LocostUSA.com

Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
It is currently March 29, 2024, 2:21 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 106 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ... 8  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: September 13, 2014, 6:47 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Still waiting for my son to get back from his honeymoon in Spain so I don't want to do too much because it needs to be a joint effort, but I did host another neighborhood Car Show & Tell today and we got to learn all about powder coating.

One of the guys has a very nice set up and we powder coated the rocker arms as an example for everyone.

I get to use his outfit and all I have to do is buy the powder so I'm guessing I'll powder coat a lot of stuff.

In November the PPG rep who lives in the neighborhood is going to show us what we can do in our homes and what we shouldn't do in our homes. He's also going to give us the secret handshake so we can get product at a big discount and have him help us apply it. I sure wish I was at a painting stage.

Now I need to find someone with a good bender.

Here are some pics of the guys shop, his video game set up and the finished product.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: September 15, 2014, 3:23 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Woo! Hoo! Son gets back from Spain this evening and he doesn't go to work tomorrow. Presuming he's up to it maybe he'll come over and we can do some strategizing which will let me go to work!

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 1, 2014, 11:44 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
When we got the chassis the suspension was "mounted". Well actually it was held in place by placing screw drivers, sticks, various random bolts and nails just to hold the pieces in place.

I can figure out the size of bolts I need, but what grade of bolt do I need for the control arms, bell crank and shocks?

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 2, 2014, 8:21 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: April 12, 2012, 11:56 am
Posts: 662
Location: Pemberton, BC
Quote:
I can figure out the size of bolts I need, but what grade of bolt do I need for the control arms, bell crank and shocks?


I'm using AN hardware, for the quality and the fact that you can get the proper shank length. I do not like to have threads in a loaded application. AN bolts come in 1/16 increments, so with a couple of AN washers you'll be able to get a perfect fit. They are especially good for suspension applications. Also, they are not as brittle as a Grade 8 bolt; they are more ductile like a Grade 5 bolt. Google Aircraft Spruce or Wicks.

_________________
Martin


My build log:
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14520&start=0
My build video:
https://vimeo.com/143524140 password "matovid"


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 7, 2014, 11:16 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Well, I've been sort of high centered. I've needed it to tip one way or the other to be able to do any meaningful work.

I need to see & drive a V8 version to be sure I don't want that. Fortunately I am headed to Florida in a couple of weeks and I might be dropping by to see Slotus and I'll also go by the Stalker factory and drive one of those.

I've needed to see 1) if I can get the Norwegian body 2) I'm going to be able to afford the Norwegian body (it looks good for that) 3) What kinds of mods will need to be done to the chassis to make it fit. 4) Then what kinds of mods I want to do to the body & chassis.

It appears that it wouldn't be that hard to widen the foot pedal area and possibly give myself and inch or 2 in the seat area. As noted on the "Syv" thread the Norwegian body incorporates a side impact bar which I had wanted to do anyway.

So as you can see I'm stuck on the engine and I'm stuck on the body.

Here's some pics showing the disassembled Norwegian body and giving you some idea of the chassis mods. It appears that most of the mods are simply lightweight add-ons to support the body.

One really cool aspect of this is that it appears it will accomodate taller engines without any trouble.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 7, 2014, 11:25 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
So I decided to work on the suspension some tonight since there's not really much else I can do.

I didn't find any AN hardware locally so I decided to hit Lowes and buy some Grade 8 stuff to tie it all together and that way it would allow me to see what I need to do differently when I order the AN stuff. And a found a few surprises on lengths plus I definitely need longer shanks and fewer threads.

Worryingly I found a very limited droop issue. With nose raised to a height of 8 1/2" I found the bell crank dug into the top of the shock and the swaged tube was crashing onto the chassis. That's an issue that you have with an inboard suspension and you don't have with a traditional set up.

Attachment:
IMG_7670.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_7666.jpg


Here you can see the mark on the top of the shock that's made just by moving the suspension by hand. I hate to think of the forces and what would bend at speed.

Should I modify the frame rail & bell crank to give myself a little more clearance?
Attachment:
IMG_7665.jpg


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 7, 2014, 11:34 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
I had to pull the engine by myself and I found out my arms weren't long enough, the same thing is true about my reading. I had to get my wife to come over and lend me a hand, but looking at it I think I can keep from having this same trouble again.

Look at this picture and see if you think I can cut the back cross member and replace it with a bolt on piece. The front cross member was already cut when I got the chassis and I've been planning on using a bolt on there too.

