OK, a quick review of previous posts shows that the clutch pedal is actually offset to the right. This was to avoid the transmission tunnel in the original MX5, and will do exactly the same job here. So I'll mark up the position of the master cylinders and drill holes to mount in the required position, but also retain the spacing that I had originally planned for.
I also need to weld on one more plate for the pedal brackets, this will sit parallel to the floor. Normally it's bolted to the floor, but there's zero strength in the floor. So in my case it'll be bolted to the frame. What I'm planning to do is cut out a section of the chassis and replace it with thicker steel. This will then be drilled and tapped to accept suitable fixings. I had thought of rivnut or similar captive nuts, but this will be inside the frame and amazingly fiddly to get to if they go rusty. So it's just easier to make it part of the frame itself. It also needs to be completely flush, which also removes the possibility of a rivnut.
Of course, I want to compare this plan with the original, just in case I've missed a trick here.
Sunday, 31 December 2017
Saturday, 30 December 2017
Some work (finally!)
I've been allocating an hour each day after the little one is in bed, to get into the garage and do stuff. The first couple of evenings have just been tidying (it's unbelievable how much stuff a garage will 'accumulate' when it's not in use!), but I've finally managed to get some welding done.
The bottom panel of the pedal box is now welded, although as expected it distorted whilst welding. In a way it worked in my favour though, when I bolt/clamp it in place it's absolutely rock solid. With a reinforcing plate across the top I think the pedals should be nice and firm.
And so, the next step. Welding the brackets for the pedals. I've got them out and wiped the dust off, and I remember what I had planned. I'm fairly sure on here there's also a drawing for the pedal layout, so I'll use that as reference.
Then I need to cut and mount the clutch and brake cylinders. The clutch cylinder will be new (the original was servo driven so won't be reused), but I'm thinking of using a new brake cylinder too depending on the price. Time to get shopping!
(Later that evening...)
Well, a new brake cylinder is out of the question, triple figures for the few that I can find. There are repair kits so I might try one of those if needs be. I've ordered a new clutch cylinder, car builder solutions has them for £40. The 0.7" apparently is not as common as the 0.75" (the latter being a Landrover common fit) so it's slightly more expensive. Still, it's ordered now, so I can get both master cylinders fitted when I do the pedals.
I also had another look at the manual, and it did occur to me that the clutch hole is where it is because it needs to stay away from the engine. Which means I may need to modify my drawing to be more in line with what they're suggesting. No biggie, just might be less space between the pedals than I had planned.
Time to go undo all the brake lines on the old cylinder, just to see what I'm working with...
The bottom panel of the pedal box is now welded, although as expected it distorted whilst welding. In a way it worked in my favour though, when I bolt/clamp it in place it's absolutely rock solid. With a reinforcing plate across the top I think the pedals should be nice and firm.
And so, the next step. Welding the brackets for the pedals. I've got them out and wiped the dust off, and I remember what I had planned. I'm fairly sure on here there's also a drawing for the pedal layout, so I'll use that as reference.
Then I need to cut and mount the clutch and brake cylinders. The clutch cylinder will be new (the original was servo driven so won't be reused), but I'm thinking of using a new brake cylinder too depending on the price. Time to get shopping!
(Later that evening...)
Well, a new brake cylinder is out of the question, triple figures for the few that I can find. There are repair kits so I might try one of those if needs be. I've ordered a new clutch cylinder, car builder solutions has them for £40. The 0.7" apparently is not as common as the 0.75" (the latter being a Landrover common fit) so it's slightly more expensive. Still, it's ordered now, so I can get both master cylinders fitted when I do the pedals.
I also had another look at the manual, and it did occur to me that the clutch hole is where it is because it needs to stay away from the engine. Which means I may need to modify my drawing to be more in line with what they're suggesting. No biggie, just might be less space between the pedals than I had planned.
Time to go undo all the brake lines on the old cylinder, just to see what I'm working with...
Sunday, 24 September 2017
More than a year...
Wow, I've just noticed it's been more than a year since I posted on here, and therefore even more than that since I worked on the car! The joys of having to go where the work is unfortunately, I haven't yet found a hotel where I can get some welding done in the evenings. Hmm, perhaps that would be a good business venture, a bit like a spa hotel but with spanners and stuff...
Anyhow, back to my car. Well, almost. Unfortunately the daily driver (A 2006 Saab) is suffering from a very rattly exhaust, probably either the front cat or the flexi pipe. Both units together are several hundred pounds to replace, and potentially a full day in an average exhaust builders. But it did get me thinking, what if I could make my own?
First job, learn how to weld stainless steel. This was easy enough, got some stainless MIG wire, turned up the settings as the interweb said, and then proceeded to blow seven shades of stainless through the plate I was practising with! Turns out the settings don't have to be that far off normal steel welding, and soon enough I was getting a good strong weld between stainless plates. I then also welded stainless to mild, because it did occur to me that the existing exhaust may not be stainless all the way, and I only want to replace the parts I need.
Now that I'm happy with stainless welding, I've bookmarked a catalytic converter, a length of pipe and a flexi. Total price just over £100 (with the cat being most of that!).
Next stage, figure out how to do the bends. Now the top of the cat turns a sharp 90+ degrees into the turbo, and I'm not confident I could get a sharp enough bend without compromising the diameter (not what I need straight out of the turbo!). So I found a thing on the internet called 'lobster cutting'. Basically you chop a piece of pipe into segments, each with a certain angle on them. Then if you rotate every other segment 180 degrees, you end up with a bend!
