Wishbone suspension bolt on kit

[Last Triumph]

Anymore progress?

[volkdent]

Sorry, no. Car has been sitting while life happens. Lanners brakes havn't even been installed yet! I will update if I make any progress, I promise.

Jason

[Last Triumph]

I hppe this doesn't seem like an overly obvious suggestion, but has anyone just cut the frame head off and welded on a subframe to carry a Mustang II front end? All complete in one package with steering and geometry all worked out?

[MikeVW]

Might work! I hear these guys have a really good reputation for quality http://www.heidts.com/heip17.htm

Mike

[Panelfantastic]

Not overly obvious LT. Jason's whole mission was to make it "bolt on" to any stock pan without having to hack-n-whack. He could have saved a ton of time and money doing it your way but he refuses to be sensible .
Have you seen the arse end of his car? ...but he doesn't want to cut the front !

(Lets see how long it takes dent to rip me a new one... )


Jeff-

[VRSICK]

How exactly would you get the mustang II front end to match up with the bug, or ghia front end?? Start hacking and welding it in I soppose, right? I just finished a beetle project, but i'm considering a ghia 'vert project that I want to start up. My MAIN goal is to make this ghia as highway-able as possible (Maintain speeds of 80+) and this sounds like something I may be able to throw into my blackboard of ideas and combinations of notions.

(Wonder if they can custom make the bolt pattern)

[volkdent]

As long as you don't mind hacking and have a very good grasp of suspension design, anything is possible. I don't remember if the Mustangs spindle steering arms are high or low. I used VW because they are high and clear the shifter tunnel.

Jason

[GS guy]

FWIW The Mustang II front suspension isn't the best from a geometry perspective for optimized handling. Sure, it's an A-arm layout but was designed back in the 70's to do a decent job and be inexpensive to mass produce. It's a parallel unequal length layout that doesn't provide very good camber gain and lots of in/out scrub. OK for a hot-rod but not the best if you're wanting "sports car" handling. However, it's still relatively inexpensive with lots of aftermarket versions available - I'm fitting a version of it to my fiberglass body (tube chassis) buggy. I'm going to alter the geometry a little and with the limited suspension travel it shouldn't be too bad. Ideally, you'd lengthen the a-arms (from the stock geometry) and re-work the pick-up points but I don't have room in the buggy for longer arms. Also the spindles aren't really that ideal either, pick-up points require mounting the spindle high (relative to the chassis) - the axle is very low on the spindle. When you start really working the parts for improved geometry you eventually find you'd be better off just starting with a better spindle to start with and working in from there!
I've read ATS is (or will be at some point) coming out with an improved version of the M-II spindle, but that may be quite some time from now...

On the plus side, it was designed to carry the weight of a V8 so the bearings and ball joints are quite a bit beefier than VW (but not "too massive") - great from a performance perspective. Also, with the Chassis Shop/Wilwood brakes the spindle/brake/hub package is significantly lighter than standard VW items even with a bigger rotor size! Built-in domestic bolt pattern comes with the package.
Jeff

[volkdent]

Originally Posted by Panelfantastic

Not overly obvious LT. Jason's whole mission was to make it "bolt on" to any stock pan without having to hack-n-whack. He could have saved a ton of time and money doing it your way but he refuses to be sensible .
Have you seen the arse end of his car? ...but he doesn't want to cut the front !

(Lets see how long it takes dent to rip me a new one... )


Jeff-

He he, I missed this one! Jeff states the truth, I'm crazy. But it turns out there is a method to my madness. I've been looking into working with a guy from Thailand to modify and and mass produce a better version of what I've already made. Wouldn't you like to bolt up a serious suspension on your bug, built for your bug, and with minor body mods?!!

Just making a front end is easy, making it bolt on with minor modifications, priceless...

Jason

[Mikey]

Originally Posted by Panelfantastic

Not overly obvious LT. Jason's whole mission was to make it "bolt on" to any stock pan without having to hack-n-whack. He could have saved a ton of time and money doing it your way but he refuses to be sensible .
Have you seen the arse end of his car? ...but he doesn't want to cut the front !

(Lets see how long it takes dent to rip me a new one... )


Jeff-

You noticed that too? I noticed it a while back, but I couldn't think of a good way to ask about it or point it out with out sounding smart@$$.

[volkdent]

Originally Posted by Mikey

You noticed that too? I noticed it a while back, but I couldn't think of a good way to ask about it or point it out with out sounding smart@$$.

It's my rolling test lab, what can I say?!!

Jason