• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
  • When posting a classified ad, you MUST select a prefix from the drop-down next to the subject line. If you don't you will get an error and your ad will not be posted!
Tips
Tips

"Homemade" Watts Linkage

Share this page

Tabcon

Tabcon

Jedi Warrior
Offline
"Homemade" Watts Linkage

I'm using an alloy differential cover I bought from Racestorations on my rear end and I was just going to get the watts linkage assembly they sell also, but with the exchange rate the way it is, I decided I'd try my hand at making my own. I don't have a sophisticated garage set up (huge understatement) but I have a cheapo drill press I got at Lowes for Christmas as a gift to myself for being such a good boy. I ordered some high strenghth aluminum the nuts, bolts & bearings from McMaster-Carr and bought some taps and drill bits locally. After many long winded conversations with myself contianing a slew of expletives, I finally finished the linkage part. I still need to make the brackets though. I don't want to weld them to the frame though, so I'm working on some drawings for some bolt on type brackets.

By the time it's all said and done, I most likely could have just sprung for the Racestorations set up, but that would not have been as much "fun".

[img:center]
Watts-Linkage.jpg
[/img] [img:left]
Watts-Linkage-2.jpg
[/img]
 
Re: "Homemade" Watts Linkage

You do good work my friend! Purty.
 
Re: "Homemade" Watts Linkage

Very Nice work. You make it look easy.
 
Re: "Homemade" Watts Linkage

You did that with hand tools and a drill press?

I can't imagine what you'd be making if you had a mill and lathe !!!

Excellent work !
 
Re: "Homemade" Watts Linkage

It amazes me the stuff they sell as "tools" now. It takes me 20 minutes to set up the drill press just to do what every decent one should do, drill straight.
It's almost as if you have to make tools to make the tools you buy just work somewhat decently. Why in my day...!
 
Re: "Homemade" Watts Linkage

Very nicely done, what I more impressed with is you did this without a mill, good job !
 
Re: "Homemade" Watts Linkage

What's a mill?

LOL

I really like working with alumiunum. I used 2024 high strength aluminum plate and solid hex bar I got from McMaster Carr. I couldn't find any counterbore drills for metal locally, so I used one I had for wood on the aluminum and it worked great. I just had to go slow.
 
Re: "Homemade" Watts Linkage

Tab, a mill is next years Christmas present to yourself! Great job!

Tinkerman
 
Re: "Homemade" Watts Linkage

Those little (Grizzly) mini-mills with CNC are supposed to be pretty nice to have for small projects. Of course, it really makes the parts cost a whole lot more when you figure in the cost of the equipment.

Beautiful hand work.
 
Re: "Homemade" Watts Linkage

Tab,

Your pictures don't show up for me? What kind of image did you use?

Thanks,
BOBH
 
Re: "Homemade" Watts Linkage

Tab,
super sweet! I can't believe you did that with just a drill press and hand tools. EXCELLENT !
Rob
 
Re: "Homemade" Watts Linkage

I look back now with gratitude, and wish to express my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Watson, my high school shop teacher. Without his excellent instruction, my incredible fabrication skills of today would not have been possible. For it was Mr. Watson who not only taught me the importance of tucking in my shirt and always wearing protection, but also how to craft one darn fine chopping block.

cutcow_edited-1.jpg
 
Back
Top