Just for an experiment, here is my first attempt at a lobster cut bend with some spare tube I had;
As you can see, it's just taped together, but I think it's actually turned out really nice. And it'll be more than enough to get the curve off the turbo into the cat.
Next week, I might get chance to work on the car...
Anyhow, back to my car. Well, almost. Unfortunately the daily driver (A 2006 Saab) is suffering from a very rattly exhaust, probably either the front cat or the flexi pipe. Both units together are several hundred pounds to replace, and potentially a full day in an average exhaust builders. But it did get me thinking, what if I could make my own?
First job, learn how to weld stainless steel. This was easy enough, got some stainless MIG wire, turned up the settings as the interweb said, and then proceeded to blow seven shades of stainless through the plate I was practising with! Turns out the settings don't have to be that far off normal steel welding, and soon enough I was getting a good strong weld between stainless plates. I then also welded stainless to mild, because it did occur to me that the existing exhaust may not be stainless all the way, and I only want to replace the parts I need.
Now that I'm happy with stainless welding, I've bookmarked a catalytic converter, a length of pipe and a flexi. Total price just over £100 (with the cat being most of that!).
Next stage, figure out how to do the bends. Now the top of the cat turns a sharp 90+ degrees into the turbo, and I'm not confident I could get a sharp enough bend without compromising the diameter (not what I need straight out of the turbo!). So I found a thing on the internet called 'lobster cutting'. Basically you chop a piece of pipe into segments, each with a certain angle on them. Then if you rotate every other segment 180 degrees, you end up with a bend!
Just for an experiment, here is my first attempt at a lobster cut bend with some spare tube I had;
As you can see, it's just taped together, but I think it's actually turned out really nice. And it'll be more than enough to get the curve off the turbo into the cat.
Next week, I might get chance to work on the car...
Friday, 22 April 2016
Front grille musings
I want to get a decent lookalike for a real Healey, but I've always been concerned about the amount of chrome and other 'posh' bits. The logical route would be to go for a rally Healey look, but that brings in it's own challenges.
No doubt other things will pop up, but the first thing is the front grille. The standard Healey uses vertical chrome bars, which will either be horrendously expensive, or horrendously difficult to make.
The rally versions of the Healey are different though. They eschew the standard grille in favour of an exposed radiator. The radiator takes about 50% of the centre of the hole, and then there are curved sections either side (air intakes or similar). So that's the look I want to go for.
This means two things, finding a radiator that works in it's exposed form and fits in the position, then the curved sections mounted on each side. The curved sections are a dull metal, aluminium springs to mind. So I've been looking at salad bowls, mixing bowls, anything bowl related that is made of aluminum, and I've failed miserably.
Then I had an idea. Big old lampshades are the correct dull metal, and also nicely curved!!
I reckon a bit of planning and a sharp hacksaw will give me two appropriate sections, that can then be mounted on the side of the radiator. A bit of standard chrome edge trim around the mouth opening, and this will (hopefully) be the end result;
(Actually, looking at other examples it might not actually be that curved...some cars just use flat metal!!)
No doubt other things will pop up, but the first thing is the front grille. The standard Healey uses vertical chrome bars, which will either be horrendously expensive, or horrendously difficult to make.
The rally versions of the Healey are different though. They eschew the standard grille in favour of an exposed radiator. The radiator takes about 50% of the centre of the hole, and then there are curved sections either side (air intakes or similar). So that's the look I want to go for.
This means two things, finding a radiator that works in it's exposed form and fits in the position, then the curved sections mounted on each side. The curved sections are a dull metal, aluminium springs to mind. So I've been looking at salad bowls, mixing bowls, anything bowl related that is made of aluminum, and I've failed miserably.
Then I had an idea. Big old lampshades are the correct dull metal, and also nicely curved!!
I reckon a bit of planning and a sharp hacksaw will give me two appropriate sections, that can then be mounted on the side of the radiator. A bit of standard chrome edge trim around the mouth opening, and this will (hopefully) be the end result;
(Actually, looking at other examples it might not actually be that curved...some cars just use flat metal!!)
Sunday, 27 March 2016
Pedal alterations
Time for surgery on the clutch and brake pedals. The originals are designed to fit around a brake servo, hydraulic clutch and a small footwell. There are various angles on the metal that just aren't needed. They're also a fair bit too long.
First thing, chop everything up. Here's the pedals in bits;
The gas pedal will stay as it is, so that is put aside for now. I'm working off the same measurement as for the Sierra brake pedal. The Sierra clutch pedal is cable operated so is lifted off the floor, but with both clutch and brake being hydraulic here it means the hinge is at the base (hence both being the same length as the Sierra brake pedal). So both pedals will be 191 mm from the edge of the outer bush to the centre of the pedal plate. A decent cut on both to keep the profile tidy, nice and simple. I also screwed both the plates on to a piece of wood, to keep the angle correct and have them at the same length. It made it easy to measure from the bush to the wood, and to keep everything at right angles.
A bit of welding leaves me with this;
First thing, chop everything up. Here's the pedals in bits;
The gas pedal will stay as it is, so that is put aside for now. I'm working off the same measurement as for the Sierra brake pedal. The Sierra clutch pedal is cable operated so is lifted off the floor, but with both clutch and brake being hydraulic here it means the hinge is at the base (hence both being the same length as the Sierra brake pedal). So both pedals will be 191 mm from the edge of the outer bush to the centre of the pedal plate. A decent cut on both to keep the profile tidy, nice and simple. I also screwed both the plates on to a piece of wood, to keep the angle correct and have them at the same length. It made it easy to measure from the bush to the wood, and to keep everything at right angles.
