[project] The Ultimate Track 205

[Cameron 16]

It would be cheaper, but I wouldn't want to use bushes as they introduce all sorts of unwanted compliances.

 

The track rods need to be adjustable at both ends though, I don't really want to have to dismantle anything to adjust the tracking, I'd much rather be able to do it with the car in one piece otherwise it'll be a very long-winded procedure! I'll be using a LH and a RH thread rod end on each end, so you only have to turn the central bar to adjust it.

 

I can't retain the original track rods either, as much as I'd like to. The inner track rod ball joints need to be extended outwards otherwise I'll have horrendous bump steer! Will be quite simple to machine a clevis that can be screwed into the end of the rack and extend it out, that's the plan.

[Cameron 16]

Well it could be worse I guess, for the prices Merlin Motorsport are charging it would cost me £1,300!!

[alexcrosse 124]

I got all my rod ends from rally design for the mini's double wishbone rear end and stuff... was only about £230 for the rear end anyway, and they are all properly rated and very good quality. Where are you pricing yours from... RS or something?

[Cameron 16]

I got all my rod ends from rally design for the mini's double wishbone rear end and stuff... was only about £230 for the rear end anyway, and they are all properly rated and very good quality. Where are you pricing yours from... RS or something?

 

They're Aurora bearings from Rota Precision. What make are the Rally Design ones?

 

Edit - Had a look on the raldes site, the prices for the size I need aren't much different to Rota's, but the Aurora ones are PTFE lined. I'm gonna go with them, 8 wishbones and 4 track rods worth (inc jam nuts) comes to £670! He gave me free delivery, but it still stings a bit!

 

Edit 2 - Obviously didn't look properly, they have PTFE liners too. Ah well, I'd have to source sphericals from somewhere too.. sod it.

Edited October 31, 2011 by Cameron

[alexcrosse 124]

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/index.php?cPath=1113_1801

 

not sure mate, in my opinion it doesnt matter what the make is, as long as they come with static radial loads.

 

edit: £670's ok, luckily some nutters just given you a load of money for suspension hey

Edited October 31, 2011 by alexcrosse

[welshpug 1,657]

have you tried an agricultural supplier?

 

might be too small for their usual stock mind

Edited October 31, 2011 by welshpug

[Cameron 16]

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/index.php?cPath=1113_1801

 

not sure mate, in my opinion it doesnt matter what the make is, as long as they come with static radial loads.

 

edit: £670's ok, luckily some nutters just given you a load of money for suspension hey

 

Yeah that's pretty handy, will definitely have to cash that cheque tonight!

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

You could just install a turnbuckle on the tracking arm to overcome needing to adjust both ends of the track rod cameron. It means you can use a spherical for the inner/outer instead which normally ends up cheaper.

[Cameron 16]

I did contemplate that, but it turned out the sphericals and rod ends are the same price in that size!

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

Fair enough, atleast it will be easier to install, service and produce arms with just rose joints

[davenport 51]

haha yeah they aint cheap are they!!

 

the M20 x 1.5 16mm bore rod ends on the outboard end of my wishbones are 135euros EACH!!

 

 

definatly worth doing 1 LH 1RH on the linkages..

[Cameron 16]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHUHUHUHUUUUUUUUUUCKINELL HOW MUCH!?

 

Yep, considering the effort I'm going through to make the suspension setup it seems a waste to compromise the steering for the sake of saving a few quid.

 

I'm please to announce that, as of yesterday evening, proper actual real tangible physical not-on-a-computer-screen nuts and bolts work has started! I picked up my base model 1.6 Auto on Saturday / Sunday so have got it into my garage and started to strip it down to the bare shell. I'm incredibly impressed with it so far, it's without doubt the cleanest 205 shell I've ever worked on and with the exception of the rearmost front seat bolts, which always seem to be a nightmare, it's been incredibly easy to take apart! The interior now lives in the boot of my Mondeo and will be taken to the dump tomorrow, then once I've removed the engine I'll jack it up, remove the suspension and everything from the underside then start making my level chassis frame.

 

PICS! Of real stuff!

 

In it's new home for the foreseeable future:

 

 

Post tear-down:

 

 

The interior probably won't need painting as it's all mint, but this depends on what colours I go for inside.

