Front clip pivot
Discussion
Strike1 said:
Looking good Pete.......
........Yip been a while since I joined topics on here.
As luck would have it , my race team manager has just completed a hinge system that allows the splitter to stay on the car and still allow the front clip to fully open , it sort of unclips and lifts up first then pivots away from the front chassis.
It still gets released by the T-bars in the side pod , you then put your hand under the front clip to release another catch that locks the whole mechanism in place when it’s in the closed position at the hinge. Very neat , and works really well.
Will send more pic's when the front clip is on.
thats like the one i saw,,neat........Yip been a while since I joined topics on here.As luck would have it , my race team manager has just completed a hinge system that allows the splitter to stay on the car and still allow the front clip to fully open , it sort of unclips and lifts up first then pivots away from the front chassis.
It still gets released by the T-bars in the side pod , you then put your hand under the front clip to release another catch that locks the whole mechanism in place when it’s in the closed position at the hinge. Very neat , and works really well.
Will send more pic's when the front clip is on.
dom
Hey, I could always ask. He's put some serious thought into the pivot angels etc. That's obviously not the reason I posted the pic's, but as a guide for those that are interested. Amazing what we can do in Africa hey guys.
Will get back to you with more pic's , weights etc. Its fabricated from steel and then plated. I'm really chuffed with the outcome.
Even good enough for your Porker Pete........... 
........ 
Strike1 said:
Looking good Pete...............Yip been a while since I joined topics on here.
As luck would have it , my race team manager has just completed a hinge system that allows the splitter to stay on the car and still allow the front clip to fully open , it sort of unclips and lifts up first then pivots away from the front chassis.
It still gets released by the T-bars in the side pod , you then put your hand under the front clip to release another catch that locks the whole mechanism in place when it’s in the closed position at the hinge. Very neat , and works really well.
Will send more pic's when the front clip is on.
What a clever bit of kit!! Nice one Andrew. ........Yip been a while since I joined topics on here.As luck would have it , my race team manager has just completed a hinge system that allows the splitter to stay on the car and still allow the front clip to fully open , it sort of unclips and lifts up first then pivots away from the front chassis.
It still gets released by the T-bars in the side pod , you then put your hand under the front clip to release another catch that locks the whole mechanism in place when it’s in the closed position at the hinge. Very neat , and works really well.
Will send more pic's when the front clip is on.
Strike1 said:
Also I would be very interested in knowing any spec's you would be willing to share. For example, the length of the bars, outside diameter of the bars, wall thickness of the bars (Hollow/Solid), length of the sway bar arms, and what are the rates in lbs at some degrees of twist for each of the bars. I know a lot of work goes into getting it right, so anything you could share would be great.
Sorry for taking this thread in a different direction.
Thanks,
Randy
Sorry bud the GTR is in Johannesburg having mods done to it , new dry sump tank , bigger four stage dry sump pump, bigger engine oil cooler, removable steering boss , flat undertray for better aero, front hinge to accommodate a permanant splitter, new brake bias adjuster +++
The steel used for the roll bars was fabricated from chrome moly hollow tube, 32mm x 2mm thats all the measurements that I can give you until the Ult is back home.All I can tell you is that the rear roll bar made a huge diff to the front grip. The front one is still to be tested, but as we all know we need more grip at the front not less . The first time I put the front one on we couldn't get the balance right and at the time we were doing time trials , so in a hurry I just disconnected it till I had more time for testing.
We do national racing in a Shelby Can Am , so all the tried and tested race prep we are transferring over to the Ultima , as the chassis and overall weights are very similar.
QUOTE:
Sorry bud the GTR is in Johannesburg having mods done to it , new dry sump tank , bigger four stage dry sump pump, bigger engine oil cooler, removable steering boss , flat undertray for better aero, front hinge to accommodate a permanant splitter, new brake bias adjuster +++
The steel used for the roll bars was fabricated from chrome moly hollow tube, 32mm x 2mm thats all the measurements that I can give you until the Ult is back home.All I can tell you is that the rear roll bar made a huge diff to the front grip. The front one is still to be tested, but as we all know we need more grip at the front not less . The first time I put the front one on we couldn't get the balance right and at the time we were doing time trials , so in a hurry I just disconnected it till I had more time for testing.
We do national racing in a Shelby Can Am , so all the tried and tested race prep we are transferring over to the Ultima , as the chassis and overall weights are very similar.
ENDQUOTE
Then why would you use stiffer front ARB? Can't really figure it out. That the rear one improved the front behaviour is clear.
A stiffer front ARB would in that case mean an even stiffer rear ARB, causing an unstable ride on rougher surfaces (curbs) and bumps.
It's not a frontwheel driven car which benefits from lifting a front wheel due to stiffer ARB's
Sorry bud the GTR is in Johannesburg having mods done to it , new dry sump tank , bigger four stage dry sump pump, bigger engine oil cooler, removable steering boss , flat undertray for better aero, front hinge to accommodate a permanant splitter, new brake bias adjuster +++
The steel used for the roll bars was fabricated from chrome moly hollow tube, 32mm x 2mm thats all the measurements that I can give you until the Ult is back home.All I can tell you is that the rear roll bar made a huge diff to the front grip. The front one is still to be tested, but as we all know we need more grip at the front not less . The first time I put the front one on we couldn't get the balance right and at the time we were doing time trials , so in a hurry I just disconnected it till I had more time for testing.
