At Last!. I have started on my car ;-) PART 2

Thanks

Day 37 update

Just spent a fruitful couple of hours looking for tyres:

For the rear Nitto do a DOT drag radial (NT555R) in 275/50/15 suitable for a 8.5" width rim. They also do a 315mm wide tyre but it's 2" taller

For the front I could use their NT01 tyre. Either 205/50/15 or 225/45/15 fitted to a 6.5 or 7.5" rim

Will start looking for UK dealers tomorrow.
 
Day 38

Well, no luck in finding a Nitto dealer in the UK, so I have emailed Nitto asking if they have a dealer over here? If they havent how much to ship them?

They are only 5 minutes from my sister-in-law but i think they are a bit too big to ask her to wrap and ship them for me :)
 
I have just received a reply from Vivid Racing asking for tyre details and shipping address so this looks encouraging.
 
Vivid Racing in theUK is a strange site. It talks about being 'a committed and trustworthy performance parts retailer offers the best parts department in the UK' but their phone number is in the States and they are based in Arizona!

We will see how this pans out.
 
Day 39

One of those all too frequent 2 steps forward 1 step backward days.

The ARBs that I had made by Playskool Motorsport didn't turn out to spec. Instead of getting them to make them again I agreed with Luke that he would send me the seamless steel tube and I would make my own (well, design them and get someone else to actually make them). However, the original bars aren't a total loss as I am using one of the straight sections for the connecting rods on the inboard damper assembly.

The 1 step back occurred whilst turning the threaded inserts down to fit the bar. The 7/16" UNF right hand thread inserts are fine. However I failed to check the M10 left hand threaded insert prior to machining. Fitted it then found out that it was a right hand thread also!

Phoned McGill Motorsport and they apologised for their mistake and have sent out replacements with a guarentee they will arrive tomorrow. They said keep the others. I will put them somewhere safe so when I eventually have a use for them I won't be able to find them :)

(the V at the joint face is for decent weld penetration)

inboarddamperverticallink_zps5b94fdb6.jpg
 
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Day 40

Replacement M10 LHT inserts arrived today as promised by McGill Motorsports.

Fitted other 7/16th UNF insert. Can't fit the M10s until fulcrum is fitted so I can finalise the rod length.

Made spacers to fit between rod ends and fulcrums.

Turning a steel insert down to fit into the tube:
machininglinkthreadedinsert_zpsd3658918.jpg


Drilling a 10mm hole in aluminium bar stock for the rod end spacers:
drillingM10holeforrodendspacers_zps8e1bef17.jpg


Parting spacer from the stock bar:
partingoffrodendspacer_zps01954b35.jpg


Spacers in position:
rodendspacersfitted_zps134ab7e4.jpg
 
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Day 41

One of those 'life got in the way' days.

Managed to do a bit of eBay surfing for fire extinguisher systems and lathe boring tools.
 
Day 42

Just back from speaking to my MOT station. As long as my tyres don't say 'not for highway use' or 'for racing only' on the side they will pass. They don't look for E markings, just for damage and wear.

Looks like I will be importing NITTO tyres from the States :)
 
Day 42 update

Another 2 steps forward, 1 step back day, but this one is of my own making :-(

Took another 16gms out of the front top wishbone, a total of 64gms from the four.

topwishbonelightenedsomemore_zpsa6e3720a.jpg


Mocked up rear damper assembly and all was looking good:

reardamperassemblymockup1_zps7bf1be44.jpg


I then realised that I hadn't fitted the top wishbone. Did this and found that the connecting rod will foul it in its proposed location. Bugger!

reardamperassemblymockup2_zpsd45dd440.jpg


I have taken photos and will talk to Graham tomorrow about options. Luckily Martin hadn't started the damper support bracket so that was a bonus.
 
Day 43.

Spoke to my chassis/suspension guru (Graham) and there ar no issues with extending bolts so rod misses top wishbone. I had just bought a couple of M12 x 160mm bolts that are now too short but Graham has a stack of 200mm bolts that he used when building Global Lights single seaters so he gave me a couple.

He has shelves full of nuts and bolts so I am going to buy from him from now on. Helps to get rid of his vast stock and will save me money.

Listed my adjustable wishbones on eBay to see if there is any interest in them out there.
 
Day 44

Started to lathe some weight out of the damper connecting rods. However, as they are steel ather than aluminium, I need some coolant/lubricant. Dcided to make my own so looked up a recipe on the net:

1 quart of engine oil
3 cups of washing up liquid
4 gallons of water

Add and mix.

I will give it a try tomorrow :)

Still trying to get some sense out of the Americans re importing some tyres (or should that be tires?).
 
Unfortunately, no. However, If they are as good as I think they are and have been told they are, then I don't want other people over here discovering them :)
 
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Day 45

Spent a happy hour or so in the workshop listening to Gareth Bale beat Lyon whilst removing weight from my damper pushrods.

