numpty generic wishbone arrangement questions

[Laurence Wilson]

Warning! It's my day off YAY and I'm thinking aloud. Excuse the edits while I figure stuff out.

 

I'm googling for photographs of wishbone suspension arrangements and am attempting to understand why some engineers have chosen to play about with the humble wishbone. Take two piece wishbones. As an example, here's the front suspension off of a Mallock. It appears to be that the diagonal / trailing tube can be adjusted for length in addition to the leading one. Is this to deliberately adjust castor? [EDIT] It's just occured to me, the threaded rose joint to adjust camber is on the chassis side and 'cos the diagonal tube pickup is not 90 degrees to the chassis ... bla trigonometry bla. Is then the intention to spread the forces applied to the suspension between two rose joints [assuming the thread is the weak point] instead of one? Doesn't this overcomplicate things? Has anyone heard of rose joints failing at the thread? Or am I still thinking along the wrong lines? [/EDIT]

 

How are the two parts held together. Is there a spherical bearing in there or merely a bush? I'm assuming a bush! While I'm at it, how do you hold spherical bearings in place? Circlips? In which case, how do manufacturers machine the groove inside the piece of steel?

 

Can I just recommend Bill's website. It's been in my favourites for a while; I think he reads Blat. The Mallock is his. He's made the 4AGE look a tempting alternative to a Zetec upgrade.

 

Isn't the rear suspension on this old Lotus 7 nice. In board brakes, too. I think there were some pics in Low Flying a while back. Can anyone shed any more light? That or a CSR? I know which I'd have !

 

pear shaped

 

Edited by - peardrop on 15 Jun 2006 11:26:47

 

Edited by - peardrop on 15 Jun 2006 12:36:16

[Laurence Wilson]

Oh! Another thought. What is the benefit of 'long' wishbones; as in along the length of the car as opposed to the width. I notice a lot of late 60's grand prix cars moved to wishbones that stretched some way back along the length of the chassis. Here's a Brabham. Has it anything to do with anti dive? I assumed the length was unimportant so long as the plane of the wishbones pointed towards the C of G.

 

Here's a nice picture that shows the shape of the aerofoil section on the nose. I assume the metal boss covers a threaded bush or some such that allows a wing to be fitted and altered for angle of attack. I just think it shows of the profile really rather well

 

pear shaped

 

Edited by - Peardrop on 15 Jun 2006 12:48:31