Redesigning rear suspension.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Nov 23, 04 1:45 pm

Sorry about the non-Mopar orientation of this thread, but it is your collective engineering experience I am appealing to here.

Right then,

My complete failure to obtain any new suspension arms for the Victor has prompted me into using a Uni coursework to design and manufacture my own and, hopefully, improved Rear arms.

First I shall give you all an idea of what the rear suspension on a victor should look like (pic 1).

Now the first stumbling block is the upper arms, they should look as shown in pic 2:

They don't... pics 3 through 5.

The problem here is that I am going to be replacing all the bushes with superflex polyeurethane bushes. Poly bushes don't usually require a metal sleave as found with these original rubber bushes. But in this case if I were to use the poly bush without a sleave I think it would wear the bush very quickly and stability would be reduced (not increased) since there is nothing really retaining the correct geometry.

Firstly, am I right?

If so, should I be looking to redesign the the upper arms to look something more similar in dimension to the arms in the manual pics (pics 1 and 2), at least in terms of width of the arm to offer some level of torsional stability in the link?

Or should I be looking at using a similar setup to this, a sleave and smaller poly bush designed for the same housing?

I will be looking to make the new arms stronger whilst keeping the weight to a minimum, especially since this is unsprung weight.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Nov 23, 04 2:06 pm

It looks to me as if they re-designed the arms you have to weigh less, use less materials, make manufacture easier/cheaper.

I would either make something like what is in the manual or I would maybe use a solid round bar with a tube welded on at each end to take a bush. That would not be as strong though.

Of course you could use rose joints on each end of a threaded tube as well like they do on 4-links etc.

But cheap and easy would be to cut two bits of rectangle section steel and weld in tubes through them at each end to take a bush. Either stock sleeved rubber or your unsleeved poly. The poly you can cut in half and push in from each side.

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Tue Nov 23, 04 2:15 pm

Do you want us to come and fabricate and fit them for you as well?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Nov 23, 04 2:19 pm

Why not kev, nice of you to offer

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Nov 23, 04 2:32 pm

mine on the V8 Victor were square section CDS steel tube with round tube welded through to take the superflex bushes. Didn't seem to flex any with a mild 350 SBC up 'em.

My old Victor is featured in this months' Classic & Sportscar, howabout that. The new owner has fitted a T700R4 in place of my old TH350 and redone the exhausts, but other than that its how it left me.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Nov 23, 04 4:25 pm

I Would make some along the same lines as Dave suggested. I presume this car is running a stock motor< they should be more than adequate. South Speed can supply tubes and urethane bushes from stock.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Nov 24, 04 4:57 pm

You got any pictures Terry?

I probably won't use them on the car but the project might have some use for them.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Dec 02, 04 6:12 pm

Go with the cheapest option!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Dec 03, 04 10:05 pm

Sorry Terry, it's not really what I am after for the Victor.

TrevD · Post by **TrevD** » Fri Dec 03, 04 11:13 pm

so james , do you want me to knock you up some billet ali arms

, i can do them without any flashy rod ends

, check out the Chassisworks web site , this is thare latest thing.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Dec 03, 04 11:49 pm

The idea was to use it as a uni design project. I may need some help manufacturing them later although billet ally wasn't exactly what I was looking at.