2b Front Suspension

[Guest Botbuilder]

Hi Guys

 

I've just started to seriously look and work on my 2b. I bought the car about a month ago from a young guy who used to post on the Forum who called himself TEGWIN. The front suspension has been converted from sliding pillock to wishbones, very badly.

 

When the suspension is fully extended teh wishbones were still horizontal to the floor (ie. no droop whatsoever) the back of the bottom front wishbone was hitting the chassis. I've managed to power file away the offending piece of chassis as shown in the picture. I now have considerably more suspension travel (at least on the one side that I have worked on). The shocks are Protech with yellow (450lb) 1.9 x 7" springs.

 

In an attempt to get more ground clearance the guy I bought it from had wound the springs up so hard there was no suspenion movement at all. It was like riding a skateboard. No wonder his Dad didn't like it!

 

I now have about 1.5" of travel from the suspension the fully extended position (jacked up) to it's normal horizontal fully loaded position. Does this sound about right?? Also do you think I should go for softer springs , say 300lbs?

 

All the chassis welding looks reasonable but it looks like I will have to go through the whole car with a fine tooth comb. Just to demonstrate what a chancer this guy was take a look at the way he tie wrapped the cooling fan to the radiator matix. Nice!

[Guest Botbuilder]

Sorry a couple of pics didn't upload

[Guest Botbuilder]

Modified

[Guest MarkB]

Just to demonstrate what a chancer this guy was take a look at the way he tie wrapped the cooling fan to the radiator matix

 

 

 

i have seen worse, to be honest the way he has done his fan is a common sight on tin tops, if the pins snap this way is the cheapest and effective way of "bodging" it.

[Grim]

kenlowe fans supply a strap that is basicly a cable tie with with flat mountings either side.

 

Yes, softer springs might be a help, i have 350lb springs at the front of my wishbone conversion.

Also watch for the ball joints reaching full travel on droop+steering lock, something my previous set of wishbones suffered from.

[fry61]

What will stop the wish-bone bending on the chassis if you get very light or air-bourne?

[Knock-on]

Hi Ali

 

Can you post some more pictures for me please of the conversion.

[Guest Botbuilder]

Hi Ali

 

Can you post some more pictures for me please of the conversion.

I'll try mate. My record at uploading pictures is not good. Here goes!

[Guest Botbuilder]

Hi Ali

 

Can you post some more pictures for me please of the conversion.

Well that didn't work too well. Some pictures came up and some didn't

 

If you email me I'll send some better pics direct tomorrow.

 

Alan

[Guest Botbuilder]

What will stop the wish-bone bending on the chassis if you get very light or air-bourne?

Normally the Protech shocks would reach their full extension and stop the wishbones hitting the chassis or stops. In my case the back of the front wishbone was hitting directly on top of the chassis. By the way I asked Protech for some info today and boy they are a really helpfull bunch. Service and civility are not dead.

[Knock-on]

Hi Ali

 

I see how they have done it now. You have some serious limitations there as identified.

 

This is the first prototype Sliding Pillar conversion we have ready. In these pictures it is just tacked in place while we concentrated on getting the correct layout. I don't know the specific angles (have someone far more intelligent working that out) but basically you are looking to have a convergence point (if you continue the line of the wishbone in) below the vehicle itself.

 

As I said, this is a prototype so looks a bit rough but you get the general idea. We have also opted to put continuous bars with the wishbones connected to thus ensuring strength and accuracy. For someone doing a conversion, they will have to do 4 cuts and 12 small welds to transfer from Sliding Pillar to Double Wishbone and then just bolt the suspension on.

 

The final Wishbones will look very different and these are really rough but you get the general idea.

[Knock-on]

Photo 2

[Knock-on]

Photo 3

[Knock-on]

Photo 4

[Guest Botbuilder]

Thanks Knock_On

 

That was really helpfull! Yours looks like a really nice conversion in the making.I think I'm gonna have to struggle on with getting the present set up to work, somehow. Really it all wants cutting off and starting again. Maybe when the weather is a bit warmer, and I've finished my current course of chemo therapy I'll have to get someone to sell me a new wisbone kit and get it all welded up properly.

 

The moral of the story is "don't buy kit cars in the dark from young photographers, when you are too sick to test drive it, or crawl all over and under it", DOH!

 

The good news is that it's probably easier than starting a kit car from scratch, but not much!

 

I don't suppose you're in the market for doing it??????

 

kind regards

 

Alan