Silver Dream Racer

[Andrew Cooke]

formerly known as "The Rainbow Warrior"

I guess I should start a build thread, and I'll start will a really dull entry

For this first little job I'm converting the front hubs to use studs rather than bolts. The studs are Ford fitment from Rally Design. I'm using early 4 stud Laguna 2.2D hubs, and they're a fair bit chunkier than the GTT ones. In the attached pictures I'm thinning down the front hubs, partly to lose weight, partly to give some space for the studs, and partly to set the right length through the disk, wheel, and new front nuts.

My lathe isn't very big, and the drive belts were struggling with the large diameter steel so I ended up having to take 10 thou cuts, that's a lot of cutting, and I filled a bucket with swarf.

My next jobs are to drill out the original threads to 1/2" and press the studs in. In the background of the 3rd pic you can see 2 studs partially screwed into a 3rd hub. You can also see the thinned down hub alongside an unmolested one.

[THE MASTER]

and just a little link to some brakes
http://delphi.com/manufacturers/auto...kes/maxtorque/

[Andrew Cooke]

Finished fitting the front wheel studs. It took a while as I has to borrow a 1/2" drill.

Clamped the hubs to the mill, and drilled out the standard threads to 1/2"

Cut a length of tube to slip over the bolt, and pressed the first one in using my vise

Dropped one of my new 280mm solid disks onto the hub.

Bolted a wheel on to check I'd got the length right

Pressed the rest of the studs home, job done.

[dave j gtt]

so all that hold the studs in is what ? sorry to ask the silly question ?

[djinuk]

little confused, just wondering how come you cant simply screw a stud in tight with thead lock, like the 205 stud conversions etc

[D4WNO]

What advantages do you get by using studs rather than bolts then?

Fair play to ya, you're a bit handy aren't you?

[Bigfoot]

Easier to change alloys as they will rest on the studs.

[Brigsy]

Do the studs have a tapered base/small splines to hold them tight? I recall the ford ones having something like when i had to change one on my old sierra years ago. Will make changing wheels a lot easier!

[paul b]

TOP JOB....................

works well from the looks of it too.....

[stuTHC]

i wish i had a workshop in my shed

...........tbh, i wish i had a shed!!

[Andrew Cooke]

ooh, so many questions.

what holds them in.. if you look at the 3rd of the first batch of pictures you can see a couple of studs in the background. They have splines to stop them spinning, and a 'mushroom' to stop them pulling through.

why didn't I just screw some studs in - that was plan A, I got a kit of bits from rally design. They were shocking and I sent them back as I wouldn't use them on my car. No 2 were the same, the threads were dreadful, there was nothing to positively locate the stud. You just screwed it in as far as you fancied, then I suppose loctited, or welded it in place. I just had visions of the wrong bit unscrewing during a tyre change. I don't need to add unreliability into my car, especially when it's pretty simple to do the job right.

Why do it at all? Good question, it takes me 15 minutes to do a wheel swap on my own, anything that makes the job easier is a good thing. I was also beginning to wonder how much abuse the standard threads should take, this way I can swap bolts and nuts when I think they're worn. I intend to machine the hubs away where the disk rotating screw lives, the studs will stop the disk moving during a wheel change.

[dave j gtt]

so all that hold the studs in is what ? sorry to ask the silly question ?

o right i get you, they go thru from the back side of the hub , yep silly question couldnt get my head around cheers

[Andrew Cooke]

o right i get you, they go thru from the back side of the hub , yep silly question couldnt get my head around cheers

no problem, what may seem obvious often isn't

[Scoff]

I'm glad I saw these pictures Andy, it prompted me to set my lathe up in my tiny garage again, only to discover the only chuck I have won't open enough to get the OD of the very things I needed to turn Ebay time again.

[Adey aka Ewok]

what else is in store for the wee beastie andrew?

[Andrew Cooke]

what else is in store for the wee beastie andrew?

Just the rest of the stuff...

I've got a bit of secret stuff to do, and you won't see that for a while. Beyond that I've got wishbones to make, rear axle to finish errm, getting depressed now

I might just put the engine together so I can fire it up before redoing all the wiring in the car. I need to get it to the dyno sometime, but I need to also finish the exhaust before that.

