RPS
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 01:48 PM |
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Lower wishbone BJ with Sierra Donor
Whilst researching my build, a came across pictures on the web of someone who had got around the lower BJ issue on a Sierra by cutting off the BJ from
the cast steel lower arm and welding it to the wishbones. Is this possible or advisable? At the risk of seeming tight (even on a Locost site!), it
would help me as it is difficult for me to get to MK/Luego to get the lower BJ socket machined.
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nick205
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 02:09 PM |
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Not sure that it's a very robust solution and it looks as though the hub has been mounted back to front with the steering arm to the rear.
Might prove difficult to get the castor angle accurate as well.
Nick
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RPS
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 02:14 PM |
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Surely the heat may damage the BJ. If you could do it, perhaps by welding further away from the BJ, or even by fixing it to the wish bone using the
existing fixing points, would the BJ be capable of taking the load from the suspension?
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PioneerX
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 02:22 PM |
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RPS, Sorry I dont mean to hijack the post, but might be relevent and it's a question I have been wondering.
Which lower BJ should be used with the Sierra uprights & standard wishbones?
Simon
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 02:23 PM |
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is your life worth a trip to get your hubs bored out?
atb
steve
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RPS
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 02:27 PM |
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I think you're probably right, but the car passed the SVA though! Probably had some foam stuck on it to protect pedestrians.
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theconrodkid
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 02:39 PM |
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lower arms are cast iron not steel,i wouldnt wana be in that car 
who cares who wins
pass the pork pies
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James
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 04:24 PM |
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I know the caliper looks to be but is that a Sierra upright? Only ask as the top BJ part doesn't look right.
Or maybe just too much pinkbits.com has sent me blind. 
Either way I wouldn't get in that car! Looks like an accident waiting to happen! 
Apologies to the builder if they're reading this.
Cheers,
James
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James
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 04:28 PM |
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RPS, you could possibly post your uprights?
Strip them down so they're light (as possible!) for posting and do it that way.
Will cost you a few more quid but might be worth it.
Or else- find some Astra BJs that fit. People here have apparently gone that route. Take your hub down to the motor factors and try the BJs till an
Astra one fits.
HTH,
James
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 04:58 PM |
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out of interest, what happens if you weld to cst iron? does it get brittle or summat?
atb
steve
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 04:59 PM |
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parcelforce will send a 30 kilo parcel for about 10 quid from any main post office.
atb
steve
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RPS
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 05:28 PM |
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As a general rule, I steer clear (like the pun?) of welding anything cast. Even if it looks ok. it often breaks next to the weld.
That's why I was suprised to see someone had done it. I thought that they must know something that I don't.
Thanks for your views, back to plan 'A'.
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nige
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 08:45 PM |
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we decided to use go down the astra joint , ones of a mk 2 astra fit perfectly
when you start this journey
you think it will be done in " no " time but then " no " turns into a " bloody " long time
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dblissett
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 08:49 PM |
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cast iron
i have bin told not to weld cast iron if at all possable as it becomes brittle
and i dont want to think about a brittle bottom ball joint when you stamp on the brakes
i think joel p has used some astra ball joints that fit sierras
good luck with the build dave
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JoelP
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 11:17 PM |
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i havent myself, i just asked about it a while ago! just got MK to bore them in the end, was an easy and pleasant experience.
plus theres an old abbey nearby, which is good for a quite hour or two...
ps nice to know the astra ones do fit.
[Edited on 5/1/04 by JoelP]
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Rorty
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| posted on 6/1/04 at 04:43 AM |
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Why not do away with those ugly, heavy cast monstrosities, and just bung a neat round press-in balljoint into a cup welded to the bottom wishbone.
There are bound to be dozens of suitable balljoints...just make sure you pick a bottom one.
It would also make the wishbone jig a lot easier to set up, and a hell of a lot more accurate too.
Cheers, Rorty.
"Faster than a speeding Pullet".
PLEASE DON'T U2U ME IF YOU WANT A QUICK RESPONSE. TRY EMAILING ME INSTEAD!
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kingr
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| posted on 6/1/04 at 10:54 AM |
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Rorty, sounds interesting, could you elaborate a bit please? What is a press in balljoint, how do they work, what are the specifications and where can
I get them from?
Kingr
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Bob C
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| posted on 6/1/04 at 12:37 PM |
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Dunno about welds falling off & the heat taking out the lube & seals but putting front hubs on backwards will shaft the ackerman geometry big
style. Good for makin squealing noises in carparks.....
Bob C
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 6/1/04 at 02:23 PM |
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if the sierra hubs are like the granada - which i think is so - there is no ackerman - the steer arms point straight back and dont intersect
anywhere......
atb
steve
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dblissett
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| posted on 6/1/04 at 07:52 PM |
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top ball joint
is the top ball joint a rod end on its side?
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Stu16v
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| posted on 6/1/04 at 08:45 PM |
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Steve, if you look closely at the piccy of Bobs foot-er-upright, you can see that the steering arm is in approximately the same plane as the bottom
ball joint. As the top ball joint is further towards the car, the imaginary centre line of the hub movement is also closer to the car than the pivot
of the track rod, giving some of the Ackermann principle....
 
wisbones on correct way with hub leaning back
[Edited on 6/1/04 by Stu16v]
Dont just build it.....make it!
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 6/1/04 at 10:56 PM |
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yep - you are right
have to take another look at my abs granny hubs - thought they have none at all. But I could well be wrong.
yes - the top joint in the pic is a rod end on side - which I have read can be done.
Rod ends are best side loaded - which that one would be. The main load is taken on the bottom bones.
a decent rod end might just be better than a transit drag link end, which wasnt intended to live life like that either....
atb
steve
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Rorty
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| posted on 7/1/04 at 06:18 AM |
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kingr:
quote:
sounds interesting, could you elaborate a bit please? What is a press in balljoint, how do they work, what are the specifications and where can I get
them from?
They're just as they sound: a balljoint in a circular housing instead of having a male or female like TREs have. They just press into a machined
cup or ring which in turn is welded to the outer end of the wishbone.
Dozens of cars use them, so they should be available from any motor factor.
The one below is from a VW Beetle lower arm. I use and specify a lot of them, as they're available in virtually every country in the world.
BTW, the Beetle (1300/1500 68> tie-rod end is a little beauty too.
 
Rescued attachment balljoint_VW_bottom02.jpg
Cheers, Rorty.
"Faster than a speeding Pullet".
PLEASE DON'T U2U ME IF YOU WANT A QUICK RESPONSE. TRY EMAILING ME INSTEAD!
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JoelP
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| posted on 7/1/04 at 05:38 PM |
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is there a specific one that fits a sierra taper? what holds them in, is it just a good fit or is it clamped? thanks!
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RPS
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| posted on 7/1/04 at 09:10 PM |
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Astra mk2 BJs in a Sierra upright
£8 from the local motor factors delivered!
Haven't measured it yet, but it seems to be a good fit.
Thanks for the tip, I reckon that will save me at least £40-£50.
RPS
Sorry about the picture quality, I've only got a cheap webcam (notice a trend here!)
[Edited on 7/1/04 by RPS]
 
Rescued attachment Image004.jpg
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