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1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
 Posted - 14 May 2010 : 18:55:51
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This is where the project starts. A 1968 Rapier in much better condition than it looks thanks to the first owner who very thoughtfully rust proofed it. It's had one sill and I've found a hole in one the chassis leg under the passenger foot well. The rest of the chassis looks very good, original and unwelded.
This shows a Rapier crossmember and suspensions arms compared to an Avenger one.
The Rapier one is a rusty one I pulled out of muddy field.
A closer look:
So first job is to remove the big lump of metal that's in the way:
So I've got some space to see what I'm doing:
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Edited by - 1922 on 14 May 2010 19:37:24 |
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TurboZed
United Kingdom
94 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2010 : 20:56:07
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Thanks for the piccies, it helps me to understand where bits are better.
Regards,
Jim Gough
Looking for a fastback Rapier.... |
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1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 16 May 2010 : 18:15:06
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This is a plan view of the suspension from the workshop manual, it helps understand how it all connects together:
I thought I might be able to use the Avenger struts - but these are a couple of inches too short. You can see that the spring mount of the Rapier strut (the new one) is a couple of inches further away from the hub.
So next plan is to join the Rapier strut to the Avenger lower link or maybe find a way to use the Rapier lower link. The Rapier lower link (suspension arm) is a bit longer than the Avenger - see below:
But the good news - it bolts right onto the Avenger crossmember.
So shortening the Rapier lower link should work. On this picture you can see that Rapier lower link is at an angle, the ball joint for the strut is about level with the rear of the cross member. The Avenger one is at much less of an angle. This will put the wheel too far forward. But the Rapier lower link is longer than the Avenger one and I have to shorten it to get track right - so I can put a kink in at the same time.
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Edited by - 1922 on 17 May 2010 09:14:20 |
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1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 16 May 2010 : 18:34:58
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Next job is to trial fit the Avenger crossmember. The Avenger one is a wee bit wider so the bolt holes need elongating. I needed to file out the slots from 15mm to 22mm to get it to bolt on. This puts the bolt heads too close to the wall of the crossmember to use a socket on the normal hex heads so I'm going to use socket (allen) head or Torx head bolts to attach it to the chassis.
Fitted to the car it looks like this:
And from above:
The steering box will stay for a while, the original centre track rod is doing a useful job, it's holding up the front of the gearbox 
After lots of measuring I've concluded that if I cut the Rapier lower links to the same length as the Avenger ones then the front track will increase by 17mm, so I need to make them a bit shorter. I have to cut about 80mm out of the Rapier lower links. Hopefully there will be enough adjustment on the steering rack to compensate for having 8.5mm shorter lower links. I'll need to measure up again to make certain before I start cutting up the lower links. But that's it for this weekend - there's some beer in the fridge that needs disposing of... |
Edited by - 1922 on 16 May 2010 23:17:39 |
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TurboZed
United Kingdom
94 Posts |
Posted - 17 May 2010 : 23:10:05
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Excelent pics again! How are you going to fit the engine mounts the the Avenger cross member? (If you've already said and I've missed it, sorry! LOL)
Regards,
Jim Gough
Looking for a fastback Rapier.... |
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1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2010 : 09:08:23
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The crossmember is a slightly different shape, so the mounts need to be a little shorter than the Rapier ones but very similar.
There's an engineering place a couple of miles away that can laser cut steel plate. I'll get them to cut the steel for me, then I can weld it together. I could cut the steel myself with a hacksaw and file - but I'd rather not!
They also have a CNC machine - so I'm planning on getting him to make the new steering arms for me. |
Edited by - 1922 on 18 May 2010 09:12:28 |
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1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 18 May 2010 : 21:27:25
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I need to cut between 85 and 89 millimetres from the lower link. This gets the track to within a few millimetres of the standard Rapier. A little wider is ok as this makes the lower link closer in length to the Avenger one - and this will mean I can use the standard Avenger track rods.
So first cut the lower link - and hope to get it right first time or I'll have to buy another one:
All seems to have gone well - I've reduced the length by 87mm and angled the arm back to about the right place. Trial fit on the car looks about right.
Next step is to tack weld it together then measure it up against the standard Rapier set up again, just to make sure, before I weld it properly. |
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argonaut
Hungary
39 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2010 : 08:05:59
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| Looking good Derek, good progress so far, well done! |
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1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 25 May 2010 : 20:17:35
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Got the lower link tack welded while it was on the car then removed the whole assembly for a final measure up before it's welded properly.
The outer ball-joint looks to be in the right position, it's the correct distance behind the crossmember and the lower link looks to be right length.
A measure up shows it's distance from the bolt holes on the cross member to be very close to the original Rapier, only a couple of millimetres different on the distance from the front bolt hole.
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arrocuda
United Kingdom
501 Posts |
Posted - 26 May 2010 : 09:42:01
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I'm liking this thread..... I have a thang for angle grinders too!  The pics are excellent and..... measurements too. Excellent stuff!!
Tim.
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda'). |
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1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 26 May 2010 : 14:02:47
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Thanks Tim,
I've wanted to do this mod for years. I had an Avenger for a couple of years while I rebuilt my first Rapier and the steering was so much more precise - the Rapier steering has a "rubbery" feel in comparison.
I'm hoping to get the welding done this week and it all refitted so I can start I do some drawings for the steering arms and get those made. |
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bigt80
United Kingdom
1051 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2010 : 22:45:16
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quote:
Originally posted by 1922
Thanks Tim,
I've wanted to do this mod for years. I had an Avenger for a couple of years while I rebuilt my first Rapier and the steering was so much more precise - the Rapier steering has a "rubbery" feel in comparison.
I'm hoping to get the welding done this week and it all refitted so I can start I do some drawings for the steering arms and get those made.
Great contribution to the forum there Derek; don't reckon I'll ever attempt that!  Mind you; got to get the car on the road first & then being reminded about how wooly the steering can be - I might change my mind  . cheers. G. |
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1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 10:24:16
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Thanks Glen,
If this all goes according to plan I might have a excellent reconditioned steering box for sale |
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TurboZed
United Kingdom
94 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 21:48:36
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whats the opening bidding on that?
Regards,
Jim Gough
Looking for a fastback Rapier.... |
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1922
United Kingdom
549 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 22:36:27
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Hmmm - probably less than I'd charge for a steering rack conversion
For tonights episode - a shortened suspension lower link. Newly blast cleaned and ready for painting.
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TurboZed
United Kingdom
94 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 22:59:32
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Thats some snazzy welding you've done there, you can hardly tell! Have you plated across the join inside of added strength?
Regards,
Jim Gough
Looking for a fastback Rapier.... |
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1922's steering rack project
