Im After Ideas And Sugestions

[pip470 61]

Ok so heres the story, I bought two wheels aparantly 14" magnesium wraped in 048's so I thought great, these will be perfect for the qaurter mile. The only problem is (well theres a few actually) the new wheel and tyre is 500g hevier than the standard 1.6 14" alloy with tyre, granted the new tyre is 195/60/14 but i thought the rim would of made up for this. I took it to an engineering mate and he said if i file a little bit of the rim and collect the fillings, when burnt if there magnesium they should react to a flame. Well they didnt. They are also et 38 and pcd 4x100 so will need a nice chunky piece of ally to space it and some new studs drilled to suit, the problem is this is even more wieght. So i looked at whats actually in the wheel arch to see if theres any wieght to be had.

1, I think im going to use a set of groved rear solid brakes on the front, and to add i think im going to put them in the lathe and turn the diameter down so the are a lot smaller, just so that about half the piston and pad are acting on it.

 

2. Do you think there is anything better to use rather than the 1.9 stub axle as this is a big chunk of metal.

 

Hope fully there will e some more ideas. Cheers Phill

 

please remember this car is only being used for the qaurter mile.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

What calipers for a start, you want to be using 1600 Bendix calipers, these are a lot lighter than 1900 Girling ones.

 

Solid discs could be an idea yes, but I wouldn't go too mad reducing the diameter, OK its only 1/4 mile but you still need to be able to stop from 100-odd mph.

 

What about the uprights? 1600 ones will be lighter than 1900 simply because the use a smaller wheel bearing, same goes for 1600 shafts.

 

The rear beam is one of the other heavy lumps on a 205 and it one of the things I would be looking to re-engineer if I were to build a drag 205.

[pip470 61]

Hi tom thanks for another informed reply, Im temted not to change to 1.6 as id like to keep the 1.9 shafts. Correct me if im wrong in saying these are bigger/stronger?

 

I know what your saying about stopping, I think if its anything other than an emergancy it would be fine but if the car pops into flames say you got a point. I might keep the diameter then.

 

Is the twin wishbone and stub assy all custom on your mini and do you know any one who could make a replica of the standard stub axle in alluminium? would alluminium be strong enough? It just seems theres a lot of very heavy things like you mention the beam that are overly heavy. Im just concentrating on the front at the moment as ive got to get these wheels to fit with out adding any wieght and hopefully losing some.

 

I thought of getting rid of both anti rol bars. Any one think this will make it unstable at high speeds?

[welshpug 1,657]

I wouldnt waste money trying to make those wheels fit TBH, I saw some genuine BTCC mags for sale on the gti6 forum earlier, exactly what you need

[Jrod 7]

Base model front brakes are the same as 1.6 but use solid discs.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

By stub axle do you mean front hub? The ones on the Mini are Titanium, aluminium alloy not strong enough. I know a man who could make some but you'd be looking at £1500 for the pair which I suspect is out of your budget.......

 

1.9 shafts are stronger but are they needed? and is the weight saving worth the effort? only you can decide! Mini has titanium shafts in it.

[pip470 61]

Wow, Exactlty right way out of my price range. I do mean the front hub yes. I think the bigger shafts are not really needed just at the minute but i dont want to get to the piont where im breaking 1.6 shafts and have to change it all back to 1.9 stuff.

 

Any thoughts on the anti roll bar?

 

Ive emailed the guy on the 306 forum, im kind of hoping he knows of maybe just two that came from a damaged set as its a waste buying four. Thanks for the replys so far everyone

[Rippthrough 98]

I've some alloy hubs which would be strong enough but they're not designed for struts, you'd have to put in a control arm up front somewhere.

I'll have some brake discs available that might be right up your alley within the next couple of weeks too, I'll send you a picture back with the gasket you lent me (P.S. - Can you e-mail me your address again, I went to post it back last week and can't find it.)

 

No anti-roll bars should be fine, what spring rates are you running?

Edited April 16, 2008 by Rippthrough

[Dan Ingram 1]

Have you taken a hole saw to the shell yet?

[Jrod 7]

Infact, I think a base model subframe is lighter so you could use that!

[pip470 61]

Thanks ripthrough, im not sure what spring rates they are because i bought the kit about 5 years ago when the only thing that mattered was how low it would make the car. Its on spax rsx coilovers and i have them set quite hard, which compared to any other suspension is uber hard on the spax. I take it this will dictate how wobbly it will get at high speed. The last thing i want is the car rolling about but wasnt sure how much the anti roll bar prevents this in a straight line. I suppose i could just disconect them for a couple of runs to see how it behaves anyway before stripping it all down.

 

Not taken a hole saw to the shell yet as I dont know whats structural and whats not, Ive got visions of i think it was smokey and the bandit where the sherif goes to drive off and the front of the car leaves the rear. I do remember seeing someones inside the boot area c pillar struts looking like a honeycomb but cant remember who. I have cut one hole through the bulkhead and god knows how you do more than one cut cause the only hole saw i could find was from machine mart and i dont think it could do it again. I also think you have to swage the edges other to retain the strenth and i havnt got that tool, so im leaving that until im desperate.

[Rippthrough 98]

Thanks ripthrough, im not sure what spring rates they are because i bought the kit about 5 years ago when the only thing that mattered was how low it would make the car. Its on spax rsx coilovers and i have them set quite hard, which compared to any other suspension is uber hard on the spax. I take it this will dictate how wobbly it will get at high speed. The last thing i want is the car rolling about but wasnt sure how much the anti roll bar prevents this in a straight line. I suppose i could just disconect them for a couple of runs to see how it behaves anyway before stripping it all down.

 

Not taken a hole saw to the shell yet as I dont know whats structural and whats not, Ive got visions of i think it was smokey and the bandit where the sherif goes to drive off and the front of the car leaves the rear. I do remember seeing someones inside the boot area c pillar struts looking like a honeycomb but cant remember who. I have cut one hole through the bulkhead and god knows how you do more than one cut cause the only hole saw i could find was from machine mart and i dont think it could do it again. I also think you have to swage the edges other to retain the strenth and i havnt got that tool, so im leaving that until im desperate.

 

Diamond coated hole saw + ball peen hammer.