Rose Jointed Adjustable Caster Bars

[Ghostrider]

How many people would be interested in these adjustable caster bars?

Price would be in the $300.00 pair range.

As opposed to non rose jointed for about $180/200.00 that use conventional or polyurethane bushings.

[V8skylineMAN]

if they will fit C210, then i'm very interested, but wont be wanting them for a few weeks, still sorting out finances after christmas...

[Boof]

Yup be interested, when you thinking of doing this???

[Ghostrider]

When I can get enough interested.

Maybe 6 including me.

[Boof]

Let me know when your planning on doing before i give definate yes, but if the timing's right i'll be in for it

[Ghostrider]

if they will fit C210, then i'm very interested, but wont be wanting them for a few weeks, still sorting out finances after christmas...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jason,

Do you know the diference between the 2 bars, do you have some measurements of the C210 bar, overall, bolt mount spacings etc.

Dennis

[R30kc70UGE]

Yeah dude you know Im up for some

[V8skylineMAN]

Jason,

Do you know the diference between the 2 bars, do you have some measurements of the C210 bar, overall, bolt mount spacings etc.

Dennis

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'll measure them up after work today

[hrd-hr30]

rose joints are not street legal, and will also put you out of any realistic category if you run a hillclimb or sprint event - technically, you'll have to run as a sport sedan!

you can have your standard castor rods made adjustable by machining them down so you can extend the thread, and them lock them up with a nut on either side of the bush. last time I had a set of standard castor rods made adjustable it cost about $80 including remove and refit! but that was several years ago

they are shiney though

[discopotato03]

I'm using the SWR type with Nolathane bushes and works well , my experience with spherical joints on road cars has not been good . No compliance and plenty of road wheel noise and vibration transmitted into the shell/cabin area . Rose joints are not a high mileage item which is not an issue with dedicated race cars .

I chose not to modify the std rods because its debatable if the steel is up to it . The SWR rods are made from 60T steel and larger than the std ones . They come with the tube that the bushes locate over (+ nylock nuts) and std Nolathane bushes can stretch over them with no probs . Fit set forget .

Cheers A .

[hrd-hr30]

the standard ones are up to it. You have to remember that Stew is a died in the wool rally man. The top guys always over engineer things to last in that harsh environment. If you don't finish, you can't win. I wouldn't rally on them either, but anything short of that, they should be fine.

I did it on my Datsun 1200 race car's castor rods, which are the spindliest looking things in the world, and it was subject to years of kerb hopping, being airborne on road rallies, not to mention a few excursions... All with the added load of a big arse L20 on top of it. And then there's the incident with sliding into a square edge gutter on one special stage of a road rally, which sent me airborne, and spun me 1.5 times, bending the chassis and strut tower, breaking wheel bearing races and cracking rims... the spindly castor rods survived just fine.

The only reason a modded one would be any weaker than the unmodified factory part is due to the slightly longer threaded section, but a castor rod really doesn't handle any shear or twisting forces that would make it an issue - it takes tension loads, and the strength in that direction is unchanged. All I would recommend is not leaving a square step at the end of the extended thread where it steps back up to the diametre of the arm, as it could be a stress riser.

Anyway, I'd do it again in a flash in total confidence. I'm not one to cut corners where safety is an issue, but I'm also not into adding weight or spending money where it isn't necessary.

The SWR arms are definitely a good product and well worth the money, but I think it's overkill for my application.

[Bekkyboop]

C210 castor rods are 550mm long and bolt spacing is 55mm center to center

[V8skylineMAN]

i wish Bek would sign out.....I'm forever posting as her

[mid life crisis]

ive broken to many heim joints /rose joints of various brands and makes including aircraft quaility racing speedway there would be no way i would ever trust one on a road car . apart from the insurence side of things as well

[Matty T]

the standard ones are up to it. You have to remember that Stew is a died in the wool rally man. The top guys always over engineer things to last in that harsh environment. If you don't finish, you can't win. I wouldn't rally on them either, but anything short of that, they should be fine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good post hrd-hr30.

