New design for Camber/Castor adjustable strut tops.

[TERRA Operative]

So I got a little bored...

After seeing the new 2 way adjustable strut tops from HKS, and discovering they aren't made for Toyotas, I decided to design my own...

This is the first revision to fit the AE101, and whatever else they happen to be compatible with. I have no idea how much adjustment they actually give at the wheel, but they do offer stock fitment. They are designed around the Superstrut suspension, so I'm not sure if they will fit non SS (the bearing internal diameter is 15mm if that helps.)

At the strut top, they offer 16mm adjustment for positive camber and 9mm for negative camber and 13mm either way for castor.

[EDIT] (It's actually 16mm negative camber and 9mm positive camber...... My bad. )


I still have some work to do to make sure it all fits together correctly. Are those adjustment figures adequate? I'v never owned a set of adjustable strut tops before, so I don't know how much is generally needed.

I'll be getting a set made for my car once they're finished. May make a few extra sets while I'm at it, depending on what people think.....

[jezza323]

nice work mate

but y more adjustment for positive camber than negative? how many ppl do u know that want more positive camber?

[Duk]

I'd also like to sujest larger diameter spherical bearings. Most (all) sperical bearings aren't really designed for the thrust load application that they are subjected to in aftermarket strut tops, and so larger than those required to go over the damper shaft are used with tapered spacers/nut. Top work tho

[IN 05 NT]

9mm of negative is NOT enough, i think that will only be about 2degree's (comparing to my JIC's)

postive camber is almost usless (unless your trying to adjust the kingpin angle when using a diferent strut)

your really going to have trouble trying to get it all together with moderate amounts of adjustment

unless you recess the castor adjustments to sit under the strut tower (and would need to drop the strut to adjust it)

[TERRA Operative]

Bah, I got positive and negative the wrong way around in my description.

It's meant to be 16mm negative camber and 9mm positive camber......

Anyway, I've just completed rev.2 It includes clearances for washers and I've fixed any interference with the blue plate at the extreme ends of adjustment.



The two allen bolts next to each other at the bottom go towards the outside of the car, away from the engine.
As it is now, the camber adjustment bolts will sit under the edge of the hole in the strut tower on the car when the caster is adjusted to it's limits. It's unavoidable, but just means that to adjust camber, you may have to bring the caster back to zero to set the camber and then put it back.

Plonka, can you elaborate? I am able to design the bottom section to take different sized bearings (hence the removeable orange piece). How big a bearing should I try to fit?

[TERRA Operative]

You can see what I mean here. The edge of the bolt is under the edge of the strut tower.
It's not too bad though, and doesn't interfere with the bodywork in any way.

[IN 05 NT]

the bearings in my JIC's measure 18.2mm ID with a 28.2 OD,

you will want to speak to a bearing suplier to see what you can get in a good common size,

[TERRA Operative]

What model of car do you have, with what suspension?
Is 16mm enough adjustment for negative camber? I'll work out how many degrees that is on my car today sometime.

The bearing I have designed around has the following dimensions:
OD: 35mm
ID: 15mm
Thickness: 11mm

I was thinking of using an ABEC rated stainless steel sealed bearing with silicon nitrate ceramic balls. They can be made to be self lubricating (moly disulphide dry lubricant) and have huge shock loading capabilities.
Just depends on their cost, and avaliability for small quantities..... I'll have to visit the local bearing place this week.

I am planning on building it all from 10mm thick billet alloy, except the green piece, which will be built from stainless. That piece takes all the shock and weight of the car through the bearing, so needs to be stronger. The rest should be ok as the load is spread over a much larger area.
All bolts will probably be high grade stainless too, with anti sieze where they screw into alloy.

Is there anything I've missed, or should change? I just don't want to have that 'If only I did this' moment once it's built.

[beauy]

what program are u using to design that stuff i wouldn't mind having a go at this stuff myself

thanks mate

[charged]

Nephew has made some for the brothers IP car, the Noltec ones were crap. They work a treat and give the same performance as mine for about a tenth of the cost. Do it mate, nephew is making a new one for my car also. We dont have fancy cad drawing though

Even the wheel aligner was impressed by them, Bros car is running 5 deg neg camber, 8 deg pos cator, has been driven in racing conditions on half a doz occasions and still holding together

heres a pic of finished camber top

[oldcorollas]

the bearing must be able to take misalignment that will occur through the rotation of the strut.
the other option is to have the spring locate on the bottom of the plate (with a neddle roller thrust bearing?)so the spherical bearing/self aligning ball bearing only takes the loads of the shock absorber.. but not the weight of the car.
if the bearing can't take misalignment, it will bind, or put silly bending loads on everything it is connected to..

hmm.. stainless and alloy... corrosion compatability?
10mm alloy is plate not billet and you will want a good strong grade.
why not steel at 5mm and painted?
last thing.. if the two plates are 10mm thick, that puts the top of the shock 20mm further down, reducing possible bump movement without the shock bottoming out.

[The Real Roadrunner]

i personaly wouldnt use any type of ball bearing as it will get notchy real quick with the amount of load you'll put on it. try to find a good quality teflon lined spherical bearing of some description (they are commonly avail in imperial sizes but not metric unfortunately).

16mm is about 1.5 deg roughly maybe more so that should be sweet.

6mm T6061 should do the job as thats what most of the jap brand ones use. then just get any steel bearing supports zinc coated and it should be fine.

cheers
linden

[TERRA Operative]

Using Rhinoceros 3D, Ver. 4

oldcorollas, I was thinking of something like that with the bearing. I thought of what roadrunner mentioned with a spherical bearing. Would make fitment of different thickness shafts easier too if need be (just drill out the bearing piece to suit).

Charged, looks nice. Do you have any closeups?

What if I made it from all stainless? Would that work? As it is now, it is exactly the same thickness from the mounting studs to the bottom of the bearing as the stock item. (Totally stock fitment)
Would 5mm stainless plate do the trick? I want these things to last.....

[charged]

Using Rhinoceros 3D, Ver. 4



Charged, looks nice. Do you have any closeups?

....

A lot of the guys that circuit race build their own, theyve found the aftermarket ones are fragile and dont give enough adjustment, will get some pics mate

[TERRA Operative]

Cool, thanks. What sort of adjustment do you guys generally need? I'll try to tweak my design to give the maximum adjustment needed.

I've done another redesign. It now has a pillow ball mount for the strut. I designed it to be a nylon ball with a steel tube inside with washers at each end, so when the nut on the strut is tightened, it doesn't crush the ball.
This design currently reduces the stroke of the strut by 10mm. I'll have to work on making the stroke back to stock.
I was thinking of using some sort of self-lubricating nylon for the ball. Will this be strong enough, or should I go for a steel ball etc?