After having a large smile on my face for getting the car on the ground (temporarily but on the ground none the less) I couldn't resist trial fitting the arches to have a 'look see'....

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The trouble is, the rear wheels look lost in the arches I have 25mm spacers on the rear already so don't want to go any thicker.

I originally bought the arches thinking that I would need wider as I was using a longer axle but I forgot to factor in that I am also building a +442! Doh! (early build stupidity - now I have a much higher level of informed stupidity )

Anyone got any (constructive) comments or ideas?

BTW, the tyres are all 195's although it looks like much bigger on the front - optical illusion.

Cheers,

JB

what wheels are they? i had the same problem with offset, different wheels have the hub face further away or closer to the inner edge.

i thought they were all the same! So a set of capri alloys later, and i'm sorted!

Someone who is clever will be along soon to tell you what offset is good on your axle.

I think the offset is around 20mm or so, can't remember now. But the wheels were a bargain at £25 the set so I don't really want to start looking for some more. Plus I think they suit the style of car nicely

So that's an Escort rear axle? Or Cortina?

If it's Escort, then the Cortina is 4" wider. If it's Cortina then you're buggered!

Cheers,
James

Split the arches and remove a 20mm band... lots do it when trying to increase the width (ooeeer missus!) but retrospectively it would also apply.

Steve

Three options as I see it:
1. Source smaller arches
2. Cut and shut the existing arches
3. Source wide ET-5 escort wheels - Minilite, Revolution etc.

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Originally posted by Daddylonglegs
I think the offset is around 20mm or so, can't remember now. But the wheels were a bargain at £25 the set so I don't really want to start looking for some more. Plus I think they suit the style of car nicely

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Originally posted by Richard Quinn

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RWD wheels in 8j? on the back might make it look OK.

This is your problem;

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I was told the axle came from an escort

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I am also building a +442

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Originally posted by JAG
This is your problem;

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I was told the axle came from an escort

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I am also building a +442

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I always understood that the +442 chassis was intended for the Cortina axle - which is 4" wider than an Escort axle

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You need a cortina axle mate. I dont think your axle is anywider that standard. If i is it will be the same as a capri which is a bit wider than escort but not as wide as cortina IIRC.

I have a cortina on my locost so my wheels clear the arms well.

Looks like an English axle, if so they only came in one width.

I'd be tempted to have a go at cutting the arches down to fit your wheels and axle because:

1) I don't like huge rear arches. It's obviously a personal thing but I think they look nasty from the rear and really spoil the lines of the car.
2) An Atlas or Koln axle from a Cortina are very heavy, significantly heavier than the English axle.

I thought the very early cortinas or capri's had english axles, if i'm right, thats either a very old axle or an escort axle.

I'd guess escort - if no one pipes up, i'll measure my escort and capri axles in a few days (u2u me to remind me).

quote:

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Originally posted by MikeR
I thought the very early cortinas or capri's had english axles, if i'm right, thats either a very old axle or an escort axle.

I'd guess escort - if no one pipes up, i'll measure my escort and capri axles in a few days (u2u me to remind me).

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Not that ive had a few modded Escorts in my time.

Measurements are flang to flange

Escort/Cortina Mk2 axle 48 Inches (baby)
Escort 2 Koln axle 48 Inches (baby)
Capri MK1 axle 50 inches (narrow)
Capri mk2/3 Atlas axle 52 inches (Wide)
Capri Mk2/3 English Axle 52 Inches (wide)
Cortina 3/4/5 Koln axle 52 inches (Wide)

Also for comparison:
De- Dion to fit standard driveshafts 53inches wide.


So, if yours IS 52 inches AND an English (front loader) diff then my guess is that it is a rare 1300/early 1600 Capri unit.

That is not a bad thing! As it will take a cheaper and easy to find LSD unit than a Cortina One.
Which is probably why the guy fitted it to his escort.

I wonder? was this RS2000 a standard looking car, or did it have wider arches?

Just looked at your picks and its deffo not an RS2000 axle as it has anti roll bar and not anti-tramp mounting brackets.

If 52, my guess is still the same = Capri 1300/1600.

Worth keeping imho.

If I wasn't going De Dion to replace my Cortina Axle, I would have it off you.

HOL,

Thanks for the input. Not sure whether it definitely came from an RS2000, that's what the guy who I bought it off said at the time (this was around 3 years ago!). IIRC he said he got it for a project so not even from his escort so I can't really say.

I guess I'm really either going to have to get wider wheels or exchange/modify the arches.

I don't really want to change the wheels as I said at the top of this thread, plus I would have to get the same all round.

It's looking like some more unexpected time modding the arches

JB

Obviously you'll want wider wheels with different offset!!