right about the steering, but I have Paul looking out for me. I can't figure out if a wrench (I call it a "spanner") is left or right handed , just not good with mechanics but love to drive em. To get it over the pits I had to get Clive from Hammerworks to alter the steering arms? so the Volvo rims I bought did not rub against them. If that makes sense to you I would be surprised

BTW, I love your avatar and tell all my workmates about it. I was a "Frod" buyer nearly all my life but in the last bit have gone European, BUT I love my EK/FB, "whatever else it is, ute"

I am looking forward to learning some things on the forum about my "shite" steering and having that aspect of my car improved/changed.

Cheers

[AMG 055]

Welcome to the forum mate, I remember seeing that ute at Northside Motor Trimming a while back , is a nice looking rig - IIRC it was set up for or used to have a V8 ???

Not sure if I am doing this 'quote' thing correctly but WTF. Yeah Blacky, Tom from Big Jobber P&P in Malaga had a huge stonking V8 but removed to shoehorn it into an FB? sedan he was building. I think that is why my radiator is so thin? My little motor has a 'mild' cam in it, so I am told, and it goes along really nicely with the fans switched on when I am going nowhere at the lights. Not sure what the auto box is but I will get around to finding out what I have when I catch you guys up.

Bit embarassed by my ignorance, but never had the time to look into the car, just loved the style, colour and the exhaust note

[Blacky]

All good mate, we are here to help, if that was my ute I would either go back to a steering box if you are staying 6 cylinder, or buy a rear mount rack setup from V6 Conversions .

[FireKraka]

Hi AMG 055
Mate love your ute hope mine ends up as good.
I have a V6 Conversions rear rack in my FC sedan and it is great however if you are running the CRS Torana front and don't want to change too much maybe speak to Phil Hutton in Busselton he is doing a slightly different version of the Torana front rack which he tells me does not have the same problems as the CRS one just a thought.
At least Phil is closer and you don't have to pay as much in freight and wait time, I was thinking of trying his front end in my EK ute as I am going convert it to V6.
Regards
Neil H

[bumper]

If the steering rack gets mounted over the top of the out rigger rather than under like CRS, you dont have the bump steer issues

[Mick Jagger]

I love the decals on the engine and air cleaner,looks like a real nice ute why hide it under covers?

[AMG 055]

I love the decals on the engine and air cleaner,looks like a real nice ute why hide it under covers?

Hey Mick Jagger,

Been running my business in Bali since 2007, came home in 2009 for a spell, bought the ute, spent two months getting it engineered and over the pits, packed the ute away and back to Bali to manage some projects, then home in Perth since Aug 2010 but back and forwards to Bali frequently since then.

Cheers Mark

[Craig Allardyce]

Love your ute Mark. Very neat!

I'd have to say the CRS is crap in my opinion I had one in an FC (front mounted rack) and it was a pig to steer around corners especially with the weight of a small block 400 cube Chevy under the bonnet.
I don't know if Hadfield knew of Ackermans principle and toe out on turns, but if he did he totally ignored it on this set up. To have opposite toe out on turns caused no end of tyre scrubbing and the car almost bounced around when turning at full lock. I went through all the dramas of finding shorter steering arms and having them bent outwards to create the correct steering angles with no luck. Ultimately you'd have to run a real skinny tyre with massive offset to be able to fit a steering arm that hung out that far. It was unworkable.
IMHO I would go back to the standard box if your just going to stay with the six. If your going to go with an 8 I would look at fitting a complete tubular front end with a rear mounted rack. Although expensive, I reckon they are the better option as your including way better brakes and suspension components that the standard HR disc front offers, and with ability to get all the steering geometry correct for your wheel set up.

[Coopa]

I'm looking at front ends at the moment tossing between the HR front i have and V6 conversion or waddington front ends

[AMG 055]

Love your ute Mark. Very neat!

I'd have to say the CRS is crap in my opinion I had one in an FC (front mounted rack) and it was a pig to steer around corners especially with the weight of a small block 400 cube Chevy under the bonnet.
I don't know if Hadfield knew of Ackermans principle and toe out on turns, but if he did he totally ignored it on this set up. To have opposite toe out on turns caused no end of tyre scrubbing and the car almost bounced around when turning at full lock. I went through all the dramas of finding shorter steering arms and having them bent outwards to create the correct steering angles with no luck. Ultimately you'd have to run a real skinny tyre with massive offset to be able to fit a steering arm that hung out that far. It was unworkable.
IMHO I would go back to the standard box if your just going to stay with the six. If your going to go with an 8 I would look at fitting a complete tubular front end with a rear mounted rack. Although expensive, I reckon they are the better option as your including way better brakes and suspension components that the standard HR disc front offers, and with ability to get all the steering geometry correct for your wheel set up.

Hi Craig,

I will be staying with the six, not good enough on the tools to do anything much without forking out 1,000's of dollars to professionals. From what I can gather from your post because I had to have the steering arms bent inwards around 20ml that would make my steering worse than what it should be. Is that correct?

Cheers, Mark

[Craig Allardyce]

Love your ute Mark. Very neat!

I'd have to say the CRS is crap in my opinion I had one in an FC (front mounted rack) and it was a pig to steer around corners especially with the weight of a small block 400 cube Chevy under the bonnet.
I don't know if Hadfield knew of Ackermans principle and toe out on turns, but if he did he totally ignored it on this set up. To have opposite toe out on turns caused no end of tyre scrubbing and the car almost bounced around when turning at full lock. I went through all the dramas of finding shorter steering arms and having them bent outwards to create the correct steering angles with no luck. Ultimately you'd have to run a real skinny tyre with massive offset to be able to fit a steering arm that hung out that far. It was unworkable.
IMHO I would go back to the standard box if your just going to stay with the six. If your going to go with an 8 I would look at fitting a complete tubular front end with a rear mounted rack. Although expensive, I reckon they are the better option as your including way better brakes and suspension components that the standard HR disc front offers, and with ability to get all the steering geometry correct for your wheel set up.

Hi Craig,

I will be staying with the six, not good enough on the tools to do anything much without forking out 1,000's of dollars to professionals. From what I can gather from your post because I had to have the steering arms bent inwards around 20ml that would make my steering worse than what it should be. Is that correct?

Cheers, Mark

Yep that's right Mark. IF you drew a line from the centre point of each steering knuckle back to the diff centre, this line should be the angle that the steering arms are at to achieve the correct toe out on turns. Hence if you had forward facing steering arms they would have to face outwards at the same angle from the straight ahead position. Rear facing steering arms should be set on an inwards angle inline pointing towards the centre of the diff.

[FireKraka]

Hi Mark;
I will must say again if you don't want to change too much give Phil Hutton a call he can sort your issue I believe.
Mate as bumper said it is where the rack is mounted on the front that seems to be the issue and Phil has sorted it (so he tells me) so that the rack is higher and tighter to the x-member can't hurt to talk to him!!!!!!!!
Regards
Neil H