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10 Interesting Links From November 20th

November 21st, 2009 Greg Smith No comments
  • 9NEWS.com | Colorado’s Online News Leader | Huge ball of ice crashes through woman’s roof – Then she heard a huge explosion after something fell out of the sky right into her kitchen. Thankfully Hagan was not sitting in the room. The two of them had just left the kitchen and no one in the home was injured. "It was just bizarre," Hagan said, "I heard a huge explosion, couldn't figure out if something had crashed in or exploded out and [it was] just complete chaos after that." It turns out a piece of ice, a bowling-ball-size piece, fell from the sky.
  • Quit smoking today—and start looking better tomorrow: Consumer Reports Health Blog – Fewer wrinkles. Better-smelling breath, hair, and clothing. Healthier teeth and gums. More money in your pocket. An improved sense of taste and smell. A reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and cancer of the lungs, cervix, pancreas, throat, intestine, kidneys, and bladder. Most important, up to 10 years added to your life span. Despite these convincing reasons to quit smoking, Americans are not getting the message that smoking can not only shorten your life, but also increase the risk of death in those who come into contact with your secondhand smoke—including your children.
  • Ten Awesome Feats Of Automotive Infrastructure – Infrastructure – Jalopnik – This is apparently how Japanese engineers settle civil arguments: Don't want to move your building? Eat me. I've got a road to build.
  • J.C. Penney discontinuing "big book" – Dallas Business Journal: – As more consumers flock to the Web to make online retail purchases, North Texas-based J.C. Penney Co. is changing the face of its brand by discontinuing the publishing of its two “big book” catalogs in exchange for more online initiatives and smaller, more specialized catalogs.
  • Daily Express | World News :: Million hit by ‘plague worse than swine flu’ – A cocktail of three flu viruses are reported to have mutated into a single pneumonic plague, which it is believed may be far more dangerous than swine flu. The death toll has reached 189 and more than 1 million people have been infected, most of them in the nine regions of Western Ukraine.
  • Washington Redskins can keep team name; Supreme Court refuses native Americans’ suit | csmonitor.com – A group of native Americans have lost their bid to force the Washington Redskins pro football team to change its name because they consider it to be a racial slur. On Monday, the US Supreme Court, in a one-line ruling, refused to take up the case. The action lets stand a decision by a federal appeals court in Washington that the native Americans had waited too long to bring their challenge to the Redskins trademark, and thus forfeited any right to sue.
  • Web site’s cash handout stunt horrifies French minister| Technology| Reuters – Marketing Web site Mailorama.fr was forced to call off its plan to throw envelopes of cash to passers-by from the top of a bus on Saturday after thousands of people turned up and began spilling over security barriers. The decision to call off the stunt, which had been heavily promoted beforehand, sparked violent scenes in which shop windows were smashed, at least one car was overturned by hooded youths and photographers and cameramen were attacked.
  • Americans see country headed in wrong direction, poll says, but closer look shows strong partisan divide on nation’s direction | Postcards – Daron Shaw, a University of Texas government professor who helped helm the poll, reacted: “The Republicans are (basically) more pessimistic than the Democrats are optimistic.”
  • Al Jazeera English – Europe – Sicilian Mafia fugitive arrested – He had been convicted of five murders, including the kidnapping and killing of a rival's son, whose body was thrown into a vat of acid. Raccuglia faces several life sentences.
  • Foodborne illness: An acute and long-term health challenge for the 21st century | Science Blog – CFI's report, The Long-Term Health Outcomes of Selected Foodborne Pathogens, calls for a new approach to foodborne illness research and surveillance and provides expert reviews about some of the long-term health outcomes for five foodborne pathogens. The outcomes range from hypertension and diabetes to kidney failure and mental retardation.
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    Ford Maverick Rack & Pinion Conversion

    April 23rd, 1997 Greg Smith Comments off

    This article orginally appeared on fordmaverick.com.

    RnPDIA.JPG

    To the left is the diagram sent to me by Joe Roberts(Your browser may not view the graphic correctly. I suggest that you save it to disk then you can print it out). He has done a Rack & Pinion conversion. The following information is from excerpts sent via e-mail from him.

    “I drew plans for a cross member to mount the Rack where the stock linkages are. It is basically a U shaped thing with ussets. Very nice and sturdy, it slid perfectly between the frame rails where it bolted on. Cost me about $100 plus the rack and pinion unit and the die for shortening the tie rod ends took me for another hundred. Also made a neat little universal joint bearing to connect the column to the R&P. It worked great, except for one problem……”

    He goes on to tell me how you need to get the correct R&P unit that steers in the correct direction. This bracket is designed for a rear mounting R&P unit. It mounts where the existing steering system is. This would be the easiest. Be sure that you get a R&P unit that is designed for the back or front. If you put a front mounting unit in the back the wheels will steer in the wrong direction. I believe this will work with a Mustang II R&P unit. These are the most common.

    I also know of a person that used a lo-ratio unit out of a GM Celebrity Euro sport on a ‘70 Ranchero. Adapted instructions follow:

    “It’s the same set up. Belt sizes are very much universal. Pressure is important. Use a GM pump as close to OEM pressure as possible. R&P and pump from same car. Make or adapt bracket as needed. Mount pump as FORD OEM would . Hot rod companies also make pressure relief valves, to raise or lower pressure as needed. SAGINAW pumps work the best. just change the relief valve to match the R&P. SAGINAW is not just GM.

    The Celebrity is a rear steer car. The Ranchero has a cross member that the lower control arms are mounted to. I adapted off of that. The cross member does not have to be very heavy, as long as there is NO side to side movement. Centerline of R&P must be the same as centerline of original drag/center link. Use OEM R&P mounting holes. This R&P does not have to be sandwiched between separate mounting ears, like OEM. bolted up against one side is ok.

    Obviously you must remove all steering linkage, including OEM steering box. Inner tie rods on new R&P must be machined and rethreaded to use OEM adjusting sleeves and outer tie rods. Hot rod companies make hundreds of U-joints and shaft adapters. find the right ones for the OEM steering column, and the R&P. Join them with a length of steel rod. Hoses are easily custom made. Car can be aligned to OEM specs.

    Test movement of everything in the driveway before driving it on the road. Remember keep it simple, do not over engineer, use as many OEM type parts as possible. If it ever fails or breaks, it will not be in the driveway.

    I am working on a Ford Taurus unit. I haven’t actually gotten the unit, but I did get the Steering column and was able to wire it up to the existing wiring with little problem. See ‘86 Ford Taurus steering column upgrade for more info on this end. When i get the unit and figure out how I’m going to do this I’ll be sure to post it here.

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