2118 replies to this topic

[Heath]

Thought about making a console?

Why do you say that? I actually just sold my hatch console I was thinking of keeping as a 'maybe some day' spare for this car.

...Have you done a before Wright to compare to the end? Curious how much it all adds up to

Is that air con unit off eBay? Or where did you get it?

Sorry mate, what exactly are you asking there?

Yep the air con unit is readily found on eBay, a fella in Melbourne imports them and sells them online or directly to anyone who visits his business which is what I elected to do - to compare size and shape.
http://www.pureauto.com.au/

Edited by Heath, 13 November 2016 - 08:01 PM.

[Bigfella237]

I'd just like to see how much all the "holes" weigh?

 

It looks like that has been a lot of work so I'd be interested to see how much it's actually saved, I reckon it would take a lot of holes just to add up to a kilo.

[neglectedtorana]

Yes I did mean 'weight' not 'wright' but but ain't good my spelling always on the interweb

How much weight will all the lightening holes save?
I remember reading many years ago something like 100kg would be worth a 1/10th of a second over the 1/4 mile but my memory might have that figure wrong

[Uncle Chop Chop]

Just use the old Moroso plastic slide rule to give you a guide on any 1/4 mile time saved. There are two variables to consider, weight and horsepower. I just had a quick look for mine, but couldn't find it. If you dropped 100 KG on a 300 HP Torana, there would be more than a 0.1 second gain. Probably more than 0.5 seconds, but I would like to find the slide rule first to check the maths.

[toryman76]

You are doing some pretty cool stuff to this car Heath, can't wait to see it finished. Love the thought you put into the aircon heater unit, that is such a cool integrated improvement. Time to get back into it I say

[Heath]

Woah, no updates since November last year. Time got away from me when I found a broken head stud in the Porkchop.


Time to learn how the 6 Briggs and Strattons go together!

Fast forward through lots of money & time:

Fixed up some minor panel damage, shaved the rear bumper blocks etc. and had a local dude give them a squirt of 2k.

Ooooh yeah, back in action in time for race day!


Then did some travelling across our great country in an Aussie icon (GT Nats were on in Perth so mick74lh and some other good mates headed across in this XB)



I have done a bit more on the Torana, need to get this thread up to speed.

Edited by Heath, 13 June 2017 - 11:23 PM.

[Heath]

After spending a fortnight driving around the country in a tough manual V8 Aussie muscle car, I was pretty motivated.

Picked up an unwanted 320mm Wilwood front brake kit (Rod Shop gear) for a reasonable price.

Figured the stub axles are going to want all the help they can get with alloy hubs and fat tyres, so drew up some bearing spacers for the front and had a mate with a machine shop quickly turn them up.


I'm really wanting the diff to be the first cab off the rank here so it should probably get one for the pinion too:


Okay I got carried away with the bearing spacers and made some for the rear hubs too:



Made a little stainless buckle-resistant pushrod for my hydraulic handbrake:



Keen to stop looking at the underside of this car sometime soon, but wasn't very happy with these little sill-chassis rail connectors that are always dinted. They would make a good jacking point in a Torana (being higher and closer to the outside of the car) but they clearly aren't up to the task.

...but they could be made to be?

[IMORAL]

Awesome stuff as usual Heath

[arrimar]

Neat idea, can you still get the bolt into the chassis rail?

[Heath]

Yeah I just stick it in from the other side, or you could get a bolt with a loose washer rather than one integrated in the head and that would be fine, too.

[rodomo]

Good to see your over your F@4D, Nissmo, VW adventures and working on a real car again!

[Toranamat69]

Looking good. What steel did you use for the bearing spacers? I have been thinking of weather to make or buy.

[Heath]

Ahhh... maybe 1030 grade? Obviously harder the better, but it's a part that is inherently pretty strong, nice thickness & aspect ratio.

Did some more CAD (Cardboard Aided Design)


Then actual CAD


Went shopping:


New 31-Spline TrueTrac allowed me to actually work out axle positions, and centreline of diff.


