[project] The Ultimate Track 205

[brumster 135 1 Cars]

Ahhhhh ok. That makes sense now.

 

Is there a reason for using the spherical joints in that orientation then? Genuinely interested - are they stronger that way? Obviously 90 degrees the other way would have meant no concerns about travel/bottoming out on the top hats, but I presume there are downsides (strength or something?).

Edited June 18, 2013 by brumster

[Cameron 16]

There's a couple of reasons, but none of them are major concerns really, more for peace of mind. The biggest one is that when they're fitted this way around you don't need to worry about whether they're at risk of popping out of the housing (as the spring load is always acting to keep them pressed in) so there's no need to stake the bearings in or use circlips; The wishbone links are supposedly only loaded in tension / compression, but due to the fact that the're welded at the outer balljoint housing there'll always be a small longitudinal load under braking that will try to pop the sphericals out, if that makes sense.

[Cameron 16]

Also, when you fit them t'other way up you have some design issues when you come to make the brackets. You need your housing to be parallel in the bracket at the design point (i.e. the ride height) so that it doesn't touch the sides as the wishbone rotates up / down and the angle of the housing changes, and that means you either need to have the bracket at a funny angle on the tube it attaches to (unless you have your tubes @ 90Deg and your wishbones horizontal) or have the spherical housing welded on to the wishbone so it's rotated at a suitable angle, both of which make fabrication a lot more tricky!

Edited June 18, 2013 by Cameron

[brumster 135 1 Cars]

Understood the latter; semi-understood the first one, I think

[Rippthrough 98]

Wear faster that way around though

[Cameron 16]

That just means they bed in faster.

[welshpug 1,626]

as if its going to be used enough to wear them out

[Cameron 16]

What are you talking about? This will be my daily drive!

[Willem_Jacobs 6 1 Cars]

Better start constructing a backup daily! There's still some french made pieces in there... ( just sills, but one can never be sure enough in eliminating french engineering )

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

Please make it road legal, it would be bloody hilarious pulling up to the lights in it!

[Cameron 16]

WOOOO my gearbox arrived today!

 

And is now being shipped back to Drenth as it has the wrong oil pump.

 

In brighter news I ordered all the T45 and EN14 for my wishbones, which should be arriving Monday.

[Batfink 201]

Please make it road legal, it would be bloody hilarious pulling up to the lights in it!

It would have to go through the sva test which would be a complete ball ache

[Guest Spitfire2k6]

Just spent roughly 2 hours going through this thread... All I can say is 'Holy s*it I'm glad I joined this forum!'

Awesome work mate, really professional looking, takes some brains and a lot of balls to do this kind of s*it.

Strapped in and ready for more!

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

WOOOO my gearbox arrived today!

 

And is now being shipped back to Drenth as it has the wrong oil pump.

 

 

No pictures? What was up with the pump then, I take it it uses an external pump?

[Cameron 16]

Ah it wasn't with me, it was up in Preston! It had an endurance oil spray assembly fitted, which I don't need. It's an extra 500EUR and requires an external electric oil pump, I've been told for my power & application it'll be fine without - even for track days.

 

My EN14 and T45 arrived yesterday, so I'm going to finish off the rear wishbone mounts this weekend and then get started on the wishbones!

[Cameron 16]

Finished a little job I've been doing this week, making the front subframe mounts. I had these made up right at the beginning of the project, when I was planning to go for a double wishbone setup on the original body - i.e. no space-frame. Handily with a little modification they suit the purpose very well.

 

Motorsport bolt lightening:

 

 

These are made captive with some frustratingly pretty welds:

 

 

And then weld into the ends of the chassis rails:

 

 

 

I also made the first of my wishbone bearing housings:

 

 

Only another 23 to go!

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Cam: Superb. In a league of few I suspect.

 

Sarty challenge:

Come in under 625kg (incl. driver - you said it might be 600kg) and I'll make you some custom rear quarter badges FOC.

 

If I were fortunate enough to have the time, money and skills to take on/pay for something like this, I'd be sorely tempted with a power plant based on the BMW 3.0i diesel turbo lump. I understand it's a fairly spectacular engine...albeit a dis-iesal.

 

Will watch this with interest.

[Cameron 16]

Thanks Rich, challenge accepted!

 

This has been my life for the past week:

 

 

Making all the bearing housings for my wishbones:

 

 

All done!

 

No work to be done this weekend, but next week I'll make the jigs for the wishbones.

[rjw205 8 3 Cars]

Some may notice the swarf and the general lathe sheen of cutting fluid... I however noticed the pipe. #guiltypleasure ? Great project Cam, am following with interest.

[Cameron 16]

That's my thinking pipe. Also useful for pointing / gesturing.

[Cameron 16]

Update!

At the end of last week I made these little bosses to locate the spherical housings.



They're modular to make location reliable and removing everything nice and easy.



Then today I made the jig for the first set of wishbones, starting with an RHS frame.



And then after a bit of trig and a lot of head scratching, drilled it to take the bosses.



Tacked the tubes in place (T45).



Removed it, just to check that it comes out of the jig ok.



And then checked it in the chassis to make sure it fits.



Before returning it to the jig to be welded up.

​

That will be my job for the next week or so!

[calvinhorse 870]

I've been wondering for a while but what is the tube that the wishbone seems to fowl on? I've been trying to work it out but it just looks wrong?

[Cameron 16]

It's there to take the steering loads but the wishbone won't foul on it, there's a good 50mm clearance at full droop.

[davenport 51]

Im still baffled by the lack of circlips to hold the bearings in...

 

also..

 

with regards to adjustment, how come youve gone for fixed housings everywhere and not a threaded rod end on the inboard pickups?? Or is that all done on the hub?? Or on the top wishbone??

 

My only experience is with OLD lola single seaters so im sure technology has progressed and theres a reason to your layout....

Edited July 8, 2013 by davenport

[Cameron 16]

They aren't needed as the bearings are a press fit in the housings, there shouldn't be any loads high enough to pop them out as the push-rods are mounted to the lower wishbone.

I'm using shims between the upper wishbone clevis and the upright to change camber without also changing caster & KPI. I'll have to see how my settings for caster & KPI work out once I have the car running, but there shouldn't be any need to adjust either.