I'm getting together the parts I need to convert my SJ to coils. Gonna use vitara trailing arms and a custom upper wishbone/A-arm (don't like the vitara part, but I plan on making something similar).
That is to say, I'm planning on a triangulated 3 link. Don't know if there's room for it up front, but that's what I'm going for on the rear.
The upper link is going to be attached to the axle in such a way as to maximise articulation and travel. Essentially it's going to be twin pivot points, at 90 degrees to one another. A bit like this:
I say a bit, because I'm planning on making it bigger, stronger, and the lower part, much longer.
The mounting to the axle that I have planned would look a lot like this:
Except that the wishbone/a-arm (whatever you'd like to call it) will connect to it without the long upward shaft or the triangulated piece. I hope what I'm taking about is fairly clear...
So, firstly, does anyone forsee any problems with that setup?
Then there's the trailing arms.
Initially I'm just gonna make it work just like Suzi made it work on the Vitara. Nothing different really. But down the line (once the car's roadworthy) I'd like to make super-flexy trailing arms on which the axle end bushing actually rotates. Now, to make them rotate is the trick. I was thinking of using tapered bearings, when I realised that what I'm thinking of is, in essence, a bike hub.
Now, I can pick one of those up brand new for about a fiver. I'm thinking of getting one and building something around one (
welding it into a tube, with the bush on the end so it rotates), and then destructively testing it (not on the car! I like being alive too much) so I know if it'll stand up to the pressure. The other option I thought of was making use of a trailier hub:
Now, that's gonna stand up to a lot more abuse, but it's also going to cost about £50 a corner. And since these things are going to be basically disposable (I can't open it up to service it - it's angle grinder time if I need to get inside) that's a lot of money to throw around, plus they're massive.
So the second question is, does anyone think the bike hubs would be strong enough, and if not, any ideas on a hub that isn't too big/heavy/expensive (and made of mild steel so I can weld it into a trailing arm!)
Thanks, peoples!
