American Motors Xperimental full frame

[WS6]

Fantastic idea Ron. I'm really interested in seeing the underslung chassis too. Keep up the pictures and great work as always.

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

gawdaamn.. this thing is gonna be cool!

[Torquedork]

Curious as to where you're extending the wheelbase. Behind the door or in front of the door.

Any concept looks???

[dusterbd13]

i definately have tire envy. my god, those things are huge.

and one of the cool things about an underslung chassis is the ability to make a perfectly flat undercarriage for aero.
hmm....

ron, you could do that. hell, you can do anything. i bet you could even make your own one off spindles. ive seen you do everything short of that between this car and the mustang.....

michael

[Ron S]

Got the torque arm set and the center of the rear crossmember built. Was hoping to get the body set on tomorrow, but it seems I'm going to get a Christmas tree instead

[Ron S]

i bet you could even make your own one off spindles. ive seen you do everything short of that between this car and the mustang.....

michael

Its funny you say that, I am considering making a spindle for the front, that will use a full floating hub, and C5 corvette geometry

[BADDRIDE II]

Its funny you say that, I am considering making a spindle for the front, that will use a full floating hub, and C5 corvette geometry

Are you thinking of using a hollow snout or? Would'nt it at this point add quite a bit positive WMS?

[Ron S]

Are you thinking of using a hollow snout or? Would'nt it at this point add quite a bit positive WMS?

No, if I design it from scratch, I can use a hollow snout, move the whole attachment surface to the rear of the spindle to create enough clearance for the hub. C5 brake rotors are probably only .250" away from the lower ball joint, and unfortunatly need to keep that same distance to keep the scrub radius and geometry correct.

[racin66coupe]

this will be awesome!
really like the underslung rear

[dropit69]

WOW Ron this is gonna be an awesome build..will this one have windows?..lol..

[Ron S]

WOW Ron this is gonna be an awesome build..will this one have windows?..lol..

Yeah Darrin, windows, heat, wipers, I'm even considering A/C

[racin66coupe]

is all that tigged?

[Ron S]

is all that tigged?

Alot of the chassis is tigged, but not all of it, just too time consuming. Unfortunatly I work ten hours a day at my regular job.

[elitecustombody]

Ron, what's the deal on that little truck?

[Ron S]

Ron, what's the deal on that little truck?

Thats my Dodge Power Wagon, I've been scrounging parts, and pecking at that thing since the 80's. It is setting on a late 70's frame, it sports an old school Hemi, Dana 60's front and back, and a 727, with a 205 transfer case. Of everything I have ever owned, I think its my favorite.

[preston]

335's on the front are the new hotness.

I'm a little confused on your plans for a new front spindle, I'd liek to see what you have in mind. Would you continue to use the vette bolt pattern ? I looked real close at using vette stuff for my build but was scared away by all the hub weakness issues, although the SKF hubs are good. I used GN circle track hubs and setup the spindle to bring them inboard as much as possible, but still have to run 9" backspace on an 11" wheel to get the SR that I want. But damn that stuff is beefy, and not reallly all that much heavier believe it or not. Pluse direct mount rotor (ie no hat) makes for a very stable setup. Brake pad knockback is non-existent. Maybe I'll post a picture up to inspire you in whatever you are doing.

I kind of thought about building something liek that Cortex spindel that uses the modern sealed hub mostly to get a build in ABS sensor and maybe save 3 lbs and be able to use "normal" offset wheels but I just can't see moving backwards to "weaker" setup.

[Ron S]

335's on the front are the new hotness.

I'm a little confused on your plans for a new front spindle, I'd liek to see what you have in mind. Would you continue to use the vette bolt pattern ? I looked real close at using vette stuff for my build but was scared away by all the hub weakness issues, although the SKF hubs are good. I used GN circle track hubs and setup the spindle to bring them inboard as much as possible, but still have to run 9" backspace on an 11" wheel to get the SR that I want. But damn that stuff is beefy, and not reallly all that much heavier believe it or not. Pluse direct mount rotor (ie no hat) makes for a very stable setup. Brake pad knockback is non-existent. Maybe I'll post a picture up to inspire you in whatever you are doing.