I believe I can make a one piece unit that combines both cross members and a sheet of steel to seal off the passenger compartment from the engine compartment. It would lay flat across the chassis and then bend upwards at the second cross member until it joined the bottom of the dash or scuttle support which is just above the shifter in this picture.

One bolt or 2 on each end of the bolt on pieces?


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 7, 2014, 11:43 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
I haven't had a chance to go look this up so I'll just ask you guys and see if you know what I've got here without me abusing the internet.

I was told this was some super expensive, uber perfect, only thing that would work, steering rack.

It's a Coleman, that much is obvious but can you tell the ratio just by looking?

It's 18" long and I've posted pics of all 4 sides.

It looks like I have plenty of options for mounting it.

Attachment:
IMG_7676.jpg


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 8, 2014, 7:57 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 19, 2012, 9:25 pm
Posts: 3365
Location: Summerville, SC
I feel funny saying this, but Nice Rack

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 8, 2014, 9:07 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: September 22, 2005, 8:12 am
Posts: 1879
Location: 4AGE in S.E. Michigan
Don't worry :lol: I'm sure Gonzo will be making a rack comment soon.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 8, 2014, 10:32 am 
Offline
We are Slotus!
User avatar

Joined: October 6, 2009, 9:29 am
Posts: 7651
Location: Tallahassee, FL (The Center of the Known Universe)
davew wrote:
Don't worry :lol: I'm sure Gonzo will be making a rack comment soon.

Nope, not me, Bra... Uhhh, I mean Bro...

_________________
JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 8, 2014, 10:40 am 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
TooBusy wrote:
I feel funny saying this, but Nice Rack



That's not something anyone has ever said to me. I don't know whether to be offended or to smile and go "I know".

I know this is not the kind most of the Locosters use, and after today, when I have time to research it, I might even be proud of my rack, but at the moment it's just another one of the pieces that came with the chassis that might or might not be useful and good. Because not all of them have been useful or even the proper pieces. I'm expecting to find this one is too short or too fast, too slow or too something else that would make it unsuitable.

They guys who had the kit before me were drag racers and salt flat racers, they weren't concerned about turning corners and several things I got were of little to no use in a traditional build.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 8, 2014, 3:37 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Before I go onto other things, the inboard front suspension seems to put a lot of bending pressure on the shocks.

I was looking at the room I had on either side of the shock in the br*cket and trying to decide how to space them, whether in the middle or to one side, and with what, when I noticed that as the suspension was cycled the shocks wanted to move outside the bottom br*cket towards the middle in droop and towards the outside under compression. And I don't mean by a little bit, they are hard enough to those ends that I can't slide them out. I was trying to insert the bolt with the car near full droop and I simply couldn't move the shock to insert the bolt.

With this much movement any spacers I use to hold the shocks firmly in place will create an even larger bending force as it tries to hold the shock to a specific location.

It feels as if I almost need to move the bottom brackets more towards the center and mount them at about a 10-15 degree angle to compensate. But Shirley this can't be a real problem because Stalker would have caught it, right?

I could probably even "cross" the bottom mounting points and use one bolt to hold both shocks to get the maximum amount of angle, but I'm not sure one bolt is a great idea. I could probably find something that would hold, but what if it didn't.

That's the problem with a kit vs. building yourself, you're not sure what's intentional and what's a real problem. All I can say is that I'd have done it differently and probably will before it's all said & done. But I'm going to cycle it a few hundred times more and put an engine in there to add weight & see what develops.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Last edited by carguy123 on October 8, 2014, 3:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 8, 2014, 3:50 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Here's my no name shocks.

Attachment:
IMG_7660.jpg


Oh, I'm sure they aren't no-name versions, but there's no name visible anywhere. I just don't know what brand they are yet.

As you can see I have 3 settings.

They go from 10 1/2" long to 15 1/2".

Attachment:
IMG_7658.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_7659.jpg


The front springs are 350#

Attachment:
IMG_7661.jpg


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: STALKER -ish build
PostPosted: October 8, 2014, 3:55 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
I'm not up on bolt markings, but I believe this is saying this will be sufficient for it's use holding the bottom of the upright, but since it's a plain chrome type of finish I thought I'd ask the super smart collective.

This is a pretty high stress area and since I wasn't privy to what they used and why and because the rest of everything was held together by screwdrivers, nails, rusty old bolts and virtually anything that would fit in the hole, I'm not sure they didn't just get something long enough at the hardware store.

Everything is suspect to me at this time.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 106 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ... 8  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
POWERED_BY