SECTION 5: STEERING 5.1 Steering Modification Requirements 5.2 Heat Treatment and Chrome Plating 5.3 Steering Rack Shortening 5.4 Manufactured Steering Linkages 5.5 Checking the Tracking of all Four Wheels 5.6 Steering Columns 5.7 Steering Universal Joints and Couplings 5.8 Locking of Steering Components 5.9 Steering Wheels 5.10 Steering Position 5.11 Illustrations/Diagrams 5.1 STEERING MODIFICATION REQUIREMENTS 5.1.1 Steering boxes and components from various donor vehicles may be used. The steering components must be of adequate strength for the intended Street Rod and the steering ratio must be suitable to permit safe manoeuvring and Street Rod control. The steering box ratio and steering arm length must be compatible so that excessive force is not required to operate the steering. 5.1.2 Steering components must all be compatible. This should be achieved by selecting a single donor vehicle. A clear record should be kept of the make, model, year and identifier to enable parts to be sourced in the future. Note: Steering components should not be lightened; the donor vehicle should be of at least the same size and mass as the Street Rod under construction 5.1.3 At least 10mm clearance must be maintained around all steering components throughout the operational range of the steering and suspension. 5.1.4 Lock stops must be fitted to prevent over-lock and maintain steering component clearances if they are not integral to the rack or steering box design. These may be fixed or adjustable and locked. 5.1.5 Fabric steering joints shall be heat shielded if less than 50mm from the exhaust 5.1.6 The street rod must be able to turn in a circle not over 25 metres in diameter, measured by the outer edge of the tyre track at ground level, whether it turns to the left or to the right. 5.1.7 Examiners may require an engineer’s report if is any concern about any aspect of the design, strength, integrity operation of the steering. 5.2 HEAT TREATMENT AND CHROME PLATING 5.2.1 It is critically important that the strength and fatigue resistance of all steering components is maintained, therefore forged or cast steering components must not be reworked by welding or heating unless the component has subsequently been appropriately treated and approved in accordance with Appendix C to Section LZ of VSB 14. 5.2.2 Due to the risk of hydrogen embrittlement, stub and other critical steering components must not be chrome plated.
4.7 Fluid Lines and Hoses 4.7.1 Are all rigid brake pipes made from material suitable for use in automotive braking systems (copper is not acceptable)? Y N Are all pipes adequately supported? Y N 4.7.2 Do all flexible hoses (including braided hoses) comply with a recognised standard such as SAE J1401? Y N 4.7.3 Are all pipes and flexible hoses routed away from areas of excessive heat and potential mechanical damage or otherwise suitably protected? Y N 5.1 Steering Modification Requirements 5.1.1 5.1.2 Are steering components sourced from a Street Rod of similar size and mass? Y N 5.1.1 Is the steering box ratio and steering arm length compatible so as to allow safe manoeuvring and Street Rod control without the use of excessive force? Y N 5.1.3 Has adequate clearance around all steering components been provided for the full of steering and suspension movement? Y N 5.2 Heat Treatment and Chrome Plating N/A 5.2.1 Have any cast or forged steering components that have been reworked by welding or heating also heat treated and tested in accordance with Appendix C to Section LZ of VSB 14? Y N 5.2.2 Are all critical steering components including stub free from any chrome plating? Y N 5.2.3 Have heat-treated components only been polished by their manufacturer of a competent person? 5.3 Steering rack shortening N/A 5.3.1 If rack and pinion steering is fitted: N/A If the rack has been shortened, has the shortening been carried out in accordance with Section 5.3.1? Y N Has the steering rack been fitted in accordance with Appendix 1? Y N 5.4 Manufactured Steering Linkages 5.4.2 If the steering arms have been fabricated do they have a minimum thickness of 12.5 mm? N/A Y N If the Pitman arm has been fabricated does it have a minimum thickness of 19 mm? N/A Y N 5.4.3 Do the steering arms provide correct toe-out on turns? N/A Y N
