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The Alford & Alder upright


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#101 Mistron

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Posted 05 May 2011 - 17:13

the trunnions need careful maintenence with the right oil (NOT GREASE, it's too thick) if they are too last. My pal had an upright snap at the top of the threaded section during a long motorway run and it appearded that the brass trunnion had somehow 'stuck' to the upright sufficiently to contribute to the failure - it was stuck fast in the trunnion. The car was in regular use as well. A Very scary moment by all accounts! (also for those behind, as it landed on it's sump and deposited it's contents onto the M6...

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#102 john medley

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Posted 05 May 2011 - 21:50

James
Almost as much as I enjoyed reading it
JM

#103 Ray Bell

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Posted 05 May 2011 - 22:10

Weren't the Monos beset with too great an angle on the shocks, contributing to suspension woes?

I seem to recall that the damper units leaned over and huge angles. And Alan, how long were the FF races that demanded all the extra weight of those larger Spax dampers? Or was that more a matter of convenience to fit them up to that size spring?

Seriously off-topic, of course. But we could ask about the 27 pic, didn't they have Mayflower uprights with the steering arm up top?

#104 SJ Lambert

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Posted 05 May 2011 - 22:36

Weren't the Monos beset with too great an angle on the shocks, contributing to suspension woes?



Yep, inboard shocks didn't allow desired range of movement, leading to compromises everywhere.

#105 GMACKIE

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Posted 05 May 2011 - 22:36

I seem to recall that the shock angle had something to do with 'rising-rate'?

#106 Ray Bell

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Posted 05 May 2011 - 23:48

'Rising rate' wasn't a byword then...

That came about five or six years later. But I've actually forgotten what the inboard arrangement looked like, I might have to hunt down a pic or two.

On the other hand, the rears did have very big angles on them, didn't they?

#107 GMACKIE

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Posted 06 May 2011 - 02:07

It may not have been known as 'Rising Rate', but those blokes knew what it was all about.

#108 Ray Bell

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Posted 06 May 2011 - 03:56

James has sent me a pic of the original Mono front suspension, and as I thought, the spring/damper unit is on a huge angle...

This means that as the suspension rises, the rate actually decreases.

#109 GMACKIE

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Posted 06 May 2011 - 05:06

Depending on the angle, it can be 'falling rate'.

#110 Bloggsworth

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Posted 06 May 2011 - 06:46

I seem to recall that the Yimkin, a clubmans car driven by Richard Groombridge, had the outboard end of the spring/damper unit mounted in the usual fashion while the inboard end was affixed to the top wishbone 2 or 3 inches out from the pivot, still haven't got my head round that one after 45 years.

#111 SJ Lambert

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Posted 06 May 2011 - 07:28

Comes under the "what if" (we tried this) approach!!!

#112 bradbury west

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Posted 06 May 2011 - 22:14

I seem to recall that the Yimkin, a clubmans car driven by Richard Groombridge, had the outboard end of the spring/damper unit mounted in the usual fashion while the inboard end was affixed to the top wishbone 2 or 3 inches out from the pivot, still haven't got my head round that one after 45 years.


If I understand what you are saying, I believe Honda had something similar on the rear suspension of their first F1 car. March Fenijn explained how it worked, but I have forgotten.
Roger Lund


#113 GMACKIE

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Posted 06 May 2011 - 22:33

The science [Black Art?] of suspension is fascinating! A few years ago, when I was building a hill-climb car, Elwym Bickley and Erol Richardson gave me a 'mini lecture' on the subject.

Elwyn and Erol spoke of things such as 'ackerman', 'bump-steer', 'rising/falling rate', etc, etc, until my head was spinning. Some of it I understood, and remembered!