Hi all,
This has probably been asked before, but I can't find it in the history so..
Apart from Cortina Mk 3-5, are there any Ford hubs I can use instead. Can I use Sierra ones with a suitable insert at the top (as sold by Robin Hood) or does this alter the geometry at the front end, what about RWD Escort or Mk 2 or 3 Granny bits?
Any help app' as I want to widen the search for these bits a little (someone has hidden all the Cortinas round here!)
Glenn

Yes you can use Sierra ones. Adaptors are available that allow you to use the transit top ball.

Search through the site and you will find details of suppliers.

If you really want Cortina bits you can get complete front uprights and hubs for around £35 each from
www.auto-recycle.co.uk

You will need to use shorter top wishbones if you use Sierra hubs, and I'm pretty sure that Cortina lower ball joints are NFG for Sierra hubs. MK drill Sierra hubs to take maxi balljoints

John

Tyey're still about if you look around, check your local "Yeller" or "Freeads" etc.

If you're feeling flush, check out ebay etc.

Ebay hubs

[Edited on 5/1/03 by UncleFista]

[Edited on 5/1/03 by UncleFista]

Just another question on the same Sierra hub subject, if a Maxi bottom ball joint is used rather than Cortina, does the hole need to be taper drilled.

John.

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Originally posted by John
Just another question on the same Sierra hub subject, if a Maxi bottom ball joint is used rather than Cortina, does the hole need to be taper drilled.

John.

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Thanks John.

I think I will carry on looking for Cortina hubs.

John.

Cheers all, I think I will carry on the search for Cortina ones also then...
Glenn

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Originally posted by hood2bx
Cheers all, I think I will carry on the search for Cortina ones also then...
Glenn

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All this stuffing about with heavy, over-engineered (for a light Locost), mismatching car parts!
Surely, in the great Locost tradition, you should make your own uprights.
The advantages are numerous:
1/ Extremely light weight.
2/ Uses easily replaceable trackrod ends or Rose joints.
3/ Optimise the scrub radius for any old wheels you want to use.
4/ Use any caliper you want, including really light 4 or 6 pot bike calipers.
5/ Pick your own steering arm length to quicken/slow the steering.
6/ Easily made in your garage from cheap materials.
7/.....I'm too modest.

Rescued attachment R2_upright.jpg

Rorty, may I on behalf of some of the rest of us, express an interest in your home-made uprights. Perhaps we could prevail upon you to tell us how you do it?

John

Hi Rorty,

i was thinking about use sierra uprights, but yours really make me ...
I hope you'll post a drawing.. SOON! i really want something like yours.
Davide

Rorty

Please enlighten us to the construction of your uprights, they look super cool. Plus the discs look bizarre, I'm guessing they're off road, trials motorbike maybe, am I correct? The only disc I've seen like that before were for trials mountain bikes so they could take a battering and most importantly, looked cool. I used to have some on my push bike, till it got stolen
Do motorbike discs/calipers work on cars? I would have thought there would be heat/strength issues with the added weight?

Kingr

this is another option from rorty's but doesn't look as good though

http://www.billzilla.org/newrcarhub2.jpg

Before I go any further, I think my uprights need a short introduction. The car weighs 390kg, and frequently hits the ground from heights up to 8 or 9 feet while traveling at about 60mph, when coming off jumps.
I have used everything under the sun over the years, including Torana (Australian version of the Viva) front uprights, and I even bent one of those.
My uprights are about half the weight of those Torana ones, yet I haven't had a single problem with them.
They are made from a turned stub axle, and two lengths of 3mm RHS. One bit for the steering arm, and the other bit has a V cut in it, then bent to the correct angle and welded.
I use Rose joints in the horizontal plane to give almost unlimited travel (in reality 14"), and turn some ball extenders to increase the angular limit of the joints to 48 degrees inclusive.
The cheapest way for the Locost would be to either use the Rose joints in the vertical plane, or use two Transit rod ends.
Again, to keep it cheap, you should be able to buy Cortina/Granada (or whatever you fancy) stub axles from any trailer parts place or motor factor, then just turn a spigot on the end for welding through the upright.
Obviously that's over simplifying matters, but you get the idea. The important bit is to get the geometry right. Now I'm only too glad to help out with drawing the jig and the upright itself, but I can see this blowing out ....some may want vertical Rose joints, some horizontal, some for Escort, some for Granada etc. and that's not even going near the various caliper permutations!
To be honest, I would rule out the horizontal Rose joints, as the ball extenders are quite hard to produce by NC...read expensive.
If someone wants to start a poll, and come up with say 4 or 5 different popular models, and can supply me with the various dimensions I need, such as ball to ball (vertically and diagonally), and distance to disc face etc, then I'll do the rest for free.
If on the other hand someone wants different hubs, bike calipers (thin discs), different scrub radius for those sexy Peugeot wheels etc etc, then I'll charge them my going hourly rate, which, with the conversion rate the way it is at the moment, is pocket money to you lot!

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Plus the discs look bizarre, I'm guessing they're off road, trials motorbike maybe, am I correct?

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Hmmmm interesting.

Could be a potential solution as to how to use the running gear from our BMW in this thread.

You may hear from me at some point Rorty....

Rorty,

I think I would be safe in suggesting that the most popular fitment would be Sierra hubs to cortina dimension uprights. Also would it be possible to see a few pictures of your upright on its own? Finally, and less related, are your wishbones powder coated or painted? They look very nice either way.

Kingr

How about sierra ones to fit an MK Indy?



I'd be willing to send a donation!

Kingr:

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the most popular fitment would be Sierra hubs to cortina dimension uprights.

