FX Holden Race Car Project

[Holden202T]

i haven't ever run these tyres so i don't know what the traction would have been like, when the 7 inch rim was on the gemini it had an 8 inch slick so was much better.....

due date for bub is mid to late sept.

[HQ355]

Good work mate ! I’m going to fine you for lack of reference though

[firebug]

Woah! Got dish?

[Gareth]

That's great news about the Bub, but I was talking about the car when is it due to hit the track, I seem to recall a dead line?

[Holden202T]

look at the firewall pic HQ355! .... and to clarify, the wheel pics were taken at the same time as the others i just forgot to post them!

yes firebug, nice dish this time!

biggvl - oh! ... lol

yeah i was trying to get it finished before the bub came, but that's sssooo not happening, i was also hoping to get to 6 banger nationals in sept ..... thats not happening either!

so its just gonna be done when its done now

after bub arrives and life settles down a bit and the car is ready i'll work on where to go first..... actually i know, first trip will be the dyno!

[Holden202T]

So i've gotten to the point where i needed to take the motor out for a few reasons, rear main seal leak, finish steering mounts, finish firewall from engine bay side and a few other things, so i started stripping the bolt ons to get this thing out.

Firstly this is the clearance on the manifold to firewall, just enough to get it off the studs before it hits the firewall! - the cream panel will be cut off where the weld is along the top of the firewall.

This is what the inlet looks like after a few hours running

almost there, lots to remove but nice and easy to work on without guards!

While the motor is out and once the steering is done, we're going to drop the front springs and go over the bump steer settings and see if we can dial in the adjustable steering arms, my main aim is for minimal camber change from sitting height to full droop!

theres also a lot of little things to do, finish mounts for the catch cans, brake lines, and such, the body is actually getting pretty close to starting to put some paint on in a few areas before too long, i just need to work out where to store alot of the bits as i pull it apart!

[heff0018]

Looking great mate

[Charlescrown]

It's not the camber you need to worry about it's the toe-in toe-out with height change.

[firebug]

Dammit was it hotrod night last night?

[oldn64]

It's not the camber you need to worry about it's the toe-in toe-out with height change.

Looking good Holden202T, please tell me that the new wheels are commodore pattern and not HQ. (unless of cause the care has HQ pattern) HQ and commodore are actually different pcd's and not compatible with each other. While yes the "fit" the stresses that teh studs are now under due to the difference results often with stud failure and thus loss of wheel (dont ask me how I know....) Just please do not put HQ patterns on commodores or vice versa.

Charlescrown is correct that camber is not your issue bump steer is the change in toe settings that occurs with suspension movement. Generally it is due to the end of the draglink (or ball joint at the rack ends) not being in alignment and rotational axis that the lower control arm moves in. (this combined with different plains of the arm verses the rack end, thus resulting in the suspension changing the movement alignment thus steering the wheel.

This is not to be confused with acumen. Which in your case will be little to none seeing the car will not be steering. General rule of thumb is that if you draw a line from the lower control arm ball joint through the tierod end tot he back of the car it should meet approx 75% of the way down the car towards the rear axle axis. Most people when doing front end conversions on these and other similar vehicles (read up to EH) mostly grab the HQ spindles. This can cause major steering issues due to the tie rod being lower and not in the right plain with reference to the lower control arm and the fact it is further out as the HQ steers from the front so the acumen gets changes as well. Camber gets increase alot (15* more) so the whole front end become compromised.

There was a guy in QLD called rods racks who used to convert the original column to a commodore column and then use a manual steering rack (cut down) to actually get the whole front end perfect. The sump for the holden six did need to be reshaped and the crossmember modified to mount, but it then got rid of the steering box and the whole front was heaps better. There is also someone taking astra front mcpherson struts and tuning them down to make a new front end and spindle to give a ball joint front end. Clearly the best option is HR front end but these are really getting hard to find these days.

Anyways, great progress there

Cheers
oldn64