A bit of welding leaves me with this;
The metal used for the pedals is quite beefy, but with the welder turned up high I'm happy I got penetration. It certainly took long enough to cool down (as evidenced by a very sore thumb).
Once things were cool enough to take apart, I was left with this;
A quick boot measurement had the pedals at just right place, which is fantastic. One last trial was to replace the aluminium faces;
Unfortunately they can't stay as they are because the IVA requires a permanent non-slip surface, either rubber or skateboard tape. Tape will be cheaper.
The holes for the pushrods are in the same place as before so hopefully things should still work well.
Tomorrow will be the brackets and holes for the master cylinders.
Friday, 25 March 2016
Pedal design
I've said from day one that I want to use as much of the donor as possible. The pedals were one place I wanted to keep the MX5 ones. Partly because it makes all the linkages easy to put together, but partly because I've seen multiple posts where the Haynes pedal box design has failed (or has been seriously compromised). That seems to be a bad thing in my book, considering the middle pedal is the one I rely on to avoid possible bumps.
So, I've done a quick drawing, and I can see that the pedals are too long. No matter, I already knew that. A bit of trimming, that's all. But then I realised a small design flaw. I've done my absolute utmost to have the steering wheel dead centre and absolutely square on (memories of my old Nova with wonky steering has made me completely over the top with it!). But it means I can't have both the steering wheel and the brake pedal in the middle, and measurements show that if the brake pedal isn't in the middle, I can't actually get my feet on the pedals!
This is based on the pedal hanging from above, which is the original MX5 layout. It occurred to me that the pedals themselves don't care which way is up, so I turned them round. If I do that though, I've got to shorten the gas pedal, which means I couldn't actually open the throttle fully.
Then I found a few drawings where the clutch and brake pedal are floor mounted, and the gas pedal is top mounted. And that looks like the solution. The brake and clutch do need to be cut down, but I can do that.
This drawing shows the original pedals (being too long), and the pedal layout once they've been cut down;
Note the gas pedal isn't being altered. I like the angle of the pedal, and the pivot point works well with the steering column (blue). Cutting down the brake pedal is straightforward, its slightly less leverage for my foot but the pushrod is the same distance from the pivot point which should maintain the MX5 brake 'feel'. However I might drill a second hole a bit further up to give an element of adjustment.
The clutch pedal changes shape as it's cut down, instead of the angled piece (designed to avoid the MX5 transmission tunnel) it's just straight down to the pivot point. As with the brake pedal, I'm not changing the pushrod point, but hopefully the hydraulic clutch doesn't need as much pressure.
All this means that;
1. I retain all the pivot points (bushes, return springs, etc).
2. The pivot point for the brake pedal can be easily reinforced (as can the associated master cylinder).
3. I maintain a top mounted gas pedal (my personal preference).
By the way, the drawing on the left is my shoe (just for height and width, rather than actual representative shape!) The pedals will end up on the ball of my foot (which is the inner rectangle of my 'shoe')
I did also consider the cut down. I had thought about just cutting the bar at the best position and then welding the two halves together. To me that seems to be just asking for trouble. So I'm going to cut the pedal faces off, shorten the bars by an appropriate amount, then weld the faces back on. That keeps joints under compressive forces rather than bending forces. I'll take some photos of that process, mainly to keep Mr IVA happy.
So, I've done a quick drawing, and I can see that the pedals are too long. No matter, I already knew that. A bit of trimming, that's all. But then I realised a small design flaw. I've done my absolute utmost to have the steering wheel dead centre and absolutely square on (memories of my old Nova with wonky steering has made me completely over the top with it!). But it means I can't have both the steering wheel and the brake pedal in the middle, and measurements show that if the brake pedal isn't in the middle, I can't actually get my feet on the pedals!
This is based on the pedal hanging from above, which is the original MX5 layout. It occurred to me that the pedals themselves don't care which way is up, so I turned them round. If I do that though, I've got to shorten the gas pedal, which means I couldn't actually open the throttle fully.
Then I found a few drawings where the clutch and brake pedal are floor mounted, and the gas pedal is top mounted. And that looks like the solution. The brake and clutch do need to be cut down, but I can do that.
This drawing shows the original pedals (being too long), and the pedal layout once they've been cut down;
Note the gas pedal isn't being altered. I like the angle of the pedal, and the pivot point works well with the steering column (blue). Cutting down the brake pedal is straightforward, its slightly less leverage for my foot but the pushrod is the same distance from the pivot point which should maintain the MX5 brake 'feel'. However I might drill a second hole a bit further up to give an element of adjustment.
The clutch pedal changes shape as it's cut down, instead of the angled piece (designed to avoid the MX5 transmission tunnel) it's just straight down to the pivot point. As with the brake pedal, I'm not changing the pushrod point, but hopefully the hydraulic clutch doesn't need as much pressure.
All this means that;
1. I retain all the pivot points (bushes, return springs, etc).
2. The pivot point for the brake pedal can be easily reinforced (as can the associated master cylinder).
3. I maintain a top mounted gas pedal (my personal preference).
By the way, the drawing on the left is my shoe (just for height and width, rather than actual representative shape!) The pedals will end up on the ball of my foot (which is the inner rectangle of my 'shoe')
I did also consider the cut down. I had thought about just cutting the bar at the best position and then welding the two halves together. To me that seems to be just asking for trouble. So I'm going to cut the pedal faces off, shorten the bars by an appropriate amount, then weld the faces back on. That keeps joints under compressive forces rather than bending forces. I'll take some photos of that process, mainly to keep Mr IVA happy.
