de dion question
Discussion
I am rebuilding my 2006 series 3 with a new de dion tube. The car took quite a hit under previous ownership and the old de dion tube was bent.
The force of the accident meant the rear suspension had travelled upwards to its farthest extent and the de dion tube had whacked the rear ribbed casting on the diff (sierra?). as the old tube was bent like a banana I could not detect if the diff damage was caused after the tube was bent or before.
Having fitted the new tube and rear suspension its still looks as if the the de dion tube and the diff casting could collide if the suspension travels upwards.
At the moment the de dion tube is below the diff as you would expect, but the distance from tube to diff casting is about 50mm. This situation could be relieved by grinding of the ribs I suppose.
My question is: is this normal should the diff and the de dion tube be that close.
The force of the accident meant the rear suspension had travelled upwards to its farthest extent and the de dion tube had whacked the rear ribbed casting on the diff (sierra?). as the old tube was bent like a banana I could not detect if the diff damage was caused after the tube was bent or before.
Having fitted the new tube and rear suspension its still looks as if the the de dion tube and the diff casting could collide if the suspension travels upwards.
At the moment the de dion tube is below the diff as you would expect, but the distance from tube to diff casting is about 50mm. This situation could be relieved by grinding of the ribs I suppose.
My question is: is this normal should the diff and the de dion tube be that close.
Thank you for that, I don't have a watts linkage, clearly I was not the original car builder and I don't have the manual that you have copied here - so I may be measuring and filing tonight!!
There are witness marks on the diff casing which I had assumed were from the accident but it clearly looks as if the original builder did not check the clearance, and I am bit non plussed now to think that this may have been clanging away for 20K miles or at least until the de dion tube was dented enough to accommodate the web. hardly surprising the tube was dinged!
There are witness marks on the diff casing which I had assumed were from the accident but it clearly looks as if the original builder did not check the clearance, and I am bit non plussed now to think that this may have been clanging away for 20K miles or at least until the de dion tube was dented enough to accommodate the web. hardly surprising the tube was dinged!
freebee said:
Thanks - the whole chassis has been checked over and rebuilt at Arch motors, but I will have a quick look round myself. I've just been reading the thread on Blatchat about the BMW diffs and the de dion tube, seems to be a similar problem of inadequate clearance.
That's progress for you.
Gassing Station | Caterham | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff