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what chassis to plan for?
86barettaguy - 20/4/04 at 04:28 PM

seems like the sierra is what I should be looking for if I want to build anything around here and still be able to get advice from you guys. But what chassis would be the best suited to use for a sierra donor? If I use the sierra front hubs/uprights (I think that's the part I'm thinking of, but I can't remember. the real problem is I don't know the swedish word for it either...), do I need to change anything about the front suspension?


JoelP - 20/4/04 at 08:58 PM

are you thinking of building your own chassis to some plans, or do you want to import a ready made chassis?

many uk companies do chassis' for sierra donors. Some also do plans, i believe darren at GTS does plans for 10gbp. others might too, but nothing springs to mind.


86barettaguy - 28/4/04 at 05:20 PM

quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
are you thinking of building your own chassis to some plans, or do you want to import a ready made chassis?

many uk companies do chassis' for sierra donors. Some also do plans, i believe darren at GTS does plans for 10gbp. others might too, but nothing springs to mind.


I was thinking of using either the book chassis or the mcsorley +4. Right now I'm leaning towards the book chassis (in case I end up using a Ford Taunus, Volvo 140 or Opel Ascona or Manta instead of a Sierra)


Mark Allanson - 28/4/04 at 05:48 PM

If doing it all over again, I would definately go for a wider chassis. Most rear ends are wider than Mk2 Escorts, you can actually have a choice of seats, bigger fuel tank, wider track to give better handling.

Even if you stick with a book chassis, use McSorley plans, they are accurate


NS Dev - 28/4/04 at 06:09 PM

I'll try and keep it easy to translate! The Sierra uprights do not give very good suspension geometry when used with double wishbone suspension (they were designed for use with front McPherson Struts)

Best to work around uprights designed to go with double wishbone i.e. Taunus (UK Cortina) or as you say, Manta/Ascona as again these were double wishbone.


86barettaguy - 28/4/04 at 07:35 PM

ok. I was told by a friend of mine the other day that the sierra used mcpherson struts... damn stupid design if you ask me (at least from this point of view. in reality, the first to have come up with the idea and make it work must have been a genious)...

about the rear suspension. I guess the trackwidth of the axle to be used must be at least as wide as the Escort rear axle if I'm using the book chassis (and at least 4 inches wider if I go with the +4 chassis), right? does anyone know the trackwidth of the escort rear axle?

also, did anyone measure how wide a seat you can use with the book chassis? I was thinking of using a racing seat and it would be nice if that could fit...


Mark Allanson - 28/4/04 at 08:47 PM

The seat width is about 17" maximum