Saturday, 19 March 2016
Steering
Now the seats are in, I can put the steering wheel where I want. The MX5 design is very similar to the Sierra one, but the MX5 column isn't adjustable. So it has to be put in the right place.
A few sitting sessions got me a good position, then excessive use of metal and clamps got it locked in place. Then it was a case of cutting up and welding the three bars that make the front mount, a couple of flat plates for bolts, and lots more welding. Which got me this;
It's a steering wheel in the right place!! However, I had to consider IVA at this point. The brackets are designed to fail in an accident. The upper bolt fixings use the MX5 column slots, so the column can deform with enough force. The lower fixing is a u clamp, again it should allow things to collapse.
The top RHS piece is the same size as the Sierra one, but the left and right pieces are very different (a couple of inches longer on both sides). It did get me a bit worried, but the set up looks like other MX5 columns so I'm happy with the outcome. And I can get my legs underneath.
Next job will be the pedal box. Since I'm going way off the beaten track and using the standard pedals, I'm expecting a lot of design issues. First issue, which box of donor parts contains the pedals?!!!
A few sitting sessions got me a good position, then excessive use of metal and clamps got it locked in place. Then it was a case of cutting up and welding the three bars that make the front mount, a couple of flat plates for bolts, and lots more welding. Which got me this;
The top RHS piece is the same size as the Sierra one, but the left and right pieces are very different (a couple of inches longer on both sides). It did get me a bit worried, but the set up looks like other MX5 columns so I'm happy with the outcome. And I can get my legs underneath.
Next job will be the pedal box. Since I'm going way off the beaten track and using the standard pedals, I'm expecting a lot of design issues. First issue, which box of donor parts contains the pedals?!!!
Seats
Time for a big update I think. It's been some time since I last updated this blog, and rather unsurprisingly I've not actually done that much. A big push in the last couple of weeks have got me two big chunks though.
First off, the seats. Fairly easy one this, first a couple of cross bars;
The holes have got welded in crush tubes, and they're actually quite large. It was to match the holes in the seat runners, but I think the standard bolts have a shoulder on a smaller diameter bolt. Ah well, no danger of it failing IVA due to the size of the fixing!
Seat rails are bolted in;
First off, the seats. Fairly easy one this, first a couple of cross bars;
The holes have got welded in crush tubes, and they're actually quite large. It was to match the holes in the seat runners, but I think the standard bolts have a shoulder on a smaller diameter bolt. Ah well, no danger of it failing IVA due to the size of the fixing!
Seat rails are bolted in;
The ends of the rails are actually bent to fit the MX5, they do straighten out to suit a flat mounting but I had to shave a few edges off for the sliders to work.
Passenger seat base in first;
Then the drivers seat, and job done;
The seat bases are compressed on the side, but not excessively. I could leave them, or I could take the leather off, 'rearrange' the base and re-cover them. I might do that anyway as I'd not realised how tall these seats are! I think it's called a 'foamectomy'...
So now the seats are in, I can fit the steering wheel. Next post.
Friday, 24 July 2015
More metal
Well, I came to do the seat mounts, turned out it's going to use a fair bit more metal than I thought. It's amazing how such short lengths become big lengths when there's quite a few of them. So I had to get some more, but getting back to Camp Steel is challenging, especially with work and Birmingham traffic.
So I found Steel Express in Wolverhampton, round the back of where Strykers used to be on the Stafford Road. A length of 1 inch and one length of 3/4 inch cost just over £40 for the pair. They're actually longer than the Camp Steel ones, 7.5 metres, so the price is a bit more expensive than Camp steel but less fuel (and time!) to pick up.
I just needed to take my hacksaw and chop it up into 2.5m sections. Interestingly, my SEAT saloon was able to take 3 metre sections, whereas the Mercedes estate can only take 2.5m max!!
So now I have sufficient metal to continue, but as ever the time available is limited. Once the seat bars are fitted and I can put the seat in, I'll be able to gauge the position of the steering wheel and pedals.
Then again... am I going about this the wrong way? The seat is adjustable, but the relationship between pedals and steering wheel isn't. Perhaps that is the 'magic number' I ought to be considering.
I'll have a think about that...
(Later that day)
OK, I've thought about it. If I sit on the floor with my feet and hands in roughly the right place, I think there will be 70 centimetres from the pedal box rear panel to the steering wheel. The same 70 centimetres works for the Merc so it seems like a good number. Therefore it doesn't really matter where the seat will be, as long as the distance between feet and hands is maintained.
Let the cutting begin!
So I found Steel Express in Wolverhampton, round the back of where Strykers used to be on the Stafford Road. A length of 1 inch and one length of 3/4 inch cost just over £40 for the pair. They're actually longer than the Camp Steel ones, 7.5 metres, so the price is a bit more expensive than Camp steel but less fuel (and time!) to pick up.
I just needed to take my hacksaw and chop it up into 2.5m sections. Interestingly, my SEAT saloon was able to take 3 metre sections, whereas the Mercedes estate can only take 2.5m max!!
So now I have sufficient metal to continue, but as ever the time available is limited. Once the seat bars are fitted and I can put the seat in, I'll be able to gauge the position of the steering wheel and pedals.
