Fast Marina Magazine

This is the bottom section of my suspension mod for coil over on my cars.
I have had this in my head for many years but have just started building it.
The whole idea was for a bolt item that could be removed but was solid/stiff enough to not flex with coil over shocks.
I have not made top brackets as I am still working out whether to have vertical Subaru or angled GT6 coil overs.
Here are some pix.Appreciate your thoughts.

vvveeerrryyy nice cant wait to see it mounted

Cool idea. How far out from the bottom arm will the shock be mounted?

This was what I started to use as a base for new bottom arms. It is a minor kit that we re worked to suit the Marina:
The idea was to remove the torsion bar completely.

Ben

That set up looks good but I want just a bolt on job just in case transport boys get iffy.
The shocks will be mounted as far out as possible.
I still have to fold plate up & strenghten to mount coil over,drill plate at rear to mount swaybar.
Top plate will be easy once base plate is complete.
The coil overs in the pix what length are they & spring rate.

They are 200Ib springs but I can't remember the length. I know they are 2 1/4 diameter. These were minor specs though. For a 1800 B series we did workout around 225lb but that's me working from memory so is probably inaccurate.

Ben

This might make front too stiff when using 6 cylinder torsion bar as well.Could always get King Springs to fabricate a set slightly softer.
Thanks for the input.

beniboz i like those wishbones would be good for a top arm in the Marina instead of the shock and then have coil-overs as well.
i was thinking of this sort of thing for my Dolimite powered Marina

When converting MGB's to coil over suspension, the damper is retained but the oil is drained and the valve removed so that the arm is free to move with no resistance.
Perhaps that technique could be adapted for a Marina?

MGBV8 wrote:When converting MGB's to coil over suspension, the damper is retained but the oil is drained and the valve removed so that the arm is free to move with no resistance.
Perhaps that technique could be adapted for a Marina?

That's how I've done the V8's setup. Band new dampers with the valve removed but oil left in, and metal plates fitted in front to hold the telescope damper.

On my TC saloon (with tele kit) I left the valve in and it just acted like a doubled up damper setup. The problem was that the dampers were filled with axle oil so the seals popped one winter. Oops.

The Bowin Designs suspension analysis report quoted 115 lb/in for the standard 262 torsion bars (but recommended 142 lb/in). Kings Springs should be able to do softer springs for the coilovers, say 115 lb/in to give you 230 lb/in total. Or could they make a stiffer set of torsion bars, and just run ordinary tele shocks?

Bryan

I have spent an absorbing hour reading through the report in the .pdf link. What a cracking job they did and well done you for finding it and publishing it here.

In summary they recommend (my suggestions in brackets);

1. Increase front suspension stiffness (using either stiffer torsion bars or converting to coilover shocks to assist standard front suspension)
2. Increase front shock absorber stiffness on bump (better valving and/or thicker oil in the lever arms, or telescopic front assisters or solely telescopics)
3. Add antiroll bar/sway bar to the front to reduce the roll centre (fit later Marina antiroll bars/sway bars)
4. Allow more droop at the front (difficult with the droop stop in the wheel arch under the lever arm)
5. Do something with the tyres to change the slip angle (not sure what, but I know that the wider tyres that I use help)

Because they include all their calculations it would be possible to corner weigh a 1.3, 1.5, 1.8 or 1.7, 3.5 etc and calculate what front spring rate would be best and hence what thicker torsion bar or coilover shocker could be fitted.

Ben can you capture the .pdf and store it in the Technical or Modifications section - I think that it's real gold dust? In many ways it backs up the common sense approach adopted by a number of the modifiers on here. Commercial front torsion bars, later anti-roll bars,telescopic conversion with adjustable shockers, wider tyres.

If you noticed the test driver was John Lefler.If you look him up,He was one hell of a racer.
I remember seeing a pic of him lifting the rear of his light weight mini racer off the ground.

MarinaCoupe wrote:Bryan

I have spent an absorbing hour reading through the report in the .pdf link. What a cracking job they did and well done you for finding it and publishing it here.

In summary they recommend (my suggestions in brackets);

1. Increase front suspension stiffness (using either stiffer torsion bars or converting to coilover shocks to assist standard front suspension)
2. Increase front shock absorber stiffness on bump (better valving and/or thicker oil in the lever arms, or telescopic front assisters or solely telescopics)
3. Add antiroll bar/sway bar to the front to reduce the roll centre (fit later Marina antiroll bars/sway bars)
4. Allow more droop at the front (difficult with the droop stop in the wheel arch under the lever arm)
5. Do something with the tyres to change the slip angle (not sure what, but I know that the wider tyres that I use help)

Because they include all their calculations it would be possible to corner weigh a 1.3, 1.5, 1.8 or 1.7, 3.5 etc and calculate what front spring rate would be best and hence what thicker torsion bar or coilover shocker could be fitted.

Ben can you capture the .pdf and store it in the Technical or Modifications section - I think that it's real gold dust? In many ways it backs up the common sense approach adopted by a number of the modifiers on here. Commercial front torsion bars, later anti-roll bars,telescopic conversion with adjustable shockers, wider tyres.

Will do, Chris. I've a back log at the moment! ;-)

No probs, I have a copy that I can FTP upload if that helps? Or would you want separate images rather than one file?




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MarinaCoupe wrote:No probs, I have a copy that I can FTP upload if that helps? Or would you want separate images rather than one file?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

PDF is fine Chris. I can work with that.