Focus skid plate questions

Thanks Andrew, look forward to seeing them.

I should be hearing from the welder sometime today, after I get it back I need to make the gussets, I should be able to get the car over to Johns I just need to put the dash and belts in. Getting excited! My goal is to hopefully do one of the three rallies available in june. I believe its idaho, nevada or Pomeroy- shooting for pomeroy since its the smallest one and shouldn't be all hyped up like RA Olympus. I figure that Pomeroy would be a good first timer rally, short and sweet.

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ChrisKobi
Thanks Andrew, look forward to seeing them.

I should be hearing from the welder sometime today, after I get it back I need to make the gussets, I should be able to get the car over to Johns I just need to put the dash and belts in. Getting excited! My goal is to hopefully do one of the three rallies available in june. I believe its idaho, nevada or Pomeroy- shooting for pomeroy since its the smallest one and shouldn't be all hyped up like RA Olympus. I figure that Pomeroy would be a good first timer rally, short and sweet.

Yeah its easy. only 4 turns in the entire event.

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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.

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fiasco

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john vanlandingham
75 squids is nothing.

That sounds like a lot of calamari to me....

I would put Livre Anglais but Hi dun't stink the hoi poloi would unnerstan.

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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.

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john vanlandingham

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fiasco

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john vanlandingham
75 squids is nothing.

That sounds like a lot of calamari to me....

I would put Livre Anglais but Hi dun't stink the hoi poloi would unnerstan.

You say:



I say:



Let's call the whole thing off!

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

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fiasco

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
fiasco

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john vanlandingham
75 squids is nothing.

That sounds like a lot of calamari to me....

I would put Livre Anglais but Hi dun't stink the hoi poloi would unnerstan.

You say:



I say:



Let's call the whole thing off!

But you hain't hoi poloi

---

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.

Here are the pics as requested.

The underside on the car:


Side View:


Farther under the car, you can also see the skid plate over the fuel and brake lines, the skid plate over the fuel tank and the plastic protection for the rear suspension:


The support. It looks small but it is make of crome moly and with the thickness of the plate is does a good job.


Here is the mounting point. I reused one of the captive nuts for the radiator support and added a plate to the frame rail to level it out.


Here is another angle to show the mounting plate on the frame.


Here is the plate off the car. The vertical parts make is much stronger that if it was just flat plate. It is likely overkill on thickness but I got a deal on the Aluminum at a metal recycler place and I was tired of the the thiner plate I had run before bending or deforming everytime it came in contact with a rock.


Another angle that gives better view of the bends in the plate and the sides.


One more showing the mounting tabs for the front of the plate.


Since your car is a zetec you if you use this design your support will have to come down lower to clear the head and the bends will have to be sharper as it goes toward the front of the car.

This is the 4th iteration of the skid plate. I previously had one that was a full metal frame made of roll cage tube that supported a mainly flat skid plate. I had lots of trouble with header clearance and it acted a giant bowl so anything that got on top of it stayed there. It would be simplier to fabricate but if you are paying someone to do it they would likely be the same price.

Let me know if you want more pictures, and I can grab some.

Thanks Andrew, that looks great! The photos are very helpful. What kind of plastic did you use for the fuel lines? I get my car back tonight, the cage should be done and hopefully there will be a lift available at school to throw it on so I can do some investigating and get some photos.

I appreciate your help
Chris

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john vanlandingham

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ChrisKobi
Thanks Andrew, look forward to seeing them.

I should be hearing from the welder sometime today, after I get it back I need to make the gussets, I should be able to get the car over to Johns I just need to put the dash and belts in. Getting excited! My goal is to hopefully do one of the three rallies available in june. I believe its idaho, nevada or Pomeroy- shooting for pomeroy since its the smallest one and shouldn't be all hyped up like RA Olympus. I figure that Pomeroy would be a good first timer rally, short and sweet.

Yeah its easy. only 4 turns in the entire event.

Weeellllll, maybe i'd like more than 4 turns and as I picture it i would bet those 4 turns are wide open. I'm more thinking of the whole going through the motions from start to finish, it doesnt seem like it would be all hyped up like a rally america event either.

Fuel lines and fuel tank are covered with aluminum. Pretty thin stuff. I used plastic for a while but it kept saging. The key was to weld in several captive nuts into the car and use them to mount the plastic.

For the plastic I used HDPE, High Density Poly Ethylene. I found a plastic supplier in my area that sold it like plywood in a 8'x4' sheet. My codriver and I made some templates out of cardboard and went to work. I went through a bunch of iterations of how to attach the plastic to the focus without either melting it on the exhaust or having it rip off. Weld nuts were the final solution. With a couple on the leading edge. one, in front of the wheel along the pinch seam. And one on the rear subframe where the bracket for the rear roll bar are mounted.

I do a 6' long piece of 1" square tube along the pinch weld, with a weld nut every 18" or so, then weld nuts down the frame rail to hold the HDPE, and run it past the rear suspension secure with large zip ties looped around the rear control arm.

What are you doing at the tunnel side Sean?

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Grant Hughes

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NoCoast
What are you doing at the tunnel side Sean?

x2.. and what are those wheel stands.. they look kinda handy...

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This isn't floor mat anarchy

The "frame rail" runs down the car about 6" from the tunnel. I welded some M6 weld nuts along the rail.

Most body shops have a few sets of those stands, got mine from a buddy who own a body shop, they had a few extra sets. I really like them for body work and working under the car on the sills and stuff as there is no stand in the way

The focus is set up well for on the tunnel side as there is a raised rail along both sides of the tunnel that is perfect for weld nuts. That is what I am using to protect the fuel lines. I will try and get a better picture the next time I am out in the garage.

I like the rail down the whole car idea. for the outside. I had a bunch of issues with using zip ties on the rear suspension of the focus. The kept breaking and there is not a good place to mount them. So they would look good until the end of the first stage where I was basically dragging them behind the car.

Adding the weld nuts really helped keep them up close to the body for long enough that I did not need any zip ties in the current config.

The trick with the zip ties is to use the giant ones, and leave them loose. The VSC cars had a neat U bracket riveted on the the plastic sheet. The U went around the control arm, and a pin went through it. Easy and smart.