This subject has probably been debated to death, but here goes. Currently building a stock book narrow body chassis. Using a Granny as the donor. IRS and rear discs predominant reasons for the choice. Obviously the choice now has to be whether I shorten the drive shafts or live with the difference in track front to rear. A current guestiamate is around the 100mm per side mark using the cuurent wheel offset. Any body had any experience in this matter and would like to offer advise.
Currently thought going through my mind is T.I.T (Trotters Independent Trader) and ending up with a yellow plastic rat or something similar. "Well all be Millwoinairs this time next week" Apologies to those of a southern disposition. Noffin against plastic rats eevver.

The Avon is standard Sierra at the rear and jut wider than Escort at the front - probably about 100mm ish difference between front and back.

Handling was fine though.

Hope that helps,

Pat...

I would say that a 20cm track difference front to rear will adversely effect the handling but only a gut feeling. Its generally suggested that for best handling front track should be wider than rear track, hence the availability of "widetrack" front wishbones for a lot of our type of cars, so to go significantly the other way probably isnt the best way forward.

If you dont want to shorten the driveshafts then why not just make up wider front wishbones to match, and machine up / buy some rack extensions?

[Edited on 20/9/05 by ChrisGamlin]

Strangely enough, I have a MK3 Cortina quick rack I bought inadvertantly and soon realised that it was to big. Still is to big, due to my engine which is 2.3 Scorpio has a bulged OS crankcase for a balancer shaft I believe. To cut a long story short I would struggle to get the
steering shaft to line up with anything wider than an escort rack, which I now am using. True as you say I could use longer track rod ends and rework the wishbones outboard.
I was looking at the track dimensions of a Dax Rush and the rear track is give or take what I have about 1530mm. They reckon on a front track of something like 1496mm. I thought they used some form of wierd stub axle or wheel offset, makes sense now you say some folks use longer wishbone. obvious really!
Or is it easier to shorten the shafts Hmmh!!!!!! (Grinder and sleeve) or more hacksawing.