Rally car reshell

Well I finally got out testing and managed to break some selector or other in the box so was stuck in second and bouncing off the limiter in this vid: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155231782335447.

Handling was epic although the brake bias box still needs work...

Gearbox failure turned out to be a guide sleeve - replacement cost £3.39 apparently! Whilst it's in bits, I'm sticking a 5.08 final drive in for a bit more acceleration! Looking forward to trying that out. :grin:

Hi Andrew
What spec is the box you are running? Just looking into doing the box next before adding power.

Graeme

Graeme - it's the Quaife synchro gearkit. I'd love a sequential, but don't want another mortgage :roll:

Some testing today. Springs way too hard. Disconnected ARB was a tiny improvement.

Looking good. Where abouts was you testing?

I was at Down Ampney with Gwynnespeed. Still looking for alternatives. Fulbeck last month was good but a long way from me and relied on my service chappie to organise with his local car club so kind of unofficial and not easy to repeat to order. Shout if you have any ideas!

Springs aside, did you get some good feedback for setting up the car?

I can't decide whether to do a track day to spend time altering the settings or whether to jump straight into a single venue rally and play around with the settings between stages.

Have you decided on any events yet? and are you going for tarmac or gravel?

Tarmac to start with, but not super-smooth. My theory is that if you get it working on tarmac / concrete then you can adapt it to gravel, but gravel testing from no setup at all is a bit hard. I have definitely benefited from screwing up in a test session rather than an event and all the cost that entails (both the gearbox - guide sleeve - and PAS pump failed). I do have complicated suspension and brake bias to screw up though. i don't think a track day really mimics the slippy / twisty / bumpy rally stage conditions, but I guess you'd get some miles under your belt and find out the dumbass stuff (like the fan not being plugged is as a purely random example... )

At last some pics from TSH Stages last month. Loads of problems, many of them plain unlucky (intercom failed, ECU played up, door catch broke, window regulator packed up, throttle cable snapped) before the gearbox let go. Still, the handling was fab and it was mega-fun to drive when it was going so I'm looking forward to the next event.

Looking good. Hope you get all the little issues sorted out.

Super Fly!

Did Wethersfield stages today. Managed to try the Puma out on some really fast bits (corners flat in 4th etc). We overcame a lot of the understeer on a sequence of 2nd gear corners that are almost designed to induce it but didn't eliminate it although left foot braking helped too. Suffered from fuel starvation issues so need to look into a baffled tank. Bent the beam on the last stage but held on to get 11th O/A and 1st in class (as the 1600 that beat us (C2 R2 Max) was 3rd O/A). :grin:

Dead chuffed with the potential of the car and getting more and more confidence in it.

No pics allowed at the venue (MOD) so here's one of the result of the bent beam. Was doing 100mph round bends on this!!

:grin: sounds like you did well!

Thanks Red. Having cut my teeth in a Challenge-spec 205 1600, the extra 50bhp was luxury and the handling was awesome. Neither a full-on Mk2 nor an Impreza WRC could shake us until the power sections. :grin:

Great to see you out. Are you concentrating on tarmac single venues? Or is this just to get some miles under your belt?

Is the damage just limited to the beam and has it affected the mounting points for the beam?

Just doing SVs as an extended shakedown to get to know the car and it's handling and foibles. I want to get out into the Forests in the 2nd half of next year.

It seems to have just bent the beam although I have also managed to whack the sumpguard with such force as to crease the inner wing which in turn has pushed the NSF wing back and closed the door shut to the point that opening the door fouls the wing.



Apparently the beams are prone to bending - it's an occupational hazard in a Puma apparently although I never bent one in my 205. It seems to have bent where the arm is welded on; the lateral beam itself is still straight.

id be wary of making the rear beam stronger, instead of just bending the bear which is easily replaceable you will end bending the shell / bear mounting points. Ditto with front wishbones. Is it worth taking a spare rear beam on single venue type events ?

Ziggy said:

id be wary of making the rear beam stronger, instead of just bending the bear which is easily replaceable you will end bending the shell / bear mounting points. Ditto with front wishbones. Is it worth taking a spare rear beam on single venue type events ?

Click to expand...

Yeah - my thoughts too. Sacrificial part etc. I take spare wishbones but can't fit a spare beam in! Think I'll just live with it / risk it and maybe drive over car-sized potholes a bit slower...

Solution for the PSF bubbling over everywhere:



:idea: Bigger capacity so same volume of PSF only half fills it and contains two horizontal baffles - the upper one being above the PSF level. Hopefully this will stop it bubbling over everywhere.