4/5 linking a capri

[Retromotorsport]

I have to agree with you there Darren, the capri handles like an Rs2000 when its got the 2L OHC in it .... its when you start flooring them with the 6's in them that they get a bit sloppy and sideways, but then so do Escorts with 150 ft/lb or torque

The reputation for being crap isnt justified in my mind as i think they drive better with a v6 in than an Escort with a V6 in.

And Gustaf .. i've done Cortina's with rod ends and the axle articulates.. i've also done the same thing with Jensen Healeys and they all work better ('specially the JH's) Infact the only problem that showed up on the JH was a wander to the nearside at speed... Now the customer spoke to various people and they all said it was the linking on the rear as it didnt do it before. They all said the axle must be skewed. An axle that is skewed will not cause a car to wander one or the other, the customer was told this. Well after a few more calls i said bring it down. I wound all the rod ends on one side in and out on the other side.. you could see the axle was skewed. Got him to drive the car.... yes it still pulls to the N/S, wound them all the other way so the axle was really skewed to the other way and got him to drive it again. Ha Ha.. still pulls to the N/S... One rather sheepish owner saying sorry ... while I trued the axle up again.
I went on to check the front of the car... the car had a repair done to front after a crash, new chassis leg and inner and outer wing. Shame the wing was in the wrong place, one wheel had more castor than the other side. But the wheels looked equal in the arches. Adjust the castor and got him to drive the car again. One smiling owner .. the car drove perfectly straight at any speed.
He can live with the wheels not being the same in the arches, one being close to the front lip and the other being close to the rear lip.

Bit off topic i know, but it shows how much play there is in the bushes, to be honest i wouldnt have thought replacing the bushe in the rear would have that much effect ... but it was the only change to the car... and to this day I think the car may have wandered before the change. Maybe not as much..

[Krusty Crapa]

I have read all the posts on axle triangulation kits and I can honestly say that I was shocked at the improvement it made to the rear of my Capri.

I poly bushed my car to start with, and as expected this tightened things up a bit, less figity on uneven surfaces, but giving more noise over smoother surfaces.
I then fitted a pair of Monroe gas shocks (fixed damping), these improved things a bit more, less body roll at low speed and better traction. But this could have been down to shagged shocks in the first place.

I then Fitted a triangulation kit and this made the single biggest difference to the way the car handled,the back end now felt like it was conected to the front end of the car. Axle tramp was now not even a factor and the extra control at higher speed when cornering was very reasuring. Body roll was improved dramatically as so was side to side movement of the axle.

The kit I used actually clamps around the axle casing and the has a flat link from the top of this clamp, the flat link then conects to the front portion of the spring. this in itself helps stop axle wind up and puts the sideways forces from the axle nearer the front spring mounts keeping sideways movement to a minimum, any movement in this setup will come from the bush itself.

I feel that to go beyond what this set up is capable of, you really need to wonder what people are doing with there cars. What I'm getting at is, if you are cornering with such force on the public road that the axle still wants to vacate the rear arches. Then your probably not driving anything that ressembles an old rear wheel drive Ford ... Let alone a Capri!
(I mean in terms of normal levels of "fast road tune" before I upset anyone)

So in summary, if you are driving something thats sporting 300 Bhp plus and doing regular track days and maybe motorsports, then maybe you need to look elseware, but for probably 90% of us classic rear drive fans this sort of set up is very relevent.

[Dave]

So in summary, if you are driving something thats sporting 300 Bhp plus and doing regular track days and maybe motorsports, then maybe you need to look elseware, but for probably 90% of us classic rear drive fans this sort of set up is very relevent.

I think that hits the nail on the head.

[Jon]

I think that hits the nail on the head.

No this has....

[Dave]

Tit!

[therealpinto]

And Gustaf .. i've done Cortina's with rod ends and the axle articulates..

OK then, so it's another example of where practice and theory does not meet? ;-)

I have a friend who has built numerous "folkrace" (sort of upmarket banger racing) Cortinas (or Taunus really since we're in Sweden but that's the same) and he's had quite a lot of problems with just using solid bushes. His solution was to relocate the angled links (pointing straight forward) and adding a panhard rod. Works a treat in his street driven Cossied Taunus/Cortina.

Gustaf

[DarrenM]

I have read all the posts on axle triangulation kits and I can honestly say that I was shocked at the improvement it made to the rear of my Capri.

I poly bushed my car to start with, and as expected this tightened things up a bit, less figity on uneven surfaces, but giving more noise over smoother surfaces.
I then fitted a pair of Monroe gas shocks (fixed damping), these improved things a bit more, less body roll at low speed and better traction. But this could have been down to shagged shocks in the first place.

I then Fitted a triangulation kit and this made the single biggest difference to the way the car handled,the back end now felt like it was conected to the front end of the car. Axle tramp was now not even a factor and the extra control at higher speed when cornering was very reasuring. Body roll was improved dramatically as so was side to side movement of the axle.

The kit I used actually clamps around the axle casing and the has a flat link from the top of this clamp, the flat link then conects to the front portion of the spring. this in itself helps stop axle wind up and puts the sideways forces from the axle nearer the front spring mounts keeping sideways movement to a minimum, any movement in this setup will come from the bush itself.

I feel that to go beyond what this set up is capable of, you really need to wonder what people are doing with there cars. What I'm getting at is, if you are cornering with such force on the public road that the axle still wants to vacate the rear arches. Then your probably not driving anything that ressembles an old rear wheel drive Ford ... Let alone a Capri!
(I mean in terms of normal levels of "fast road tune" before I upset anyone)

So in summary, if you are driving something thats sporting 300 Bhp plus and doing regular track days and maybe motorsports, then maybe you need to look elseware, but for probably 90% of us classic rear drive fans this sort of set up is very relevent.

Thankyou!
( I have over 300 BHP and on track it is still great! )

[Stu.C]

Personally ... if i was doing a sideways location kit ..it would be this ..

Re-opening an old and slightly dusty can of worms, I can see how the above setup would stop the axle moving sideways under load, but am confused as to how would it handle the up/down movement of the axle on the springs It seems to me that the axle could only now move up in an arc, moving further backwards the higher it gets - basing my confusion on the assumption that the axle otherwise would just go straight up/down at 90 degrees to the road surface - or am I just "not getting it" ?

[Dave]

It seems to me that the axle could only now move up in an arc, moving further backwards the higher it gets

That's what they do anyway, the rear spring hangers take up that movement. The front of the springs are fixed.

[Stu.C]

Aha ... ding goes the lightbulb

[Retromotorsport]

Love that lightbulb moment ..

But well done for asking the questions .. and getting your brain working ..

[Leemk2]

So is the scheme posted by Retromotorsport better than merely adding a panhard rod? I have been thinking of adding the P/Rod for a while but if this is a better option ......

Cheers
Lee

[Retromotorsport]

I would use a Panhard or Watts myself, cheaper option and less fabricating and only one bush moving

[Leemk2]

Thanks I will stick with going the panhard route then!
I have been given some details for a Capri set up but like most panhard rod set ups the tower is on the passenger side. The car is a pinto so the exhaust runs down that side and things are already a bit tight is there any reasons I cant make up a mirrored version so the tower is on the drivers side?

[Retromotorsport]

Nope, no reason at all .. infact they offer both sides for the Escorts

[Leemk2]

Cheers!

I think this will be the next little project for the car.