Merkur adjustable front suspension

So a good sized rock at the hill climb this weekend and this is what happened to my cool adjustable TCA and compression strut.






Notice the bending of the TCA, which were sold as being Burton Power, but based on what I've seen from the Burton Power catalog, I don't believe they actually are, but instead are probably also from Comp Brake or Rally Designs.

As I predicted, the rod ends were too small on both. Also the comp strut being solid rod instead of tubing probably resulted in reduced strength. So now I have a couple of problems to resolve before the next event in September.

But, the car was amazing. Dialed in the camber, caster, and toe in the front to as close as I could get to Ford Motorsports specs and the handling of the car was phenomonal compared to how it used to be. It actually handled and was predictable. I'll post in car in a few days. Took second place in 2WD and won more money than I spent to do the event. The breakage actually happened during a fun run after the race with my codriver driving, and he was being super conservative, just had some bad luck.

I wish I lived in NoCal.

---

Grant Hughes

Grant, sucks beeeeg time, note well that the sheeet planned for production is going to be lots heftier.
Measure everything---rod end sizes , tubing dia etc-- and post it.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

I will when I get it out. Should be in the next few days.
We're probably going to make up a few parts down at the school's machine shop to get it back on the road. The biggest problem I had was the Euro adjustable TCAs aren't made to add negative camber, but to reduce it for all the lowered cars so it got to feel a little scary trying to lengthen them out and not being sure how much thread was still in the adjuster. I have some spare TCAs and I'm not afraid to cut one up, the adjusters may still be good, though I won't use the rear one and will use tubing with an internal diameter read to tap for a 3/4" or so rod end similar to what Eric B did on the rear of the Mazda, then make a weld in bit for the tube to attach to the TCA thing.

---

Grant Hughes

It looks fully adjustable to me. I have not used it yet but that is why there is a full size crow bar and sledge hammer in the service truck. Crew always look puzzled when they find them in the truck.

---

Matt Smith

Racing in glorious black and red

My daily life is a Saab story (sold!)

So here is a totally rad technical drawing I just made to demonstrate and idea we had. The only custom part is the piece that welds into the tube that then goes to the TCA through a stock or aftermarket bushing. It'd probably need to be angled to some degree, which means that you'd have to do complete turns to adjust caster and thus it wouldn't have real fine resolution, but it'd be cheap and fairly easy. What size rod ends and tubing would people recommend for stuff like this?

---

Grant Hughes

Anyone ever used something like this?
http://www.kore4x4customs.com/asccustompages/products.asp?fav=&fpage=1&categoryID=25&productID=46&cartID=172121684

Instead of dealing with trying to find a ball joint to work with the Merkur upright, this appears to just bolt on.

---

Grant Hughes

NoCoast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone ever used something like this?
>
>
> Instead of dealing with trying to find a ball
> joint to work with the Merkur upright, this
> appears to just bolt on.
>
> Grant Hughes
> www.nocoastmotorsports.net
> Denver, CO

I've used that type of joint quite a bit and I really like them. Most off-road places that are selling them are actually buying them from Summit Machine:

http://www.summitmachine.com/index.php?p=customParts&cp=fj

By bolt right on are you referring to the width, bolt size, or both? I find that it's usually easier to make a custom set of spacers for a larger size spherical rod end. Then you can easily adjust the width and bolt size to the body of the car.

Tim

NoCoast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone ever used something like this?
>
>
> Instead of dealing with trying to find a ball
> joint to work with the Merkur upright, this
> appears to just bolt on.

Goddammit Grant, the 2wd Cossie uprights use a straight shank that get's pinched dammit, and that's why I bought a bunch so when we got to the point of wanting stronger shit then all we'd need for a balljoint is a spherical bearing, some spacers for a register and a bolt going up with a kiss outta it for the pinch bolt to pass by dammit!
Thats why I made the hats fit both the wimpy US Xratty hub/bearing and the beefier Cossie stuff so you bone haids could start wif whatcher got and then when going crazy with adjustable shit later, shift easily over.
>
> Grant Hughes
> www.nocoastmotorsports.net
> Denver, CO

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

I think since I'm only planning on doing one more event this year, I may do the slot and reweld with the stock TCA on the crossmember to get the camber I want.

We should talk about ideas though John. Yours makes the most sense, unless you want to sell to the US Merkur guys, who are plagued with negative camber after they take the acetylene torches to the stock springs. Okay, that's a Honda trick and I've never actually seen a Merkur with this done. But you get the point.

---

Grant Hughes

How would the 909 stuff fair? I just got the 909 compession stut tubes last week. I would be using this with the 909 LCA's
What would be a good solution the the strut top? Solid mount that is adjustable? Or is that to extreme? Sucks to see your suspension gave out like that. Have you done any large jumps with this current setup?