WTB Shift Linkage U-Joints

[Comanche15]

I bought an older Caracal Vee from a fellow member on here ages ago, and the shift linkage joints were always super wonky. Beat them into being a *little* bit tighter, but it's not shifting clean by any means. I'll be using the car for a foundation getting vets behind the wheel, but refuse to let it back on the track until I get it shifting safely.

Does anyone have some old/takeoff, but still serviceable joints laying around? I'd love to get some nice sealed joints, but at $200/ea, I can't afford it. I've looked high and low for a creative way of adapting something to work, but I can't find a thing.

If you've got something with a few seasons of life left in it, please let me know!!

[Thomas Wirtz]

What about these from Pegasus, they seem reasonable priced.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pr...oduct=1484-001

[Steve Davis]

David,
You need to be 'creative' to save MOOLA! Search EBAY for surplus joints ... and keep in mind that different lengths and diameters CAN be substituted .. generally without TOO much trouble.. but it helps if you can WELD .. or have a lathe to make adapters. You can also vary the length of some of the straight sections and sometimes improve the shifting. I have also moved some of the 'straight section bushings' (not on Caracals, but other cars .. just because I never OWNED a Caracal) .. to make one of more sections at DIFFERENT angles from what was there. Some times, one or more bushings (the 'slide things' that force the straight sections to be where they are) can get BENT from years of use .. or crash damage or .. whatever. Some TIMES I have found that varying (HAMMERING!) things can tighten up.. or loosen some of the sections for MAJOR improvement in how they all work together.

On the Vortech that I bought 2 years ago, I found that moving one of those slide thu sleeves (a HEIM in this case) just a few THOUSANDTHS made a huge difference in the force required to get the trans between the gears. It often takes a LOT of playing with to get it all CORRECT for your size and seating position.

As for having LOTS OF DIFFERENT drivers in your car ... it's not likely that you'll find a happy medium that will accommodate many of them. Driving VEES is something that generally takes MANY on track sessions to get it all 'just right' so that it work well for YOU. I probably made 20 .. or more.. adjustments (over almost as many WEEKENDS) to my shifter mechanism to get it at that EXACT POINT where it does JUST what I need it to do.

The FIRST thing you need to do .. is shift the trans from the hockey stick in the back with the shifting mechanism DISCONNECTED. If is doesn't shift smoothly and relatively easily from there.. nothing you can do with the long run up front will fix it. Next .. with the long links off,, move the shift knob and make sure it's slides FREELY and has NO DRAG.. to speak of. It should for forward and back.. and ROTATE with ease and simplicity. Next, have someone HOLD the rear part that attaches to the hockey stick and then move the shifter while trying to determine if the 'mechanism' actually DOES perform as it should to move that hockey stick where it needs to go. Then, finally, you connect it all up and work with that. In many cases, I have found that, by following this process ... everything starts working MUCH better and it's easier for me to see exactly WHAT part needs the most work. Along this process, I also found (on my car) that the connection junctions to the u-joints were MOVING (twisting)... they just were NOT TIGHT! That turned out to be about 75% of my issues!!! (and I've been driving vees for over 40 YEARS!) I found that my applying FORCE to rotate the knob after it was in gear. It would go in, but then a little FORCE would allow the knob to move further. That would change the position for going back the other way .. and vice versa. It was almost impossible to visually SEE the junction(S) move, but the combination of minimal movement at several junctions (2 at each joint) was HUMONGUS in shifting ability.

Good luck
Steve, FV80

[Comanche15]

Steve,

I'm going to put the car on stands and remove the entire shaft assembly tomorrow to see if any of the heim joints they run through are loose.

The u-joints are cross-bolted into place, and have zero play (on the mounting ends). The core of the joints are just worn out, from what I can tell. I tried hammering them tighter, but it didn't last long.

Have access to a mig machine, but no lathe unfortunately...

[Dietmar]

Having read your request several times I did not see the size ( .od) of the shift rod.
That would help in determining if I or anyone has what you are looking for.

Dietmar
Quixote Racing

[Nardi]

I have no clue what u joints you are using, but I have successfully tightened up and extended the life of joints in shifting mechanisms by cleaning them thoroughly, then filling the void space of the joint area with silicone. After setting up good and tight, cover the joint with a piece of bicycle inner tube. Typically lasts a season or two depending upon usage.

[JHerscher]

^ what he says! The smaller diameter tubes work best in keeping things tight

[Comanche15]

Having read your request several times I did not see the size ( .od) of the shift rod.
That would help in determining if I or anyone has what you are looking for.

Dietmar
Quixote Racing

Dietmar -

Recieved your PM. From what it looks like, these are 1/2" ID joints, but let me confirm. My bad for not mentioning it, it totally slipped my mind.

I'll be pulling them today, and will try to disassemble one. If I can stuff some oversize pins in the swivels and then weld it secure, it would absolutely tighten things up. Let me see what I can bubba up today...

[Hardingfv32]

1) There is no substitute for APEX joints.

2) Put care into how you fasten to the shafts so as not create play. The correct way is with a tapered fastening pin. At a minimum use perfectly sized bores with smooth shank fasteners. No threads in the bores.

Brian

[sabre1fv]

I 100% agree that the APEX joints are the ones to use and Pegasus has them for a very good price; several years back I contacted the manufacturer of these and tried to buy directly - the price was significantly higher than Pegasus' price..... These will last a very long time; I am still using ones I purchased back in the 80s and they have no play in them.

You need to minimize the sideways and rotational free play of the linkage - it only magnifies the looseness of the system, but the linkage does need to move smoothly and precisely. If you can post a pic it might be helpful as there may be other tips that can be offered to assist you.

-Jim

[DannyPip]

I have no clue what u joints you are using, but I have successfully tightened up and extended the life of joints in shifting mechanisms by cleaning them thoroughly, then filling the void space of the joint area with silicone. After setting up good and tight, cover the joint with a piece of bicycle inner tube. Typically lasts a season or two depending upon usage.

THIS! I did this to a 550 Spyder linkage, basically the same as Vee linkage. I tightened the joints with a hammer, then booted them the same way. Filled with grease, secured with a couple ty-raps and forgot about them for about ten years and 30k miles. Worked perfectly.