914RS4 Tube Chassis 996 Suspension Audi 2.7TT Stage 3, ADDED RECAROS Options

[Cracker]

It was said in jest...t will be well under the 3K# number.

Tony

[seanery]

Wow, this is great! Just read it start to current! Love it!! =)

[Curbandgutter]

All right now....I finished with the center tunnel. ADDED WEIGHT TRIGGER ALERT Never mind that it is accounted for and offset with carbon fiber. Next step is the floor. I am getting the Eastwood 28 inch hand beader. Hovwever, I have a motor that I am going to adapt. Then I am am going to add so much beading that it will make us all sick and I'll have to scrap it and do a more "normal" look. Also, I've decided on using inboard suspension on the rear and on the mac pherson strut front suspension. I want the ability to make the shocks to travel more than the wheel and I want the ability to create a rising rate motion with a linear spring. Any input on that is appreciated.

[tygaboy]

Looking great, Rudy!
Not sure what you're plans are for plumbing but a heads up on a lesson learned from my console:
If you're planning to run hard lines, make sure you have a way to get them in/out of the chassis, once the console is in place.
I'm likely going to have to slice up my console so they can be installed and/or removed/replaced for any reason.

Oops. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[mgp4591]

Looking great, Rudy!
Not sure what you're plans are for plumbing but a heads up on a lesson learned from my console:
If you're planning to run hard lines, make sure you have a way to get them in/out of the chassis, once the console is in place.
I'm likely going to have to slice up my console so they can be installed and/or removed/replaced for any reason.

Oops. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Chris, did you run hard lines down the center, and if you did is there any thermal advantage over the hose option? Mine are run down the center as well and fishing them out is pretty straightforward.... I try to expect repairs like that so I've isolated my hoses and fuel lines so if there were any leaks, they just pour out of either end and not in the passenger compartment. I'd think hoses would be a better thermal isolator over a hard line even though they're not as pretty.... and your work is really good looking!

[Curbandgutter]

Looking great, Rudy!
Not sure what you're plans are for plumbing but a heads up on a lesson learned from my console:
If you're planning to run hard lines, make sure you have a way to get them in/out of the chassis, once the console is in place.
I'm likely going to have to slice up my console so they can be installed and/or removed/replaced for any reason.

Oops. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Thanks for heads up. I’m thinking of pushing the fuel and hydraulics and maybe ac in the tunnel. Im thinking that the water will be pushed in the rocker panels. We will see.

[csdilligaf]

Its coming along nicely Rudy. I'll have to stop by on my next trip up that way.

[Curbandgutter]

Quick update, I finally finished welding the tube frame. My son is designing new lower 996 control arms to extend the front track 1" on each side for a total of 2". The control arm is getting a revised location for a strut to install inboard coilovers on the the mac pherson strut design. The mac pherson strut will be replaced with a sliding shaft and a monoball on a camber/caster plate. I think that this may be a first, not sure, but I haven't seen it on the web. While that is being machined by CSDILLIGAD out of a solid piece of 2026 aluminum on his HASS CNC mill, I will finish bead rolling a new floor. The 3-piece forged modular wheels were supposed to come in this week, keeping my fingers crossed maybe this week. BTW, I decided to convert the rear coilovers to inboard coil overs as well.

Question for the group, does anyone know the specs on the front ball joint for the 996 control arm? I need to source them for the new control arms. Any help would be appreciated. I'm looking for the length and taper and diamters. I'm hoping to find an off the shelf ball joint that I can press into the new control arm.

[Mueller]

Quick update, I finally finished welding the tube frame. My son is designing new lower 996 control arms to extend the front track 1" on each side for a total of 2". The control arm is getting a revised location for a strut to install inboard coilovers on the the mac pherson strut design. The mac pherson strut will be replaced with a sliding shaft and a monoball on a camber/caster plate. I think that this may be a first, not sure, but I haven't seen it on the web. While that is being machined by CSDILLIGAD out of a solid piece of 2026 aluminum on his HASS CNC mill, I will finish bead rolling a new floor. The 3-piece forged modular wheels were supposed to come in this week, keeping my fingers crossed maybe this week. BTW, I decided to convert the rear coilovers to inboard coil overs as well.

Question for the group, does anyone know the specs on the front ball joint for the 996 control arm? I need to source them for the new control arms. Any help would be appreciated. I'm looking for the length and taper and diamters. I'm hoping to find an off the shelf ball joint that I can press into the new control arm.

I would check with Elephant Racing for the ball joint and look at their selection of 996 arms and components.


As for your strut idea, a Volvo owner beat you to it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
(not mine, Sweden or Norway)

[Curbandgutter]

Quick update, I finally finished welding the tube frame. My son is designing new lower 996 control arms to extend the front track 1" on each side for a total of 2". The control arm is getting a revised location for a strut to install inboard coilovers on the the mac pherson strut design. The mac pherson strut will be replaced with a sliding shaft and a monoball on a camber/caster plate. I think that this may be a first, not sure, but I haven't seen it on the web. While that is being machined by CSDILLIGAD out of a solid piece of 2026 aluminum on his HASS CNC mill, I will finish bead rolling a new floor. The 3-piece forged modular wheels were supposed to come in this week, keeping my fingers crossed maybe this week. BTW, I decided to convert the rear coilovers to inboard coil overs as well.

