Is it just me or is this kit car building not as easy as it should be?
Every time I go in to that garage to do some work on my Indy R it seems like I get more fed up with it!
I have already had to take the chassis back once because the engine and gearbox didn't fit properly.
I was trying to fit the steering rack last night and it hits the front shockers. When I took it back to MK for the gearbox problem I mentioned this. They said I should be able to put the shockers the other way up and that would solve my problem. I tried this last night and it is no better.
I spent £3,500 on this kit, other than my house the most money I have ever spent on anything. I at least expect the steering rack to fit.

Just felt I needed to get that off my chest. Now all I have to do is make the steering rack fit

a picture say's worth a thousand words..........stick some up, i'm sure someone will help.

just be glad you have a part build.

i bought a pile of 1" tube and a welder and some wheels and uprights and wishbones and rear diff about 11 months ago off ebay and other places.

then walked into the garage to build a kit car for £250 ....

well i spent a ton on tools and i have now spent a grand on bits and i have a rolling chassis.

after weeks of getting my welder friend to make me the chassis and then i started collecting bits.

so at least you are moving forward at a pace quicker than a very slow snail speed.....

dave :O)

my rant over :O)

hope you get your steering sorted.

ill trade you for my issues :O)

dave

I had exactly the same problem, just ended up cutting slots in the mounting plate and moving the rack further forwards by about 10 mm. My shocks actually contact each other at the bottom mounts too, but there's not really much I can do there. Oh, and the scuttle sits too far forward due to the full roll-cage. You've just got to see these as hurdles to get over, and for what the kit costs I think a few 'issues' are acceptable, I certainly wouldn't be happy if I'd bought a more expensive Westfield and had the same problems.

If I find I'm losing enthusiasm for the build then I just put on a DVD showing last years club racing - doesn't take long for it to come back again.

quote:

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Originally posted by JeffJeffers
Is it just me or is this kit car building not as easy as it should be?
Every time I go in to that garage to do some work on my Indy R it seems like I get more fed up with it!
I have already had to take the chassis back once because the engine and gearbox didn't fit properly.
I was trying to fit the steering rack last night and it hits the front shockers. When I took it back to MK for the gearbox problem I mentioned this. They said I should be able to put the shockers the other way up and that would solve my problem. I tried this last night and it is no better.
I spent £3,500 on this kit, other than my house the most money I have ever spent on anything. I at least expect the steering rack to fit.

Just felt I needed to get that off my chest. Now all I have to do is make the steering rack fit

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As the man says, pics, pics, pics!

Am surprised you've had problems this basic- MK have built hundreds of these things!

Hope you manage to sort it easily!

Cheers,
James

Also surprised at that problem, but don't worry, we all have felt fed up with the kit. Your first drive and moments similar make it all very worthwhile!

Hope you get it sorted ASAP

Ed

this takes me back to the point that someone made ages ago that we should have sponsor a builder lol

you get to help the build to gain experience and help the build moving forward and in return you get to understand how to build and what you need and learn from mistakes.

:O)


dave

As previously said, try and get some pictures up so we can have a shifty, Wondering if the top bones are the right way round/up.

If you need a bit of motivation try and cadge a passenger ride out with another member or just use the member map and meet up for a beer with a fellow builder and chew the fat, I find beer always helps.

Take it easy mate, its a hobby, so try and enjoy it, although I admit sometimes it's hard especially when you buy the wrong bits or you get mis sold bits and then they dont fit, just try and keep your chin up whilst trying to figure out a proper engineered solution and try and resist the temptation to just get in there with the tool, i've learnt the hard way on many bits and had to re buy them!

Anyway take care, see you at Stonleigh sometime soon!!

Cheers

Rich

Everything on my build fits perfectly ! ... but then it's because I made them to fit.

Thats why I didn't go down the route of buying a kit but started off with a pile of tubes and a plan.

I reckoned that unless you stuck with a stock engine/gearbox/diff/hubs/uprights etc solution, the kit type build was always going to be a case of making alterations and compromises. And if the kit came all beautifully powder coated that would be such a waste.

During my build I have had three engines (DOHC then Zetec, now Z20LEH), two gearboxes ('cos of engine changes) and three rear axle types (just because I could make up my mind).

That's the freedom that a scratch build gives.

Any company worth their salt should collect the kit at their own expense and sort out the issues.

you must be wary about moving the rack, the angle of the track rods is critical, they must be parrallel to the wishbones or you will end up with 'bump steer' i.e. the road wheel turns a bit as the suspension goes up!
Dont get dispondent, i find a good cup of tea and just sit and study the problem usually does the trick. if it doesen't, i'm sure someone local will assist. Just dont start chopping things about until you are absolutely certain that is the way to go.
regards.

Thanks for all the encouragement.
I didn't get chance to get in the garage tonight so no futher on. I will have a look at the weekend and if I can't work it out I will post some pictures.
It just bugs me. I understand I am building a car and will have to fabricate some parts. But MK supplied and made/modified the steering rack and front supension so it should just bolt on so I can move on to the next part.
I do enjoy the build most of the time I just got a bit fed up last night and had to have a rant. I would have told the misses but she just takes the p155, which doesn't always help.

I know exactly what you mean. I have quite a list of thing that were wrong.
This is what it should look like.

Can MK explain why the top wishbones are bent or "pre-failed" as Colin Chapman would have said?

Ok MK have just impressed me (doesn't take much).
I got a call this morning from Dan at MK, saying he hears I'm having problems with my front suspension and offered some advise.
I have a few things to try now. I'll let you know how it goes.
I don't want people to think I was slaging MK of because they are always really helpfull when you ring them up. I was just getting frustrated with the build.

quote:

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Originally posted by Davegtst
This is what it should look like.

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quote:

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I got a call this morning from Dan at MK, saying he hears I'm having problems with my front suspension and offered some advise.

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The drivers side shocker seems ok.
The passenger side one is resting on the bolt and the adjuster on the shocker hits the steering rack mount.
Any ideas?

FrontShock

FrontShock2

turn the shock round 180 degrees so the adjuster is on the other side?

No kit car building is easy. We've just been wasting our time jabbering on about politics and things for the past few years on here.

You are encountering typical build issues. Don't give up, it sorts itself eventually. Really!

I'll double check on mine, but I'm sure mike is right. The adjuster should be on the inside.

Pete.

Get out your measuring tape an check the distance between the hole centre on each side and the outside of the chassis if the mounting hole are drill correctly there should be plenty of room for the rack bolts Or like wise if the mounting plate is not in the centre you will have the same problem You can really turn the shock around 180 as there's isn't any room for the adjustment screw on the other side
If the mounting plate is welded off centre there only one solution it need to be removed an re welded in the centre as this might affect your tracking adjustment later on as it will be adjusted all to one side. Lucky I don't have that problem on my Indy r . It a same to weld a newly power coated chassis but better to have it right the first time

I've looked and the adjusters are on the outside, but the spacing on mine seem to be ok.

Pete.

Yes mine are on the outside too no room for both on the inside Check what I said in the above post

Mine are definatly on the outside too, they won't fit on the inside. The brackets on my steering rack look different though.

[Edited on 20/11/10 by Davegtst]