compliance and control arms / i broke the car

I did a rally cross and finaly managed to break the car.

I fabricated escort II style parallel rear axle stuff about 4 years ago, and made custom links out of 1" tubing and an insert for .5" hiem on one end and polyurethane on the other.
all 4 links are 24.5" long.
the upper links both failed (will get pictures eventually). this caused the snout of the rear axle to point up to the transmission tunnel, loosing any "transmissive power" and bending the lower mounts of my bilstien dessert coilover shocks. 7100 series $150 bones, no biggie - to the spares bin they go.
I was able to drive the car home by getting a spare link into one of the uppers. now it is time to replace all 4 and the panhard.

question time.
the escorts all had a bushing at one end.

my circle track spare (quite light, economical aluminum) has RH-LH hiems. great for adjustability.

I want my car to rally like a bomber, whatever that means.
I like adjustability without removing one of the bolts. thrust alignments are the JAM.
I worry about lower links getting trashed by rocks.
I worry that the mounts will weaken if i remove the bushings.
the car is heavier in the rear than the front (wierd huh, with a full tank;-)

could i get away with carrying the aluminum spare, making lower links like last time, and getting aluminum uppers w/o bushings? would only having bushings on the uppers or lowers make sense?

thanks?
(where is that crazy toyota build again.)

---

"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.

acrane Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I did a rally cross and finaly managed to break
> the car.
>
> I fabricated escort II style parallel rear axle
> stuff about 4 years ago, and made custom links out
> of 1" tubing and an insert for .5" hiem on one end

HALF INCH WHAT THE FUCK!!

> and polyurethane on the other.
> all 4 links are 24.5" long.
> the upper links both failed (will get pictures
> eventually). this caused the snout of the rear
> axle to point up to the transmission tunnel,
> loosing any "transmissive power" and bending the
> lower mounts of my bilstien dessert coilover
> shocks. 7100 series $150 bones, no biggie - to the
> spares bin they go.

Wait, didn't you mount thinks body up?
Is it the "extended eyelet" that's bent?
The one that screws into the shaft?
Is the shaft bent?
I have extra extended eyelets.

> I was able to drive the car home by getting a
> spare link into one of the uppers. now it is time
> to replace all 4 and the panhard.
>
> question time.
> the escorts all had a bushing at one end.
>
> my circle track spare (quite light, economical
> aluminum) has RH-LH hiems. great for
> adjustability.
>
> I want my car to rally like a bomber, whatever
> that means.
> I like adjustability without removing one of the
> bolts. thrust alignments are the JAM.
> I worry about lower links getting trashed by
> rocks.
Make them strong and protect them,, and maybe look at the occasionally you savage!


> I worry that the mounts will weaken if i remove
> the bushings.

Depends on the size.
You're such a smartie and want to figure everything yourself (HALF INCH HEIMS!!! DID I REAR RIGHT or ARE YOU SMOKIN da SPIFF-a-juana, Bra?)


> the car is heavier in the rear than the front
> (wierd huh, with a full tank;-)
>
> could i get away with carrying the aluminum spare,
> making lower links like last time, and getting
> aluminum uppers w/o bushings? would only having
> bushings on the uppers or lowers make sense?

I'm cornfused, call on phone.
I say thick wall steel top and bottom, minimun 5/8 heim, maybe 3/4 sleeved down to 12mm or 1/2 for the bolts, and as for the bush there are bushed "rod ends" I have the bushes here, use them in the trannie mounts and on lower control arm for the Saab V4, 99 and 900.
>
> thanks?
> (where is that crazy toyota build again.)
>
> "I put the hurt on dirt"
> ex. madmann28
> adam crane
> bellingham wa
> corolla gts
> bs. from VRI @ WWU

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
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