Funny that this subject came up - I pick up my modded rods tomorrow. I am going to go rallying on them (next weekend), so we shall see how it goes. I'll be bringing some spares just in case. I'll keep the SWR ones in mind for the near future.

All I would recommend is not leaving a square step at the end of the extended thread where it steps back up to the diametre of the arm, as it could be a stress riser.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Done already. Good point to mention though.

[Ghostrider]

the standard ones are up to it. You have to remember that Stew is a died in the wool rally man. The top guys always over engineer things to last in that harsh environment. If you don't finish, you can't win. I wouldn't rally on them either, but anything short of that, they should be fine.

I did it on my Datsun 1200 race car's castor rods, which are the spindliest looking things in the world, and it was subject to years of kerb hopping, being airborne on road rallies, not to mention a few excursions... All with the added load of a big arse L20 on top of it. And then there's the incident with sliding into a square edge gutter on one special stage of a road rally, which sent me airborne, and spun me 1.5 times, bending the chassis and strut tower, breaking wheel bearing races and cracking rims... the spindly castor rods survived just fine.

The only reason a modded one would be any weaker than the unmodified factory part is due to the slightly longer threaded section, but a castor rod really doesn't handle any shear or twisting forces that would make it an issue - it takes tension loads, and the strength in that direction is unchanged. All I would recommend is not leaving a square step at the end of the extended thread where it steps back up to the diametre of the arm, as it could be a stress riser.

Anyway, I'd do it again in a flash in total confidence. I'm not one to cut corners where safety is an issue, but I'm also not into adding weight or spending money where it isn't necessary.

The SWR arms are definitely a good product and well worth the money, but I think it's overkill for my application.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Harry,

You sorted me out yet again, as I didn't consider that possibility, that I could have gone right away from anything other than modified production.

I might just go with the SWR ones as I was originally planning and using 1600 daddo polyurethane bushes.

Guess the whole idea is going down the toilet now guys, but if someone really wants them, I will price them up and let all know.

Cheers,

Dennis

[hrd-hr30]

sorry mate. rules always spoil the fun. I have the same problem with my GTR if that's any consolation. it came with rose jointed castor rods... I can get away with it at my local hillclimb because they have a separate class for AWD turbo cars that isn't a recognised category and has no published rules! but for anything else, I'm sport sedan, just because of 2 lousy rose joints... grrr

[Matty T]

I am going to go rallying on them (next weekend), so we shall see how it goes.

Just an update post rally. The modded radius rods worked a treat. I didn't bend or break one, so that is a good thing. The suspension copped a few big hits - biggest ones being a 4th gear 5000 rev downhill into a gully and onto a wooden bridge then up the other side. My stomach is still in my left butt-cheek! It had a good go of punching the shock through the strut top, tearing the rubber in a nice semi-circle.

After they were installed (and prior to the rally of couse), I went to my friendly steering place and measured it all up. My suspension geometry is all over the place! At least it explains the funky handling...

FRONT

Caster: 6 degrees

Static camber: +0.5 degrees (yes, plus)

Toe: Set to 0

REAR

Camber: +1.5 degrees

Toe: 2.8mm out (L) 0.8mm in ®

Interestingly, when the wheel is turned, the front camber changes from +0.5 to -0.5. I honestly thought that it would change the camber by more than that.

Obviously my car is set up very differently to how a street car would be set up. For example, I have had to adjust the ride height (home-made adjustable struts) so that there is 170mm of ground clearance under the sump shield. Thus, the car sits higher than standard, and the front control arms hang down more than usual (adding to the positive static camber). Strut tops are 180B items (factory Skyline ones bend too easily). Rear sits slightly higher as well. Personally, I would love to run the car lower, but the low-slung front crossmember makes ground clearance an issue.

Next thing on the list is to sort out the suspension settings a bit more. Custom strut tops are now on the cards to try and get some neg into the front, and I now think that the left trailing arm may be bent, so I'll replace that as well to try and get back some toe-in on the rear. Brakes are also an issue (I can't get enough rear bias).

Anyway, just thought I'd keep you updated...

Cheers,

Matt