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Cameron

[project] The Ultimate Track 205

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Cameron

It would be cheaper, but I wouldn't want to use bushes as they introduce all sorts of unwanted compliances.

 

The track rods need to be adjustable at both ends though, I don't really want to have to dismantle anything to adjust the tracking, I'd much rather be able to do it with the car in one piece otherwise it'll be a very long-winded procedure! I'll be using a LH and a RH thread rod end on each end, so you only have to turn the central bar to adjust it.

 

I can't retain the original track rods either, as much as I'd like to. The inner track rod ball joints need to be extended outwards otherwise I'll have horrendous bump steer! Will be quite simple to machine a clevis that can be screwed into the end of the rack and extend it out, that's the plan.

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Cameron

Well it could be worse I guess, for the prices Merlin Motorsport are charging it would cost me £1,300!! :o

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alexcrosse

I got all my rod ends from rally design for the mini's double wishbone rear end and stuff... was only about £230 for the rear end anyway, and they are all properly rated and very good quality. Where are you pricing yours from... RS or something?

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Cameron

I got all my rod ends from rally design for the mini's double wishbone rear end and stuff... was only about £230 for the rear end anyway, and they are all properly rated and very good quality. Where are you pricing yours from... RS or something?

 

They're Aurora bearings from Rota Precision. What make are the Rally Design ones?

 

Edit - Had a look on the raldes site, the prices for the size I need aren't much different to Rota's, but the Aurora ones are PTFE lined. I'm gonna go with them, 8 wishbones and 4 track rods worth (inc jam nuts) comes to £670! He gave me free delivery, but it still stings a bit! :lol:

 

Edit 2 - Obviously didn't look properly, they have PTFE liners too. :rolleyes: Ah well, I'd have to source sphericals from somewhere too.. sod it.

Edited by Cameron

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alexcrosse

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/index.php?cPath=1113_1801

 

not sure mate, in my opinion it doesnt matter what the make is, as long as they come with static radial loads.

 

edit: £670's ok, luckily some nutters just given you a load of money for suspension hey

Edited by alexcrosse

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welshpug

have you tried an agricultural supplier?

 

might be too small for their usual stock mind :lol:

Edited by welshpug

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Cameron

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/index.php?cPath=1113_1801

 

not sure mate, in my opinion it doesnt matter what the make is, as long as they come with static radial loads.

 

edit: £670's ok, luckily some nutters just given you a load of money for suspension hey

 

Yeah that's pretty handy, will definitely have to cash that cheque tonight! :lol:

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EdCherry

You could just install a turnbuckle on the tracking arm to overcome needing to adjust both ends of the track rod cameron. It means you can use a spherical for the inner/outer instead which normally ends up cheaper.

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Cameron

I did contemplate that, but it turned out the sphericals and rod ends are the same price in that size! :lol:

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EdCherry

Fair enough, atleast it will be easier to install, service and produce arms with just rose joints :)

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davenport

haha yeah they aint cheap are they!!

 

the M20 x 1.5 16mm bore rod ends on the outboard end of my wishbones are 135euros EACH!!

 

 

definatly worth doing 1 LH 1RH on the linkages..

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Cameron

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHUHUHUHUUUUUUUUUUCKINELL HOW MUCH!? :lol:

 

Yep, considering the effort I'm going through to make the suspension setup it seems a waste to compromise the steering for the sake of saving a few quid. :)

 

I'm please to announce that, as of yesterday evening, proper actual real tangible physical not-on-a-computer-screen nuts and bolts work has started! I picked up my base model 1.6 Auto on Saturday / Sunday so have got it into my garage and started to strip it down to the bare shell. I'm incredibly impressed with it so far, it's without doubt the cleanest 205 shell I've ever worked on and with the exception of the rearmost front seat bolts, which always seem to be a nightmare, it's been incredibly easy to take apart! The interior now lives in the boot of my Mondeo and will be taken to the dump tomorrow, then once I've removed the engine I'll jack it up, remove the suspension and everything from the underside then start making my level chassis frame.

 

PICS! Of real stuff! :D

 

In it's new home for the foreseeable future:

 

IMAG0013.jpg

 

Post tear-down:

 

DSC02263.jpg

 

The interior probably won't need painting as it's all mint, but this depends on what colours I go for inside.

