LocostUSA.com

There's a bit more to do on the rear suspension, and the pics only show where we are this weekend. My buddy Tom (pro-fabricator and mechanical wizard) would explain that the rear shock mounts get outer tubes to support them after we make the pads for the roll bar. No worries...it'll be rock solid and strong! Pictures will follow when we're done with that part.

I brought my Miata spaghetti over to the house yesterday...yeeeeesh!!!
Somewhere I saw a helpful link explaining how to cut out all the crap you don't need and shorten wires & connectors. Apparently this is a boat load of work, so I'm trying to get psyched to plan out this surgical procedure. I've read that many people just wire-tie the "extra" wires and tuck them under the dash, but I'm going to try to get the wiring down to bare minimum. We'll see...thank goodness I have plenty of time before I'll need to wire the car!!

..."wire tie and tuck"... believe me, down the road you will regret doing it... becomes a rats nest... All is well until you have to locate 'one' wire...then....there will be tears...!

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gblawson (Gordon)
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http://gblandco.com/gb/cent/cent.html

I found Nathan's build page with the information on "Miata Wiring Harness Hacking." This is on my "things to consider" list!
viewtopic.php?t=3543

I got home tonight and thought, "It must be Christmas!!" I found a 15" UltraSheild seat; a set of five matte black 7.5x15 Konig wheels with 205/50-15 Hankook tires (mounted & balanced) and a full set of black lug nuts from Discount Tires Online...AND...a reverse mount Wilwood Pedal Assembly kit with three 3/4" bore master cylinders and a Proportioning Valve!





I didn't quite complete today's project, but it's very close. My $4 seat brackets that I found at our local junk store for the UltraSheild seats are cut, gusseted, drilled, painted and attached to both the seat slider and the seat. I just need to weld in my 1x1, weld on the tabs and set the driver's seat in place.





It's been a long, fun day...time for a whiskey & Coke!

Unless your floor pan is 1/8" steel (and even if it is) it's not wise to count on those bottom fasteners alone to hold the seats. The rails need to bolt to 1" tubes with thru-bushings. Why no one makes low-profile seat rails (like this) with side mounts I don't know. The reason I didn't have seat rails was the above, and being unwilling to have the seat 1" higher than it needed to be.

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

on the pedal assy, do you have a balance bar?

if so, why are you fitting a proportioning valve?

the 3/4" bore cylinders are a good thing, i used 1" for the brakes and the effort is too high,

i used 5/8 for the clutch and the pedal is too far down at the pickup point, although the clutch will be heavyer with 3/4 as there is not enough pedal ratio in the wilwood pedal but i am old and my leg gets tired.

lub the pedal pivots before installation as mine squeek.

with reverse pedals, make sure you can check the fluid easily as they will be under the dash.

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this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

Regarding the seat brackets, I've searched to see how others are mounting similar seats and I believe my set-up will work great for my needs. I'm installing a seat slider to allow my wife and other vertically-challenged friends to drive my 6" extended car! The low-profile slider only adds 1/2" to the seat height and that's no big deal! Perhaps once I'm completely finished this week, it will make more sense to those with questions about it - I'll post additional photos. (My homemade, locost seat brackets are a simple version of those sold by Sparco and others.)

Also - I talked with a Wilwood engineer who explained that while you don't "need" a proportioning valve in conjunction with their pedal assembly's balance bar, it definitely makes set-ups and adjustments to the brake bias much quicker and easier...just turn the knob! I'm not sure I'll be tweeking this bias much, but it could be handy if I'd run an autocross one weekend, have a track day at Sebring the next weekend and drive it around town the rest of the time. As the engineer said, "Look at it as an extra tool in your toolbox!" Plus it was only $40, so I splurged!

Did you happen to ask that engineer if that proportioning valve can be used in place of dual masters and a bias bar? I'm not at that decision point, but it would be nice to know if such a device is available. My donor had a proportioning/distribution setup using a single master cylinder that had two outlets in tandem. A single master would save space.

