Ok small update...fixed the daily driver (12mm slit on the turbo charge hose) which was a pain to find ,as could only hear it blowing when under load...
So on to the fun stuff..i added some gussets which will also double as fixing brackets for brake lines wires ect...finished grinding..added the lower strut tower reinforce(had to change the shape to miss the controll arm..and double sided it...then got my best friend seam sealer and hid all the welds...
after a coat of zinc primer...just a few pics
and i swept the floor !!!!!!
cheers mark
That's looking very neat.
Almost up to the other side...
Shaun
Top job! Whats your plan for the front wings?
The plan is to make an aluminium flip front...complete with wings and the front aero...just leave the splitter in place...this means that as it flips forward it also has to lift....then it has to be easily removable...been thinking about it ...so have a plan in my head...
Looking forward to having a go at building it...but of course i need to finish the other sides front first ...but nearly there...
Cheers mark
Cheers matt..yes been watching project binky...they need more updates..i hate waiting between ...
yes ive looked at designs for flip fronts..ive got a plan it ties in with the space frame front ..its why ive gone with a straight tube across the front..the end will be for the pivot and gas strut.mechanism,,
i see youve got an update ..hope its a good one..
cheers mark
Another small update..been making the fixing brackets for the removable front tube frame...ive just temperaly bolted it together(will use allen bolts) i will try and tig it all ...and also finished the top section just boxing the top part..had to make provision for a access to get to the fixing points...
and the pics
Then welded inside and outside and a quick grind..ready for tig welding after i have welded the other fixing bracket first..
And boxed the upper part with a hole for doing up the fixing bolts...
Cheers mark
So..recovered.and back on the escort...
Iwanted to finish my coilovers..so needed to find some inserts...
i had to guestimate the insert poundage i would need( because the cars not finished and spring/choice-car weight unknown ect)
so after i new what i wanted ..i started looking for inserts to match my requirements and i wanted top adjustable units...
found a pair of spax top adjustable (dodge neon) which are perfect for my requirements...
they are a conversion insert so of course i need to modify them..
first cut the retaing thread of the base
then grind the top hat so it fits inside my strutt housing
Then welded the housing tubes i made earlier to the correct length to match the inserts
so all assembled(no top hat yet)
now i can start to make my controll arms...
Because my controll arm goes through the chassis rail i need to double crank it...i realy hove 2 options weld or bend it....
I decided to go with the bend option....
The bigger problem was finding the correct size/type and wall thickness tube for the job...i calculated i need 30mm outside diameter with a 4mm wall and of course no seam weld..
i gave up trying to find it and made my own...
using two tubes and pressing them together...(they are cd precision tube)..
to bend the tube i have to make it over length ..bend it and then trim it back..
the finished tube bent before trimming
tube trimmed and chamfered ready for welding the end bungs in
of course i modded the bungs turned 1mm of for a press fit before welding the bung to the 2 tubes..
Assembled (not welded yet)...
When i have proved they are correct i will weld the strength tube on and the bungs in...
the centres between pivot points is spot on (this is of course the most important dimension)
next i need to fab the rose joint bracket ..then i can mock up the front control arm and see if it misses the steering arms...
cheers mark
Awesome as always mate
Keep it up
Matt
The two tubes in one is yet another brilliant problem solving solution.
Always enjoys updates on this thread.
Shaun
Thanks guys...
In answer to a few questions...
The inserts are a spax upgrade to convert a standard strut to an adjustable one..they are designed to be bolted to the base of the old strut housing and press fit at the top...pic of un modded insert.....
and the top damping adjuster..
i bent the tubes on an old pipe bender...
and i ground(angle grinder) 28mm former to 30mm...
cheers mark...
making the pivot point bracket for the front rear control arm...first position the rose joint using the jig...then remove the jig and make the bracket
I gave it a quick coat of zinc primer and also filled in the last of the strength plates...
you can see the centre line of the jig ...is ok..
now on to the fron arm..
same as the rear 2 tubes to make one...i made a template out of 10mm aly tube..it has to go down to clear the turret then up to clear the steering arm...
then bent the real one
and fitted on to the jig ready to make the front bracket....
steering arm approx position
position of front bracket...
the new controll arm tube cross brace i made earlier (to connect the rose joint to ) is not at the correct angle ...so i will have to make another one....
while i was getting ready to bend up the tube i thought id see if the twin pivot point controll arms actually work?
so turned the wheel full lock both directions...and it worked!!! ..
thats where i got to...cheers mark
Love it. You make my build look childish!
The postage may be a killer though....
Lol, Keep up the great work
Matt
Just for a change of senery i decided to tackle the rear arch...
I want to make a carbon fibre arch extension..which sits flush with the body work and has a flange to clamp the body panels together...
I realised that i have no hope of doing this!!!!!
so next option is a carbon fibre skin on an arch ..kind of reinforcing..
I origenly intended to modify a fibre glass buble arch...and skin that...
but decided that wont work...
Had a rummage through my scrap metal and found some mk 2 escort wheel arch repair sections..upon closer inspection they have a very similar arch profile to the mk 1..so hatched a plan to use these...
i reprofiled the curve roughly .with my hammer...and trimmed it to rough size..