Then again... am I going about this the wrong way? The seat is adjustable, but the relationship between pedals and steering wheel isn't. Perhaps that is the 'magic number' I ought to be considering.
I'll have a think about that...
(Later that day)
OK, I've thought about it. If I sit on the floor with my feet and hands in roughly the right place, I think there will be 70 centimetres from the pedal box rear panel to the steering wheel. The same 70 centimetres works for the Merc so it seems like a good number. Therefore it doesn't really matter where the seat will be, as long as the distance between feet and hands is maintained.
Let the cutting begin!
Monday, 20 July 2015
part 1... complete?
Time to take stock of where I am and plan the next stage.
So far, I have;
So far, I have;
- A basic chassis from square section
- Front suspension mounts
- Full front wishbones (painted)
- Transmission tunnel
- Diff mounting
- Rear suspension mounts
- Full rear wishbones
- Seat belt anchors
In theory this gives me a rolling chassis, albeit with no floor! Well, it work for Mr Flintstone I guess...
So following the manual, the next things are;
- Steering wheel mount. This will be a variation of the Haynes one, to take into account the MX5 column.
- Handbrake mounting. I'm planning on mounting my handbrake under the steering column, similar to the white example. It seems quite tidy and keeps the transmission tunnel clean. This does mean I can't do much until things are built as I don't quite understand how it fixes in place.
- Steering rack mount. I think I have precut metal to just bend and mount.
- Radiator mount. Um, might leave this one until I actually have a radiator to mount!
Ooh, then the next thing in the manual is the engine mounts and the floor!!
Monday, 6 July 2015
Long time, no update!
Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I last updated this blog! Ah well, probably ties in well with the amount of work I've done on the car. Several months have gone past with virtually no progress, and I have nothing but my job to blame for it!
Anyway, a quick update mainly for my own benefit. It's relating to the bodywork. An LCB member posted a link to an Ebay ad where the bodywork was on offer. I won't post a link here as it's very unlikely the link will work for more than 30 days. However, hopefully kitbitsdirect won't mind me posting one of the pictures;
This was the shell I saw at Stoneleight 2015, and was only the second shell I'd seen of this particular Healey rep (the other being the completed white car). What I didn't notice initially is that this car has no wide arches, and comparing it to the white one;
Makes it look like a very different car. I can't say better or worse at the moment, just 'different'.
The point of this is that the standard kit was on offer for £449 (the narrow car), with an extra £200 for the wide arched version. Those are mega cheap prices, about half what I'd actually budgeted for. Even the wide arched version is still cheaper than expected, or even what it was advertised for as an 'offer' at Stoneleigh. The only thing will be pick up from Derby, but I'm sure a couple of hours with a borrowed transit will resolve that issue.
Now some techie details (for my own benefit). The wheelbase for the car is adjustable (as I remember from before). Standard is 92.5 inches, with an option to shorten it to 87.5 inches if necessary (so 5 inches of adjustment). And of course it can be extended if it's too short.
The width of the car is different for the two bodies (as expected). For the standard body, it's 54.5 at the front and 58.5 at the back. The wide arched body is 62 at the front and 67 at the back.
I am leaning towards the narrow body, just because it's closer to the original in terms of looks. Even the rally cars shied away from wide arches. So now I just need to measure my chassis and see what I can get away with!!
Anyway, a quick update mainly for my own benefit. It's relating to the bodywork. An LCB member posted a link to an Ebay ad where the bodywork was on offer. I won't post a link here as it's very unlikely the link will work for more than 30 days. However, hopefully kitbitsdirect won't mind me posting one of the pictures;
This was the shell I saw at Stoneleight 2015, and was only the second shell I'd seen of this particular Healey rep (the other being the completed white car). What I didn't notice initially is that this car has no wide arches, and comparing it to the white one;
Makes it look like a very different car. I can't say better or worse at the moment, just 'different'.
The point of this is that the standard kit was on offer for £449 (the narrow car), with an extra £200 for the wide arched version. Those are mega cheap prices, about half what I'd actually budgeted for. Even the wide arched version is still cheaper than expected, or even what it was advertised for as an 'offer' at Stoneleigh. The only thing will be pick up from Derby, but I'm sure a couple of hours with a borrowed transit will resolve that issue.
Now some techie details (for my own benefit). The wheelbase for the car is adjustable (as I remember from before). Standard is 92.5 inches, with an option to shorten it to 87.5 inches if necessary (so 5 inches of adjustment). And of course it can be extended if it's too short.
The width of the car is different for the two bodies (as expected). For the standard body, it's 54.5 at the front and 58.5 at the back. The wide arched body is 62 at the front and 67 at the back.
I am leaning towards the narrow body, just because it's closer to the original in terms of looks. Even the rally cars shied away from wide arches. So now I just need to measure my chassis and see what I can get away with!!
Sunday, 21 September 2014
Upper rear wishbones
I've been scratching my head with this one for a while now, and have come up with three designs, based on the following diagram;
The top blue box is the coilover bush and crush tubes, the lower one is the top mount for the MX5 upright, and the green is 5mm plate steel.
Design 1 (left) is the smallest design, but it leaves the coilover acting on the M10 bolt running through it, with potentially bending forces rather than sheer forces. However, this is how the Westfield mounting is done, albeit potentially with more than just an M10 bolt.
Design 2 (middle) gives more support through both, but again I wonder whether the combination of the upper mount and the coilover put the bolt in a bending position.
