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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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PostPosted: September 10, 2018, 4:08 pm 
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Joined: November 26, 2012, 2:29 pm
Posts: 191
Location: Rome, GA
Has anyone done this from scratch before? I'm looking at making a bolt in rear subframe to allow me to drop it out so I can take the rear differential out if I need to.
I'm planning on also bolting the rear lower control arms in onto the subframe as well... possibly also attach it to the mounts for the rear differential. It may make it a bit heavier to take out the differential but I think it'd strengthen the back of the chassis significantly.

Here's a couple snapshots of what I'm thinking. Red is 1x1 16 gage tubing and blue would be plate steel ,probably 1/8" thick and triangulated for strength.

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PostPosted: September 11, 2018, 8:19 am 
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Joined: February 20, 2015, 12:04 pm
Posts: 307
Location: Norfolk - UK
Yeah, I've done a design that did that; although in my case I used a bolt-in 'closer' at the back of the diff, instead of underneath, and we used a CNC-machined alloy plate as a feature, leaving it exposed beneath the bodywork at the back. You can't tell from this photo, the bull's head logo was machined so that it stood proud of the surrounding surface. I didn't like the black-and-white powder coating - I wanted it to be anodised gold or something, but I was over-ruled!

Worked fine, though. Getting the plate machined up was surprisingly cheap (about £150 for a pair of them, IIRC)

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PostPosted: September 13, 2018, 10:16 am 
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Joined: November 26, 2012, 2:29 pm
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Location: Rome, GA
That's not a bad idea! I've got enough room behind it to put a plate there and enough room to remove the diff out of the "trunk area"

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PostPosted: September 13, 2018, 10:43 am 
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Joined: October 19, 2012, 9:25 pm
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Location: Summerville, SC
My SR20 7 had a bolt in rear cradle. 15 minutes, 6 bolts and the whole shebang was out of the car.

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PostPosted: September 13, 2018, 11:23 am 
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Joined: July 29, 2006, 9:10 pm
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Location: Oregon, usually
Colin would kill me if he read this, but with a Miata at least, there's not too much of a weight gain from using the Miata's rear subframe, and there are lots of advantages to it. For example, it comes with a rear suspension, and for another, it comes free with the donor car. I haven't always been a believer, but I've converted over the years. Mind you, I'm a streeter (maybe occasional autocross), I'm lazy, I'm cheap, and I no longer care much if I'm .06 seconds faster than the other guy, so YMMV. Plus I'm sure you've thought of this (using the donor car's rear subframe) already, but I'm throwing it out for discussion anyway.

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PostPosted: September 13, 2018, 10:17 pm 
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Joined: November 26, 2012, 2:29 pm
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Location: Rome, GA
JackMcCornack wrote:
Colin would kill me if he read this, but with a Miata at least, there's not too much of a weight gain from using the Miata's rear subframe, and there are lots of advantages to it. For example, it comes with a rear suspension, and for another, it comes free with the donor car. I haven't always been a believer, but I've converted over the years. Mind you, I'm a streeter (maybe occasional autocross), I'm lazy, I'm cheap, and I no longer care much if I'm .06 seconds faster than the other guy, so YMMV. Plus I'm sure you've thought of this (using the donor car's rear subframe) already, but I'm throwing it out for discussion anyway.


No donor car in my case... piecing it all together... and I already have a ford 8.8 so thats what I'm using. Plus no cars that used it save for cobras had decent suspension. Plus I can swap tons of gear ratios in! :D

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