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wishbones for sierra uprights
bran - 21/7/02 at 06:34 AM

Can I use "book" front wishbones for sierra uprights, if I can't, where will I find the drawings I need. First post so be gentle with me.

interestedparty - 21/7/02 at 06:54 AM

You can buy adaptors from Lolocost and MK for the top balljoint, these fit into the clamp where the Sierra strut normaly goes. The problem is the bottom balljoint. The book uses the cortina unit which bolts to the wishbone. I believe it doesn't fit the Sierra taper. The Sierra BJ is designed to be pressed in to a machined housing in the Sierra track control arm, and is not easily adaptable to a book wishbone. Lolocost do wishbones for Sierra uprights, using the upper adaptor. I don't like the upper wishbone design they use because adjusting the camber via the upper BJ will also change the castor setting http://www.lolocost.com
last time I rang them they only sell their sierra wishbones to people buying thier chassis.
I don't know what the MK situation is, or how their bottom wishbone/bj system mates with the Sierra upright
http://www.m-keenan.freeserve.co.uk

John

bob - 21/7/02 at 06:09 PM

MKs bottom balljoint is from a maxi(lighter and only 2 bolts)but the hub still has to be machined to accept this.

James - 22/7/02 at 10:23 AM

Does anyone know if the MK3 Fiesta bottom balljoint is the same dimensions as Sierra one?
I had a quick look and it appeared to be similar but I'd like to know definately.
The reason I ask is that the Fiesta BJ appeared to be removable from the wishbone and so could then be mounted to the Locost wishbone.

Just an idea!

James

Smoke Two Joints - 22/7/02 at 06:06 PM

could you weld a seirra ball joint to a peice of thick sheet steel then bolt it to the wishbone?

interestedparty - 22/7/02 at 07:37 PM

quote:
could you weld a seirra ball joint to a peice of thick sheet steel then bolt it to the wishbone?


According to the book, Sierra track control arms have to be changed if the bj is defective, so presumably there is no practical way to extract the bj itself, and also presumably no way of purchasing a new bj. I'd love to find out if another bj would fit, and I suspect it does because the lolocost catalogue doesn't mention hub modifuication beoing necessary for their sierra wishbones.
To use that type (pressed in) bj's one would need to machine a thick ring of steel to fit and weld/bolt that to the wishbone.

John

bran - 25/7/02 at 09:38 PM

bran - 25/7/02 at 09:50 PM

Many thanks for your replies, I'm using maxi BJ'S, what I realy want to know are the wishbone dims and relative bracket positions on chassis the same as book. Also the rear trailing arm length of 12 ins suitable for a cortina axle

bran

interestedparty - 26/7/02 at 06:45 AM

It's my understanding that the only important difference between the cortina and escort axle is width, so no reason why book trailing arms shouldn't be ideal.
You can use the standard wishbone lengths and bracket positions for Sierra hubs, but I would reccommend your acquiring the book "how to build and modify sportscar and kit car suspension and brakes" by Des Hamill published by Speedpro. It doesn't actually provide a lot of building info but it will give you an excellent grasp of what you are trying to achieve, and suggest optimum settings.

John

poprodder - 17/7/05 at 08:21 AM

"To use that type (pressed in) bj's one would need to machine a thick ring of steel to fit and weld/bolt that to the wishbone."



[Edited on 17/7/05 by poprodder]