keiichi
18th July 2010, 03:58 PM
I feel this is the right section but mods feel free to move if you wish.
Recently, and increasingly so over the last few years, Coronas have become quite popular as a drift car - some may say the replacement for the corolla as the cheap drift pig (and in my somewhat biased opinion, better).
How-ever... fancy gear like cusco 4links, bolt in coil-overs, bolt up bracing systems etc etc have been mostly unavailable. Things I wish I could get at the time but had to resort to building myself.
This post is to gauge whether there would be any interest in getting some custom things made up for your Corona. Those who have seen my work will know that it is strong, effective, but not very pretty. I know how to cut costs without cutting quality, and not for the purpose of convenience, my main priority is strength and effectiveness on a budget and these savings can be passed on to you. Unlike most off the shelf fancy companies whose main priority is making the product convenient for the customer and attractive to the eye so they can pump up the prices and increase sales... I wont argue though there is alot of fantastic stuff out there to buy.
Over the next week I will start making some bracing gear for my car as it really needs it (8.7kg/7kg daily anyone) and get some pics up.
If there is anything in particular that would interest you or you wish you could buy or even think it would be a good idea please post and let me know.
Following is some things I could start out with:
Bracing -
Everyone knows the benefit of bracing, strut braces, boot braces etc are nice but it can be better. You would be surprised how much your car twists and flexes when drifting and even with stiff springs just driving down the road. Even jacking it up.
The more stiff gear you put in and the less flex you get from your suspension system the more your shell is going to take up the slack. Heavy suspension, urethane, rose jointed cars should be accompanied by a proper bracing system.
I'm talking weld in multi-point non-adjustable braces.
Why?
Bolt in systems are designed for convenience of install and removal but in some cases reduce the area of applied resistance or create a weak point.
Some designs incorporate turnbuckles, because it's believed that it is better to tighten the brace when in reality you are creating a weak point and these system only resist one direction of flex not two (resists the opposite of the direction it tightens, weakens the same direction). Other designs incorporate adjusters purely because they can't cut them the right length or in case your car isn't straight.
I want to make the following:
Triangle brace, engine bay. Braced from strut to firewall to strut back across the engine bay. The bar across the engine will have to be somewhat bolt in for obvious reasons. This will reduce lateral twist and flex between the struts. Four ways of resistance compared to the one or two you normally get with strut braces.
Fender Brace. Goes inside your fender against the frame. Braces longitudinal flex of the strut towers and rail that runs along the upper outside of the engine bay.
Boot brace. This starts at the top side of you spring perch. Imagine it like a mini half cage for your boot. Purpose is to create more support for the car is its design was not intended for sideways action and does laterally and longitudinally twist. A boot brace will help by creating more points of resistance not normally needed in the design of the car since it is meant to drive straight not sideways. Of course, a half cage will solve this better but its up to you how far you want to go.
Rose jointed 4-link... non-adjustable.
Why?
Because adjustable 4-links are pointless unless its a parallel even length setup. Especially for a drift car. What adjustable 4-links aim to do, is only achievable by changing the mounting points or evening and paralleling the links.
Taking out the adjuster system will make it cheaper to make and stronger while still retaining the MAIN benefit that is ZERO play.
WARNING! Un-even length rose jointed 4-links cause huge amounts of stress to the body of your car. I would still run it, but I might do some seam welding under the back seat and the floor first. How-ever, if you have very minimal suspension travel then it may be fine.
I will test the above over the next couple of weeks and provide reports and pics. And prices after I find out the exact costs.
Final price will be kept as low as possible.
Any other ideas, input, opinions and criticisms more than welcome.
Cheers
Zac
Recently, and increasingly so over the last few years, Coronas have become quite popular as a drift car - some may say the replacement for the corolla as the cheap drift pig (and in my somewhat biased opinion, better).
How-ever... fancy gear like cusco 4links, bolt in coil-overs, bolt up bracing systems etc etc have been mostly unavailable. Things I wish I could get at the time but had to resort to building myself.
This post is to gauge whether there would be any interest in getting some custom things made up for your Corona. Those who have seen my work will know that it is strong, effective, but not very pretty. I know how to cut costs without cutting quality, and not for the purpose of convenience, my main priority is strength and effectiveness on a budget and these savings can be passed on to you. Unlike most off the shelf fancy companies whose main priority is making the product convenient for the customer and attractive to the eye so they can pump up the prices and increase sales... I wont argue though there is alot of fantastic stuff out there to buy.
Over the next week I will start making some bracing gear for my car as it really needs it (8.7kg/7kg daily anyone) and get some pics up.
If there is anything in particular that would interest you or you wish you could buy or even think it would be a good idea please post and let me know.
Following is some things I could start out with:
Bracing -
Everyone knows the benefit of bracing, strut braces, boot braces etc are nice but it can be better. You would be surprised how much your car twists and flexes when drifting and even with stiff springs just driving down the road. Even jacking it up.
The more stiff gear you put in and the less flex you get from your suspension system the more your shell is going to take up the slack. Heavy suspension, urethane, rose jointed cars should be accompanied by a proper bracing system.
I'm talking weld in multi-point non-adjustable braces.
Why?
Bolt in systems are designed for convenience of install and removal but in some cases reduce the area of applied resistance or create a weak point.
Some designs incorporate turnbuckles, because it's believed that it is better to tighten the brace when in reality you are creating a weak point and these system only resist one direction of flex not two (resists the opposite of the direction it tightens, weakens the same direction). Other designs incorporate adjusters purely because they can't cut them the right length or in case your car isn't straight.
I want to make the following:
Triangle brace, engine bay. Braced from strut to firewall to strut back across the engine bay. The bar across the engine will have to be somewhat bolt in for obvious reasons. This will reduce lateral twist and flex between the struts. Four ways of resistance compared to the one or two you normally get with strut braces.
Fender Brace. Goes inside your fender against the frame. Braces longitudinal flex of the strut towers and rail that runs along the upper outside of the engine bay.
Boot brace. This starts at the top side of you spring perch. Imagine it like a mini half cage for your boot. Purpose is to create more support for the car is its design was not intended for sideways action and does laterally and longitudinally twist. A boot brace will help by creating more points of resistance not normally needed in the design of the car since it is meant to drive straight not sideways. Of course, a half cage will solve this better but its up to you how far you want to go.
Rose jointed 4-link... non-adjustable.
Why?
Because adjustable 4-links are pointless unless its a parallel even length setup. Especially for a drift car. What adjustable 4-links aim to do, is only achievable by changing the mounting points or evening and paralleling the links.
Taking out the adjuster system will make it cheaper to make and stronger while still retaining the MAIN benefit that is ZERO play.
WARNING! Un-even length rose jointed 4-links cause huge amounts of stress to the body of your car. I would still run it, but I might do some seam welding under the back seat and the floor first. How-ever, if you have very minimal suspension travel then it may be fine.
I will test the above over the next couple of weeks and provide reports and pics. And prices after I find out the exact costs.
Final price will be kept as low as possible.
Any other ideas, input, opinions and criticisms more than welcome.
Cheers
Zac