We do national racing in a Shelby Can Am , so all the tried and tested race prep we are transferring over to the Ultima , as the chassis and overall weights are very similar.
ENDQUOTE
Then why would you use stiffer front ARB? Can't really figure it out. That the rear one improved the front behaviour is clear.
A stiffer front ARB would in that case mean an even stiffer rear ARB, causing an unstable ride on rougher surfaces (curbs) and bumps.
It's not a frontwheel driven car which benefits from lifting a front wheel due to stiffer ARB's
Edited by harry b on Tuesday 24th April 21:12
Strike1 said:
Hey, I could always ask. He's put some serious thought into the pivot angels etc. That's obviously not the reason I posted the pic's, but as a guide for those that are interested. Amazing what we can do in Africa hey guys.
Will get back to you with more pic's , weights etc. Its fabricated from steel and then plated. I'm really chuffed with the outcome.
Even good enough for your Porker Pete...........
Hi definately interesred in this Mod, please keep us informed of progress, with this using the original mounts I can see a few people up-grading to this set-up. Will get back to you with more pic's , weights etc. Its fabricated from steel and then plated. I'm really chuffed with the outcome.
Even good enough for your Porker Pete........... 
.... I WAN WUN !
Quote from Harry B
Then why would you use stiffer front ARB? Can't really figure it out. That the rear one improved the front behavior is clear.
A stiffer front ARB would in that case mean an even stiffer rear ARB, causing an unstable ride on rougher surfaces (curbs) and bumps.
It's not a front wheel driven car which benefits from lifting a front wheel due to stiffer ARB's
Unquote
As mentioned we do a lot of racing and that includes taking the Ultima to the track . My reasoning for the ARB's as you mention are really only for track use.Our roads are way to bumpy for ARB's . We fabricated both the front and back at the same time , knowing that the back was our focus point but never the less at some stage we would be able to try some different settings and experiment with the front as well, to date that has not happened.
We have the up rated springs and rose jointed A-arms , these combined with the rear ARB and 100mm front splitter have made a substantial difference to the level of grip at the front. Yip different blokes different strokes. But we do live for our track days . Every track is diff so you need the options.
For the record other than bigger engines the Ultima does not need any modifications for road use, it is already a very very capable kit, more capable than most drivers for that matter. Its only when you take it to the track at a different level do you realize your wants and needs. Hats off to the factory as that is the main objective, road use. What a car , nothing touches it over here.
Will keep you all posted on the front clip hinge.
Strike1 Out
Then why would you use stiffer front ARB? Can't really figure it out. That the rear one improved the front behavior is clear.
A stiffer front ARB would in that case mean an even stiffer rear ARB, causing an unstable ride on rougher surfaces (curbs) and bumps.
It's not a front wheel driven car which benefits from lifting a front wheel due to stiffer ARB's
Unquote
As mentioned we do a lot of racing and that includes taking the Ultima to the track . My reasoning for the ARB's as you mention are really only for track use.Our roads are way to bumpy for ARB's . We fabricated both the front and back at the same time , knowing that the back was our focus point but never the less at some stage we would be able to try some different settings and experiment with the front as well, to date that has not happened.
We have the up rated springs and rose jointed A-arms , these combined with the rear ARB and 100mm front splitter have made a substantial difference to the level of grip at the front. Yip different blokes different strokes. But we do live for our track days . Every track is diff so you need the options.
For the record other than bigger engines the Ultima does not need any modifications for road use, it is already a very very capable kit, more capable than most drivers for that matter. Its only when you take it to the track at a different level do you realize your wants and needs. Hats off to the factory as that is the main objective, road use. What a car , nothing touches it over here.
Will keep you all posted on the front clip hinge.
Strike1 Out
Sorry for the off topic discussion, don't know how to redirect it.
Thanks for the reply, I am very interested in these findings in general, since I also own a Caterham where I ended up removing the front ARB completely to eliminate the understeer charcteristics and improved balance.
I have worked at the development of the Renault Clio V6, and in the testphase we used a rear ARB which made the car very neutral, but was considered unsafe for the "normal driver" due to the short wheelbase with midengine arrangement.
I regret the choise they ditched the rear ARB on the Clio V6, because I had the test rear ARB mounted on my V6 and drove it for 240000 km without any issues in handling.
I would like to know more about your future experiences on the Ultima. I have a MK3 sports which has big front ARB and working frontsplitter.
Thanks for the reply, I am very interested in these findings in general, since I also own a Caterham where I ended up removing the front ARB completely to eliminate the understeer charcteristics and improved balance.
I have worked at the development of the Renault Clio V6, and in the testphase we used a rear ARB which made the car very neutral, but was considered unsafe for the "normal driver" due to the short wheelbase with midengine arrangement.
I regret the choise they ditched the rear ARB on the Clio V6, because I had the test rear ARB mounted on my V6 and drove it for 240000 km without any issues in handling.
I would like to know more about your future experiences on the Ultima. I have a MK3 sports which has big front ARB and working frontsplitter.
Edited by harry b on Wednesday 25th April 11:52
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