Team Science Ninja Racing Ke35 Corolla

[silverra23]

Valving was done so that they would suit the springs at the softest setting.

 

They were of the opinion that I wasnt likely to want to go softer than that.

 

Time will tell! I would have preferred being in the middle, but will see how this goes.

[silverra23]

Just posted all this info in a tech thread, so thought I might put it in here for posterity. My upgrade plans include all the following:

 

XT130 struts, modified to coil overs using a HSD coil over kit (otomoto sell these at an excellent price)

XT130 2 pot Sumitomo calipers (may convert these to hilux 4 pots later) - it would appear the pad shape is the same as early Datsun Z cars and MkII Escorts, making race brake pads relatively easy to come by. Have to confirm this tonight when I actually pull a pad out.

6kg springs (335 lbs in the old money) - not entirely sure whether this spring is right, but I am told its a good starting point

Koni off car adjustable inserts - Part number is 86-1991 Sport - revalved by Toperformance to suit the heavier springs & racing application

Cusco camber tops (labelled as TE37 strut tops, sourced from A J P S)

Standard KE35 LCA's as they are the same length as the XT130

AE86 power steering knuckles (you could also use standard Xt130 ones here, but I am told the AE86 power steer ones speed up the steering ratio a little - SeptemberSquall mentioned this a while back)

Peugeot ventilated discs modified to suit the Corona strut (there is lots of info on this conversion on www.toymods.net)

Pajero NB master cylinder (part number JB1712) to improve the pedal feel with the bigger brakes (going to try it with the standard one first - also told an 03-06 Camry non-ABS master cylinder fits and works better for the stock brake lines so will probably go with that, though its potentially a little dearer). ended up buying the Pajero one.

15 inch superlites to go over the increased brake package - 14 inch wheels will fit over this though, depending on the offset. I chose 15's because its easier to get second hand semi-slicks from improved production racers, 14's are not as popular any more.

Edited July 17, 2009 by silverra23

[silverra23]

I have been starting to stress about getting all this back together in time for a hillclimb on June 21st. Came in to work this morning to find my machining is done, so happy days, hopefully it will be a busy weekend!

 

I have had to get a few things machined to suit my chosen parts combination

 

Using a KE35 Cusco strut top. It comes with top nuts/sleeves to slip inside the spherical bearing, but they were a different thread to my Koni 86-1991 Sport inserts. As a result I got these machined up - which are a copy of the Cusco one, but with the correct thread inside.

 

 

When you buy the Otomoto coil-over kit, you need to drill the top spring hat to suit your shock shaft diameter. In my case it was 15mm. I also got a relief machined into the bottom of it so that I could put a CAT hardened washer in there. That way the shock shaft load is going into hard steel, rather than the soft aluminium of the top hat.

 

 

Also needed to get a little spacer made to go between the spherical and the top hat to allow clearance for adjustment. You can see it in the next photo. The Cusco kit came with some, but again they were the wrong internal diameter for my shocks. The ones I am using are 24mm OD, 12mm ID, 7mm tall.

 

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to making progress this weekend. My strut housings are ready to collect, so I only need to get the following parts to finish it off (only!)

 

Wheel nuts - hopefully delivered today

Gland nuts - hopefully can track some down today from Toperformance

Steering knuckles - meant to be coming from Japan.. will try and dummy something else up as an interim I think

Brake pads - probably going to get Ferodo DS3000. Can go back together with the metal kings for now though.

Braided brake lines

 

I picked up some second hand tyres for nothing last night, so that should have me sorted for rubber for the hillclimb too!

[silverra23]

I am like a kid with a new toy. I should be having a shower and on my way out to dinner.. but nooo I am in the garage seeing if my coil-overs all go together nicely! They do :hmm:

 

Got my wheel nuts and gland nuts today along with the strut housings too. Yay! Best I go get ready or I will be in the shit :y:

 

[ausca62]

Mate, jealous as. As you can see by the pic thats just what I need. Tell me are you doing the Phillip Island Six Hour this year and if so what is your team name? Keep up the good work. Paul. :yes:

[78_7kRolla]

Ooooooooo. That looks purty! This thing will feel like it's on rails, great progress mate.

[silverra23]

What a prick or a weekend. Haven't achieved what I wanted to but its getting there. I am going to can running at Rob Roy next weekend as I am not confident I will be ready and organised in time.

 

Anyways here is what I did get done.

 

Painted my calipers shiny red with VHT brake caliper paint. You have to bake it in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour to set it. Little bit of brake fluid left in the calipers meant my house got filled with stinky smoke. Don't try this at home if you have a Mrs!!

 

 

Couple of close ups of my friend and sponsor Antony's fab work - Outlaw Fabrications do excellent work :yes:

 

 

 

Picture of the LH side installed. Need to fit the pads still, which arrive on Monday, and work out where to set the spring perches. What you can't see is the tie-rod end that I had to replace when the one on the car crapped out on me. 1.5 hours of frigging around on the phone finding some in the stock, going and getting them, then realising I got the inners not the outers... back again.. off to a different store. ARRRRGGGGGGG!!!!

 

 

Couple more installation photos

 

 

 

RH side isnt in yet - tie rod is stuck in the steering tube, so need to get that out some how. Ball joint is also fuxored, so have to work out how to replace that. Another first for me. Loving this!! :mad:

 

Oh and to finish it off, my maxi wheel nuts that I picked up on Friday turned out to have two that were the correct part, and 14 that weren't. When I checked them at the store I only looked at one and it was one of the two correct ones. Annoying!!!