 

I'm really happy with it so far, there's absolutely no sign of corrosion despite the driver's side sound deadening being soaked through, the little clips that hold the carpet down under the door seals looked completely undisturbed and were still bright gold - I've never seen that before! I guess with it being an Auto it hasn't suffered any interior tear-ups to fit aftermarket alarms, speakers or amplifiers that GTI's all seem to have.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Cameron

[Rippthrough 98]

have you tried an agricultural supplier?

 

might be too small for their usual stock mind

 

It's usually cheap unlined mild steel chinese s*it in there though...

[Liquid_106 97 1 Cars]

Flogging your Miami auto bonnet?

Poor thing has no idea about what going to happen to it

[Cameron 16]

Flogging your Miami auto bonnet?

Poor thing has no idea about what going to happen to it

 

Nope, keeping it for the Miami GTI!

[Cameron 16]

Ooooooh sweet, delicious progress!

 

Having spent the last week in Lommel with a stinking cold, I was itching to get something done this weekend! Before I could do anything I needed to make some space in my garage, which has been a tip ever since my crappy B&Q shelf fell apart and littered the place with hundreds of cans and bits and pieces! So after a bit of cutting and welding I had probably the most overkill shelf brackets ever - still, should stop the bastard falling down again!

 

 

So that gave me a nice bit of practise to start making my chassis stands, which I did.

 

 

I'd been scratching my head about how I was actually going to get the thing up in the air high enough, since I only had a trolley jack and one set of axle stands! I opted for the engine crane instead, which required some little brackets to be made up that I could lift from..

 

 

Then I could attach my crane and lift the shell up high enough.

 

 

 

The chassis stand took a bit of jiggling around to get in place, but it's there now.

 

 

Et voila! The rear end is up in the air!

 

I can do the same for the front tomorrow, then once it's all sorted I can get the shell level by shimming under the stands.

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

You using imperial rose joints and fasteners too? I certainly would it works out cheaper.

[Cameron 16]

Certainly am! I wanted to use NAS bolts so it had to be imperial.

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

The slippery slope!!!

 

Kudos for giving this a go, is there a championship/series your looking to fit this into or it could be competitive in?

[Cameron 16]

I would hillclimb it but I think the only class I could run in would be Sports Libre so wouldn't be that competitive without lots of power. I may enter just for fun and see how close to the pace it is, but I think for now it's just intended as a track toy.

[Cameron 16]

More making of things today.. I managed to get the second chassis stand made in pretty good time as I'd got my eye in on the first one, so after removing as many heavy panels as I could (I was lifting it by the engine) I lifted the front end up onto it's stand.

 

 

All went very nicely tbh, which I'm very pleased with! I had enough time to have a really good tidy up in the garage and hang a few more bits and pieces off the walls, since every square millimetre of floor space is precious in a single garage! With the light eventually fading I had a look at how level the shell was sitting, it looks pretty good side to side, maybe a mm or two out, but front-rear is about 10mm out as the front jacking points seem to be a fair bit lower. I'll shim under the stands to get it all level once I've got the engine out and everything off the shell, then I'lll weld it in place and start making the measuring platform / false floor.

 

 

 

So here it is now, in it's final resting place as a 1.6 Auto. Once it's all stripped of parts I'll begin the task of removing all the unnecessary brackets and studs, and things like the seatbelt mounts, seat mounts, steering column mount etc etc etc.

 

[davenport 51]

stirling work fella.....

[Batfink 201]

Heres a thought. You could use heavy duty wheels on the bottom so you can move it about (obviously would need to bolt the two parts together) If the threads are long enough you could have a nut on there so you can adjust the height. More tricky to get the car off again though.

[Cameron 16]

Yeah I was toying with the idea of fitting wheels to it so I could turn the car around once I've got the back end sorted, saves having to work with the garage door open when it comes to doing the front end! I'm not sure about it though as I don't really want it to have any chance of moving around when I'm positioning things underneath it. Will see how long it takes to do the back end I guess.

 

Would be nice to fit some threaded feet to it though, to help get it level without repeatedly jacking it up and down.. a bit like what corner weight platforms have.

Edited November 13, 2011 by Cameron

[alexcrosse 124]

you definately wont be competitve in sports libra once my minis done but ill let you try! I must pop round for a coffee and criticism session soon pal lol

Edited November 14, 2011 by alexcrosse