After 3 batches of tubing and 5 measuring muckups...

"BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires" (biturbo228)
02/16/2016 at 13:53 • Filed to: Spit6

...I finally have a roll hoop that fits!

My little insert for my BSP pipe bender (pictured) worked a treat reducing the crushing of the pipe, alongside increasing the radius of the bend. Took it to very very close to the maximum permissible crush in the MSA rulebook (the MSA is the national governing body for motorsport in the UK, and oddly has stricter cage rules than the FIA).

The MSA state that for the feet of the cage you need a 120 sq cm reinforcing plate of 3mm steel under a footplate (no dimensions given) attached to the tubing of the cage, so I’ve got that all welded in.

Now I’ve got to measure and make up the backstays including their reinforcing plates, as well as a diagonal crossbar:)

DISCUSSION (23)

crowmolly > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
02/16/2016 at 13:56

How do they test your welds?

That much grinding can cause issues with the NHRA, as an example.

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
02/16/2016 at 14:03

Kinja'd!!!

You’re ahead of me on roll protection. On the other hand, I’ve got tires now. :|

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
02/16/2016 at 14:08

You know what they say: measure five times, cut four times.

kanadanmajava1 > crowmolly
02/16/2016 at 14:18

I think that the FIA regulations prohibit any kind of grinding. The weld seams are usually only visually inspected so grinded seams wouldn’t tell anything. I have no idea what the MSA says about this.

CalzoneGolem > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull
02/16/2016 at 14:21

Roll protection?

Uh ....

Kinja'd!!!

CalzoneGolem > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
02/16/2016 at 14:21

I love your work light.

crowmolly > kanadanmajava1
02/16/2016 at 14:29

They don’t do any sonic testing? Huh, I’m a bit surprised at that.

MonkeePuzzle > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull
02/16/2016 at 15:40

well I see you have some of that L-shaped hole filled steel to make it with all ready to go on the hood there :P

kanadanmajava1 > crowmolly
02/16/2016 at 16:27

Most FIA regulations are pretty old school as FIA isn’t the most flexible organization that exists. So the weld inspection just relies on couple of experienced eyes. The example regulation (regarding safety equipment of N, A and R-GT classes that most other classes follow as well) does say that welds have to be properly done by saying this a bit vaguely:

“Although good external appearance of a weld does not necessarily guarantee its quality, poor looking welds are never a sign of good workmanship.”

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > MonkeePuzzle
02/16/2016 at 16:32

Actually, the angle steel is for the shock tower/adjustable suspension crossbrace under the hood. The car still can’t rest on its own four wheels - that picture is taken with the front coilovers not yet fastened to anything.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > CalzoneGolem
02/16/2016 at 16:59

Yeah it is a bit dark :S I had a spotlight but that went when I accidentally kicked it. Then I had an inspection lamp which blew after it dropped a centimeter or so onto the floor.

So far this desk lamp has put up with more than the other two combined, and is easily twisted to shine light where you want it :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/16/2016 at 17:04

Never has a more accurate thing been said :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull
02/16/2016 at 17:07

Nice :) I do like those.

You’re ahead on the suspension-front too. I’ve nearly got mine all pieced together but I couldn’t find a set of rear vertical links and the fronts are on back order (hopefully available late this month).

After that I should be able to sort some running gear! After re-making my gearbox mount of course...

Oh, I’ve also been thinking about extending the hoop forward into more of a cage. There’s a little groove in the hard top that would conceal a rollbar nicely, but the a=pillar is too slim to do the same there. I was wondering about runnign a smaller diameter but thicker wall piece of tubing up inside the a-pillar to strengthen it there. It wouldn’t pass any motorsport regulations, but I’m not certain my existing hoop would either (if only because of the size of my engine).

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
02/16/2016 at 17:18

The clips for the original Ford hubcaps aren’t installed yet, but the aluminum wheels and cheap tires are certainly a good start. It’s a good look. I’m trying to get my upper suspension mounts for the coilover sorted out this week - I made the cross-pins to connect them to the upper control arms on Saturday. There are three things missing from the rear suspension - the limit straps, the fore-aft links and the height adjust servos - but nothing to stop me setting it down on the wheels, and soon the front will be the same.

sdwarf36 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
02/16/2016 at 21:45

Rule one in cage making: start with the longest bar first. That way you can reuse your screw ups on the next shorter bar.

Use this: www.benditonline.com You’ll end up with alot less waste.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > sdwarf36
02/17/2016 at 04:21

Yeah it was the longest piece I kept mucking up :S I’ve probably got enough tubing to make 3 sets of backstays now...

That website is gold :) definitely using it for any future projects...

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
02/17/2016 at 04:31

Are you using the Jag self-levelling system? If so then brave man :) I think the factory sold conversion kits back to standard suspension because it was so troublesome...

CalzoneGolem > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
02/17/2016 at 06:29

Sounds better than a inspection lamp.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
02/17/2016 at 09:05

Actually, I’m doing nothing of the sort. I’ve hacked the upper coilover mounts so that they use a bellcrank, and I’m going to have a 600kN servo pushing a lever arm on that bellcrank to raise and lower the upper suspension mount. Thus changing ride height. Up front, I’ve got a sleeve replacing the original shock mount and spring on each side, which will be connected together and have a lever/plunger setup to raise and lower the front coilover in a similar way.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
02/17/2016 at 09:14

Nice :) I like the idea of that system. Would be good to see it in action once it's done, and find out how well it survives the rigours of driving long-term :)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
02/17/2016 at 09:26

If it doesn’t survive well, it will at least fail to a safe position. Both front and rear are set up with something of a final bottom stop if the servo gives up and loses its brake all at once, or breaks a pin or something. ‘twill just leave me with shat servos and a little bit lower riding position than the car had originally. I was considering using hydraulic cylinders, but they’re too bulky for dual action operation ones, and I need dual action to keep things tight. (i.e. it needs to forcibly and stably lower (pull up) as well as raise (push down)). Turns out one can get industrial process/manufacturing machine servos with a very shallow pitch screw drive that are rated to 600kN (1320lb), run on 12V, are dual action, don’t weigh any more than hydraulics, and don’t need any extra pumps or blather to support.

MonkeePuzzle > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
02/18/2016 at 16:20

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/this-is-the-mo…

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > MonkeePuzzle
02/22/2016 at 09:32

I’m putting in only a little more than a roll hoop in the cabin, but what there is is out of thick-wall DOM 1020 series tubing with mandrel bends. Sharp edges in the engine compartment don’t scare me too much, and I’ve run the numbers on the pieces involved.