Fabricated front uprights

[Talonmotorsport]

The light weight uprights as in the cad drawings are used in grass track specials and heavily modded class 5+7 saloons. www.drdracing.co.uk/Chassis_Components.php These are £40 each plus ally escort type hubs £40 each. So question is if there that cheap why make them?

[Balidey]

Cheap is a relative term when I plan to scratch build almost everything.
£40 each upright, plus £40 each hub, plus about £15 postage.£175.
Cortina hubs are about £80 to £100 a pair.
Sierra ones about half that, but requiring mushrooms.

From what I have read the best uprights to use are the older Triumph design, but again are harder to find and fetch more money.

Fabricated uprights will cost time only as I have use of materials, laser, mill, lathe, welding, blasting. And I can tailor them to give me the geometry I need.

What I hadn't seen is any evidence of fabricated items, but those links above for the autograss ones confirm that they are made, and I have seen the abuse that some og those cars get so I am more than happy to attempt to make my own. I think.

And the 'hassle' factor shouldn't come into it, it should be the 'fun' and 'rewarding' factors. Isn't this why we build cars? not to have hassle, but to enjoy the process of it, and to save some cash too.

And the smaller items I can make (uprights, wishbones etc) I can tackle sooner, where are the chassis is going to be harder to hide from my wife

[flyerncle]

Having followed the Talon link and looking at what they offer, and then reading Balidey's post I can see the logic in his thought's and the fact that he can say "I made this" makes a lot of sense.
I for one would be interested in fabricated and rose jointed uprights at Budget cost, with engineering expertise close to hand and the time and equipment to use it would not be difficult as Balidey says.
Hiding the chassis however is another matter.
Out of interest Ford now only have one side available new for the Sierra upright at £154 so they will become a rare item in time,If the new Haynes toy requires the same parts and reading between the lines maybe not, we may be looking for more bits from the old Sierra.

Good luck with you build Balidey

[londonsean69]

Originally Posted by Balidey

Cheap is a relative term when I plan to scratch build almost everything.
£40 each upright, plus £40 each hub, plus about £15 postage.£175.
Cortina hubs are about £80 to £100 a pair.
Sierra ones about half that, but requiring mushrooms.

Don't forget the bearing kit at £13 a side
Or they can come as part of a donor Sierra (I'm actually buying the bits as I go). I got my Sierra hubs for £40 delivered. The mushrooms I am in the process of making.

Originally Posted by Balidey

Fabricated uprights will cost time only as I have use of materials, laser, mill, lathe, welding, blasting. And I can tailor them to give me the geometry I need.

Fair enough, but that means it should also be easy to make Mushrooms.

Won't you have to buy bearings for them as well?? They are getting pricey for Sierra ones. Although if making from scratch you could design in any easily/cheaply available bearing.

Originally Posted by Balidey

What I hadn't seen is any evidence of fabricated items, but those links above for the autograss ones confirm that they are made, and I have seen the abuse that some og those cars get so I am more than happy to attempt to make my own. I think.

Here are some more;
Ally - http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=1375_1594_1595&products_id= 11815
Steel - http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=1375_1594_1595&products_id= 13605

Originally Posted by Balidey

And the 'hassle' factor shouldn't come into it, it should be the 'fun' and 'rewarding' factors. Isn't this why we build cars? not to have hassle, but to enjoy the process of it, and to save some cash too.

Maybe hassle is the wrong word, but there are definitely certain things that I would buy in if I were to do it again, unless I had better tools. Case in point is the inserts. My tiny lathe is making them, but for £50 a pair would the several hours it has taken so far been better spent doing something else??
If you have access to bigger/more industrial tools then fair play, go for it, lucky git

Originally Posted by Balidey

And the smaller items I can make (uprights, wishbones etc) I can tackle sooner, where are the chassis is going to be harder to hide from my wife

I'm doing the same. I have cut a lot of the chassis plates, made wishbones etc. and am actually leaving the chassis till a bit later in the year. It too hot in my garage to be welding in summer!! Tacked a few brackets last week and was dripping!

I would be very interested to see a finished set

Originally Posted by flyerncle

Out of interest Ford now only have one side available new for the Sierra upright at £154 so they will become a rare item in time,

Christ, they are £90 a pair at Rallydesign

Sean

[londonsean69]

These might also be of some interest/help to you

http://groups.google.com/group/locos.../uprights-hubs

It's a collection of DXF and DWG files for the locost, mainly uprights, hubs and suspension parts - including the cortina hub and upright, ball joints, etc

It's from a link on the locostbuilders forum

Sean

[Balidey]

Thanks for that link Sean, just what I was looking for.

[Bonzo]

I quite like this idea

It would be the ideal chance for designing an upright with optimum geometry

Don't fancy my chances of designing an upright on graph paper & knowing bugger all about suspension design

[flyerncle]

Something on the lines of the drawing, u shaped with castor built in as in the Sierra upright and tapered holes for the ball joint we are using now and stub axle to suit lightweight hubs.
Parallel holes for rose joints and a choice of caliper mounting.
I only have limited access to a lathe and drilling gear so not an option for me and speaking to small engineering firms they are not interested.