AWD to RWD conversion...of myself; a/k/a/ e30 gravel car

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MConte05
What a lot of guys do (and I do too) is lawn edging. It helped a bit on my old OL legacy, as I had that floaty feeling past 80 mph or so as well, but in a frontal view, you could easily see the skidplate sloping down. Put on some stiff plastic lawn edging with some self-tapping screws, and made the car feel much better at speed.

We tried that on the edge of the splitter on my Evo at PPIHC one year. I thought it worked pretty well, but looking at pictures after the event even the stiff stuff really flexed at speed. In some high speed sections looked like it was folding back nearly 45 degrees from the static mounting position. No idea what that means in terms of how good/bad it worked, just and observation.

Dave

What kind did you use? There is the type that has a bulb at the end of the extrusion, that seems to hold up at speed much better than the straight up lawn edging. Doesn't look nearly as pretty though!

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MConte05
What kind did you use? There is the type that has a bulb at the end of the extrusion, that seems to hold up at speed much better than the straight up lawn edging. Doesn't look nearly as pretty though!

I think that's what I used? Had a 90 degree lip on one side that we riveted into the top of the splitter, and then on the other end there was a round tube thingy that gave the lower lip strength. In the pic you can see the deflection from the way the shadow/sun is hitting it:



...and damn, I really miss the dirt up there!

Dave

I threw on the pretty one on the new Legacy. It's pretty much useless. However the skidplate is tucked up a lot tighter than my old one since I don't have to clear NA headers. So it still feels more stable at speed than the old car (diffs and proper alignment helps too).

I do want to find whatever the WRC or SRTUSA guys are using, at least in 4" wide rolls.

One of these days I'm going to have to ask Ben what he had on the Focus, it seemed pretty robust, at least until you started slamming it into the ground...

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KF7RWG
http://www.utahrallygroup.com

all these years. i never new about lawn edging for my rally car... I've tried using it to Edge a lawn, but never lawn edging on it.. hmmmm

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Dan McGinn


John, are you getting me that suspenion? Otherwise I'll have to figure out something asap. I could deal with the half-ass setup at Maine, but too many jumps at BRS for half-assery.

funny you should mention it...Was out in the heat doing this today--in between chasing some squirmy giggly girls, pushing on a several ton CNC mill, and packing for a campy trip up into the mountains to watch the meteor shower.



These should be ready to ship mid week---I'm probably going to revise the upper little ear mounts so they are 100% boxed (top and bottom)

Sure would be nice if the shocks order so long ago ever would come

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
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john vanlandingham

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Dan McGinn


John, are you getting me that suspenion? Otherwise I'll have to figure out something asap. I could deal with the half-ass setup at Maine, but too many jumps at BRS for half-assery.

funny you should mention it...Was out in the heat doing this today--in between chasing some squirmy giggly girls, pushing on a several ton CNC mill, and packing for a campy trip up into the mountains to watch the meteor shower.



These should be ready to ship mid week---I'm probably going to revise the upper little ear mounts so they are 100% boxed (top and bottom)

Sure would be nice if the shocks order so long ago ever would come

Thanks John, looking forward to getting them in

Got the struts John, thanks, now where do y'all recommend I get springs? 2800ish lb car, rwd, nose heavy pig with s50 in front. Some jumps coming up at BRS, so want to get it right and not bounce off the road on a landing.
Relative Noob driver, probably 25 stages under my belt now.

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Dan McGinn
Got the struts John, thanks, now where do y'all recommend I get springs? 2800ish lb car, rwd, nose heavy pig with s50 in front. Some jumps coming up at BRS, so want to get it right and not bounce off the road on a landing.
Relative Noob driver, probably 25 stages under my belt now.

My compact is about 2700 with nobody in it and no rally spares or tools. Also had heavy S50 up front and the car seemed great up front with 2.5" diameter 14" 300# springs on the 40mm JVABs.

I just ordered up another set with the same rates from a local roundy round shop earlier this week. The new springs are 2.5" barrel springs from Swift as a standard 2.5" spring didn't the spring perch. (Note: I asked for something weird from John, so your setup may require 3" diameter springs.)

Dave

Thanks, Dave, looks like I'm 3" springs, I'll go with your rates for BRS as I think our cars are similar weight and balance

Also, John, where are the knuckles I sent you, need those to do the install, wheels up in 14 days for BRS.