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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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PostPosted: June 4, 2017, 12:58 pm 
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My Renault 5 had about 50mm different wheelbase from one side to the other, on purpose. Your asymmetry is in the noise and can, as noted earlier, be eliminated by adjustment of suspension pickup points.

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PostPosted: June 4, 2017, 8:44 pm 
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Makes sense guys, thanks. Next step is to have my axle narrowed and start on the front suspension.

Also, have been reading about watts links and initially like the idea over a panhard rod. Going to research that a bit more and see if it still seems like a good idea..


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PostPosted: June 5, 2017, 8:52 am 
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The main question is "what roll center height are you looking for?" The Panhard lets you set the roll center anywhere you want. The Watts limits you to the ground clearance of the lower link. As long as the RCH you want is in the range you're OK.

The Panhard looks primitive compared to the Watts, but if you run into fabrication or packaging problems, it works just fine in practice.

One thing the Watts will do that the Panhard won't - you can move the roll center laterally. First generation RX7s did that, partly for packaging, and partly to skew the roll axis to balance the handling when the car had only a driver aboard, which would be most of the time.


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PostPosted: June 5, 2017, 3:05 pm 
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Huh, never thought about moving it laterally.. Though the locost drivers I see around my track rarely get a run without a passenger, haha. I'll have work out the RCH for the front and then match the back. Might be able to cheat a bit by moving the whole thing up a bit and mounting the center pivot to the chassis, with the arms coming off the axles. Working on an Inventor model now.. I'll have to see what happens when I offset the assembly up from the axle tube centerline..


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PostPosted: June 19, 2017, 10:26 pm 
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Well I've taken my rear end out to be narrowed and started looking at what kind of front track width I want. In order to set up my front suspension geometry correctly, I have decided to model it up in Inventor. Downloaded the book chassis model from Sevenesque and then started building a crude model of the spindles, before moving on to the lower balljoint, sleeve, hub, brake disc and a solid rim/tire representation. It's not located front to rear yet but I have set the ride height at 5" and am looking at what the lower arms are going to look like. If Whitby ever decides to either ship my upper balljoint adapter, I will get to the upper arms when I'm able to locate the upper balljoint.

Image

Image

I've also been practicing my welding and am showing improvements after watching some Youtube tutorials. The biggest thing was to move the puddle in a zigzag pattern instead of a straight line. Then after that it was dragging the puddle slower, which also ties in with correct wire speed and power setting. Granted my welder only has four power settings, and I'm still blowing through thin wall stuff while trying to weld it to thicker parts. Oh well, it's progress...

Before tutorials. Beware, welding gore:

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After:
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PostPosted: June 20, 2017, 7:39 am 
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Flux cored wire? If so, throw it away and go get a gas bottle.

If you really like welding with flux, put the MIG away and buy a Lincoln tombstone welder and start using 3/32 6013 electrodes.

Either way your welds will improve immediately.

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PostPosted: June 20, 2017, 9:06 am 
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Yeah, it's flux core. The welder does have an attachment for gas but I've never tried it. I suppose I should before I start welding suspension parts..


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PostPosted: June 20, 2017, 9:31 am 
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Going with gas lets you move to smaller diameter wire. I keep .018, .023, and .030 wire on hand in the garage pretty much all the time. If you only want to go with one size the .023 is pretty sweet. It's small enough that it melts easily on low 1, get the wire feed dialed in and you can spot weld or stich weld 20 gage sheet metal.

Turn it up to High 2, crank up the wire feed and you can lay down full thickness fillets in 1/4 inch plate.

The best suggestion I can make it practice on scrap steel and get some settings that you can repeat easily. Low/ High, 1/2, and different wire feed settings. Create a table that you can go back to your preferred settings and only have to make very small tweaks on your wire feed.

You'll want to open the welder up every now and then and clean the drive wheel on the wire feeder.

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PostPosted: June 20, 2017, 9:39 am 
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Good advice, thanks. Going to try and pick up a regulator and tank today or tomorrow..


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PostPosted: June 20, 2017, 9:57 am 
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ZiG wrote:
Good advice, thanks. Going to try and pick up a regulator and tank today or tomorrow..


I bought my regulator on ebay. It's cheap, but does the job just fine for under $30.
Craigslist is your best friend for getting a gas bottle. You may find one today, or you may have to shop for a while. I bought both of mine on Craigslist for about 1/3 the price from a welding supply.

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


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PostPosted: June 20, 2017, 11:37 am 
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Along with blowing out the feeder area, as Too Busy suggested, do yourself a favor and add a wiper. a piece of paper towel with a clothes pin. You would not believe the amount of crap it will keep from going into, and eventually wearing, your liner!

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PostPosted: June 20, 2017, 5:44 pm 
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TooBusy wrote:
Flux cored wire? If so, throw it away and go get a gas bottle.

If you really like welding with flux, put the MIG away and buy a Lincoln tombstone welder and start using 3/32 6013 electrodes.

Either way your welds will improve immediately.


I'd wondered about those smaller welding rods. It seemed to me they ought to let you get into the tight spaces. I've only used the larger production oriented rods and that's how I learned to weld. A mig only came later.

I broke my gas connection and haven't gotten around to buying another, because it's not an off the shelf item for my welder, and I've had trouble getting the welds I want.

My grandson & I have been playing with the welder all weekend as I've tried to teach him to weld and at the same time get my welds back up to snuff. I found out I had to completely ignore the welder's directions to finally get a weld I can live with. I had to turn the welder all the way up and turn the welder feed up to 7 out of 10. Other than that we couldn't get a continuous arc. It kept sputtering and the weld wire would push the gun.

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PostPosted: June 20, 2017, 5:45 pm 
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Dismantalus wrote:
Along with blowing out the feeder area, as Too Busy suggested, do yourself a favor and add a wiper. a piece of paper towel with a clothes pin. You would not believe the amount of crap it will keep from going into, and eventually wearing, your liner!



???? show me

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PostPosted: June 20, 2017, 9:18 pm 
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Wire wiper is always a good idea.

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OOPS I did it again
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http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216


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PostPosted: June 20, 2017, 10:06 pm 
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Huh, I like it. And after not finding much in my local store, I'm going to see if I can find a used tank and regulator. Makes sense I suppose.

I have now modeled up the lower A-arm kit I got from Jack (including heim joints) and am working out my final cut dimensions. After adding FU1/2 to the frame model, I have placed the mounting tabs and hope to have the lower arms sorted out (in CAD) within the next couple days.

Getting pretty upset with Whitby. I ordered the upper balljoint connectors something like six weeks ago and haven't heard a peep. Have not received one response to my emails, and every time I phone I am asked to leave my number and told they will call me back. They never have. Since I have a balljoint taper reamer and a mill, I have half a mind to make my own at this point...


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