 

I'm really happy with it so far, there's absolutely no sign of corrosion despite the driver's side sound deadening being soaked through, the little clips that hold the carpet down under the door seals looked completely undisturbed and were still bright gold - I've never seen that before! :lol: I guess with it being an Auto it hasn't suffered any interior tear-ups to fit aftermarket alarms, speakers or amplifiers that GTI's all seem to have.

Edited by Cameron

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Rippthrough

have you tried an agricultural supplier?

 

might be too small for their usual stock mind :lol:

 

It's usually cheap unlined mild steel chinese s*it in there though...

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Liquid_106

Flogging your Miami auto bonnet? :rolleyes:

Poor thing has no idea about what going to happen to it :lol:

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Cameron

Flogging your Miami auto bonnet? :rolleyes:

Poor thing has no idea about what going to happen to it :lol:

 

Nope, keeping it for the Miami GTI! :D

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Cameron

Ooooooh sweet, delicious progress! :D

 

Having spent the last week in Lommel with a stinking cold, I was itching to get something done this weekend! Before I could do anything I needed to make some space in my garage, which has been a tip ever since my crappy B&Q shelf fell apart and littered the place with hundreds of cans and bits and pieces! So after a bit of cutting and welding I had probably the most overkill shelf brackets ever - still, should stop the bastard falling down again! :lol:

 

DSC02275.jpg

 

So that gave me a nice bit of practise to start making my chassis stands, which I did. :)

 

DSC02266.jpg

 

I'd been scratching my head about how I was actually going to get the thing up in the air high enough, since I only had a trolley jack and one set of axle stands! I opted for the engine crane instead, which required some little brackets to be made up that I could lift from..

 

DSC02268.jpg

 

Then I could attach my crane and lift the shell up high enough. :D

 

DSC02272.jpg

 

DSC02270.jpg

 

The chassis stand took a bit of jiggling around to get in place, but it's there now.

 

DSC02273.jpg

 

Et voila! The rear end is up in the air! :D

 

I can do the same for the front tomorrow, then once it's all sorted I can get the shell level by shimming under the stands.

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EdCherry

You using imperial rose joints and fasteners too? I certainly would it works out cheaper.

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Cameron

Certainly am! I wanted to use NAS bolts so it had to be imperial. :)

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EdCherry

The slippery slope!!!

 

Kudos for giving this a go, is there a championship/series your looking to fit this into or it could be competitive in?

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Cameron

I would hillclimb it but I think the only class I could run in would be Sports Libre so wouldn't be that competitive without lots of power. I may enter just for fun and see how close to the pace it is, but I think for now it's just intended as a track toy.

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Cameron

More making of things today.. I managed to get the second chassis stand made in pretty good time as I'd got my eye in on the first one, so after removing as many heavy panels as I could (I was lifting it by the engine) I lifted the front end up onto it's stand.

 

DSC02276.jpg

 

All went very nicely tbh, which I'm very pleased with! I had enough time to have a really good tidy up in the garage and hang a few more bits and pieces off the walls, since every square millimetre of floor space is precious in a single garage! With the light eventually fading I had a look at how level the shell was sitting, it looks pretty good side to side, maybe a mm or two out, but front-rear is about 10mm out as the front jacking points seem to be a fair bit lower. I'll shim under the stands to get it all level once I've got the engine out and everything off the shell, then I'lll weld it in place and start making the measuring platform / false floor.

 

DSC02279.jpg

 

DSC02278.jpg

 

So here it is now, in it's final resting place as a 1.6 Auto. Once it's all stripped of parts I'll begin the task of removing all the unnecessary brackets and studs, and things like the seatbelt mounts, seat mounts, steering column mount etc etc etc.

 

DSC02283.jpg

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davenport

stirling work fella.....

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Batfink

Heres a thought. You could use heavy duty wheels on the bottom so you can move it about (obviously would need to bolt the two parts together) If the threads are long enough you could have a nut on there so you can adjust the height. More tricky to get the car off again though.

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Cameron

Yeah I was toying with the idea of fitting wheels to it so I could turn the car around once I've got the back end sorted, saves having to work with the garage door open when it comes to doing the front end! I'm not sure about it though as I don't really want it to have any chance of moving around when I'm positioning things underneath it. Will see how long it takes to do the back end I guess.

 

Would be nice to fit some threaded feet to it though, to help get it level without repeatedly jacking it up and down.. a bit like what corner weight platforms have.

Edited by Cameron

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alexcrosse

you definately wont be competitve in sports libra once my minis done :D but ill let you try! I must pop round for a coffee and criticism session soon pal ;) lol

Edited by alexcrosse

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