Help - Vodou Vs Saturn/Haynes Problem
Padstar - 14/7/13 at 06:12 PM
As some of you may be aware i started my build based on the Vodou drawings and when they ceased trading i then incorporated the bits i liked into the
saturn design as they were esentially very similar with the exception of the diff carrier and a few other minor bits.
Just about to weld the suspension brackets and i have realised that i did not pick up on the rear suspension bracket location when comparing the
two.
I have attached the 2 drawings for this area. My question is. Can the bracket be brought outwards to the outside of the car by approx 50mm so that it
will fit into the Vodou Bracket as drawn (and built) or should i cut out the Vodou parts and extend to match the saturn design?
Any ideas and cons of either. I need to get this done to kick on with the rest as it has hit a near dormant spell.
Vodou Design (as built)
Description
Saturn (May seem more logical)
Description
Slimy38 - 14/7/13 at 08:10 PM
What was the driver behind going from Vodou to Saturn? Was there something specific in the Saturn design that you preferred?
Personally I think you need to use the whole rear end (IE from seat-back backwards) from either one or the other, trying to use the top plates of one
and the diff mount from another may put bars where you don't want them, or compromise the strength of the diff fixing.
[Edited on 14/7/13 by Slimy38]
Padstar - 14/7/13 at 08:20 PM
would rather stick with the vodou rear end but need to know if i can move the suspension brackets out approx 50mm. As they were never drawn i dont
know if this was the intension.
I can extend to the saturn without affecting any other bar of the chassis so dont see it being a problem if it is necessary but would rather avoid it
if possible.
Padstar - 14/7/13 at 08:22 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
What was the driver behind going from Vodou to Saturn? Was there something specific in the Saturn design that you preferred?
[Edited on 14/7/13 by Slimy38]
They never got round to the body work. Essentially i have a vodou chassi that i need to put saturn bodywork on.
Slimy38 - 14/7/13 at 10:51 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Padstar
would rather stick with the vodou rear end but need to know if i can move the suspension brackets out approx 50mm. As they were never drawn i dont
know if this was the intension.
I can extend to the saturn without affecting any other bar of the chassis so dont see it being a problem if it is necessary but would rather avoid it
if possible.
I don't know whether I'm just missing something, but I had a look at the Vodou drawings and I couldn't even see where the shock
absorber attaches to the wishbone? There is a fifth u bracket on the chassis, but the only way to use that one would be to have it fixed to the lower
wishbone. And it's central location would have it going through the driveshaft.
Robski - 22/5/24 at 03:38 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
I don't know whether I'm just missing something, but I had a look at the Vodou drawings and I couldn't even see where the shock
absorber attaches to the wishbone? There is a fifth u bracket on the chassis, but the only way to use that one would be to have it fixed to the lower
wishbone. And it's central location would have it going through the driveshaft.
You're not missing anything - or rather the bracket for the bottom end of the shock IS missing on the Vodou drawings.
My guess is it should connect to the upper wishbone, not the lower.
It can't be the lower because, as you noted, the driveshaft is in the way. That holds for all 3 designs (Haynes, Vodou and Saturn).
Also if you look at the original Haynes plans it is attached to the upper wishbone: that is, after all, what the V plans are a variation of. It's
also where the Saturn variation attaches the lower shock bracket as well.
If I build an MX5 based roadster I will probably go Vodou as I have a set of plans for that, and they depart somewhat less radically from the Haynes /
MK design. As regards where to put the bracket I will probably steal the positioning geometry for the missing brackets from the Saturn.
I have just finished my first read/scan of the Haynes book. It's still early days for this idea!
Is it me or does using a single donor MX-5 just look a lot easier? Buy the car and throw away or sell the parts you don't need. Much easier than
finding bits of Sierra, bits of Escort, bits of Maxi, bits of something else. That sounds a pain even back when the 'donor' cars were still
recent and readily available.
And that is before you get to gotchas like the speedo not being compatible with the gearbox and wheel/tyre profile sizes.
Slimy38 - 22/5/24 at 05:51 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Robski
Is it me or does using a single donor MX-5 just look a lot easier?
Absolutely yes. I'd say between the donor car and the raw materials, that's probably 90% of what I've needed. The last 10% have been
easily available parts, like a radiator, steering rack, suspension bushes etc.
Robski - 23/5/24 at 09:50 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
...easily available parts, like a ... steering rack ...
One of my reasons for going (predominantly) Vodou - I believe it uses the stock MX5 rack, just de-powered. According to MEV Exocet build pages
this can be as simple as linking the two fluid hoses on the rack back on each other.
[Edited on 23/5/24 by Robski]