One done so far. Orginal weight 386gms. New weight 196 grams. 190gms saving x 2 = 380 gms half of which is unsprung.

P1020359_zps06d82ba2.jpg
 
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Day 46

My birthday, so went to lunch with my wife (had to be done).

This afternoon lightened other damper pushrod.

Whilst walking the dog I came to the conclusion that importing tyres myself would be both silly and expensive. When I got back I rang Geoff at Hauser Racing and he is going to come back early next week with an all in price for the tyres.

Just to gauge if there is any interest in my adjustable wishbones, I have listed them on eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321071854456?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649
 
You would be most welcome.

Day 48

Made spacer for pushrod and mocked up damper bracket:

Pushrodbottomspacer_zpsfe3b0547.jpg


Damper is what I was going to use before the design change, so it isn't the right size but is useful for mocking up.

mockedupdampersystem_zpsd244248a.jpg
 
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Little by little, Stamford, little by little :) Having spent many years without the right tools it is nice to ba able to do most of what I want to do myself. Welding and complicated CNC work I still farm out (for the moment).

Day 49

Pushrods are at Martin's getting the threaded inserts welded. He also has my damper bracket mockup so he can make that.

damperbracketmockup_zps5706c72c.jpg


Graham is impressed with the weight removed from the damper pushrods, so that's OK :) We speak the same language when it comes to less is more.

Having a dilemma regarding tyres.

The strandard Elan tyres were around 546mm in diameter. The 225/60/13 I had on it were 595mm.

I would like to fit 275/50/15 but these are 656mm which is 110mm taller than standard raising car by 30mm or 55mm over original. I can take 25mm out of this with a suspension drop but this still makes the ground clearance 185mm - much too high.

If I revert to my original idea of 245/40/16 these are 620mm dropping car to 161mm, still quite high though.

No one appears to make what I would like, which is a 275/40/15 which would be about 601mm diameter, very close to my original 225/60/13 Dunlop SP Sports. With a 25mm suspension drop ground clearance would be down to 151, its standard height. Not very low but bearable.

I don't like being beaten, but I can't see a solution to this at the moment.
 
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WI will presume that you have tried all wheel diameter and profile/width permutations as per the calculators? What are you aiming for as regards ideal, 600mm diameter minimum?
 
I haven't tried the calculators, just every tyre site I can find and looknig at what is available. 275/40/15 would work.

Just spoken to Jeff Hauser. Four Nitto tyres will cost £960. However, talking to him I am veering towards tyres for courses. A set of R888s for sprinting/road use and M/T or BF Goodrich rear drag radials for the straight line stuff plus rear drag slicks for the really quick times.

Day 49 update.

Removed 46gms from M12 bolt that holds damper fulcrum (92gms for the pair). Original weight 196gms so a reduction of 23%. Removed material from the section of the bolt that is inside the chassis box section and from the head plus reduced length so only 2 threads stick out from the nut. I will be welding the bolt to each side of the box.

damperfulcrumboltslightened_zps9072416d.jpg


Update on bolts. Finished both now. Total final weight 226gms so 166gms removed!

damperfulcrumboltsfinished1_zps4535e839.jpg
 
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The section that has been wasted will be inside the box section and the bolt will be welded to the box at both exits. Do you still think there will be a bending problem? I have been thinking about it and wondering if I have gone too far. I was thinking of getting new bolts and simply drilling down the centre rather than reducing the diameter.
 
Day 50

Tried MIG welding bolts into chassis. A combination of ineptitude and sticking wire meant that the result was worse than standard pigeon sh*t.

Must get new welder, preferably a TIG. Then learn how to use it.
 
The section that has been wasted will be inside the box section and the bolt will be welded to the box at both exits. Do you still think there will be a bending problem? I have been thinking about it and wondering if I have gone too far. I was thinking of getting new bolts and simply drilling down the centre rather than reducing the diameter.

Hard to say for certain, such an assembly requries FEA to determine the loads and stress points. From experience I would say gone too far, I always err on the side of caution.
 
Day51

Stamford made me see that I was being silly so I have scrapped the waisted bolts and bought a couple of new ones.

The two bolts below weigh the same :)

fulcrumboltsfinaldesign_zps4f8419be.jpg


How is that, you may ask?

Well, by simply drilling out the centre. The material removed doesn't serve any purpose other than to add weight :)

fulcrumboltsfinaldesign1_zps23012917.jpg


This diameter hole only goes 20mm then it reduces for the next 50mm. There is a hole drilled from the other end but that is even smaller and doesn't extend as far as where the bolt enters the chassis
 
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That is better, still wary of doing it on stressed areas but a common sight on most race car and bike applications. I have seen them drill holes through alloy cap heads as little as M5!
 

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