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Front Wishbones
mistergrumpy - 25/9/06 at 09:45 PM

Just wondered really, out of curiosity. How many people are using DIY front wishbones i.e. bottom bone with plate welded on top, angles changed or whatever. Just noticed a lot appearing on Ebay lately, a few sold by a member of this forum. I'm getting mine from GTS personally after seeing the failures on some home made ones and just that I think that these are quite critical parts.

nitram38 - 25/9/06 at 10:08 PM

Mine are DIY, but I don't think that they will fit your car!!!!!!!!!

mistergrumpy - 25/9/06 at 10:17 PM

nitram38 - 25/9/06 at 10:22 PM

More seriously though, whatever you use, make sure that the top wishbone is set back towards the back of the car to give you a good enough castor angle, for proper self centering. Not the secondary bodges of toe out and under inflated tyres.
Do a search.

Martin

mark chandler - 25/9/06 at 10:27 PM

I made mine, as above check the forum as the standard design is flawed in more than one area.

When something is wrong and sold in enough quanties it becomes right !

zetec7 - 25/9/06 at 10:30 PM

I made mine because I don't trust any of the pre-made ones!!! Rescued attachment lower bone.jpg
Rescued attachment lower bone.jpg

GeoffT - 25/9/06 at 10:30 PM

I'm using DIY book wishbones (19mm x 1.6 erw tube) and despite a few tyre smoking 'brake tests' and 3000 miles, I've never managed to bend them. Never been happy with them though, and one of the jobs on my 'to do' list is make up some new bottom bones using 22mm x 2.0.

When I do I'll probably stick the old ones on Ebay.....

mistergrumpy - 25/9/06 at 10:41 PM

No, don't get me wrong. Like I said, I'm gonna buy them as I know their tolerances and what not will be better than mine and I think wishbones are quite important, stresses and the like, but most people seem to slate home made ones on here and I've seen the photos of the failures but I figured that someone must be using them as they're certainly selling on Ebay. False economy or not?

SkinnyG - 26/9/06 at 04:17 AM

Made my own.

1" x .095" DOM (I guess that's 25mm x 2.4mm?)



G

johnemms - 26/9/06 at 07:52 AM

Remember... the stronger the wishbone ... the more chance of rippin yer chassis to bits if u curb it ..... if i ever get it wrong on a corner i hope its just the wishbones i have to replace and not carve up the chassis.....

nitram38 - 26/9/06 at 07:55 AM

You also don't want them to just fold over a small bump do you?!

mistergrumpy - 26/9/06 at 08:32 AM

quote:

Remember... the stronger the wishbone ... the more chance of rippin yer chassis to bits if u curb it

Interesting. Never thought about it like that. As Nitram says though you wouldn't want them folding over a bump. So I guess quite a few people do make/use home made bones. I thought the general consensus on here was to buy them. Some good pictures/work by the way.

James - 26/9/06 at 09:28 AM

Home-made and proud!

Although some new lowers are on the 'to do' list!

Cheers,
James

nitram38 - 26/9/06 at 09:56 AM

My front bones are about twice the length of a locost, so the stresses are greater. My tubes are 25mm dia 3mm wall CDS tube.

DavidM - 26/9/06 at 12:01 PM

I made my own. No problems so far.
I think the design of some bones have been slated on here, rather than the fact that they were or weren't home made.

There haven't actually been that many failures posted on here (probably 2 or maybe 3), but I seem to remember that of those that were, at least one was bought from a well known manufacturer.

I've seen wishbones fitted to cars on manufacturers stands that I would think twice about putting on my car.

David

NS Dev - 26/9/06 at 12:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mistergrumpy
No, don't get me wrong. Like I said, I'm gonna buy them as I know their tolerances and what not will be better than mine and I think wishbones are quite important, stresses and the like,


Heh Heh!!!!! that made me laugh out loud!!!

People only slate crap home made ones!!!!

Don't, whatever you do, think that "professionally made" wishbones are accurate, and certainly don't think that they are better than home made ones (assuming you can weld to a very good standard)

I would stake my life on my own wishbones much more readily than most "professionally made" ones!

If you really want a nice job doing you go to somewhere that charges a bit more money and makes nice parts.

Two people on here to speak to are Nick Skidmore and Matt Gilmour (Procomp) both do quality fabrications.

mistergrumpy - 26/9/06 at 05:19 PM

Well I was looking at the GTS ones cos I've seen these and they do look good but to be honest are a bit expensive (or maybe I'm just a bit skint ) My welding's good but not very good but maybe I might have a bash? Would really like to do them myself, but what plans/dimensions? Same as book but with the correct castor of course? Have done loads of searches on this, driving me mad.

omega 24 v6 - 26/9/06 at 05:28 PM

quote:

Remember... the stronger the wishbone ... the more chance of rippin yer chassis to bits if u curb it ..... if i ever get it wrong on a corner i hope its just the wishbones i have to replace and not carve up the chassis.....


I've made my own from 25*3 cds and as above quote I'm thinking about downgrading the weight/strength. Some piccies in the archive if you want a look.

mistergrumpy - 26/9/06 at 05:42 PM

^Cheers, will do now^

mistergrumpy - 26/9/06 at 06:07 PM

Good job there Omega. Mind me asking what that 10mm gap between the brackets and mounts was about? I've not even thought about mounting them yet but have held back from welding in the uprights yet.

Mark Allanson - 26/9/06 at 08:15 PM

I think a really over simplified view of lower wishbones, is that the distance between the balljoint centre and the shock lower pick up be as short as possible (less leverage for bending forces), and that the reinforcing plate has a nice curve to defocus the same bending forces.

omega 24 v6 - 26/9/06 at 09:03 PM

quote:

Mind me asking what that 10mm gap between the brackets and mounts was about?


Well I'm building a 442 and the front geometry of the chassis does not lend itself to the wishbone mounts as per the book and various other sizes/combinations found in other threads here.
I think you'll be ok with a book chassis (THINK) but your right to only stich everything until your sure.

mistergrumpy - 26/9/06 at 09:06 PM

Yeah just got that from me searches, been at them for hours Ah well, knowledge is power so they say. Except I think all this beer I've been drinking while searching is gonna cancel that out.