Next step i installed the clamp plate/recessed part of the arch..its set 8mm out to enable me to weld thew outer arch on..then i will re drill the holes -8mm and set it flush..
offered the arch up and welded it to the clamp rail on the inside...
removed the screws and the arch ..finished welding..and started to grind the edges flush...
getting there...
next i redrilled the holes 8mm so when fitted it sits flush...
fitted the arch...not bad...needs finishing/sanding..but will need a bit more releiving to give me a bit more clearance...
thats as far as i got on the arch...but the idea will work...
cheers mark
done a bit more on the arch..
pulled the top out a further 30mm for tyre clearance...and added a 4mm bead along the body lines..so now it clamps up and holds the panels in..also added a skim of filler...
made the lower part of the arch..this is flush with the body lines..left it long..will trim the lower part when i make the sills...
while the filler was drying i moved back to the front control arm mounting point..
i made another cross brace..this time with the correct angles...and fitted temp in position..(i cant weld it untill i complete the other side of the car)
used 6mm steel for the controll arm bracket...made in two halves first halve is matched to the jig...and the other halve will match the fist,,,
welded together will clean up later when i weld the other halve on...
thats all for now...cheers mark
Mental Mate...
I love the sterile conditions you work in too!
Great work as always
Matt
Bwahhhaaahhhaa
Back on to the front end....wanted to start sorting the steering....
first problem ..the front control arm i made is in the way...so made a tempory new one ..but with clearance for the steering arm..i will have to relieve the metal work above for clearance...
then made the final finished arm( with a slight bend) jerry rigged a steering rack in position(im only interested in the inner joint position for bump steer)
then i checked clearance in full up and down travell...
Did some quick and dirty measurements..(i will fine tune later ..i just wanted to make sure i was in the ball park of my settings)
checked camber...clamped a bar under the cross member (as my parallel datum) then put a 90 square of the hub..
next was caster same thing as camber...
then bump steer ..so i can get my rack and pinion position....
because my car is low i have already moved the track rod end down as far as the wheel will allow...
(on paper with the string computer it should not be posible to fit my rack ..either it will need to go through the engine or the track rod end will be in the tyre...)
so quick and easy measuring to get the ball park positions...
i just set a square edge at lowest level...then moved to highest level and compared the square...if it was still square then no bump steer...
so we now have a steering inner pivot position...which goes through the sump(as expected)
its 74mm up from the top of the cross member..plus the diameter of the rack its self...gives me a total sump clearance of 100mm...and from memery pinto in an escort has 75mm from crosmember to sump...so i have a plan ..
i am going to use a sierra power steering rack to make my new rack with..they are 2.9 lock to lock and have a ally and steel body..
so strip the old rack
thats a rack in parts ...
im shortening it by 230mm...
after cutting i removed the wiper piston and its ready for me to tap a new thread in the end ...Fords already have the correct size hole for the m14X 1.5mm thread needed..(very kind of them)...
thats it for now..
cheers mark
You still progressing on this buddy? aint seen an update for a while, hopefully your just busy elsewhere.
Rob
Anybody know what's happened to mark and if hes ok?
Awesome work here. Would love to see some updates.
sorry guys...yea still progressing..been a bit side tracked latley with the engine build...will try and do an update...cheers mark
Well started to do the steering,,,, lots of dimensions required to get everthing 100%...which turned out to be imposible....
(a) Unless i moved the engine back ...so the rack could go infront of the engine...not an option..
(b) forget about bump steer... not an option
(c) raise the ride height....not an option
(d) lower the steering arm at the wheel...cant go any lower with 15" wheels...not an option
(e) give up and go home ....not an option.. So ive had to make my own steering rack.... First i needed to get the over all length of the steering rack ....and then make sure it fitted under the engine... like this...
then work out where my pivot points need to be (up and down) for 0 bump steer on full travel.. once this was done i new how far i needed to move the pivot points on the steering rack.. i looked at steering racks available(just to copy the design) and in the end ive engineered a version of this rack.... theres lots of forces to overcome..so a lot of engineering practice to stick to...
because its not a straight push pull anymore..we have to compensate for bending, twisting and rotation... and it has to be strong enough and fit in the bloody engine bay.... its all made...i will take some pics on thursday (if im not snowed in) cheers mark
Last edited by madragon199; 11-12-2017 at 20:02.
its always worth the wait
A couple of pics of the rack shortening...
This is the scrap part cut off...i saved it because i want to use the fixing bracket of it.
and the bracket removed
old bracket on new shorter rack...not fixed yet...
when i cut the pinion shaft to length i was surprised to find it was hollow and the hole size was the correct size for the thread required....i borrowed a tap and tapped a new thread...i thought it would be hard to tap...but like butter no problem at all...
cheers mark
Mark,
Outstanding work mate. Cannot wait til its finished. Well done mate
great job, keep it up
Love it mate.. Next level shit going on here
What do you do for a job?
Matt
Lol, That is the last thing I expected!!
You have missed your calling mate
Keep it up
Matt
Well.. ones things for sure it wont be a 'hairdressers car' when its finished.
Bookmarks