[paul b]

chop chop then Andy.....

should be testing by sunday lunchtime then,.

keep at it young man......it's all worth it.

[Adey aka Ewok]

if you end up down ure local rr place let me know and ill pop up

[Andrew Cooke]

will do, but it be an engine dyno this time

[Adey aka Ewok]

sounds fun, take it ure changing somthing that means you need to get it on a dyno again?

[Andrew Cooke]

sounds fun, take it ure changing somthing that means you need to get it on a dyno again?

LOL, the conrods are the same

[Adey aka Ewok]

is that about it lol

[Rob@Backyardracing]

Good work Andy and rotational weight save... i gather the disc will have some machining to fit and run in the caliper or you just spacing the caliper to match the running of the disc...

[Andrew Cooke]

Good work Andy and rotational weight save... i gather the disc will have some machining to fit and run in the caliper or you just spacing the caliper to match the running of the disc...

I keep changing the plan, the latest is to build around the standard disk, then look at lightening later, or maybe going custom with an alloy bell. Those 280mm disks are heavy though, they weigh as much as a standard GTT disk.

I'm thinking about getting a better mill before Christmas, so maybe I'll get mad with that, at the moment I'm not confident that the thing that's on the lathe won't move.

[Rob@Backyardracing]

i really should read things twice.... duurrrrrr

[Rob@Backyardracing]

Is the much difference in the front wheel widths or geo over the GT set up with the hud swaps?

[Andrew Cooke]

Is the much difference in the front wheel widths or geo over the GT set up with the hud swaps?

they're completely different

[Adey aka Ewok]

have you broken a gtt hub andrew? could you not of fitted the studs to the gtt hub? are you going to need new custom front struts?

[Andrew Cooke]

have you broken a gtt hub andrew? could you not of fitted the studs to the gtt hub? are you going to need new custom front struts?

yes I have broken a GTT hub, both of them as it happens. The new front end uses bigger CV's, bearings, and is all around much stiffer. And yes, I'm going to need another set of custom front struts.

[Adey aka Ewok]

thats cool, didnt see a post relating to the reason to swap to a bigger stronger hub. so how long till the cars back together and in competion? and why is it called the silver dream racer? you having a colour change?

[Andrew Cooke]

thats cool, didnt see a post relating to the reason to swap to a bigger stronger hub. so how long till the cars back together and in competion? and why is it called the silver dream racer? you having a colour change?

it's kinda spread over 3 forums now

If I don't keep changing the spec it should be finished about 2 years ago

Iceberg silver when it gets painted. Kinda white-not-quite.

[Andrew Cooke]

I've started doing a bit for the rose jointed front wishbones, my old ones had rose joints on the outer end, these will be tubular, and use 3 rose joints.

First job for the night shift at the Oxfordshire tophat factory was to make some tophats for the inner rose joints. The lathe was a bit happier making these small parts, and the finish ended up pretty good to.

Another small job tonight was boring out the 76.5mm ARP piston ring compressor to 76.6mm to suit my pistons. That was a bit noisy with it ringing like a bell

[Mart]

Ya vernier needs zero'ing

[Andrew Cooke]

Ya vernier needs zero'ing

nah it doesn't, just needs closing :P

[Mart]

Got some v impressive mod's going on there mate

What you doing to the lump?

[Andrew Cooke]

Got some v impressive mod's going on there mate

What you doing to the lump?

as above, I'm changing everything but the conrods.

The manifolds, turbo, and intercooler will be the same, new exhaust, new front and rear suspension, new bodywork. Wheels will be the same, calipers the same, rear disks the same. New logger, new dashboard, new gearbox, driveshafts, uprights, bearings, wishbones, front disks, rear axle, dampers all around.

It should end up lower, wider, lighter, stiffer, and hopefully a good chunk faster.

This latest rebuild will be in the order of 15K, ie I could have jusy gone out and bought a brand new, ready to race single seater and thrown the car away.

[paul b]

It should end up lower, wider, lighter, stiffer, and hopefully a good chunk faster.

and what about the car ??????????????????????????????

