Lowering a car even further...

[bmcecosse]

Oh no - I believe you all right! I just don't understand it - and yes - very familiar with the 'string computer'. Which is why I say the Minor suspension is unusual - because it goes positive camber on bump - unless you lowered the mounting position for the top damper arm - or used a different arrangement for the top arm - with a lower set pivot point ? I've considered trying something like that myself - by lowering the damper mounting on an adapter plate - but that has other implications for the castor angle of course!

[MartinB]

I ran standard top shock mount, I seem to remember if you go really low it stops going positive and then goes negative again, I seem to remember that the inboard pick ups are further apart (vertically) than the out board pivots which is why they start off going positive on bump but then as the shorter top arm goes up it then overtakes the camber inducing movement of the lower arm. Normal double wishbone systems have the inboard pivots (vertically) closer together than the outboard pick ups and I think that is where the main confusions come from. (It was a long time ago that I developed the Minor suspension on my car though so I may have forgotten some of it )

Here is a photo from 1995 at Castle Combe showing the ride height, stiffness of the front suspension and roll control, inside front wheel just hovering off the ground during a 4th gear corner drift !

[frame][/frame]

[GAS]

Thank you Martin for your insite.
I thought that when these types of kit are on sale,they are fit for purpose.

A few pictures of you setup would go a long way.


Graeme.

[bmcecosse]

Yes -well it is complex - I think the top arm keeps going +ve and the bottom arm starts to go in as you go low - making it worse and worse. The answer as I think you found is to minimise suspension movement by keeping it very stiff - fine on smooth tracks ! The car looks great in that picture!

[MartinB]

It wasn't too bad on the road either, as I ran the twin spring arrangment (torsion bar and coil spring) they had different frequencies (which tended to dampen each other out, much like double valve springs) so could run a softer shock setting which helped soak up the bumps. Obviously still quite stiff though so would never be classed as a smooth ride! Also had a very stiff anti roll bar due to the low height of the roll centre at that ride height.

I will see if I have any photos of that set up, I will need to scan them in if I have any.

You can also gain some travel on the rear suspension by removing the pad that the bumpstop pushes against, you can gain about an inch there although you would still need to add some reinforcement if you still run the normal type bumpstop, mine was 5 linked with bumpstops on shocks.

[twincamman]

Thanks for the tip on the anti bump-steer kit. I was going to get one, and now you've saved me money!

[GeorgeHurst]

Thanks for all that info Martin, very insightful (though at times over my head )
Looks like there is far more to it than my initial suggestion, so 1.5" will do for the time being too many other parts to spend money on at the moment

oh, and your minor on the track looks RAD!