RX323 Project - Chassis Brackets

[shaunwil]

Are you sure you cant have the spline re-ground into the shaft, just a case of profiling a wheel to suit. You should be able just the grind cut the shaft to the correct length. Does the shaft have a center cut into it ?

What grade of carbide where you using, I used to use alot of the stuff ! Alot of Walter tips and sandvik.

Shaun

[MikeLMR]

I honestly don\'t know it came in a box with the lathe along with a lot of sandvik stuff. It didn\'t come with any spares and no markings.

The thing that also pushed me away from re-splining is the fact that people have broken re-splined shafts at the new splined section, think it is because the originals are heat treated after cutting? . (Spoke with John Beardmoore on the subject of his experience with Volvo axles and he put me on to Moser)

[shaunwil]

Thinking about it I think they can be  induction hardened to give a case depth of hardness. Plus they come from a forged blank to get the grain structure of the material to follow the lines of the shape of the shaft.

Ebay does quite a few inserts, is it V,C or W Style insert ?

I used to work for Volvo Trucks manufacturing axle components

Shaun

[MikeLMR]

that would make sense as they are necked down at each end ... ah right volvo OEM experience are the truck axles not made by Dana then?

One thing John did eventually do with his axles, (after breaking the resplined ones) was to bore out the hubs and have the hubs shrunk on in the new position. It was not a recommended solution though due to the material ... said it was tough going and he got it done where they were using carbide tip drills with centre feed coolant and a BIG lathe ... don\'t think our 1920\'s relic will stand that sort of abuse

no idea on the insert, its a triangular tip with 6 cutting points (all now well abused ... it\'s lasted forever though!) and a centre hole and expanding dowel thingy for mounting it in the tool.

(only ever used tool steel when I was an apprentice tip tooling was too expensive and we had to learn to take light cuts and look after the tools instead ... not that I was ever good at re-sharpening the damn things!)

[shaunwil]

We used to manufacture the heavy duty ones and most of the volvo trucks ones. Unfortunately the company that did it isn\'t now there ! It shut down about 4 yrs ago. The where originally Leyland Bus, then it was owned by volvo, then owned by Albion Automotive, then owned by AAM (American Axles and Manufacture) who shut it down !

Shaun

[shaunwil]

Sounds like a C style insert, probably CNMG style with an 8mm face length (chip breaker).

I\'ve seen them do upto a 3.5mm cut with that style and seen inserts take a 6mm cut !! Production you usually take them just shy of max abuse

Shaun

[MikeLMR]

Got some new inserts out of my dad\'s old tool box, they were leftovers from a disc skimming lathe were he used to work .. unexpected freebies are cool so got 60 more tips to wreck before I need some more

Spent a good 3hrs grinding bits off the axle today and shortening the tubes. Just need to make the cast housing fit over them now and it\'s done and ready for the new halfshafts (need to measure them up and order soon)

I also picked something else up for the project yesterday but I\'m not sure I\'ll post about it yet, will wait till it turns up in the post and then see

[MikeLMR]

This update represents a lot of time and work, both in sourcing custom made parts to my own designs and in time and work cutting a grinding to get it all fitted correctly.

1st of some photos of the chassis rails, nice and straight now.



And now setting up the new 4 links and welding in the chassis end of the brackets, we used the laser level to check they are nice and square in the car + used the rod ends to set the spacing, being careful to not get them too hot during welding. (not hot enough so you couldn\'t hold them)

Got the other side to do the same now and will use the level to check they are perfectly inline with each other. Then it is on to the axle. Lots of hard work and hours spent for not a lot of progress.




the garage guard  :lol: don\'t fook with this one


Also been out to King Lynn to fetch a car for a friend and one the way back we decided to make the most of the location and go and watch the F1 Stock cars at the Norfolk Arena ... Fantastic racing as usual can\'t beat watching 30odd 510CI Big Block powered cars hammering round a small track  :lol:

[MikeLMR]

busy week again, been down to Silverstone for formula 1 testing, and got a fair bit done to the car.