Design 3(right) is the belt and braces, this was my original design. No bending forces, all sheer forces. But is it too much.
Turns out that Westfield actually use two designs, one that is close to the first one;
And another that looks the same as number three;
To be honest, I think I'm leaning towards number three...
The top blue box is the coilover bush and crush tubes, the lower one is the top mount for the MX5 upright, and the green is 5mm plate steel.
Design 1 (left) is the smallest design, but it leaves the coilover acting on the M10 bolt running through it, with potentially bending forces rather than sheer forces. However, this is how the Westfield mounting is done, albeit potentially with more than just an M10 bolt.
Design 2 (middle) gives more support through both, but again I wonder whether the combination of the upper mount and the coilover put the bolt in a bending position.
Design 3(right) is the belt and braces, this was my original design. No bending forces, all sheer forces. But is it too much.
Turns out that Westfield actually use two designs, one that is close to the first one;
To be honest, I think I'm leaning towards number three...
Sunday, 20 July 2014
Measuring up the lower wishbones
First step, measuring the length of the rear lower wishbones. A fairly simple process, let the uprights stand vertical, the CV joints sit comfortable (not under tension or compression), then measure from the centre of the bottom fixing to the centre of the wishbone bracket;
And the magic number is 375. So I can compare that to an existing Saturn design;
That shows 395.8 from edge to edge. With a wishbone tube being 33.7mm wide, that means mine are longer at 408.7 from edge to edge. Unfortunately trying to get it down to 395.8 seems to compress the cv joint a bit more than I'd like (and as the suspension moves it will compress even more). I repeated the process on the other side, it actually sits 5mm shorter, but any reasonable amount of camber and the driveshaft binds on the diff.
I also measured up the metal. I have 2490 of tube, and based on the 375mm length, I need 2420 of metal! So no room for mistakes! I'll be using 19mm for the top wishbone, same as the Sierra design. This is because the suspension mount isn't on the wishbone. I'll still brace it a little bit, but at least I won't need the thicker tube.
I also measured up the metal. I have 2490 of tube, and based on the 375mm length, I need 2420 of metal! So no room for mistakes! I'll be using 19mm for the top wishbone, same as the Sierra design. This is because the suspension mount isn't on the wishbone. I'll still brace it a little bit, but at least I won't need the thicker tube.
Saturday, 19 July 2014
Driveshafts and uprights
The diff is in place, and the driveshafts, and the uprights. And now I have a problem...
I had planned to fix the coilover alongside the upper fixing of the upright, like the Westfields do;
But with the coilovers at maximum extension (13 inches) the driveshafts are horizontal. Which means as the suspension compresses, the driveshafts will be angled upwards. I don't think this is a good thing. Even comparing to the picture above, I would more expect the driveshafts to be horizontal under full load.
So time for yet another rethink. I may try and mount the coilover top near to the edge, but that would need some reinforcement on the plate.
Mmm, I've just noticed, the uprights are backwards in the Westfield...that could be useful...
(Later that night...)
I've also just noticed that the upper mounts on the Westfield aren't mounted to the upper plates, they're mounted to the cross member. The hole for putting the bolt in is actually in the back seat panel. The plate is only used for the rollbar. So I'm thinking, if I reverse the uprights, mount the coilover as per Westfield, it would be mounted an inch or so down and out so the shorter shock wouldn't matter anymore. There's a little bit of bracing added, I can do the same.
Looks like I have a few things to try out tomorrow! :)
I had planned to fix the coilover alongside the upper fixing of the upright, like the Westfields do;
So time for yet another rethink. I may try and mount the coilover top near to the edge, but that would need some reinforcement on the plate.
Mmm, I've just noticed, the uprights are backwards in the Westfield...that could be useful...
(Later that night...)
I've also just noticed that the upper mounts on the Westfield aren't mounted to the upper plates, they're mounted to the cross member. The hole for putting the bolt in is actually in the back seat panel. The plate is only used for the rollbar. So I'm thinking, if I reverse the uprights, mount the coilover as per Westfield, it would be mounted an inch or so down and out so the shorter shock wouldn't matter anymore. There's a little bit of bracing added, I can do the same.
Looks like I have a few things to try out tomorrow! :)
More diff...
I treated myself to some new welding gloves, mainly because the right index finger was so burnt it bent sideways instead of inline with the knuckle... anyway, long story short, turns out it's the way I hold the torch as I weld, because the new pair did exactly the same thing after welding the diff brackets!
Anyway, on to the diff.
Once the upper bar was fitted, I used offcuts of the old Sierra diff plates that I had from a guy on LCB. He was getting rid of a nearly complete set of plates, a few bob for postage and a bit extra and they were mine. Obviously the Sierra plates were never going to be used, but the holes were the right size and it's thick enough metal. A quick trim and the brackets were produced. Note the bottom left one in the picture, that's to avoid what was the PPF bracket on the diff.
The diff seems to fit quite well;
Obviously the diff is mounted centrally according to the driveshaft flanges rather than the propshaft. I was always going to have a 'wonky' propshaft as the diff isn't centred. This wasn't going to bother me, I just had to make sure that the prop had enough clearance;
Yep, looking good to me. The more observant of readers might notice this 'after' pic only shows the tack welds, rather than the full welds of the 'before' pic above. That's because this was me trialing the diff fit before fully welding.
So once the plates have cooled down, I can bolt the diff in place and then mount the driveshafts and uprights. Then I can figure out how things will fit together!
