After nearly a year and a half the car was ready (ish thismorning) so I popped it on the trailer and took it down to a friends garage to test the brakes and emissions....

After flooding the engine and gunking it up with cr*p we finaly got it running nice, and, amazingly, its giving really really good emissions...

Next was on to the brake roller test...

The car wouldnt go on the rollers...The car is to low at the front...So thats one problem thats going to have to be sorted...although im not sure how!


Next, we took the car to a private airfield where I checked for self centering...there is none

There is also a lot of scrub on cornering...I set the tracking by eye, so that should explain the scrub, but I have no idea what to do about the self centering.....really tricky one!!!

On the hole though the car drove really nicley, not to loud and plenty fast....

The SVA is on the 19th....im not convinced im going to manage to get the ride height up significantly enough before then, and sort the self centering....


Nearly forgot to take some photos....but here are a couple I took once we got it back on the trailer..

Is it only caster that effects the self centering, or will toe-in and camber make a bnig difference as well?








[Edited on 8/3/08 by tegwin]

Looks very smart indeed.

To get it to centre you need to get the top wishbone back relative to the bottom one, add some caster angle (look at a push bike, the forks lean back).

So if you have mushrooms turn then so the hole is at the front, then set up the camber, if not can you pack the bottom wishbone forwards with washers on the chassis bushes and the top back. I think you need around 8 - 12mm

Regards Mark

Thanks...

The top bone is already further back than the front one....

But yes, I could rotate the mushroom...but that wont alter the caster will it?

I cant easily pack the wishbones out....I stupidly used brackets that are just the right size to take the bushes and no bigger

Yeah looks very nice!! Especially the air filter.

Rotating the mushroom will put the camber out, you then twiddle the TRE out on the top bishbone to compensate.

Regards Mark

if the car does not go on the rollers they normally test using a brake meter what they place on the floor of the passenger.

they take it for a spin and hit the brakes and the meter gives a reading to how well the brakes are, as long as the front lock up before the rear.

You will probably run 20 to 24psi in the from tyres on the road but for SVA higher pressures assist self centering say 30 psi+

Standard way off helping the self centering is to move the top wishbone back with a washer or two and pack the bottom forward thus making the the KPI lean back some more

Well done, looks great. Another car ready for the summer then. Meanwhile, I will keep dreaming of the day when mine is ready to roll.

I seem to remember a load of toe out helps it self center for SVA, then you can put it right after ......

curious as to the ride height at rear/arch clearance...looks large or is the car jacked up

have you got any extra meat on the wishbone bush tubes you could file down and pack the front with spacers? i shall try and draw what i mean...

like this?

Description

its something i've always thought about when people have talked about this problem.

[Edited on 8/3/08 by blakep82]

The rear height of some Robin Hoods is high but can be reduced by cutting the tube that the shock goes onto and using some coilovers better than the Zimmerides supplied.
Probably best done after SVA

Very smat, good luck with SVA