Does this thing look too long?

Funny question for a guy to be asking huh? Finally got everything together and rolling. So I rolled it out into the sun where I could get away from it and look at the overall car. Wheelbase is 20" by the time I got everything put together. Still mocking up, still time to tweak things - like swapping spindles and moving the front axle back, etc. Not much room to change the rear, I'm kindof short on my suspension already.

 

Couple rear suspension pics, speak up if something doesn't look like it will work. I still need to set pinion angle and box the frame horn in, etc.

 

yep it does, and if you get a flat in front youll do a flip or eat steering wheel. just my opinion tho....

 

With the radiator set back I'd say the proportions look right. Good stance.

 

I think it looks fine.....go for it

 

I know, I have to increase the ride height yet till by front arms are level. That will get my springs up over the lower rim.

 

That is the shortest set of rear bones that I've ever seen. Can't say how well they'd function though.

 

The front end scares the **** out of me. Hanging the spring from split bones has become quite a fad, but bones were never designed to carry the weight. Wall thickness is way to thin, let alone the amount of side pressure the welded tubing can withstand before failure.
I'd suggest starting over. Put the weight of the weight of the front on the axle where it was originally designed to be. Adjust the ride height by the location of the perch on teh crossmember.
Yea, I know lots of cars are being built lately with the spring on split bones, but that doesn't make it a legit engineering design.

 

I thought this was going to be a Sausage Question !!! >>>>.

 

Esthetically it looks great!
I like the front arms going through the frame, how many degrees at the front king pins?
I am concerned about Rich’s comment on the front spring mount, I fall into the same category of mounting to the split arms, although I am mounting on top of my arm and not hanging way down like yours: Rich- Will keeping the mount close to the RR piviot pin and keeping the shackle eye beefy still be an issue?

 

Suicide front perches scare the **** out of me, thus the cross member. I have to set the ride height higher in front till the bones are level, that will get my springs above the scrub line. I'm also planning on making a steel collar to hang my spring perch on the bone without drilling into it. Like I say, I have a lot to figure out yet. I'm just glad I can roll it in and out of the garage at this point.

 

Yes, and it's too low. The way it is now, the cross member is more dangerous than a suicide perch. Maybe you could look into a dropped axle instead.

 

My Kingpins are at a little over 5 degrees at ride height, I'm a little below ride height because of the way I mounted my (garage transportation) hangers.

 

rear suspension scares me too..

the short "control arms you've built there would seem to provide everything BUT control..

I dont like the front spring hangers as others have mentioned.. but you only asked about the "length" of the car

 

Your rear wishbones are WAY too short. Something will break if you leave them that way. There will be no rotational twist anywhere in that rear setup, and a weld or the tubing is gonna crack.

If you don't believe me, put a couple tacks on the axle-to-wishbone brackets, then try jacking up one end of the axle. I'd lay money that you will go up about two inches before the other side comes up, or your tackwelds break.

 

In my eyes, it looks too long. However, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I think you might be leaning in my direction, too. What can you do at this point to shorten things up a bit? I think if the centerline of the front wheels was even with the radiator, it would feel much better to me. But again, that's just me. It looks like you could move the tub to the front a couple of inches, which might help to remedy the (what I perceive as) excessive length .

 

The whole rear set up is scary to me.
If 1 rear tire go's over a bump and not the other how will the rear articulate. With a 3 point axle mount, a encapusulated front bushing and a very short arm, it looks like a receipt for trouble.
We could go on but not. I would think it is time to rethink before some gets hurt.

 

I am also concerned about the rear bones more than the length. You won't get much arc out of that.

 

I think you are right on the rear set-up. I intended on running the bones outside the frame, but the angle of the mount was too extreme. I have hairpins that I think I may go to. Or just conrol arms with bushings.

 

yep, its to long

 

The black marker line on the frame was where I originally intended the firewall to be. Looking at it now, I think I'll scoot the body up and look at it again.

 

Both front and rear look like the could sure use a revisit.
****s to have to back up as far as it should be. Better to do it now though than to have a major failure in the future while going down the road.
I'm no expert on fronts, but the rear really bothers me.

 

20 inch wheel base....id say that pretty short, is this a go cart?

 

Realistically, the closer the spring mount is to the front of the bone, the stronger the mount will be, and the less potential flexing of the bone. A slug welded into the bone is mandatory. It's really not the beefiness of the mount, but the lack of strength of the bone.

 

You do realize that you essentially do have a "suicide" front axle? Break a shackle and your crossmember/spring will be in the pavement - it will not be stopped by the axle as it would with a traditional setup. I'd say your current setup is scarier than the traditional suicide perch setup. At least the traditional style relys on a beefy welded bracket to hold the ch***is up; you're relying on some relatively think and weak shackles.

Your rear radius rods are also way too short; the longer, the better.

My advice, tear out BOTH the front and rear suspensions and start over.

 

Experiance tells me you will end up hating the radical channel. And the rear radius arms are WAY to short. With any suspension movement at all the pinion angles will be all over the place.

 

whew, tough crowd

 

START OVER!!!! I like the long low look to but come on. This car will get you killed more likley sooner than later. Take the advice you are getting here and get the susp. geometry at least close to right. That rear end mounting scares the **** out of me. Please rethink at least that part. The front end is so far below scrub it may hit on uneven surfaces. Function and saftey over looks.

 

I'm not gonna beat you up for your early set up, but please pay attention to all the comments. Now is the time to change your set up and make it work right for a long time.--TV