It's nice to make some progress though... although looking at the picture above that propshaft really needs cleaning. It's got to be cut to length anyway so I'll get them to check the bearings at the same time.
Anyway, on to the diff.
The diff seems to fit quite well;
Obviously the diff is mounted centrally according to the driveshaft flanges rather than the propshaft. I was always going to have a 'wonky' propshaft as the diff isn't centred. This wasn't going to bother me, I just had to make sure that the prop had enough clearance;
So once the plates have cooled down, I can bolt the diff in place and then mount the driveshafts and uprights. Then I can figure out how things will fit together!
It's nice to make some progress though... although looking at the picture above that propshaft really needs cleaning. It's got to be cut to length anyway so I'll get them to check the bearings at the same time.
Tuesday, 15 July 2014
Rear suspension
I keep putting it off because I just know it's going to be a nightmare. The whole thing is going to be a mishmash of all books, and plenty of scope for mistakes. I'm even changing the upper wishbone completely, just to make it fit better and get the loads flowing in the right directions.
So, first thing, mount the diff. And it's not a light diff either;
At least I'm going back to the gym so getting in and out is getting easier!! By the way, it probably looks a bit different to a standard diff, it's got the Talon diff cover, then two coats of red oxide primer, then two coats of satin black top coat.
I should actually mention that nothing on my car will be powdercoated, I do like the look of it but I've come to the conclusion that whatever I do, it's going to need repairing, and powdercoat doesn't repair!
So, first step, lower and upper braces for the diff;
(upper to be added, erm, when I get round to fitting it!!)
So, first thing, mount the diff. And it's not a light diff either;
At least I'm going back to the gym so getting in and out is getting easier!! By the way, it probably looks a bit different to a standard diff, it's got the Talon diff cover, then two coats of red oxide primer, then two coats of satin black top coat.
I should actually mention that nothing on my car will be powdercoated, I do like the look of it but I've come to the conclusion that whatever I do, it's going to need repairing, and powdercoat doesn't repair!
So, first step, lower and upper braces for the diff;
(upper to be added, erm, when I get round to fitting it!!)
How time flies!!
Well, I finally got the wishbones finished, I reckon at least 20 hours labour start to finish for all four front wishbones.
Same as before, start with a layout;
And end up with a wishbone!
OK, I skipped a fair bit of effort, and this is only at the tack stage, but to be honest the uppers did go together a lot quicker than the lowers. Again, there's a gnats hair difference between the two.
I had some old tube to hang them all from, so first was two coats of Screwfix red oxide primer;
Then two coats of hammerite copper;
And then fit the polybushes (I didn't need to do this stage, but it felt good to see them slot in perfectly!)
I also got all the front brackets fitted. To be honest, I expected this bit to be much harder than it was, but thanks to the advice of Phil from Talon my front frame had been welded up to host the brackets from the start. Everything just fell together, face against face and welded perfect.
Note the reinforcement behind the front upper wishbone bracket. It's just a triangular chunk of square section welded up, not overly pretty but it gives me confidence that it will stay put!
I do like some of my welding, although other parts are a bit messy. They've all got very good penetration, almost too much in some places.
The wishbones fit beautifully into the brackets, and the coilover bracket is perfectly in line. Very very happy with the front suspension. On to the rear.... again...
Same as before, start with a layout;
And end up with a wishbone!
OK, I skipped a fair bit of effort, and this is only at the tack stage, but to be honest the uppers did go together a lot quicker than the lowers. Again, there's a gnats hair difference between the two.
I had some old tube to hang them all from, so first was two coats of Screwfix red oxide primer;
Then two coats of hammerite copper;
And then fit the polybushes (I didn't need to do this stage, but it felt good to see them slot in perfectly!)
I also got all the front brackets fitted. To be honest, I expected this bit to be much harder than it was, but thanks to the advice of Phil from Talon my front frame had been welded up to host the brackets from the start. Everything just fell together, face against face and welded perfect.
Note the reinforcement behind the front upper wishbone bracket. It's just a triangular chunk of square section welded up, not overly pretty but it gives me confidence that it will stay put!
I do like some of my welding, although other parts are a bit messy. They've all got very good penetration, almost too much in some places.
The wishbones fit beautifully into the brackets, and the coilover bracket is perfectly in line. Very very happy with the front suspension. On to the rear.... again...
Thursday, 10 April 2014
Front upper wishbones
The front upper wishbones should be a bit easier than the lower ones, smaller thinner tubes and no plates. However, there were two measurements I needed to sort out first.
Number one, the angle of the insert. I now have two inserts that have been welded inside a 25mm tube. The tube itself is 50mm long, so comparing that to the plans means I'm 5mm narrower and 10mm shorter. So all the measurements on the wishbones go out the window! To get the insert angle still at 8 degrees, I had to work out how many spacers I needed. A quick bit of trigonometry left me with 7mm of spacers required at the end, to give me an 8 degree angle.
Number two, caster angle. I'm not going rosejoints at the moment, mainly because I'm not building 'that' sort of car. I will keep an eye on rosejoints as an upgrade, but not for now. Which means I have to get the caster angle right first time, and the asymmetrical wishbones are the perfect opportunity. I am aware that 'the book' has messed up the calculations, and only gives 3.5 degrees rather than 7 (although I think this is the '£250' book rather than the 'on a budget' book). But I'm not going by 'the book', I'm mixing up various sources. So I had to work out what was ideal.