[silverra23]

Mate, jealous as. As you can see by the pic thats just what I need. Tell me are you doing the Phillip Island Six Hour this year and if so what is your team name? Keep up the good work. Paul. :yes:

 

Not doing the Phillip Island 6 hour - don't think the old girl would cope too well with an hour around there. Would be fun, but expensive me thinks!

 

I am going to do the Winton 6 hour with some of the toymods guys.. if I ever the thing back together.

[Evan G]

your using the stock LCA?

 

suggestion on inserts for my ke55 front shockers?????

 

 

 

BTW: awsome car :yes:

[silverra23]

Yes stock LCA - it is the same length as the Xt130 Corona one so there is no advantage to be gained from changing it.

 

As for inserts, I think you will find you don't have a lot of options for the standard Corolla strut housing. If you upgrade to the Xt130/RT132 housing you will open up your options considerably. What insert you put in then depends on what you are planning to do with the car. Road? Track? Combo of both?

[silverra23]

Finally all back together! Have replaced the ball joints and outer tie rods as they crapped out when I was fitting things back together.

 

I haven't yet got hold of my AE86 power steering knuckles yet. Being dicked around by the guy organising them for me. :y:

 

I ended up fitting Ferodo DS3000 front pads as they are better suited to cold stops that you experience in hillclimbing. Purchased from Competition Friction and the part number is FCP167R if any one needs it. I had to run a drill through the brake pin slots to get them to fit, but nothing of significance.

 

Anyways here is the final run down.

 

Strut painted and ready to be bolted in. Decided not to run the helper springs that come with the Otomoto kit.

 

 

 

 

How does the camber look? Will be interesting to see what it comes up as when I get a wheel alignment done.

 

 

Camber top is basically one notch from the most extreme setting. The 4 stainless lock bolts are too long and are crashing into the top spring hat so I will need to replace them with shorter ones that don't protrude so far out from the under side of the strut top.

 

 

Car looks awesome with its new wheels and stance

 

 

 

 

 

If I was doing it again I think I would have gone to the extra effort of shortening the strut housings and using a short stroke shock. A lot of my shock travel is not going to be used, and the springs are a long way from captive. Not a biggie on a race car, but if it was a road car it would not be a good thing.

 

I just need to bleed the brakes properly and take it for a run and see how it goes. I would probably have been all OK to run at Rob Roy Hillclimb tomorrow, but I still need a volunteer to pump the brake pedal for me while I do a final brake bleed, replace the front tyres with some of my free ones, along with a decent wheel alignment.

 

Not competing at Rob Roy as advantages though. I told one of my colleagues I was going and suggested I should take the sportscars our sister company Elfin makes and show it off to the club racers. They said yes, so I am getting around in this for the weekend. 2.0L turbo, 780kgs, awesome!!

 

 

More pics of the Elfin here

 

Elfin Photos

Edited June 20, 2009 by silverra23

[silverra23]

Just fixed up some broken photolinks. Stupid imageshack losing images.

[Taz_Rx]

Nice score with the Elfin! :bash:

 

You can bleed brakes by yourself: 1/4-1/3 fill a small bottle (600ml'ish) with some fresh fluid. Then attache your bleeding hose to the nipple, and make sure the other end is in the bottom of the bottle under the level of the fluid. Now loosen the nipple and get into the drivers seat.

When you pump the pedel it will push out air as normal, but becasue the nipple is still open when you release the pedal fluid will be sucked back out of the bottle into the caliper. This is why you need to make sure the end of the hose is in the bottom of the bottle and you fill it with fresh fluid. :dance:

[silverra23]

Thanks for the tip. I also have a brake bleeder hose with a one way valve in it that helps do a similar thing. I still have habits I can't get out of though, and still think a good pressure bleed gives best results! I haven't done it yet as I decided part of my spongey pedal was the master cylinder being too small, so have a Pajero one to fit this weekend.

 

Then its Sandown on July 26th for my first hit out with all the new gear. Fingers crossed it goes OK and I go faster!

Edited July 17, 2009 by silverra23

[silverra23]

More work in the driveway this weekend.

 

Fitted up a Pajero Master Cylinder which has improved the brake pedal feel massively.

 

One snag I ran into was the MC I used (JB1712 from Brakewest on ebay) does not have a conical seat in the front brake outlet. So the brake line screws in, but the flare in the line doesn't seal against anything. I believe I can get a banjo fitting to screw in there, that will then accept the standard brake line. Hope so!

 

Also did my first ever home grown wheel alignment. If I did it all correct, then I have ended up with a couple of mm of toe out, and probably 2 degrees negative camber.

 

I say probably as my driveway is far from flat. Checking the camber the first time came up with 3 degreess on one side and 1 on the left. Thought I might have a bent strut, but after talking to a motor racing mate, he suggested turning the car around and checking it then.

 

Sure enough the camber shifted - 3 degrees on the other side and - 1 degree where it was 3. So I reckon its probably 2 each side when I get it on a flat patch.

 

Took it for a drive around the block to see if anything was going to fall off. Nothing did, and it felt all rather different. Steering was lighter and nose didnt drop when I put my foot on the brake pedal. It feels all a bit weird, but am hoping that its just cos its all rather different to when I last drove it.

 

Sandown next Sunday will tell :)

Edited July 19, 2009 by silverra23