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Also would it be possible to see a few pictures of your upright on its own?

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are your wishbones powder coated or painted?

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How about sierra ones to fit an MK Indy?

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I'd be willing to send a donation!

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I have uploaded a few pics of one of my front upright/hub assemblies to the Photos archive. The upright is for use with Rose joints mounted horizontally. It would be virtually the same for use with say, Transit tierod ends, other than the Transit rod ends would obviously have to be mounted vertically.
I have built them with VW Beetle tierod ends in this fashion. Worked beautifully.

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how haveyou arranged the bearings in your uprights/hubs

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Has anyone considered Metro hubs?

Before you all laugh, you get ball joints top and bottom that could be clamped, ventilated disks (small) and 4-pot calipers. Might be worth investigating.


Rorty
When I checked your photos page didn't work

I'm not laughing!!!!

I have changed to a chain driven diff which now requires metor drive shafts - the logical link is also to use metro hubs [trying to source now]. this is for the rear though.

hey there Rorty I live in melbourne too
what side of Melb u live on?
east<-----me
I was wondering on ur opinion of Ford Falcon XF disks and calipers for this aplication?

I ve put in some strange brainwaves into this subject. Taking Terrapin ideas with sierra parts. The results were some odd models for fornt uprights, as seen in the photo section. height simular to the cortina part as is the angle.

Comments would be welcome

Rorty, wow, respect , just one point.......
Like the idea of saving money with the diy uprights, i will consider it if the custom desinged laser cut discs are about £10-£15 each, do you think i can get them done for about that.

Phull:

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I was wondering on ur opinion of Ford Falcon XF disks and calipers for this aplication?

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Rorty, wow, respect , just one point.......
Like the idea of saving money with the diy uprights, i will consider it if the custom desinged laser cut discs are about £10-£15 each, do you think i can get them done for about that.

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the weight is true rorty, but this upright was made up from parts i did find as drawings.
The upright was made up from steel tube and the rearbearing of the sierra unmodified and an end piece of the driveshaft.
I don't have any parts left here sold everything, only gearbox diskbreaks and diff left, so getting dimensions is a bit hard, as in have to go down in the mudd at the scrapyard, have to get another sierra in the near future.

thanks for the reply
well I live in Camberwell

anyway
those spherical joints u used I noticed that they are used vertical instead of horizontal...

anyway where did u go to get those spherical joints...how much Aus$ they seem pretty expensive where in melb specialises in this stuff?

six pot calipers on a bike man what bike did that come from that would be awsome,

I was wondering about the expense of getting some one to turn up some stub axels, hubs to fit bike disk brakes ect

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those spherical joints u used I noticed that they are used vertical instead of horizontal

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anyway where did u go to get those spherical joints...how much Aus$ they seem pretty expensive where in melb specialises in this stuff?

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six pot calipers on a bike man what bike did that come from that would be awsome

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I was wondering about the expense of getting some one to turn up some stub axels, hubs to fit bike disk brakes ect

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the most popular fitment would be Sierra hubs to cortina dimension uprights.

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OK, I'm happy to do those, though I'll need you, or somone to provide some basic measurements.

Has this gone any further as I want some, were do I send my money?
Rorty, do you think that bike discs/calipers would be upto the job on the road in a bec?
Cheers Col

It's all rather died in the ar$e I'm afraid. I'm still more than happy to design a number of uprights (or whatever is wanted), free for the members here.
I need accurate dimensions of the donor components, as I'm not building a sevenesque Locost myself, so I don't have any of the uprights/hubs that you blokes are using.
I did send a requisit sheet to someone, and someone else pointed me in the direction of a pic of a Cortina upright, but it didn't have sufficient detail.
Bike callipers and suitable discs should work fine in a BEC, as it's so light. You may struggle to get large enough discs into a 13" rim though. 15"wheels would definitely do the trick.

/me runs off to pick a part for some cortina uprights

Rorty,
I have both cortina and sierra complete hubs and will be more than happy to supply as much info as needed/requested.

I will send you a U2U with my email address if you need to ask for any details etc.

I will be running 15/16" rims due to the engine/diff combo that I have so should have room for the bike discs.

Cheers Col

Not a problem. I will email a sheet with the dimensions I need clearly indicated. Just fill in the missing figures in milimetres, and I'll do the rest.
If anyone else has any particular requests, such as odd offsets etc, I'm prepared to give a certain amount of time to this.

I could help with photos or dimensions of the Cortina uprights and hubs.

When I was at the autosport show I saw a 'fabricated' Cortina upright. All the holes were in the same places, but was 1kg lighter I was hold. Same place had aluminium Cortins hubs, which weighed hardly anything! These were on the Randal Motorsport stand, www.randallmotorsport.co.uk the uprights were new and may not be on there, but the hubs might. Give them a ring on 01945 420777. If anyone rings them I'd be interested in prices (I forgot!).

how would alloy hubs hold up for b4 u would need to replace them as oposed to the std items

The AL hubs should last longer than the steel ones, as AL doesn't rust!
Seriously, as long as all the tolerances are correctly observed, there would be no difference between the two.

quick note

sierra 2wd front hubs - buy Mk2 astra bottom ball joints fit straight in and are at the right angle for bolting to the wishbone aswell

Maxi balljoints are the same taper as Cortina ones --- actually better for the job as they have a neater 2 bolt flange than the angle Cortin 4 bolt fixing.

Other ball joints that have been used with Cortina uprights are Lada and Hillman Hunter..

Sierra one as mention elsewhere fit Astra MK2 balljoints --- but not all Sierras have taper fitting joints just the plain vanilla models.