S7 Wishbone Convertion

[Guest rcarsv]

Is there anybody who can give me some advice on converting my s7 to wishbones on the front ,do i need to put on antiroll bar and is it ok to do it before sva. This is my first build but i am an engineer and i want to do all the work myself will i have to have an engineers report for the sva if i do this convertion.

[Peter Bell]

Richard, if you have an S7 it will have wishbones anyway, is it an Exmo? with the flying buttresses and mini mcpherson struts? Some people have chopped these off and fitted wishbones I am sure somebody will be able to help on here, where abouts are you?

Peter

[Guest rcarsv]

Hi peter i am in bicester in oxfordshire. I want to change it so it is like the newer kit but RH have refused to sell me any parts so i can do a covertion they say it's not possible. But nothing is impossible it's just working out which is the best way.Richard Anderton.

[Big Jim]

If it's the Series 1 sierra, that everyone calls the 'S7' it will have a top RH wishbone, and a bottom sierra track control arm, all this is set in part of the original sierra framework. It probably has the sierra anti-roll bar, this is better changed for tie-bars, but unless you want to do major surgery, and design your own suspension, you'l find that this suspension works good enough.

The changes that would make a difference to this suspension are, change to tie-bars, & fit decent shockers.

you've got to remember that the S7 is monocoque, it doesn't have a chassis as such, so there's nothing to hang wishbones onto.

[Guest chris brown]

I'm sure "RS JIGTEC" would be able to help hope I have beaten Rizla to it this time

[swan]

no more bl**dy plugs for jigtec , at least not till i get my car back

 

thank you so kindly

 

swan

[Peter Bell]

Hi Richard is it possible to post a picture of your front suspension so we know which model you have? As it is still being built (how much more is there to do?) there will be a few people on this site who will be able to advise how to get an earlier model through the SVA

Peter

[Guest rcarsv]

Hi peter the build is in the very early stages but i don't want it to take to long but it's the biggest job on the car. But want i to do is make seperate subframe which will bolt on like it dose now but with a proper set up, then extened the body so none of it can be seen but it will also have rad @ nose mounts. I don't seam to be able to post a pic any tips.

[Peter Bell]

This is the MK1 S7 suspension, which it sounds as though you may have, with the ford front cross member, track arm, and RH top wishbones. (I hadn't realised how rusty it has got through the winter salt, and me a softy southerner Jim!) This set up works fine, I haven't heard of anyone changing this apart from fitting softer springs, the originals are much too stiff and tie bars which you can see in the pictures. There are plenty of threads about tie bars.

[Peter Bell]

another picture

[Big Jim]

Peter is right, there is nothing wrong with that set up. RH just made it look a bit neater afterwards in the Mark3 /3A

To improve it, change the shockers to a "known" brand, and the springs to 140 lbs.

[Peter Bell]

and this!

I don't think that changing this set up will gain very much apart from slowing down the build, it is simple, fairly light weight and you dont have to clean your springs! There is only very slight camber change during suspension movement.

Regards Peter

[Guest rcarsv]

Thankyou very much I now know which kit I have Peter. Is there anybody out there who might be willing to sell me a build manual for this kit as the previous owners have lost it. Peter do you or anybody else out there know if there is any problems getting this age of kit through the sva. I got this car very cheap with nearly all parts for the build so I don't mind doing a few mods.

[Big Jim]

there's nothing different about the vast majority of it, the main thing will be covering the "sharp edges" around the front suspension, give it good dose of looking at, and cover everything that has an edge with edge trim of some kind.

You'll have more problems getting it quiet!!