Which meant I could finally make my top link! Made some cardboard templates and had some 1-1/4" CDS bent accordingly:



Test fit:



Some gussets to strengthen the bends:




Cue angle grinder sounds:


Trued up the spindles in the 3-Jaw and cut them down from 9" size to BW78 size:


As good a fit as you'll get with seamed axle tube:





Made some lower arms from thin wall 1-1/4" Chromoly with some rods ends, adjuster mechanisms etc.



Started welding on my laser cut bracketry that incorporates the Bathurst-style swaybar mount I designed.



Had to give up on the shock mounts as it made them foul on the tubs. I have made some others not in this picture.

Edited by Heath, 14 June 2017 - 11:30 PM.

[76lxhatch]

Nice, that top link actually packages quite well into the small space and should provide an improvement in lateral location over two separate control arms being a single rigid piece. Are you planning on using rod ends to mount to the body, or is it OK for binding through normal travel? Obviously articulation at the diff isn't going to be a problem, I'm guessing practical considerations about clearance were the limiting factor to setting the roll centre there?

 

Full floater should be good too, are you installing the ends square or building a little geometry into it?

[Heath]

The chassis attachment for the top link uses urethane 'bushed rod ends' from McDonald Bro's which are apparently rated to about 30 degrees of deflection. The link doesn't bind up at all, but I still need to make some metal bushess to hold those assemblies fully central before I'm happy.

 

Straightness: Doing this shit is all new for me. I made a straightening jig to hold it all square as I welded it together, still not sure if I should get an engineering shop to have a play with the oxy afterwards? I guess it'll be close to zero but I'd rather it is checked, and I'm inclined to see if a little neg camber can be put into it. Once I'm done with the brakes I can investigate it.

Re: Practical considerations about roll centre. Yeah... I don't have a good idea of whether it's in a spot that's good or not. It's a bastard to move, but once I realised I had set it up with the ridiculous 'nose up' pinion angle, it was clear I could cut down the pinion bump stop and probably pull the roll centre down an inch or so which would no doubt be advantageous.

Edited by Heath, 15 June 2017 - 08:08 AM.

[TerrA LX]

Nice axles.

[turbo76lx]

Nice work, have you seen the Currie Enterprises Johnny Joint rod ends, http://www.currieent...jeep-components

They might work well on the lower trailing arms.

[Heath]

Ah, I've seen them but I'm just going to bush the lowers with urethane mate. Want to retain some degree of compliance for ride comfort.

[IMORAL]

That's cool AF mate

So that tricko top arm. Just adjust the rod ends to set the pinion angle?  Looks good

 

 

That's not a VN bommodore I see in some of the pics is it? Skap will blow a nut over that lol.

[76lxhatch]

^ I don't think you could adjust the arm because its a fixed triangle, guessing the threaded ends are just for fine-tuning it to fit.

Straightness: Doing this shit is all new for me. I made a straightening jig to hold it all square as I welded it together, still not sure if I should get an engineering shop to have a play with the oxy afterwards? I guess it'll be close to zero but I'd rather it is checked, and I'm inclined to see if a little neg camber can be put into it. Once I'm done with the brakes I can investigate it.

Re: Practical considerations about roll centre. Yeah... I don't have a good idea of whether it's in a spot that's good or not. It's a bastard to move, but once I realised I had set it up with the ridiculous 'nose up' pinion angle, it was clear I could cut down the pinion bump stop and probably pull the roll centre down an inch or so which would no doubt be advantageous.

 
I was just curious as those are probably things that I'd spend ages deciding on simply because you've got the option and I'm good at snowballing "while I'm at it...". The roll centre has to be better than factory regardless, and I couldn't tell you whether I'd prefer some camber and toe in the diff alignment or not.

If you made a proper jig to weld and check it I can't see too much value in second-guessing your own work and paying someone who couldn't care less to double-check it.

[Heath]

Adjustment on the top link is for fine adjustment of fit and maybe left/right of the axle to a small degree. Lower arms are adjustable for correcting the pinion angle.

[Shtstr]

Had a quick flick through this thread today. Some brilliant ideas around some problems with the uc hatch vs uc. I take it you are building a race car Heath. Wish i had access to half the machines you do. Well done.

[cameron]

Clever yet simple way to eliminate the binding of the top arms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cameron