227 replies to this topic

[mighty mini jack]

nice wheels.

[HARBER07]

Rear ARB modified and fitted today. One came up for £25 delivered so I said why not!.

Plasma cut some 6mm gussets to try and stiffen it. I don't hold a lot of hope to be honest as it was only welded with a weedy 100A MIG. I tried 3 passes to try and get at least some penetration, but if it falls off its not a major problem really.







Worlds crappest paint job, but its under the car so who cares!

[HARBER07]

currently describes how I'm feeling!!

Update on Friday.

Edited by HARBER07, 30 January 2011 - 11:19 PM.

[mini_mad69]

currently describes how I'm feeling!!

Update on Friday.

You getting some wicked blue neons like mine?

[GreaseMonkey]

Nah he got a bad boy spoiler

[GreaseMonkey]

I know I know

[HARBER07]

currently describes how I'm feeling!!


Update on Friday.

I be keepin it on tha down low for now

[HARBER07]

Hit a bit of a snag now I think. Nothing major but another little thing that drags the whole bloody process out.

Problem no. 1:
The clutch system I'm using needs a round nose release bearing, instead of the standard flat face bearing. Not a problem I thought. Unfortunately there isn't a round nose bearing available thats a direct fit. A carrier can be fabbed up but I'm not sure how easy thats going to be. The only bearings available are part of a hydraulic system, though I'm not 100% sure if the SBD one will fit yet. The only problem is there doesn't seem to be a hydraulic pedal box that directly fits the MK3.

Problem no.2:
Apparently the ITB's from SBD will NOT fit the MK2+MK3 Astra. The only way to fit these is to fit a hydraulic pedal box and rip out the standard system. Again, there isn't a pedal box that directly fits into the MK3. I'm not sure how the standard system ties into the ABS unit, and I'm not really willing to start ripping all that out.


Solution 1:
Fabricate a carrier to hold a round nose release bearing, allowing use of the standard mechanical clutch, and fabricate a custom bend in the trumpets to clear the master cylinder.

Solution 2:
Fabricate a carrier to hold a round nose release bearing, allowing use of the standard mechanical clutch, and attempt to move the brake master cylinder to allow clearance.

Solution 3:
Fabricate or purchase a hydraulic pedal box to allow ITB clearance, and convert the gearbox to hydraulic. Hopefully retaining the ABS system.

Solution 4: Jump off a high bridge.

Tom.

[Shifty]

Solution 5.....Buy an nova/corsa and be done with it!!

[HARBER07]

Lmao!. Still fancy a Nova to be honest, but it's just not as nice as the Astra!. Annoying really, as I wanted to get the clutch/flywheel/crank balanced, build up the bottom and end bolt on the gearbox this month. Now I'm gonna have to mess about with the bloody clutch.

[Shifty]

My mummy bought a Nova brand new, A red D reg Nova 1.2 Antibes(ltd edition), great car, did over 100k and had 2 oil changes!!

Even her teenage son didn't manage to destroy it(unlike his grandads Austin maxi who's engine got siezed!!). Happy days!!!

[Burnard]

Have a look at OBP, they do lots of direct fit, floor mounted boxes...

Or solution 6, sell the engine to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[HARBER07]

Don't like OBP stuff, looks too flimsy and overpriced. Not something I'd buy as a life saver anyways.

Done a bit more digging, and I may be able to shave the master and use a banjo fitting rather than the standard union. There looks like theres loads of room to be fair, but I'm not sure how far the ITB's stick out and if the 2.0 head is about the same dimension wise as a 1.8. Hopefully it is as simple as that, as someone has done it before (apparently).

Just PM'd a guy from greece about the release bearing

[charie t]

Not sure the theory on the triangulating the ARB? it twists so the corner bits won't achieve much, it wont move sideways as much on the other hand
The bar wants to be thicker to make it stiffer, cavalier or carlton/omega?

[HARBER07]

Well the roll bar will twist. Each end of the ARB had been flattened to make it stronger, otherwise the main rollbar would in effect do nothing and it would just bend the arms each end, rather than twisting the main rod. The roll bar ends have been flattened in such a way, but have left about an inch at each end still round, which is where the potential "failure" point would be if it ever broke. OK technically the gussets are on the wrong plane, but they will certainly help stiffness at each corner (assuming the weld penetrated enough). In fact, I actually proved it by twisting the ARB before the mod, then again afterwards. Only at my body weight of course.

Hard to explain really.

The bar could do with being thicker definitely, as thats how the upgrades work, but I'm not worried about that yet.