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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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PostPosted: March 31, 2021, 12:10 pm 
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Joined: October 28, 2020, 10:18 pm
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Thanks again for the feedback.

I would much prefer to keep the original axle. Changing it would mean new rims, speedo calibration, drive shaft, brake proportioning etc, etc... Aside from mounting it, I would really only need to change the driveshaft length. The biggest appeal to me for doing a Spider based build is that you essentially already have a working driveline. If I were to change away from it, then I would probably go fully independent in the rear. Glad Easter is coming. I will have 3 days to sit and tinker with different ideas and educate myself.


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PostPosted: June 9, 2021, 9:27 am 
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So I've been waiting for a month now for my rod ends etc... from Jegs. Still waiting and now not supposed to ship until June 16. Kept myself busy fabricating some stuff and fiddling with body work.

Did the seat shells, going to add a tubular frame to the bottom for extra strength and I have the seat sliders to mount from the Fiat. I'll cover them with foam and marine grade vinyl.

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PostPosted: June 9, 2021, 9:32 am 
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You've been busy! Nice seat fab.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12


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PostPosted: June 9, 2021, 9:38 am 
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^+1 What he said. Keep up the progress.

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PostPosted: June 9, 2021, 10:14 am 
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Thanks. It's nice to see it progressing. That spot welder was a great investment. Now I just need to replace my flux core buzz box. Can't weld worth a S@#t with that. Once I got it all mocked up, going to take it to my work and weld it with our Miller unit. For simplicity sake I'm also looking at buying the A-Arms from Summit. Anyone have any feedback or experience with the fuel cells off of Amazon?


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PostPosted: June 9, 2021, 11:57 am 
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Location: Cornelius OR
Do not cut your frame rail. Remote mount the oil filter......

Cutting the frame rail will create a crumple zone.....

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PostPosted: June 9, 2021, 12:32 pm 
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Bent Wrench wrote:
Do not cut your frame rail. Remote mount the oil filter......

Cutting the frame rail will create a crumple zone.....


I have no intention of cutting the frame rail. I will have to see what it looks like after I mount the steering rack and shaft. As it currently sits, I have a lot of room forward of the filter, and it would be no problem to remove it.


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PostPosted: August 2, 2021, 1:00 pm 
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I have a 1978 super 7 clone by Dutton. tube frame, 540 kg, 1230 lb. fiberglass and aluminum body. Triumph Spitfire front suspension, steering, brakes, 1967 Lotus Cortina leaf spring rear suspension, axle, brakes, gas tank. 1980 Fiat 124 spider 2.0 lt. Lampredi engine and 5 spd. trans., was fuel injected, converted to carburation, earlier intake manifold for increased flow, Weber 40 DFI 5 from a 365 Ferrari v12., custom side exhaust with 4-2-1 setup. engine weight 272 lb, pretty light.

Lampredi (the famous Ferrari engine designer) who later worked for Fiat Lancia designed the twin overhead cam 8 valve (later on 16 valve) 4 cylinder, which powered Fiat, Lancia, Lotus 7, Morgan, Alfa Romeo, etc., it powered more World Rally championship winners then any other engine. One of the best race car engines in history. The Lampredi engine was in the Lancia 037, Lancia Delta S4 and Lancia Delta Integrale, with turbo and super charger the engine put out up to 1000 hp, in race trim 600 hp. The Lancia 037 two litre with super charger only, made 325 hp.


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PostPosted: December 8, 2021, 11:30 pm 
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Well winter is here and I've had to move from my summer projects to my Locost in the heated garage. I hadn't really touched it since spring. Last couple of days I managed to remove most of the brackets off of the Fiat rear axle. I also did some rudimentary measurements, outside red marks are the approx. centerline for the 4 link brackets and the other are where the shock mounts will have to go. Unfortunately I will have to flip the calipers. Still easier to do that than to do all the other mods from switching to a different axle.

