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My Elio Alternate Project Is Underway.

M

Mark BEX

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JEBar said:
"tiring work" indeed ..
27.gif
.. what types of things are you focusing on next ??
Click to expand...

I am finally getting happy with the steering, which has turned out to be a nightmare timewise, mostly trying to simplify it to keep time and costs down to make it repeatable for production. If it was a one off build, I would have had the steering finished a week ago, it's just so much different when you intend to make a bunch of them.

Next is brakes, and once I have a steerable chassis with brakes, I might get the engine in and get it drive'able.
 
Velhartice

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Mark BEX said:
I am finally getting happy with the steering, which has turned out to be a nightmare timewise, mostly trying to simplify it to keep time and costs down to make it repeatable for production. If it was a one off build, I would have had the steering finished a week ago, it's just so much different when you intend to make a bunch of them.

Next is brakes, and once I have a steerable chassis with brakes, I might get the engine in and get it drive'able.
Click to expand...
Bravo!
 
84mpg

84mpg

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Mark BEX said:
The T-Bex is finished.

Yes, I am working on the car, but I had to get this gift finished this week, and only took about 3 hours of my time, and was a bit of a mind relaxer as well.

View attachment 25436
Click to expand...
Looks good!
The steering was easier to figure out on this one, right?

I still think it would make a T-rrific hood ornament. ;)
 
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Mark BEX

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I know you want more on the car, but it's hard to explain what the current delay is, but I'll try in short:

The whole steering rack had to be moved left because the 'right lock' was too short, i.e not enough steering. I don't know exactly how I stuffed that up, of course I checked it all out 36 times before proceeding.

This meant I had to make completely new mounts again from scratch, but because the new position made the steering rack the wrong height, that obtained the correct ackermann, it had introduced bump steer .. are you following, there will be a test later.

So a couple of days ago I laser cut 3 different mount possibilities to try to correct the bump steer, while retaining the ackermann. the 3 were also designed around the height spacers, being 1", 3/4" and 5/8ths square tube, that would cost me cents in the dollar, merely cutting off 2" of the tube as required.

Yesterday's 1" setup failed, too much bump steer, but also the wrong way, getting toe in on bump, a little toe out on bump is preferable as it takes stress off the tire's slip angle as pressure is applied. It may not be a failure yet, as I might be able to flip the tie rod ends to raise their pivot points to compensate, which is what I will try in the morning.

I am concerned this will lose some ackermann though, which I could compensate by moving the rack further towards the rear of the car, but I already fear the rack is perilously close to the clutch pedal's travel.

Are we having fun yet?

One good thing is, because I had to move the rack to the left, remember the biggest part of the rack was cleaning it after cutting? Well good news, I can now leave a stub of tube, and use tube cutters as was suggested by (forgot!), and now won't have to clean everything ... but wait, there's more....

That stub has allowed me to press on a water pipe joiner, as I did on the other cut off end, and this is perfect for a rack dust boot, yay, another production item resolved.

I had another rack the same from a previous build, and lucky for me it had the stub there, saved me buying a new rack again. Here is the new/old housing, the water pipe fitting pressed on (arrow), and a test rack boot ...

... and if you're sick of hearing about the steering, how do you think I feel !!!

new rack.jpg
 
3wheelin

3wheelin

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Mark BEX said:
I know you want more on the car, but it's hard to explain what the current delay is, but I'll try in short:

The whole steering rack had to be moved left because the 'right lock' was too short, i.e not enough steering. I don't know exactly how I stuffed that up, of course I checked it all out 36 times before proceeding.

This meant I had to make completely new mounts again from scratch, but because the new position made the steering rack the wrong height, that obtained the correct ackermann, it had introduced bump steer .. are you following, there will be a test later.

So a couple of days ago I laser cut 3 different mount possibilities to try to correct the bump steer, while retaining the ackermann. the 3 were also designed around the height spacers, being 1", 3/4" and 5/8ths square tube, that would cost me cents in the dollar, merely cutting off 2" of the tube as required.

Yesterday's 1" setup failed, too much bump steer, but also the wrong way, getting toe in on bump, a little toe out on bump is preferable as it takes stress off the tire's slip angle as pressure is applied. It may not be a failure yet, as I might be able to flip the tie rod ends to raise their pivot points to compensate, which is what I will try in the morning.

I am concerned this will lose some ackermann though, which I could compensate by moving the rack further towards the rear of the car, but I already fear the rack is perilously close to the clutch pedal's travel.

Are we having fun yet?

One good thing is, because I had to move the rack to the left, remember the biggest part of the rack was cleaning it after cutting? Well good news, I can now leave a stub of tube, and use tube cutters as was suggested by (forgot!), and now won't have to clean everything ... but wait, there's more....

That stub has allowed me to press on a water pipe joiner, as I did on the other cut off end, and this is perfect for a rack dust boot, yay, another production item resolved.

I had another rack the same from a previous build, and lucky for me it had the stub there, saved me buying a new rack again. Here is the new/old housing, the water pipe fitting pressed on (arrow), and a test rack boot ...

... and if you're sick of hearing about the steering, how do you think I feel !!!

View attachment 25437
Click to expand...
Nah, what's important is you're solving the problem and still manages to share it with us, positive or negative. Just remember: "repeatable"! :becky::pop2:
 
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