Printable Version | Subscribe | Add to Favourites
New Topic New Poll New Reply
Author: Subject: ball joints front suspension
hexxi

posted on 31/3/09 at 07:13 AM Reply With Quote
ball joints front suspension

What are the options for front suspension ball joints? I would not like to use the joints from the book wich are
bolted to the wishbones. I wouldn`t also use spherical bearings because the car is for road use.

I have been thinking about taking the ball joints from some common car(ie. some european compact car like ford,
vw or peugeot etc.). I think the most ball joints are pressed with hydraulical press to the machined bore in the suspension arm?

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
londonsean69

posted on 31/3/09 at 07:58 AM Reply With Quote
I assume you have the ability to;
a - machine the necessary parts
b - press them together

What hubs would you use, or would you also be machining the hubs (I think this required anyway if you are using Sierra hubs)

Any particular reason you are considering this?

Sean

[Edited on 31/3/09 by londonsean69]

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
40inches

posted on 31/3/09 at 08:20 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by hexxi
I would not like to use the joints from the book wich are
bolted to the wishbones.

Why? They work, and why try to reinvent the wheel?

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
philtvr

posted on 31/3/09 at 08:52 AM Reply With Quote
Vw front are bolted in with 3 bolts at least upto mk3 golf
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
nick205

posted on 31/3/09 at 09:04 AM Reply With Quote
If you don't want to use the clumpy great Cortina lower ball joints then use the 2 bolt Maxi ones that MK and many others use - you'll need to ream the taper in the Sierra upright to suit though.






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
londonsean69

posted on 31/3/09 at 09:57 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
If you don't want to use the clumpy great Cortina lower ball joints then use the 2 bolt Maxi ones that MK and many others use - you'll need to ream the taper in the Sierra upright to suit though.


This is the setup I am going for, as it's the setup for the Haynes Roadster.

Sean

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
hexxi

posted on 31/3/09 at 10:41 AM Reply With Quote
I`m not exactly doing a Locost. The vehicle will be a one off single seater.

I want to define the suspension geometry myself and therefore also the uprights will be one of ass will the wishbones also. I will design them with CAD program, do the drawings and find some company to manuafacture them as I don`t have all the equipment needed. Or probably I will do some of the work myself and let company do only the machining.

All this because of the joy of engineering

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
MikeRJ

posted on 31/3/09 at 11:10 AM Reply With Quote
Make sure you understand the suspension arrangement of any donor your are considering using the ball joints from. The vast majority of FWD cars use a McPherson strut, so the lower ball joint is not designed for the kind of pull-out forces it would see in a locost type arrangement.
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
lsdweb

posted on 31/3/09 at 12:20 PM Reply With Quote
So you're building a single seater but won't use spherical bearings? Mmmmm.....






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
hexxi

posted on 1/4/09 at 10:41 AM Reply With Quote
I`m designing (not yet building) a three wheeler with 2 wheels up front and one at the back...and of course a motorbike engine. Something like the Campagna T-rex but the seat in the middle...
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Dave FoxDavies

posted on 1/4/09 at 03:18 PM Reply With Quote
MikeRJ,

Are you referring to the spring forces acting through the lower wishbone, instead of directly onto the top of the upright? I could see this resulting in a 'non-designed' force trying to separate the ball joint.

Has anybody experienced a lower ball joint failure because of this change to the designed load path?





"Yes, it is an aggressive design, quite different to anything that’s gone before and hopefully that is down to sound engineering reasons. You need the discipline not just to come up with ideas, but also to ensure that they really do give something positive in performance terms, rather than just doing it to be different." - Adrian Newey

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member

New Topic New Poll New Reply


go to top






Website design and SEO by Studio Montage

All content © 2001-16 LocostBuilders. Reproduction prohibited
Opinions expressed in public posts are those of the author and do not necessarily represent
the views of other users or any member of the LocostBuilders team.
Running XMB 1.8 Partagium [© 2002 XMB Group] on Apache under CentOS Linux
Founded, built and operated by ChrisW.