Wishbone front suspension
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Wishbone front suspension
My buddy just phoned & told me about this company, maybe its history to some of you guys, but I thought I'd share it with ya > http://www.red9design.co.uk/type1.htm Whats the verdict guys? personally I would stick with the old torsion bar set as was proven in Baja, but I guess some of the street buggy boys who have the monetary equivalent of a Ferrari invested in their buggy will take the plunge & buy one.
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If you are interested in something like that, check out club member Pete's front ends: http://a-arm.com/
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- Posts: 841
- Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2005 8:00 pm
[QUOTE="GotManx;12794"]If you are interested in something like that, check out club member Pete's front ends: http://a-arm.com/[/QUOTE] Thanks for that Jon, I will pass those details onto my buddy that phoned as he plans to fit one to his Manx type, maybe with the exchange rate he could also save a few ?$ by going to Pete. Nice to keep things within the club circles too IMO.
I'm building a rail, single seat, street, 3-wheeler. I originally was using a VW front end, but I found a Mazda Miata in a junkyard. The whole front subframe with A-arms, rack and pinion steering, vented rotor disc brakes and a thick anti-sway bar all came out in a unit after I pulled 8 bolts. It cost about $150. Its definitely unsuitable for off-road but it fit right into my street rail frame.
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[QUOTE="CairoManx;12799"]I'm building a rail, single seat, street, 3-wheeler. I originally was using a VW front end, but I found a Mazda Miata in a junkyard. The whole front subframe with A-arms, rack and pinion steering, vented rotor disc brakes and a thick anti-sway bar all came out in a unit after I pulled 8 bolts. It cost about $150. Its definitely unsuitable for off-road but it fit right into my street rail frame.[/QUOTE] Nelson, when I first saw that site your 3 wheeler project instantly came to mind, I had wondered what vehicle that front end was from. Not that Im aware of the model 'Miata'. $150 sounds a great deal, did you save much weight over the stock VW front?
I don't think it saves much weight, if any, if you use the whole stock subframe. However, if you only used the subframe as a pattern and then dumped it and mounted the A-arm pivots and steering in the same relative locations, directly on the rail frame, then you'd save a lot. I am using the subframe because I have my engine mounted on it. Something you can't use from the Miata are the springs and shocks. They're too big for a buggy and the upper end mounts to the Miata body. I plan on using a pair or Monroe airshocks. They're cheap and easily height adjustable. In the UK you could use any of the dozens of good coil over shocks they sell there.
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- Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2005 8:00 pm
[QUOTE="Manxdavid;12803"]A Miata's a Mazda MX5 Mel...[/QUOTE] Ah, thanks Dave, your wife had one of those I seem to remember. I read someplace that they are the worlds most popular sports car. Reminiscent of the old Lotus Elans of the 60's I always say, or as we would call them > a hairdressers car! Worse way, at least you know its worth 150 bucks when she's done with it.