They each fed two distinct inlets on the distribution device - quite complicated as it fed 3 (yes, 3) pipes, one to each front tires and one to the rear two, which split later at the rear of the car. I'm not sure you could adjust it in the field, though. It looks like it was set at manufacture to the donor's requirements.

Cheers,

Lonnie

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

if that is the standard proportioning valve it probably stops fluid from the front brakes until the rears are pressurized then it applies the fronts, this stops the front from locking up first, this is usually found on "drum brake rear" systems where the shoes have to be pushed out from rest to contact the drums.

_________________
this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

I re-worked and welded in the transmission mount with a rubber isolator while Tom finished the mock-up of the front suspension today. Suzuki GSXR1000 shocks are being used up front, and they're turning out to be a good selection. (Tom and Bob both use Suzuki shocks and they took their cars this weekend and flogged them on the "FIRM" track in north Florida. They were thrilled with the performance and handling of their 7s!)

We taped the newly painted coils to keep from getting scratched up (originally yellow):

A couple close ups:



Tomorrow I'm going to pull the motor & tranny, remove the front and rear suspension and flip the frame on its side to finish welding, finish priming and begin the top coat of John Deere "Black Blitz" (matte black). When the frame has dried, I need to re-assemble everything and get Kate ready for her new home...my nephew downsizing his race shop, and I'm moving her to my garage next Sunday. It will be convenient to have her here at the house!!

Your making great progress! .What year gsxr shocks are you using and any idea on the spring weight? .

Thanks! I went with the 2009-11 GSXR shocks primarily to get ones with lower mileage - both purchased on eBay claimed to only have a few thousand miles on them and they cost $60 each. Tom came up with a creative way to utilize the top shop mounts and getting the bottom bolts saved searching/driving around to find the proper fit.


Tom is using this same shock and his dad, Bob, is using a GSXR750 shock.

From the internet:
06-09 GSXR 750 have 30mm - Spring Rate is 1.00 kg/mm
10-11 GSXR 750 have 30mm - Spring Rate is 0.90 kg/mm Big Piston

05-06 GSXR 1000 have 30mm - Spring Rate is 0.95 kg/mm
07-08 GSXR 1000 have 28mm - Spring Rate is 0.976 kg/mm
09-11 GSXR 1000 have 28mm - Spring Rate is 0.976 kg/mm Big Piston

We're getting ready to weld in a bracket for the steering rack. Tom came up with this set-up when he built his car and it works perfectly, so as usual, I'm following his lead! I cut off both ends of the original donor Miata rack at the joint (so they're about a foot long), lubed and put new dust seals on the tie rod ends.

I'm also using two of Jack's heim joints on the end of the rack along with four 1/2" ID, 1/16" long spacers.

If anyone's interested here is the rack information and specs:
Part Number: AC425152 
"END LOAD RACK & PINION"

- Two 1/2 inch bolts that are 2 inches long are required to mount the heim joints for the tie rods.
- Two 3/8-16 coarse thread bolts that are 1/2 to 5/8 inches long are required to mount the top 2 bolts of the rack and pinion.
- Two 3/8 inch bolts that are 3 1/4 inches long are required to mount the bottom 2 bolts of the rack and pinion.
- The pinion will travel 3/4 turn from center to lock.  
- The rack will travel 2" from center to lock.  
- The input shaft is 5/8" with 36 splines.  
- Weight = 8.2 lbs.

With those springs, what is your wheel rate and wheel travel?

_________________
Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

i used the same rack, hope yours has less play in it than mine, the only way i can see for reducing the play is to have the pinion hard chrome plated.

i made some extensions for my rack as i needed 21" from end to end and put in lock stops with the extenders.

i have 1 3/4 turns lock to lock.

_________________
this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

Garman,

Where did you get your seat sliders?

Thanks,

Lonnie

_________________
Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886