anyone running red9 wishbone kit?

[Humphrey]

Looking forward to seeing the new BB...


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[bluenose]

made the isle of wight trip, bus ran like a gem and real happy with the conversion. Lorries and cross winds were no issue at all, could happily cruise along one handed.

It was a good test out for it as they don't have roads in the isle of wight just a series of giant pot holes so it took a good lashing. Everything stayed good and tight so I'm ticking this one off as job done now

 

[Mags]

made the isle of wight trip, bus ran like a gem and real happy with the conversion. Lorries and cross winds were no issue at all, could happily cruise along one handed.

It was a good test out for it as they don't have roads in the isle of wight just a series of giant pot holes so it took a good lashing. Everything stayed good and tight so I'm ticking this one off as job done now

That's good to hear, good to know it was worth all that effort!

I drove from Gatwick to Lincolnshire last weekend with my floppy steering on the Sunday that was uber windy, combined with how flat Lincolnshire is and how flippin straight the roads are it was a horrible experience, my wife was really uncomfortable when the wind was pushing me around the road.
However, Simon sent me a new BB a few days ago, I fitted it on Saturday and it is spot on, no slack at all and he's promised to send me the new style once its sorted out. I've only managed to drive about 20 miles on the new/rebuilt box but so far its great.
I also decided to soften the front dampers a few clicks and it feels a better, a little softer, I'm on 15 clicks from softest (I think it started on about 22) I still think slightly softer springs might be better but I'm being really fussy and I'm probably just going to leave it alone this year. As my front seats have been repaired and I fitted the coconut pads instead of foam, I think I've gone from knackered suspension and seats to all new and stiff everything, its not as comfortable as it used to be, maybe my middle aged arse isn't helping either!

 

[bluenose]

nice one dude hopefully it will stay like that for you!

I'm looking forward to seeing what the new box looks like to

 

[coopster]

Got my new bevel box from Simon last Thursday and fitted it Thursday afternoon , took about an hour - had little fettling to do and had to slightly pack the bracket out with couple of washers - took it for a quick blast and instantly felt better - just like it was originally when he was using the T25 boxes.
Drove to Mighty Dubfest on the Friday ( 260+ miles in total ) and it drove great .
It took some time , but we got there in the end

 

[bluenose]

Nice one, got any pics of the new style box?


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[coopster]

Pretty much same as creative one

 

[Mags]

I got mine last week as well, I tried to fit it but had limited time and ended up putting the OG one back in. I spoke to Simon to check I wasn't being stupid and I will try again when I get more time. I think it would be a better fit if the flange on the bottom of the chassis was cut of as Bluenose has done but Simon said he hasn't done this and you just need to space out the bottom of the plate to make it fit. Anyway, I took a few pics.

I took a couple as I was struggling to get it fitted, not easy to see with all the underseal. I got it bolted up but it was trying to yank the column across. Next time I will loosen the bulge at the bottom of the column for more movement before tightening up.

 

[bluenose]

is that adaptor plate aluminium?

yea same box as what I used, are they free issuing the boxes?

I found it needed to go hard up against the chassis rail to get it to line up with the column, I agree if you loosen the bottom of the column then you'll probably get it to fit.

 

[coopster]

Yeah Simon , just sent me mine up FOC , I would have been proper pissed off if he expected any money for it tbh

 

[lhu128l]

The mounting bracket does look a it flimsy ...

 

[PSG]

i just cant get my head round why a box would have zero backlash on the bench, but then have backlash when fitted. Does it have backlash when you take it off again? Is there some kind of strange linkage in the steering column or something?

I have been reading this for a while and following a few threads about it and its so strange.

 

[Mags]

i just cant get my head round why a box would have zero backlash on the bench, but then have backlash when fitted. Does it have backlash when you take it off again? Is there some kind of strange linkage in the steering column or something?

I have been reading this for a while and following a few threads about it and its so strange.

There was backlash if you push/pulled the input and output shafts.

 

[Mags]

Anyone else fitted the new Pailton box from Red9 now?
Tried to fit mine again at the weekend but turns out the drive shaft is now about 10-20mm too short, Simon is going to send me a longer one.

 

[Bundy]

I've fitted the new one to mine. I had to get a longer link bar to the rack as it just wouldn't fit right without. I also made my own version of the bracket to fit it as I couldn't get it to line up well enough...copied Simon's but used thicker steel and 4 bolts to hold it on. Had to change the angles a bit to make it all line up well, but my steering column is out of line to start with!
It's unbelievably nice to drive now without the huge play I had!
Let's hope these boxes last now...

