mattsmev
Senior
It's only Rocket science...
Posts: 726
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Post by mattsmev on Mar 8, 2010 17:26:39 GMT
Hello everyone
The sun is shinning, the sky is blue, my diary is bursting with trackdays (llandow, Curborough, Barkston Heath) , carshows (Stonleigh, Newark and Exeter), camping trips (Forest of Dean) and a road trip to the Classic Le Mans all over the next six months or so.
My car goes for its MOT tomorrow and the impending tax and insurance remind me that I have been driving and enjoying it for 12 months. I put it to bed after the Exeter show then I spent some of the winter weekends reminding myself of the simple pleasures of car building, retreating from my family into my cave to devote some time to my spanners.
At the start of the winter I made a list of jobs that I wanted to do. My aim was to improve the car’s handling and do some affordable improvements aimed at track days without reducing it’s road going appeal. I will leave the engine alone for another year. I have a standard 1.6 Zetec SE, so it’s arguably the least powerful rocket going, but that suits me fine for now
I have installed the following mods this year.
Rear wishbone modification Corner weight check Bump steer check Brake balance adjuster Front suspension brace Sticky tires & new wheels Shift light
I’ll up load some pictures and words over the coming evenings to show you all what I have done
Cheers
Mattsmev
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mattsmev
Senior
It's only Rocket science...
Posts: 726
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Post by mattsmev on Mar 8, 2010 17:47:21 GMT
Rear wishbone modification I noticed the rear tires wore unevenly over the year, and the final track day at Colerne made me see that I had a rear tracking error. I had never checked it as it could not be adjusted any way, but on that track there are a couple of long sweeping right hand curves were I could not really get the power down. I just know that the car would step out of line. At the Newark show I had discussed this problem with the guys at RTR who subsequently modified the rear lower wishbones for me. (the wishbones were already off the car so I could remove the engine to change the clutch, but that is another track day story) Once I got the new wishbones back, (a very very speedy service from RTR) I installed them and checked them with a string box as shown. You may also note that I have made four platforms for the car to sit on while I do suspension mods. My garage is attached to the house so there is a noticeable slope away from the house. I think it is part of the building regs to stop leaking petrol pooling in the garage, either way, I have made those wooden stands to get the car flat and level. This way my camber gauge works well and I can get it all set up properly. I have set them with a tiny bit of toe in, but these are the driven wheels so they will move forward a bit under acceleration anyway. I have set some negative camber (about 2 degs I think). My susspension as the rear is 4 cliks off fully soft and the ride height is a bit higher than it would be if the bottom wishbones were parallel to the floor. The rear of the car is higher than the front. Tire pressure is about 20, but I am running 155/50 R15. I think most of you have gone for 17inch wheels which will be different. I have not taken it to a garage to get it check professionally yet, but if I do I’ll let you know how I got on. The next exciting mod will probably be posted tomorrow Cheers Mattmev
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Post by r16 on Mar 8, 2010 18:53:14 GMT
nice work buddy :-)
the rear bones look really good, any idea if RTR will be selling them? you will have to let us know how much better it handles with the rear adjusted :-)
(ps 1.6 is the best engine!!! :-) lol )
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mightylad
Senior
.....Mighty MEV Rocket.....
Posts: 559
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Post by mightylad on Mar 9, 2010 7:46:53 GMT
Looking good matey!
I'll have all this to look forward to this year - if I ever get finished!
Ol
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Post by brownie on Mar 9, 2010 10:11:58 GMT
Lookin good mate. Seems you are now the resident suspension guru :-)
If you don't mind me asking just how far off was the rear tracking ?
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mattsmev
Senior
It's only Rocket science...
Posts: 726
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Post by mattsmev on Mar 9, 2010 11:37:50 GMT
Hi Brownie
I am not sure how far out the tracking was. I never got it tested as it was not adjustable and by the time the tire had scrubed out it was pointless checking it as it was obvioulsy wrong. I wish i had got it checked just for interest, but i would still be in the same situation.
I have not driven it far with the new rear wish bones, but from my few miles so far this year it does feel better.
Cheers
Mattsmev
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mattsmev
Senior
It's only Rocket science...
