28 replies to this topic

[John Withers]

Hey All,
 
Just wanted to give a heads-up for my eBay auction that just went live.
Low starting bid of $35.00.
 
I hope somebody here can use these.
 
Thanks,
 
JW
 
Ulrich front suspension - vintage slot car 1/24 - 1964 - RARE - steering - two

 

[MattD]

I could use one for rube Goldberg slot car! My Ulrich has the solid front end.

[Phil Smith]

I won't bid Matt. Good luck!

[MattD]

It will probably go more than I want to give, but I only need one of the two.

[Martin]

I would split it with you Matt, but I think you would need the one that is complete. The other is missing the guide and axle screws.

Is that guide hard to find? Interested still.

[MattD]

I'll have to study it closer to see what it needs.  Maybe I/we could make the missing pieces.  Maybe I can ask a guy to see if he might have some,    I'll do that and get back to you. 

[John Withers]

Its a fairly simple piece of thin aluminum plate with the edges bent up. I will try to post a picture of it later.

JW

[John Withers]

Here is a close-up of the missing parts. You could get away with making a simple alum. plate as shown and glue the guide to the plate.

[Martin]

nice close up pick, thanks. Is the guide Ulrich?

[Isaac S.]

Martin if you wait a few days you could have a complete, restored Ulrich car with front suspension. The rust remover is taking a while though. 

 

Not to be mean, John but you are kinda my competition right now. 

[Rotorranch]

How many of us are bidding on the things?

 

Rotor

[Isaac S.]

I don't think the guide is ulrich, any early type guide willl work or you could just cut down one side of a Cox like mine. 

 

Here are two pictures of the suspension assembly that will be on mine. One shows the cut down guide. Just so you know the motor in the background is a KTM which has a pretty meaty wind. 

[MattD]

Jeff, probabl;y will be more than I would bid, so go for it.

[don.siegel]

Pretty sure that's just a Revell guide; they were often used with the Ulrich front suspension, since it was one of the most widely available guides when the suspension came out. I don't think Ulrich made their own guide... (TBC!)

 

Isaac, you're going to need a shim with the guide to get it to go into the slot, assuming those are normal diameter tires. Either a piece of wood between the guide and the plate, or a washer between plate and tie rod... As designed, the guide doesn't go anywhere deep enough. 

 

Don 

[Isaac S.]

Yes, I have discovered that myself today and have done that. The chassis weight also puts the suspension down some too. 

 

Thanks. 

[MattD]

Last one of these I dad there was a coil spring on the guide post under the mount bracket..  It psuhed the guide down into the slot.

[Isaac S.]

I wouldn't do that because it would put constant pressure on the plate thus putting pressure on the screw whic also acts as the fulcrum for the steering. I would guess that the steering would be inhibited then.  

[Martin]

Better rethink that Isaac. The spring can not put any more pressure or weight than the full weight of the front of the car.

 

If the wheels are on the ground then the weight is reduced by the weight carried by the wheels.

 

But in the case of a slot car we want as much weight as we can get on the guide.

A spring will not effect the suspension in a negative way. In fact the suspension will only move when the car hits a bump or as the chassis rolls or if your spring compresses like in a banked turn etc.

 

I believe a light spring allowing the wheels to just float (lightly touching) on the track surface would be how I would set this front end up.

[Isaac S.]

The suspension would be fine. Are you just thinking of putting lighter suspension springs in? Matt was saying to put a spring between the steering arm and the plate that attaches to the guide. My problem with that was that the plate connects to a screw which has to rotate. But there is a small brass thing in the plate which allows it to rotate with pressure being put on it. What Matt is saying would not effect the wheels in any way. 

[Martin]

Like Don said, a shim  between the guide and plate or smaller diameter tires/wheels or lighter springs or a combination of all 3.

Only objective here is to get the guide at full depth.

[Gene/ZR1]

[MattD]

Last one I had was a factory assembly and it had a spring around the guide flag shaft. below the frame mount hole.   It was nothing that was added.

[don.siegel]

That's interesting Matt - as far as I know there were no factory-assembled Ulrich suspension frames. 

 

Any more background on that one? 

 

Don 

[MattD]

Don, if I hunt thru about a thousand pictures,  may find it!   I will look for the pic.  It was a soft spring exact diameter of the post 3/16.   Maybe 1/4-3/8 tall.

[don.siegel]

Only a thousand?? Piece of cake Matt... 

 

Don