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PostPosted: December 8, 2021, 11:34 pm 
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lampredi7 wrote:
I have a 1978 super 7 clone by Dutton. tube frame, 540 kg, 1230 lb. fiberglass and aluminum body. Triumph Spitfire front suspension, steering, brakes, 1967 Lotus Cortina leaf spring rear suspension, axle, brakes, gas tank. 1980 Fiat 124 spider 2.0 lt. Lampredi engine and 5 spd. trans., was fuel injected, converted to carburation, earlier intake manifold for increased flow, Weber 40 DFI 5 from a 365 Ferrari v12., custom side exhaust with 4-2-1 setup. engine weight 272 lb, pretty light.

Lampredi (the famous Ferrari engine designer) who later worked for Fiat Lancia designed the twin overhead cam 8 valve (later on 16 valve) 4 cylinder, which powered Fiat, Lancia, Lotus 7, Morgan, Alfa Romeo, etc., it powered more World Rally championship winners then any other engine. One of the best race car engines in history. The Lampredi engine was in the Lancia 037, Lancia Delta S4 and Lancia Delta Integrale, with turbo and super charger the engine put out up to 1000 hp, in race trim 600 hp. The Lancia 037 two litre with super charger only, made 325 hp.



Back home in Germany, I used to have a Lancia Delta. Unfortunately not an Integrale. The Lampredi engine is like the Italian version of an SBC. It's in a lot of different cars. Hopefully Santa will be nice to me an I can score a couple of IDF's and an intake. I'll have to talk nice to her.


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PostPosted: December 30, 2021, 1:18 am 
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Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F wrote:
Otherwise, look for an axle about a foot wider WMS to WMS than the distance between M1 and M2 (around 54 inches or more).


So the Fiat axle is almost exactly 53", including spacer plates on the outside of the rotors. To me it looks almost perfect as the dimensions go. Yup, will have to remove the caliper brackets and create new one. Going to make them out of 1/4" plate. So should the axle line be located exactly center relative to the top plate?

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PostPosted: December 30, 2021, 8:30 am 
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The axle should be aft of the center of the coilover top mount and aft of the center of the fender opening.

When using a trailing arm mounted solid axle, the axle centerline should be aft of the center of the fender opening to compensate for the loss of tire-fender clearance in bump, droop, and roll steer. This will maximize the room provided by an existing fender for larger wheels and tires and/or suspension travel.

Take advantage of the extra length available by hanging the lower coilover mount in front of the axle as low as needed to work with the space available for the upper mount and the lower spring seat above the axle tube to keep the coilover close the the axle cl. They could be attached to the lower trailing arm as an alternative to direct attachment to the axle tube. The lower trailing arms and bushings or sphericals would need to be more capable than ones that may be marginal for normal trailing arm use.

Vertical coilovers are not ideal (should be canted toward the arm pivots and vehicle centerline) but that is how most originals were built.

To keep it simple, remove the coilover springs, use some wire to compress the bare coilover to half or two thirds of its full extended length, mount the upper end of the coilovers as far forward as possible on the top plates, then position the axle tube at ride height to about an inch from the coilover tube and fab the mounting plates with black pipe or dom spacers on each side of the coilover so the body cannot hit the plates if the coilover tilts on the axle.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12


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PostPosted: December 30, 2021, 6:13 pm 
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Well Santa was nice to me. I didn't get the carbs I wanted, but I did get a new mig/tig capable welder. Gotta love my wife.


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PostPosted: January 7, 2022, 7:05 am 
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Joined: October 28, 2020, 10:18 pm
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I know there are a million different suspension layouts, but what is about normal wheel travel on a 4 link solid rear axle? I've read some have 3" total and others 6". Seems like a big difference.


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PostPosted: January 7, 2022, 9:50 am 
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Typically shoot for 3 inch in each direction (droop and compression). The most important part is adequate compression travel with some give at the limit with tapered bump stops or donut stops on the coilover shaft.

The greater the travel from droop to ride height, the softer the spring rate needs to be to keep the springs seated at full droop and still compress enough to drop the frame to ride height. High rate springs are sometimes secured to the seats, reducing droop.

Include the bump stop thickness if measuring eye to eye for 3 inches of bump even if the stop is on the axle itself which is common for oems. Stops do no good if the coilover bottoms out first.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12


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