Posts: 726
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Post by mattsmev on Mar 9, 2010 11:44:11 GMT
Corner weight Today’s mod report is I simply bolted my car together and drove it the way it turned out. When I started reading about suspension I found you can move the weight around the car just by adjusting spring lengths. If you imagine the car is a table you can change the length of one spring to change the weight resting on the diagonally opposite corner. a bit like a wobbly table To do this I put the car back on my platforms to make it level and then put them on 6 bathroom scales that Mrs mattsmev bought in Tesco’s. (I was too embarrassed to by 6 sets of scales). two scales under each back wheel, next to each other with the load spread by a piece of wood. Then i added the weights together I sat in the car and my dad adjusted the springs to get a equal weight acting on each side of the car. I won’t be able to get it equal front and back obviously due to the engine being right at the back. I wrote a simple spread sheet to tell me the weight distribution and I have got within 5% left to right and 30/70% front to rear Better explanations can be found on the web, but it’s worth having a play as it’s such a cheap thing to do. The scales were only £3 each If anyone local wants to borrow 6 sets of scales please let me know. more tommorow Cheers Mattsmev
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Post by brownie on Mar 9, 2010 14:53:04 GMT
I thought the rocket is advertised as having a 60/40 split front to rear How did MEV come up with that figure, seeing as you have the lightest engine available ? I hate to think what my distribution is going to be with a 2L st170 lump in the back Best pull my finger out with my front wing ideas
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Post by spaniarduk on Mar 9, 2010 17:30:25 GMT
Hi Mattsmev. Great idea using 6 scales - that's what's called thinking outside the box! lol How about putting the battery in the passenger's footwell area?? It's an easy mod and it's at least a 2% weight (considering 10kg of battery compared to the elegedly 500 kg of the car) taken from the 'fat end' of the car to be placed both lower in the car and near the front end, where it is obviously more needed (if weight was ever going to be good). You can always put a foot rest plate protecting the battery from the passenger's feet. Besides, being 'at the other side' it makes up for big drivers with a XXL bottoms! I'm not saying that this is your case, Matsmev... hehe. Jose
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Post by nigel on Mar 9, 2010 18:26:53 GMT
Hi Mattsmev. Great idea using 6 scales - that's what's called thinking outside the box! lol ................. Jose Outside the Box I like the Brake bias bar control, nice and close to the wheel When's your first track trial date set for Matt ? nigel
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Post by dinosaurjuice on Mar 9, 2010 19:45:09 GMT
I thought the rocket is advertised as having a 60/40 split front to rear How did MEV come up with that figure, seeing as you have the lightest engine available ? probably the same way they came up with the "build for £6k" and "our chassis' are built to within 1mm". I hate to think what my distribution is going to be with a 2L st170 lump in the back it wont be any worse than mine ;D wil
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Post by brownie on Mar 9, 2010 20:01:58 GMT
Yeah that's true will, your gearbox prob weighs the same as matts entire engine LOL
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mattsmev
Senior
It's only Rocket science...
Posts: 726
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Post by mattsmev on Mar 9, 2010 20:06:07 GMT
Thanks for your comments guys
The scales were an idea first used by Nigel - he has posted his pictures already, i even used the same supplier as tescos are 50p cheaper than sainsbugs
I have just checked the spread sheet that i used - remember this is a set of Tesco's scales and me doing it in my garage. MEV may have used proper equipment and had a better idea of what they were doing. The car had a full tank and I weigh about 70kg
Near side front 105kg - Off side front 109kg Near side rear 184kg - Off side rear 207kg
thats total mass 605kg (less my 70kg and 25kg fuel = 510kg for the dry car (and this was just after Christmas so my 70kg is a bit optimistic))
% mass front 35%, % mass rear 65% Front = 49% near side, 51% off side Rear = 47% near side, 53% off side
I would love to know what it is for a bigger engine, especially the Docket - that may never need new front tires as they will never touch the ground.
How to make it better - moving things around is a good idea, certainly the battery (although the foot well is useful space on a camping trip) and possibly the fuel tank. A lighter starter and alternator are also options
I would love to have some canards on the front. I must talk to RTR this year and see if I can buy some and fit them to the front of my car. It's got to help.
one final thing - I passed my MOT today (a much lower hurdle than SVA/IVA) but while i was there I had my rear track checked. it was toeing in by 0.16deg (10 mins) I was aiming at 0 or a tiny bit of toe in, so i am well pleased with my string box set up.
Thanks everyone, another mod tomorrow
Oh, Nigel - If the weather is good I hope to do colerne at the end of March - its the track I did most last year so I will get the best idea of the effect of my changes. but it's Miss mattsmev birthday weekend (12 years) and if it raining I won't bother
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Post by brownie on Mar 9, 2010 20:28:50 GMT
Been looking at some proper corner weight scales and they are only £150, might be worth getting a set. Might be worth us southern moggers buying a set between usto share the cost, what do you think ?
with regards to the cannards this is something i have look into myself and also talked to RTR/mev about ( there is a post on here about it somewhere) but in short you can fit the sonic ones easily but they don't look to good on the rocket (RTR gave the moulds back to stuart so if you want these then you will have to contact MEV). RTR are planing to make some new ones for the rocket but this won't be for a while yet. There are also universal cannards you can buy from carbon mods or APR but are prob a small to be that effective.
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Post by nigel on Mar 10, 2010 18:16:39 GMT
Great thread Matt Just think some of this detail should really be recorded in the 'Handling & Suspension Setup' area of the 'Technical Section' in order that MEV Owners can easily locate it in the future, many be the facts, figures and settings etc, you've arrived at and used. If your after a set of canards I might just be able to help I'll know in the next week or so but my Sonic (blue) ones may be coming up for sale, one careful owner you know. ;D nigel
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