[Rob@Backyardracing]

In what way have you changed the manifolds?

[Andrew Cooke]

In what way have you changed the manifolds?

the manifolds will be the same....

[Andrew Cooke]

today's bit of fun..

I bored out the tapers on the hub so that I could fit rose joints onto the uprights, made a bit of a spacer for the bottom mount to help correct the geometry for the lowered suspension. I did something similar for the old suspension, but I've gone a bit further this time. I still need to play around to decide how all the bits will eventually fit together.

[Andrew Cooke]

no making stuff tonight, just a bit of measuring and drawing. No making stuff this weekend either due to a couple of lame excuses. Pictures show a gap where a caliper bracket will need to go, and the CAD drawing is what I plan to make to fill the gap. It's a bit frustrating as a lot of the stuff I'm doing at the moment is almost the same as the stuff I made for the old uprights.

[Andrew Cooke]

I found a nice bit of aluminium and started trimming it on the bandsaw to use for the calliper brackets, it was making a bit of a racket, so it'll keep for the weekend.

Started to mock up the front suspension so that I can see what needs doing, the wishbone is blocked at about running height. It still has a bit too much camber and the tyres will fit the arches better when it's set closer. The bits are just balanced together, but it looks like it'll be about 50mm wider than a Williams.

I'm going to have to cut a couple of inches off the bottom of the body kit to stop it rubbing on the road

I've decided that I'm going to get some custom top mounts made to push the damper tops outboard rather than incline the dampers this time. Duncan, who made your mounts?

[Andrew Cooke]

I was a bit late leaving work today, so did a bit of drawing rather than making. I thought I'd start doing a bit of a sketch of what I want for top mounts, the question is, do I make them myself, or get them made? Anyway I've sketched a 2 part mount, the one part bolts into the inner arch, the other contains the bearing. This version allows about 3 deg of camber change without changing caster.

[paul b]

its coming along nicely now.....

please let me know if and when your at curburough this coming year....

cracking CAD drawings too,,,,

[Chris Hebden]

Make the mounts your self mate! It would be a shame if you went to an outside company from an achievement point of view. When you looked at mounting your calipers did it matter at what angle you mount them? I.e. at 3 o'clock or 2 o'clock? I've always wanted to know as you see different manufacturers mounting them in different places?!

[Andrew Cooke]

Make the mounts your self mate! It would be a shame if you went to an outside company from an achievement point of view. When you looked at mounting your calipers did it matter at what angle you mount them? I.e. at 3 o'clock or 2 o'clock? I've always wanted to know as you see different manufacturers mounting them in different places?!

I've just (today) ordered a mill, so will probably have to make them myself to claw back some of the expenditure. I'm just concerned that if I make everything myself it'll never get done, it's certainly nice when you send a drawing off and a part arrives that fits.

With callipers you only need to worry about getting the bleed nipples at the top such that you don't get any trapped air, and mounting them such that the lugs on the callipers don't clash with the lugs on the upright. Attached is an early sketch of my callipers roughly placed in the right position.

[Scoff]

what sort of mill have you ordered andy ? Iv'e been gathering bits up to do light milling at home, end mills, slot drills, cross vice, etc.

[Andrew Cooke]

what sort of mill have you ordered andy ? Iv'e been gathering bits up to do light milling at home, end mills, slot drills, cross vice, etc.

Chester Lux / RF45 I couldn't get anything bigger into my shed, in fact I'm pretty worried about how I'll get it into the shed. I'm hoping it'll be good enough that I don't wish I was using a mill at work.

[Chris Hebden]

Fair comment Andrew, but on the same note, any set backs you know who to blame

Ah right so their wont be any brake force gained from mounting on the front or the rear of the hub? Interesting thanks for clearing that up!

[Andrew Cooke]

Ah right so their wont be any brake force gained from mounting on the front or the rear of the hub? Interesting thanks for clearing that up!

not to talk of, if you're designing an upright from scratch you'll look at putting the mounting lugs in the strong parts of the hub, or maybe putting the callipers underneath to lower the CofG, or maybe putting them where the brake ducts will work best.