I personally prefer the short pin centered at the drilling point with pressure at the same spot instead of at the ends.
Consistently Inconsistent Rear Alignment Problem
- Thread starter Pichy
- Start date
I love the idea of using the short pin method, though I had used a longer pin for "apparent" stability. That long drill bit was in fact very slightly bent, but I got same results from short pin drilling. I'll check the block and clean it up. Maybe it's time for a better drill press.
I believe a good surface upon which the SB sits is very important. I used a tooling plate on my drill press with good results. I set it up on three adjustable points that can be squared to the quill as needed. The adjustability of my set up allows me to eliminate the use of any pins, so the full surface of the SB remained tight against the tooling plate. The tooling plate is then raised to the appropriate angle desired for drilling. This may be more complicated than what the average racer may want to do, but it raises the precision to the next level. It needs some minor tweaks to make it a little easier to use, but I'm working that.
Pichy said:
Pichy, I can't take full credit for this idea. I believe it was Lightnin Boy that talked about this, and like you said, it made perfect sense. So the hat goes off to LB! I just implemented it in my own way.
I briefly revisited the issue I have with the rear right wheel always migrating inward. After drilling a new block and having the same exact problem yet again, I decided to switch things up. I think I solved it, but more testing is needed to be sure. I usually have the fence mounted close to me on the front edge of my drill press table, which means I have to pull the SB and car toward me when drilling. Taking a cue from 5kids video, I moved the fence to the back of the table, so that I have to push the SB into it. This is better in two ways. One, it is easier for me to keep it steady. Two, and probably the culprit in this whole saga, is that when the drilling happens on the outer edge of the table, there is flex, and the table moves slightly down. Conversely, when the drilling is done at the back of the table and close to the drill press post, there is not any noticeable flex. My press is an old Craftsman radial, so it hangs out quite a bit away from the post. After I dialed it in as close to the post as possible, I found that I got perfect axle alignment, at least the one time I tried. Can't wait to drill some more blocks and see. Bottom line- check your table and see if it is deflecting under your weight!
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