inderpendent rear suspension
- Thread starter chickenn
- Start date
williamocarroll1982
Member +
Anything is possible with enough time and money. ZEP Racing did a mid engined 5E-FTE with an independent rear suspension setup for a customer of their's and someone on here said there was an aussie company that used to do a bolt on kit years go using the rear suspension from a Daihatsu Charade G200 as far as I can remember. As for it being worth it, I have no idea how much it would cost to do but independent rear suspension is much better than a solid back axle
I did a project at college where we made a mid engined rear wheel drive fiesta. We just took the subframe from a donor fiesta and designed it so that it could bolted and welded it up to the back chassis. We done ours on a major budget though, and I mean a few hundred quid lol. We got the subframe in and suspension and brake setup on.
I can't see no reason why it can't be done, I managed it with a few hundred quid, all be it, it wasn't going to be a road car, but with more money and time it can be done.
I can't see no reason why it can't be done, I managed it with a few hundred quid, all be it, it wasn't going to be a road car, but with more money and time it can be done.
richglanzav
Member +
z cars do loads of custom stuff. totally one off things like twin engined minis - 600bhp per tonne. so im sure if you took a gt or glanza to them and gave them a load of wonga, a twin 4efte 4wd starlet would be born
dark_knight
Member +
catch-22
i'm sure you could.. with some neat money and loads of time on your hands.. but then you'd loose the one thing these cars are loved for.. feather weight.
the beauty of a single rear axle is it saves some weight, at least. dono how much but it defo does. anyone on here has the numbers on how many extra kilos you'd need to drag around with independent rears..?
i'm sure you could.. with some neat money and loads of time on your hands.. but then you'd loose the one thing these cars are loved for.. feather weight.
the beauty of a single rear axle is it saves some weight, at least. dono how much but it defo does. anyone on here has the numbers on how many extra kilos you'd need to drag around with independent rears..?
Wouldn't be that much more weight sourly not that I know much but couldn't imagine it making loads of difference to weight
dark_knight
Member +
weight vs. handling
i guess so. perhaps the handling benefits would outweigh the weight demerits..
i guess so. perhaps the handling benefits would outweigh the weight demerits..
dark_knight
Member +
hollowed axle
@AdamB: i beg to differ on that "The rear beam is a solid axle" bit. at least on mine, as depicted in this shot when i took it out for replacement, it's a hollowed out inverted-U beam that has a(nother) round beam on the inside for extra support - welded at both ends so that the whole beam can flex around as much as possible. it's still quite heavy, esp when the brake kits are still on but overall, if you take the weight of the axle only, i'd guess it comes to about 10kg maybe..?
the concept behind independent suspension being slightly heavier is because there are more components to it thus adding the overall weight. i've driven a car with independent rears and the difference is not worlds apart. it's especially even less noticeable when you have a rear ARB installed on your GT/Glanza..
@AdamB: i beg to differ on that "The rear beam is a solid axle" bit. at least on mine, as depicted in this shot when i took it out for replacement, it's a hollowed out inverted-U beam that has a(nother) round beam on the inside for extra support - welded at both ends so that the whole beam can flex around as much as possible. it's still quite heavy, esp when the brake kits are still on but overall, if you take the weight of the axle only, i'd guess it comes to about 10kg maybe..?
the concept behind independent suspension being slightly heavier is because there are more components to it thus adding the overall weight. i've driven a car with independent rears and the difference is not worlds apart. it's especially even less noticeable when you have a rear ARB installed on your GT/Glanza..
Yeah I know its basically got a chunk missing from the middle, but its still classified as a solid beam. And you say 10kg, I can't see a subframe weighing anymore than that either in fairness. I know you have more parts on independant suspension, but I can't see the fact of adding a few extra kg, maybe about 5kg tops with the weight of both wishbones that will really affect the performance of the vehicle, in straight line terms atleast. That 5kg could be the difference in driver weight
When you say you have drove a car with independent rears, its hard to say the affect of handling unless you drive the same car with the two different setups.
I've driven my dads 600bhp skyline, and its a much better drive than the glanza, but its a completly different car, so I can't compare lol.
When you say you have drove a car with independent rears, its hard to say the affect of handling unless you drive the same car with the two different setups.
I've driven my dads 600bhp skyline, and its a much better drive than the glanza, but its a completly different car, so I can't compare lol.
dark_knight
Member +
5kg difference
@AdamB: true on the fact that it has to be the same car with different rear end setups.. lol at "That 5kg could be the difference in driver weight"..
@AdamB: true on the fact that it has to be the same car with different rear end setups..
lol at "That 5kg could be the difference in driver weight"..