 

[Mags]

I've fitted the new one to mine. I had to get a longer link bar to the rack as it just wouldn't fit right without. I also made my own version of the bracket to fit it as I couldn't get it to line up well enough...copied Simon's but used thicker steel and 4 bolts to hold it on. Had to change the angles a bit to make it all line up well, but my steering column is out of line to start with!
It's unbelievably nice to drive now without the huge play I had!
Let's hope these boxes last now...

Thanks, I was showing the box/bracket etc to my brother-in-law who is an engineer, he was suggesting he could skim a couple of mm off the Pailton box and make a thicker bracket with more threads to grab. I first want to measure from the chassis leg to the centre line of the column to see what the ideal position is. I don't want to place strain on the rubber coupling and have it fail prematurely due to it acting as a UJ instead of just a coupling.
The Pailton box should be a quality bit of kit, its their business, I bet they aint cheap.

Ideally I'd lose a little of the bottom flange of the chassis leg to allow it to sit nice and flat as Bluenose has done but that's going to have to wait, I've got no intention of cutting/welding yet after its taken me 5 years to restore my bus!

 

[Bundy]

My thicker plate actually brought it into line more...shows how 'out' my steering column is! lol
With the thicker plate you can use counter sunk bolts in the holes that the box hides

 

[Mags]

I got the longer shaft from Simon and tried to fit again a couple of weeks ago (I was going down to Cornwall so really wanted to get the Pailton box on) but still no joy. I just couldn't get the box to bolt up in a position that allowed the inner steering column to move freely and line up the 2 bolts on the plate at the bottom of the outer column inside the cab. I dropped Simon a mail just to let him know but I think I'm going to try and make up a new bracket and maybe trim off the bottom of the chassis leg to allow me to get the box flush with the leg. Although I don't want to do this I also don't want to bodge the mounting having the risk of something failing. The old style box I have now is OK, it got me around the south west for the past couple of weeks without problems, its certainly no worse than a steering box.
I'll try to get this done over the next few months.
One thing I wanted to ask others is how do you find the steering lock? It seems terrible to me but I don't know if that's because I've had 5 years of not driving the bus or the Red9 conversion has less lock?

Mags

 

[Humphrey]

I got the longer shaft from Simon and tried to fit again a couple of weeks ago (I was going down to Cornwall so really wanted to get the Pailton box on) but still no joy. I just couldn't get the box to bolt up in a position that allowed the inner steering column to move freely and line up the 2 bolts on the plate at the bottom of the outer column inside the cab. I dropped Simon a mail just to let him know but I think I'm going to try and make up a new bracket and maybe trim off the bottom of the chassis leg to allow me to get the box flush with the leg. Although I don't want to do this I also don't want to bodge the mounting having the risk of something failing. The old style box I have now is OK, it got me around the south west for the past couple of weeks without problems, its certainly no worse than a steering box.
I'll try to get this done over the next few months.
One thing I wanted to ask others is how do you find the steering lock? It seems terrible to me but I don't know if that's because I've had 5 years of not driving the bus or the Red9 conversion has less lock?

Mags

Yep the Red9 definitely has less lock. Price you pay for squeezing in the additional components I guess?

 

[bluenose]

I got the longer shaft from Simon and tried to fit again a couple of weeks ago (I was going down to Cornwall so really wanted to get the Pailton box on) but still no joy. I just couldn't get the box to bolt up in a position that allowed the inner steering column to move freely and line up the 2 bolts on the plate at the bottom of the outer column inside the cab. I dropped Simon a mail just to let him know but I think I'm going to try and make up a new bracket and maybe trim off the bottom of the chassis leg to allow me to get the box flush with the leg. Although I don't want to do this I also don't want to bodge the mounting having the risk of something failing. The old style box I have now is OK, it got me around the south west for the past couple of weeks without problems, its certainly no worse than a steering box.
I'll try to get this done over the next few months.
One thing I wanted to ask others is how do you find the steering lock? It seems terrible to me but I don't know if that's because I've had 5 years of not driving the bus or the Red9 conversion has less lock?

Mags

pretty weak, an off the shelf bevel box and a bracket that doesn't fit.

can't say I've noticed any probs with turning circle though but I probably will now you've mentioned it! The rack is off a T25 and looking at a pic of a T25 stub axle it looks like the arm the tie rod connects to is longer than that on the late bay stub axle used by the red9 kit so this is probably why.