If someone fancied making a mid engined car, would it be OK to use normal wishbone front suspension such as is found on most LSIS cars, but to use the original struts at the back (the front struts from the donor, but with adjustable ball jointed links to set the toe, and suitable different brake calipers)?

Would it be possible to get a car like that set up to handle well, or would the different suspension geometry front and rear cause problems that could not be got over?

Dont see why it should be a problem in principle - very many cars have completely different suspension systems front and rear. The only practical problem if you want to use stock tintop stuts as is, they may be inappropriately sprung and valved. Then again they may not be.

i would have thought that youd need to be careful how you fix it, because they are meant to turn, youll need to fix the steering arm somewhere, if you do it in the wrong place you could effectively have your rear wheels turning as you suspension moves up and down

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Originally posted by Miks15
i would have thought that youd need to be careful how you fix it, because they are meant to turn, youll need to fix the steering arm somewhere, if you do it in the wrong place you could effectively have your rear wheels turning as you suspension moves up and down

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Originally posted by Miks15
...youll need to fix the steering arm somewhere...

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Originally posted by Liam

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Originally posted by Miks15
...youll need to fix the steering arm somewhere...

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Yep - exactly where the donor car steering rack pivots are would be a good place to aim for

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It's very possible. One of my mates 205s was blade engined with front lower wishbones and a subframed rear that took the diff and lower wishbone suspension.

It had mk2 escort front turrets and front struts all around due to the massive choice of inserts etc that are available for them, handles extremely well.

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Originally posted by Stott
It's very possible. One of my mates 205s was blade engined with front lower wishbones and a subframed rear that took the diff and lower wishbone suspension.

It had mk2 escort front turrets and front struts all around due to the massive choice of inserts etc that are available for them, handles extremely well.

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Well, that's what I'm building (middy with wishbone front and strut rear)



For further "endorsement" of the layout, look no further than the Lancia Stratos.

I think it's a very rational way to re-use common donor drivetrains without inventing a rear wishbone layout (and finding room for it around a transverse engine).

Dominic

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Originally posted by interestedparty

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Originally posted by Stott
It's very possible. One of my mates 205s was blade engined with front lower wishbones and a subframed rear that took the diff and lower wishbone suspension.

It had mk2 escort front turrets and front struts all around due to the massive choice of inserts etc that are available for them, handles extremely well.

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Are we talking about the same thing here? What I am wondering about is a situation where there is upper and lower wihbones at the front, just like a seven, and struts at the back, but from your post it looks like your friend's car has struts all round?

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Lotus used this combination in the early days, certainly the original Elite plus, I think, the 16 and 17.
Problem with strut type suspensions is that is very difficult if not impossible to design in any camber recovery in roll so you could end up with more positive at the rear than at the front in cornering with consequent degradation of rear cornering power. Not exactly what you want especially with a rear weight bias. Having said that if you are aware of the limitations I am sure they can be mitigated. The Dax Khalama had this layout I believe and by all accounts handled very well.