Mk Engineering Cycle Wings Onto An Exmo

[Guest wmc]

Yet again, a relatively straight forward job turns into a major re-engineering task.

 

To get my car through the SVA I have had to take off the swept wings (which weren't even symmetrical - NS failed OS passed!?!) and replace them with some lovely MK engineering cycle wings - much lighter and much better looking.

 

Now the problem, the lower mount for the bracket uses the ball joint to bolt it down, however the stud on the lower arm (original Sierra arm and joint) is a good 5-10mm too short. I cant use a lower nut as it's only engaging by 3-4 threads as standard and I cant modify the hub without some serious machining.

 

Does anyone know of a standard Ford ball joint with a longer thread? If so, do they have a model or part number.

 

Please help me as I've had this car for years and it's the last job to do to get it through it's SVA. Having said that, I've been made redundant from (oddly enough) the car industry and now cant afford to keep her so I'll have to sell her after 3 years of pain and frustration without ever having the enjoyment of driving it.

 

Lifes got a funny way of rewarding you sometimes!!

[Guest salty_monk]

Believe transit joints are commonly used, check the NW Hoodies site for the part number..

[Mat-Moo]

Are you talking about the track control arems? http://www.lolocost.co.uk/ASPpages/part_de...s.asp?PartID=39

[Guest wmc]

Yes, those are the puppies.

 

Ouch on the price though.

 

Are they standard ford items or do they have longer ball joint studs in the ends. If they're standard ford items I'm sure I could get them for a lot less via a factors (he says hopefully!)

 

So far due to RHE not making wings the same left and right it's cost me £90 for cycle wings and potentially £30 for track rod arms (the originals have had the studs trimmed by the previous owner to lower the strut and ride height!!). Damn.

[Mat-Moo]

I got a brand new spare pair sitting here, I can measure the length of them if it helps. Are your hubs Identical?

[Big Jim]

I changed mine a couple of years ago, and got them with ALL the bushes etc. for £12 each from a motorfactors. I'll ring them tomorrow and find out what they're charging nowadays.

[Peter Bell]

I think you will find several places selling them at a good price at Donington, if you are going. I hope you will be able to hold onto the car in spite of your situation especially after all that work.

Peter

BTW why do the long wings not get through the SVA?

[Guest Petemate]

Hi Peter

I think it is something to do with them not covering the actual rims (not tyres) when viewed from the top. There was a post some time ago on this, with the (RIDICULOUS) method as suggested by the SVA man, who himself admitted he knew the extensions would be removed once the car was out of sight but he had to see them covered.....

Crazy

Pete(Oldgit)

[Guest wmc]

Unfortunately as I'm skint and desperately trying to set up my own business (as well as move house - I'm a glutton for punishment at the moment), I wont be able to go to donnington.

 

I'm only after just the arms as I have a set of PU bushes - standard bushes let the lower arm move fore/aft by about 10mm each way, so must be altering the steering geometry constantly whilst you're driving!?

 

The nut's dont have to be the same, just as long as the studs are 75mm from the undersided of the arm to the tip of the stud, then I'll be able to fit the cycle wing bracket. If you could check Mat, I'd be eternally grateful.

 

The swept wings failed due to not covering the rim of the wheel when you run a line vertically from a horizontal line along the outside face of the wheel. As it's an EXMO as well, the chassis prevented me from moving the wings any fruther forward, so unless I stuck a half a**ed extension on one side (which they said they'd fail) I was stuffed. Cycle wings it was.

 

Thanks for your your help guys, as always it's really appreciated.

[Big Jim]

But what wheels did you have on? they should have covered Sierra wheels OK??

[Guest wmc]

They're 175/70 R14 on Ford alloys (off either a fiesta or sierra, I'm not sure). Basically they're not long enough forwards to cover the front of the rim. It looks as though whoever trimmed them when they came out of the mould was a little over enthusiastic on one side!

[Guest Ianz]

Can you not build up the front of the wings with some glassfibre????

it would'nt look very nice,but the sva man could'nt argue that this solution was'nt

permanent!!!!!!

 

Once SVA'D ,trim off the excess glassfibre!!!!

 

IMHO

 

Cheers Ian

[Guest wmc]

Ian, thanks for the advice, but I have already driven to Worksop and back to get the new cycle wings.

 

The good news is that they are great quality and very light (about a 1/4 the weight of the swept wings). The bad news is that the brackets aren't intended for fitting to the EXMO i.e. any car that uses the original sierra track rod arm. To make them fit will require grinding off the upper fixing of the bracket, re-making another upper mount for both sides and then bending the loer mount to fit.

 

Unfortunately I don't have either the time or the workshop facilities for this (I've managed to build the whole car from rolling chassis to complete without having the car in a garage!!). With the pressures of moving house and starting my own business, I am going to have to sell the car with only this job to complete to take it back for it's SVA retest.

 

I am truely, truely gutted! Over 3 years of carefully building this car and I literally cant even complete it.

 

I have the SVA test report and can prove all the failure points have been correctly remedied, all bar the cycle wings.