Whadd' Youse do's on the (Rally) Foucus

So William of TSS and I slaved away for the last week to 9 days putting some long hours into a car to get ready for Idaho rally,it's second event for the happty boys who debuted in Oregon.
lots of good stuff, lots of frustrating re-do of unacceptably bad design and poorly executed things, but it was done:
here's some piccies:
The problem:


Yum!


Oh goody!


Mais Madames et Messieurs, regarez ici, les replacemets:












And of course the Soooper Bitchin fronts:



Too tired to take piccies of the sump guard mounts,(made of 1' box tube with maybe 020 wall in L shape on both sides---tied those to get the sump gaurd off of hard contact with the headers), the rotten firehose secured with 1 M8 bolt and 2 1/8" pop rivets at the "towing eyelets" F&R--which lasted about 4-5 car lengths on a newly paved, dead level surface street before ripping out....

ETC!

---

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.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2010 02:40PM by john vanlandingham.

BRAVO! that stuff looks tres macho.

I can't remember how those are made..did you cut the hub assembly off and mod it, or does it unbolt somewhere? Is there a particular reason the upper control arm tube is bent before the weld at the rod end rather than just angled in? Looks vey nice and I'm sure it will be a buttload better.

Those cars suck for skid plates, there isn't any real structure at the front. Seems like hood pins are interesting also.

Looks nice. I would like to see your skid plate mount if you get a chance.

I do have a couple of questions. How much did you have to cut the body to get the shock clearance in the back? Or did you use a spacer?

On the fronts, how much of a spacer do you need in the front to clear the spring perches? I know that with stock wheels and the DMS gravel springs the perches interfere with the tire.

Andrew_Frick Wrote:
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> Looks nice. I would like to see your skid plate
> mount if you get a chance.

It was appalling junk, and a scandal that the boys were charged hundreds and sent out on an event with crap like that.
I'll do them a NICE mountand sump guard...

>
> I do have a couple of questions. How much did you
> have to cut the body to get the shock clearance in
> the back?

Maybe 1.5- 1.75" for spring clearance.

Or did you use a spacer?

4mm in rear.
>
> On the fronts, how much of a spacer do you need in
> the front to clear the spring perches?

4mm front also with a Hankook 185/whatever 15", like a Silverstone 15/62 x 15

The 17-65 x 15 rammed hard...but 17/65 x 15 is huge and what Loeb and Latvala and those few good drivers use and need...

Saab 9000 wheels would help a lot.



I know
> that with stock wheels and the DMS gravel springs
> the perches interfere with the tire.

---

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.

Nice... That looks way more super-bitchin-er.

---

Michael LeCompte

one more question, what are you doing about a rear sway bar? Since the new rear links remove the stock attachment points.

Andrew_Frick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> one more question, what are you doing about a rear
> sway bar? Since the new rear links remove the
> stock attachment points.

Threw it away.
Sway bars are for limp-wristed pavement pussie, nancy-boys.

One could be invented, it's very simple, but we're making a gravel car.
"Full soft or disconnected' is what Fords own set up sheets for a similar size and weight car always said.

---

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.

Much nicer setup. The one thing to note is the toe will change with travel quite a bit with that shorter lower control. Maybe you guys havent finished that new rear subframe?

john vanlandingham Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Andrew_Frick Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > one more question, what are you doing about a
> rear
> > sway bar? Since the new rear links remove
> the
> > stock attachment points.
>
> Threw it away.
> Sway bars are for limp-wristed pavement pussie,
> nancy-boys.
>
> One could be invented, it's very simple, but we're
> making a gravel car.
> "Full soft or disconnected' is what Fords own set
> up sheets for a similar size and weight car always
> said.
>
>
>
>
> 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.


Wasn't that for a RWD car?

Not saying you should or shouldn't disconnect it, I don't know. But if you're basing it off a RWD car, thats a bit fucked up.

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

That looks sweet! Too bad you guys didn't have it in 2006.

Dazed_Driver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
>
> Wasn't that for a RWD car?
>
> Not saying you should or shouldn't disconnect it,
> I don't know. But if you're basing it off a RWD
> car, thats a bit fucked up.
>
> Feisty Peacock?
>
>
No, Tim, its from my own experience in FWD cars on gravel and confirmed by looking on page 21 of Ford's book "Ford Escort RS2000 Forumla 2, Group A Rally Preparation Manual--International Specification"

There under TARMAC we see Anti-roll bar: Front 10,000 SWG, Rear 10252 SWG
Under Blade position they show Front Full Stiff, rear, full soft

Under gravel they show Ø signifying nothing.

Timmy, why would you even think that I'm basing off of a RWD car?

Do you think I am that stupid?

Further, do you imagine there is really a lot different in setting up gravel FWD vs RWD vs 4WD?
On what experience do you base your feelings?

I mean damn kid I've set up and sold suspension for guys who are winning their class with FWD, RWD and 4WD.


Your doubt strikes me as odd knowing your experience and knowing mine, your results and mine.

---

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.

gpbullock Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That looks sweet! Too bad you guys didn't have it
> in 2006.

We could have, I sketched out this very set up way back in oh I guess it was maybe 2002.

There's so much inertia and guys listening to folks who really live too much in idealised, or fantasy worlds...

EVERY Focus out there should have this on 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.

Uh, my mistake? I forgot you drove that Saab and everything else you build is based of a Ford RWD car "of about the same size and weight"


oops. Forgive me for being human.

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

Cosworth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Much nicer setup. The one thing to note is the toe
> will change with travel quite a bit with that
> shorter lower control. Maybe you guys havent
> finished that new rear subframe?


How is this any different from the stock geometry. This setup is basically a beefed up stock geometry with a different spring location.

John, just a note on the no rear sway bar. The rear suspension on the Escort RS2000000 or whatever it was called looks like a twist beam setup like what is on the back on the VWs. These basically have a rear sway bar built into the design.