6.3 Springs 6.3.1 6.3.2 If coil springs are fitted, was the Street Rod lowered by resetting and not by other means (e.g. cutting or heating)? N/A Y N 6.3.3 If a transverse spring is mounted behind a beam axle, has a positive limiter been fitted above the axle to prevent any part of the Street Rod, other than a wheel, making contact with the ground in the event of a spring failure? 6.5 Suspension Shackles Is the length (centre to centre of pins) of any spring shackles fitted less than 126 mm? N/A Y N 6.6 Locking of Suspension Nuts 6.6.1 6.6.2 6.6.3 Have any castellated nuts used to secure suspension components been locked with a split pin and any other nuts fitted of the self-locking type or by other means appropriately locked? Y N 6.7 Lowering Blocks If lowering blocks have been fitted to the Street Rod: N/A 6.7.1 Are they less than 51 mm thick? Y N 6.7.2 Are they made of steel or solid aluminium? Y N 6.8 Radius rods 6.8.2 If Ford type wishbone radius rods are fitted with a tube axle, is the distance between the locating ends of the split rods less than 301 mm? N/A Y N 6.8.3 If Ford type wishbone radius rods or front wishbone type radius rods are fitted and the ends mounted on the chassis rails, is the Street Rod fitted with a beam axle? N/A Y N 6.8.4 If ladder bars are fitted to locate the rear axle: N/A Are they of sufficient length to full suspension travel without binding? Y N Are the points of attachment of the ladder bars (if fitted) to the axle 300 mm or less apart? Y N 6.8.7 If hairpin radius rods are fitted: N/A Are they fitted only to the axle? Y N Has engineering certification been supplied for any hairpin radius rods fitted? Y N 6.8 6.10 If radius rods are fitted to locate the front axle, having regard to the geometry of the steering linkage are the chassis end anchorages of the bars located so as to minimise bump steer? N/A Y N 6.9 & 6.11 Four-Bar Suspension Locaters
7.2 Wheel Studs, Nuts and Bolts 7.2.1 Are all wheel nuts the correct size and shape for the wheels fitted and engage a sufficient length of thread? Y N 7.3 Tyres 7.3.1 Are all tyres manufactured for road use? Y N 7.3.2 Are all tyres of a diameter width and profile permitted by the Tyre and Rim Association Standards Manual to be fitted to the rims concerned? Y N 7.4 Track 7.4.3 Is any increase in track resulting from fitting rims of different offset from the original rims less than 50 mm? N/A Y N 7.4.4 Is the difference between front and rear track less than 75 mm? Y N 8 LIGHTING & ELECTRICAL 8.1 Lights 8.1.1 Headlights Are two correctly dipping headlights fitted to the front of the Street Rod, equidistant from its longitudinal centreline and at least 600 mm centre to centre apart? Y N 8.1.1.3 Are the heights of the centres of the headlamps equal and between 500 mm and 1400 mm above the ground? Y N 8.1.1.5 Do the headlamps emit only white light? Y N 8.1.1.7 Is the control for selecting high or low beam within easy reach of the driver from the normal seated position? Y N 8.1.1.8 Is an operational blue high beam tell-tale lamp visible to the driver from the normal seated position provided? Y N 8.1.2 Brake Lights 8.1.2.1 Are two red brake lamps fitted to the rear of the Street Rod, equidistant from its longitudinal centreline that illuminate only when the service brake is applied? Y N Are the heights of the stop lamps equal and between 350 mm and 1500 mm above the ground? Y N 8.1.2.2 When lit, are the brake lamps visible for at least 30 m in daylight? Y N Do the brake lights emit red light? Y N 8.1.2.3 Does any blue dot lens, if fitted, exceed 20 mm in diameter? N/A Y N 8.1.3 Parking lights 8.1.3.1 Are two white parking lamps fitted to the front of the Street Y N