The other chassis bracket is fitted (took some alligning did these little buggers) and today we made up a new drainage system for the garage to stop the water we\'ve been getting  on the floor lately (tested comprehensively today!!)

And between an hour before the pub last night and this afternoon we got the axle brackets on as well. Although the stick welder didn\'t want to play so most of it was MIG\'ed on the highest setting and then we struggled with the inner welds with the stick ... it just doesn\'t seem to have any guts like it\'s stuck on the low settings not good for welding big fook off axle tubes!!

anyway it\'s on and in the right place (I hope!!)  

Goodwood tommorow and then back on the car Monday night. We are aiming to have it sat on it\'s own wheels and suspension again by the 01/07/07 !!  it\'s look like it\'s possible at the moment.



apologies for the photos they were taken on my phone.

Some better photos taken with my camera on Thursday to compensate.

DC and Massa are the only names I know from these piccies.

[MikeLMR]

Finished welding up the axle after spending hours setting it up last week and tacking it solidly in place. (see piccies of it on my make shift jig to hold it vertical for setup)

Also got a new Kirkey Seat an a pair of covers from Randall Motorsport (thats 3 seats now! ... one of the others was too wide for the car and me so I ordered another one 1" narrower again. They are extremely comfortable seats even though they don\'t look it. Far FAR better than the standard ones which were uncomfortable at best!  these ones only weigh about 4Kg each too

Then it was a case of bolting in the cut and shut (mock up) half shafts and fitting the lot in the car and checking clearances and plotting the next faze which is to make up shock absorber brackets and to fit the panhard rod and finish cross bracing the chassis. Hopefully I can get some of that done before I move out to Berlin and the project is on hold for a while.

The axle is certainly a heavy lump so it must be strong



New Seat and Cover

[metalhead]

Haven\'t been here for ages, and doesn\'t look like you have either!  How\'s the car going now?  Good to see progress on it since I last came on here though.

[MikeLMR]

yeah it\'s been sat a long while now with no progress. Working abroad full time (and living out here for the majority of the time) is taking it\'s toll. Plus I have been trying to get my rx-7 back up to scratch (engine rebuild, general tidying up and resolving of issues) which is also going very slowly.

So Frustrated at the lack of progress but it\'s still not dead

[travellinbob]

where is mike these days?? miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike.........would love to know how ya are buddy and if htis project has moved on at all?
 cheers,michael.

[MikeLMR]

Hey,
      I am still alive but this project is not. It\'s currently sat in a garage waiting for me to decide what to do with the bits. (finishing it is not going to happen, and I think it\'s taken me nearly a year to come to terms with that)

Things have changed a little now I am back in the UK, got a 120 mile a day commute that eats all my spare time (and energy!). Currently I am driving an Audi A4 avant turbo diesel so it\'s all a bit tame and boring I am afraid. My green 323 V6 died recently due to economic reasons (exhaust failed at Y pipe and only replacement available was from Mazda at roughly one arm and one leg!)

But I am now hankering for something more interesting after less than 6 months of diesel driving (it\'s not like it\'s that slow either at 130bhp it\'d probably give my rally car a run!)  but it will have to be something mainstream and fairly new to fit in with the big mileage at the moment. I think I\'ve got the feeling that I have to own something a bit lairy now before they make them (more) exorbitantly expensive to run and own or they just stop making all the fun models due to the emissions targets set for the auto industry.

 Still got the 1st gen and the Yellow peril 323 and all parts so if anyone is interested in a project car or various parts (most of them are listed on this thread or the one about my rx-7) get in touch. The Rx7 is pretty much all there, it needs a remap for the new ported motor and some minor finishing work - Rad fitting (new alloy item) electric fan fitting, motor has been sat a long time but is 0 miles on a new build (of course it requires mapping too and probably some bigger injectors to keep up with the bridgey 12a)

Anyhow, how are the pair of you doing out there on the island? How is the pottery business doing and how is that Moggy of yours!

[dubber91]

interested in the seats and wheels - if theyre 4x108 prices and piccies?