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Post by chameleon on May 12, 2020 8:01:26 GMT
Next Monday I will be starting to mock up the Eagle, I have one remaining question before I start which could save me time and importantly money. Most not all pictures I see of SS's the road stance is showing far to much gap between the top of the wheel and the arches. To me I want a sports car to hug the ground (accepting traffic calming tank tracks oh how I hate them ). What is the issue, is it the chassis box frame or the Cortina suspension or do people like setting a sports car on a monster truck frame. Please help if you can advise me or me and a plasma cutter and MiG welder are going to be doing some overtime. Regards Steve
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Post by chrisbailey on May 12, 2020 8:28:23 GMT
The ford SS are usually a lot higher than the VW based cars. I would guess the ford chassis were fabricated with UK roads in mind, leaving enough room for the odd speed bump.
The VW cars can go as low as you like, mine is pretty low and it struggles to get over dropped kerbs withoit scuffing something.
I think one important area alot of the ford cars miss is the size of the tyre. Lots ive seen have narrow tyres usually on steel wheels. I think the look is much improved if you can get some really wide tyres on the back. I would like to go wider on mine but the slot mags are only 10 inch wide. Ive got bf goodrich r14-225-75 on the back and r14-225-60 on the front
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Post by Mark on May 12, 2020 9:29:03 GMT
Ultimately that's what it comes down to, money. Buy a wheel (diameter) and tyre combo that fills the arches, and also my advice would be to buy tyres that currently are ready available. Originally many moons a go I had BF Goodrich 235 x 60 x 15 on the rear. When I first got the car on the road I had a flat which wrecked the tyre. I could no longer get that tyre as Bf Goodrich did not make them so 2 new tyres, now 225 x 60 x 15 but I did then have to cut ,lower and reglass the cavernous rear wheel arches to suit. Can someone advise him on optimal rim width and more importantly correct offset for wheels on a Ford based SS? Lastly I wouldn't be in a hurry to get them use skinny standard wheels while your building it saves potential damage and deterioration to your new ones.
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Graham Wood
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User name = RAM
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Post by Graham Wood on May 12, 2020 11:53:13 GMT
I've got wide rims 14", and Eagle factory derated lowered springs.( derated means softer, so expect more travel over bumps ) Car weighs considerably less than a Cortina, so derated springs are a must. Front springs... I had to cut the front bump stops in half ( shortened ). So no room for improvement at the front. Rear springs o.k. but still too much gap ( but acceptable ) above rear tyres.
Driving with standard cortina springs is a bone shaker. My current springs are fine ( for me )
Lowering the rear can be done by moving the top spring square holder upwards, at least it gets rid of "some" of the gap at the top of the wheels with 14" wheels.( yet to do mine ) But be careful, as the chassis were not always perfectly matched each side at the rear on the spring locators, so time spent checking chassis height from ground ( with all wheels on ) and distance from top underside of rear wheel arch to ground.
Be careful with derated springs, as they tend to be shorter, and just -- "just may" pop out if car leaves the ground, so jack up on chassis till rear wheels off ground and see if you need axle straps to stop rear axle going down too far so springs don't wobble around and possibly fall out. Shock absorbers may limit the travel.
Eagle SS ( ford ) is a kit car, and suspension was not a hot topic to experiment with at Eagle cars.
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Post by Peter on May 15, 2020 12:05:08 GMT
I have 15" rims, 8" at front and 10" at rear. Tyres are 225/60R15 and 255/60R15 and lowers on the VW suspension. on the Ford it has all been said really, shorter , softer springs and axle straps, also slightly shorter shocks., don't for get unloaded and loaded (+90Kg minimum) are quite different.
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