I kind of thought about building something liek that Cortex spindel that uses the modern sealed hub mostly to get a build in ABS sensor and maybe save 3 lbs and be able to use "normal" offset wheels but I just can't see moving backwards to "weaker" setup.

I will stay with the 5 on 4 3/4, with a 19x12 wheel with 8.25" back spacing. I want to be truthful, I've got so much crap to fabricate that the upright is pretty low on the list. I will probably fab the whole car with the factory spindles, then build the uprights after the car is built, and possibly put a set on the Mustang

[nine lives johnny]

go go go man keep up the good work!!

[BADDRIDE II]

No, if I design it from scratch, I can use a hollow snout, move the whole attachment surface to the rear of the spindle to create enough clearance for the hub. C5 brake rotors are probably only .250" away from the lower ball joint, and unfortunatly need to keep that same distance to keep the scrub radius and geometry correct.

Hmmm, Jason/GMR is working on the same type rear mount application for the serious "race" crowd as a bullet proof system to compliment his rear floater hubs (great minds think alike).

I do know GMR currently has a "street" type replacement C5 hub of which I know are on a few cars for testing (including mine....but mine does not count yet since it is on stands!) and are doing great, and have shown zero signs of stress per Jason who is monitering them. So for now, I know he only sells them as a "street" application until further feed back is had, and then still will most likely conservativly sell as street/Auto-X application that would suffice the average Pro Tour car.

The new design he said will most likely cater to the hardcore, higher speed track car/racer like yourself! It will be tough (not impossible) fitting everything through the stock upright opening (which is why Jason said he may even design a whole new C5 upright) with a 2" snout, unless you go with a steel hub body (heavy though) and that still may not fit. Then there are concearns of just how much added stress a C5 upright can take even moving some of the burdin/stress inboard?.....I would assume a slightly smaller snout would be needed for sure if a aluminum hub body would be used due to additional material needed for strength, but may be the way to go to keep weight down of which should also be important to a real race car. If you are planning a new steel upright and steel hub body I would think that would be undesirably heavy. Either way the final design will be killer I'm sure! Yours or his.

Few pics of my lighter duty set-up! I know its not a 2" snout....but definate improvement (and serviceable) over stock hub.
Attachment 52148Attachment 52147

[Ron S]

Hmmm, Jason/GMR is working on the same type rear mount application for the serious "race" crowd as a bullet proof system to compliment his rear floater hubs (great minds think alike).

I do know GMR currently has a "street" type replacement C5 hub of which I know are on a few cars for testing (including mine....but mine does not count yet since it is on stands!) and are doing great, and have shown zero signs of stress per Jason who is monitering them. So for now, I know he only sells them as a "street" application until further feed back is had, and then still will most likely conservativly sell as street/Auto-X application that would suffice the average Pro Tour car.

The new design he said will most likely cater to the hardcore, higher speed track car/racer like yourself! It will be tough (not impossible) fitting everything through the stock upright opening (which is why Jason said he may even design a whole new C5 upright) with a 2" snout, unless you go with a steel hub body (heavy though) and that still may not fit. Then there are concearns of just how much added stress a C5 upright can take even moving some of the burdin/stress inboard?.....I would assume a slightly smaller snout would be needed for sure if a aluminum hub body would be used due to additional material needed for strength, but may be the way to go to keep weight down of which should also be important to a real race car. If you are planning a new steel upright and steel hub body I would think that would be undesirably heavy. Either way the final design will be killer I'm sure! Yours or his.

I talked to Jason about that setup, and really feel he was on the right track, but felt I was going to be the first guy to push that set up to its possible limits. I hate to admit it, but ripping up the 1.3 mile straight away at VIR at 160mph,all that goes through my mind is wheel bearings, and lug nuts. I don't want to have to think about failure of any kind.

What I have rolling around in my head is an all new steel upright using a 2" or Imsa style snout, tigged together in peices, then lightened on the mill. The hard part of that setup ins the proximity of the rotor to the lower ball joint, it really limits you to snout placement, and kind of forces you into running a normal C6 hat.