From various forums, I have 10 degrees as being a good start, so as close to that as possible. Given the measurements in the book and on my own wishbones, I worked out that with the upper wishbones as they are in the book, I would get 7 degrees camber. With the Saturn measurements, I would get 6. Yes I know it's not quite 10, but the higher the better so I'm going with the book measurements. This means an offset of 120mm for the centre of the insert.
And that's where I ended the day. The jig was sanded down ready for a new set of markings, the thin tube is ready to be cut, and my forearms are ready for a shedload of hacksawing.
Number one, the angle of the insert. I now have two inserts that have been welded inside a 25mm tube. The tube itself is 50mm long, so comparing that to the plans means I'm 5mm narrower and 10mm shorter. So all the measurements on the wishbones go out the window! To get the insert angle still at 8 degrees, I had to work out how many spacers I needed. A quick bit of trigonometry left me with 7mm of spacers required at the end, to give me an 8 degree angle.
Number two, caster angle. I'm not going rosejoints at the moment, mainly because I'm not building 'that' sort of car. I will keep an eye on rosejoints as an upgrade, but not for now. Which means I have to get the caster angle right first time, and the asymmetrical wishbones are the perfect opportunity. I am aware that 'the book' has messed up the calculations, and only gives 3.5 degrees rather than 7 (although I think this is the '£250' book rather than the 'on a budget' book). But I'm not going by 'the book', I'm mixing up various sources. So I had to work out what was ideal.
From various forums, I have 10 degrees as being a good start, so as close to that as possible. Given the measurements in the book and on my own wishbones, I worked out that with the upper wishbones as they are in the book, I would get 7 degrees camber. With the Saturn measurements, I would get 6. Yes I know it's not quite 10, but the higher the better so I'm going with the book measurements. This means an offset of 120mm for the centre of the insert.
And that's where I ended the day. The jig was sanded down ready for a new set of markings, the thin tube is ready to be cut, and my forearms are ready for a shedload of hacksawing.
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
Front lower wishbone build
Some photos!! First, the plates between the wishbone tubes. This was cut from 5mm plate with a standard jigsaw and some Bosch blades. Plenty of cutting fluid, and several hours later, I had this;
Next were the tubes themselves, just cut to length and then manually profiled to the bush tubes;
As the lower wishbones aren't handed, I did them all using this jig. That way I knew they would all be identically right (or identically wrong!). The plates I had cut for other parts of the suspension came in very useful as spacers, I kind of ignored the spacers suggested as it didn't leave all the seams in the centre. And when I was welding I wanted to make sure I was welding on welds.
Then came the bottom cut. First I tried marking it with a laser beam;
But I couldn't get it to line up perfectly, so I went for an old fashioned handsaw jig. Again, lots of hours and lots of cutting fluid later, I had all pipes cut, and a full set of parts;
A first fit showed a bit of trimming needed;
So ten minutes with a flap wheel on a grinder got them fitting perfectly. Straps and clamps aplenty ready for welding;
And a short time later I had two wishbones!
I just have a couple of holes in the end of the tube to finish off, but I might pour some waxoyl in there first. It'll probably all get burnt away as I finish the weld, but at least things will stay rust proof.
The cut tubes left an interesting profile, which got me thinking about the next stage. I need to sleeve the threaded inserts for the top wishbones, and I was advised to cut the sleeve at an angle to maximise the weld length. As it so happens, the sleeve tube is the same tube I used here!! So;
The two on the left are bare offcuts, the two on the right are the inserts welded into place. With them fully welded as they are, the BMW balljoint still fits perfectly. Tomorrow I'll grind down those welds, and put the other two offcuts on top. Once they're welded on, I'll have a completely sleeved insert with good welds holding it tight. It's still only 50mm long (the original plans call for 60mm) but the threaded part of the balljoint is only 50mm long so I'm not worried.
Next were the tubes themselves, just cut to length and then manually profiled to the bush tubes;
As the lower wishbones aren't handed, I did them all using this jig. That way I knew they would all be identically right (or identically wrong!). The plates I had cut for other parts of the suspension came in very useful as spacers, I kind of ignored the spacers suggested as it didn't leave all the seams in the centre. And when I was welding I wanted to make sure I was welding on welds.
Then came the bottom cut. First I tried marking it with a laser beam;
But I couldn't get it to line up perfectly, so I went for an old fashioned handsaw jig. Again, lots of hours and lots of cutting fluid later, I had all pipes cut, and a full set of parts;
A first fit showed a bit of trimming needed;
So ten minutes with a flap wheel on a grinder got them fitting perfectly. Straps and clamps aplenty ready for welding;
And a short time later I had two wishbones!
Putting them back to back showed that there was less than 1 millimetre difference between the bush tubes and the balljoint fixings, so I'm really happy.
I just have a couple of holes in the end of the tube to finish off, but I might pour some waxoyl in there first. It'll probably all get burnt away as I finish the weld, but at least things will stay rust proof.
The cut tubes left an interesting profile, which got me thinking about the next stage. I need to sleeve the threaded inserts for the top wishbones, and I was advised to cut the sleeve at an angle to maximise the weld length. As it so happens, the sleeve tube is the same tube I used here!! So;
The two on the left are bare offcuts, the two on the right are the inserts welded into place. With them fully welded as they are, the BMW balljoint still fits perfectly. Tomorrow I'll grind down those welds, and put the other two offcuts on top. Once they're welded on, I'll have a completely sleeved insert with good welds holding it tight. It's still only 50mm long (the original plans call for 60mm) but the threaded part of the balljoint is only 50mm long so I'm not worried.
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