Question for the group, does anyone know the specs on the front ball joint for the 996 control arm? I need to source them for the new control arms. Any help would be appreciated. I'm looking for the length and taper and diamters. I'm hoping to find an off the shelf ball joint that I can press into the new control arm.

I would check with Elephant Racing for the ball joint and look at their selection of 996 arms and components.


As for your strut idea, a Volvo owner beat you to it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
(not mine, Sweden or Norway)

@Mueller can you post a link to this volvo?

[stownsen914]

The mac pherson strut will be replaced with a sliding shaft and a monoball on a camber/caster plate. I think that this may be a first, not sure, but I haven't seen it on the web.

If I'm picturing correctly what you are talking about, I remember seeing this on an SCCA tube frame 914 a bunch of years ago - Doug Arnao's car that he ran in GT2. It was one of the iterations of his car. If I recall correctly, he initially built a dual A arm setup for the front suspension but the tech inspectors disallowed it. He wound up running the upper A arm in a fixed position and using a modified 911 strut as an upright. It had a fixed shaft that slid through a spherical bearing or rod end in the fixed upper A arm. And I believe it must have used an external shock absorber (i.e. not part of the strut). It was an interesting way to approach it.

I haven't read through the whole thread, but this is a cool project. I'll have to read more of the thread!

Scott

[jd74914]

I like that idea. Are you going that route to try to improve motion ratio? How are you planning on making the sliding shaft? Gutted strut damper?

[Curbandgutter]

I like that idea. Are you going that route to try to improve motion ratio? How are you planning on making the sliding shaft? Gutted strut damper?

Yes the reason is for the motion ratio since I want to be able to cause a rising compression and I also want the shock to move more than a 1/2". With this setup, the shock will have a full range of movement as opposed to a very limited range. My hope is that this lowered car will not rattle your contact lenses off. In order to tune that, I’m using a shock that is 4 way adjustable. It will be able to be tuned to absorb the freeway ripples effortlessly but then stiffen up in steady state motion. Both compression and rebound will be adjustable for steady state and for rapid motion, hence the 4-way adjustment. As for the sliding shaft, I will look at both gutting the strut damper and also making my own sliding shaft to keep the unsprung weight down. I may make the portion of the shaft that does not move to tie into the camber plate and then put the receiving shaft with bearings onto the unsprung portion of the assembly. I can also move the sway bars up and parallel with the coilovers. This will make adjustments in ride height and sway bar tension very easy.

[Curbandgutter]

Fitment check.......they finally arrived!

[Cracker]

My Lord! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

T

[Andyrew]

Holy crap!

You couldn't have tucked that any more? Daaaaaaamn.

This car is going to be WIDE!

I LIKE IT!

[Larmo63]

[76-914]

This car makes a statement and it ain't pimping. Bad ass Rudy. I got a name for it. El Curendero

[Curbandgutter]

Thanks guys.

Andrew I based my offsets on hitting target track widths and was not concerned with tucking the rears in. The front and rear track are now square at 63". The interesting thing with respect to the rear offset is that it's a 0" offset so there will be less eccentricity on the rear wheel bearings. The car will be wide that's for sure. I measures 76 1/2" to the rear rim edges. I figured if I was going through all of the trouble with tube chassis and all, that I was not interested in making a meek rendition of the 914. I'm hoping that with the extra width and the 3" wheel base extension that it will look like a panther crouching and ready to pounce.

Obviously I need to extend the fenders but I want to keep the curve in them rather than a straight extension. I have a couple of ideas to do that.

Kent don't know about the Curandero Come on by and check the wheels out in in person. They are 3-piece forged rims with custom offsets. I really like the look.

[76-914]

Thanks guys.

Andrew I based my offsets on hitting target track widths and was not concerned with tucking the rears in. The front and rear track are now square at 63". The interesting thing with respect to the rear offset is that it's a 0" offset so there will be less eccentricity on the rear wheel bearings. The car will be wide that's for sure. I measures 76 1/2" to the rear rim edges. I figured if I was going through all of the trouble with tube chassis and all, that I was not interested in making a meek rendition of the 914. I'm hoping that with the extra width and the 3" wheel base extension that it will look like a panther crouching and ready to pounce.

Obviously I need to extend the fenders but I want to keep the curve in them rather than a straight extension. I have a couple of ideas to do that.

Kent don't know about the Curandero Come on by and check the wheels out in in person. They are 3-piece forged rims with custom offsets. I really like the look.

I'll stop by as soon as this head cold is finished with me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) I'll bring the V8 this time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)