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Idiots Guide to CV conversion on Rotoflex cars


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Need to stick with the Subaru inner CV as one of them has a double spline for the viscous diff - MGF / R100 should plug into it ok.

Just need any bare shaft (MGF / R100) so that I can mock something up and start working out what its going to look like.

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or do you mean this chap:

Lord Lucan: Born Richard Bingham on 18 December 1934, Lord Lucan, far left, fled his home in west London on 7 November 1974 and went to a house in Sussex to see a gambling companion. Left at 1.15am and was never seen again. :o

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Mike,

 

Not quite sure what you mean by double spline, but if you have something sorted that's good news.  Are you saying the R100/MGF spline fits the Subaru CV?

 

Clive,

No...... just a guy with a family connection who is a teacher in your part of the world - didn't realise that Lord Lucan was also a Richard Bingham.... everyday is a school day!

 

Nick

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  • 2 weeks later...

Heres something I put together in response to a question on the CT site regarding my Metro axle/upright CV conversion:

 

Firstly an explanation why I used the R100 uprights:

 

1.      I’m tight as a gnats chuff and did not want to buy rotoflex/GT6 uprights wishbones drums back plates etc etc, (the R100 uprights came with the shafts).

 

2.      I wanted an entire solution I could do in my garage with basic hand tools, power tools and a mig welder. (excepting the inner CV to diff adapter)

 

3.      For my car the rotoflex upright is too tall and does not have any options for ride height adjustment beyond stacking up spring spacers.

 

How to make the R100 uprights fit:

 

1.      Cut off ball joint from top of hub to leave it with a flat top.

 

2.      Make up adapter plate to convert the top ball joint to spring eye mounting bolts.  I used rod ends with threaded inserts welded into a plate to give me some ride height adjustment, but a flat bottomed U shaped bracket would do just as well.  There are two M10 holes on the top of the upright that can be used to mount the plate and I also drilled and tapped a third M8 hole where the ball joint used to be to give 3 point attachment.

 

3.      If retaining the drums cut off the disk calliper mounting lugs and grind off a fair bit of peripheral material to get the an upright that looks like the pic. Align your brake backplate at an angle ensuring the brake cylinder and adjuster fit and drill it to suit the 3 upright holes.  If keeping the disc brakes then just use them (but as the R100 is FWD then you’ll have to think about handbrake, MGF will sort this).

 

4.      Make up a bottom wishbone, I used tubes and rod ends but there is no reason not to use a rotoflex wishbone or tubes and rubber bushes. For the bottom mount I used a long bolt through a fabricated radius arm bracket, the wishbone, upright bottom pinch bolt holes, the wishbone, and extending out the rear to take the shocker.  Make up some thick tubular spacers to ensure all these can be squeezed solidly together to a decent torque.

 

5.      Fit an inner wishbone bracket to the chassis.  I used a front suspension wishbone bracket drilled and tubed through the chassis.  This gives further adjustability with shims and perhaps extra chassis holes. A rotoflex bracket would work too but is less adjustable.

 

6.      Use the shaft with the outboard end as rover intended, no changes necessary.  Inboard fit Volvo CV lobro  joint, and CV to Diff adapter as for Nick’s conversion.

 

Rod ends can be harsh but as the rubber spring eye bush is still in, the top is the same as std, I don’t think I get too much road noise from the bottom wishbone rod ends. The radius arms are VERY noisy and harsh. however, there is no reason why rubber bushes cannot be used in all joints.

 

MGF uprights will work much much better, the MGF bottom mount is wider and stronger and the rear discs can be used with their handbrake capability.  This will be my next mod once I find the time, MGF hubs inc callipers, discs, shafts etc are currently on ebay for £55 a side.

 

Is it better than Nick's possibly more elegant Triumph solution? probably not with the short R100 upright (MGF taller at bottom). But I can run super low ride height and have multi-way adjustment.  With MGF uprights I think perfection could be close :)

 

Cheers

Andy

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Spent some time at the weekend modifying an MGF rear upright to fit my Spitfire, pics of ROUGH prototype below. Not had a chance to fit it up on my car yet as I've got the diff/spring out. Could be some issues with the wide width of the base but not insurmountable with adjustable radius arms.

 

Will have re-bushed diff and spring back in this weekend so can try the fit, next stage then is to get a full hub with disc brakes to fit.

 

Cheers

Andy

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No, they dont - but they do on the MGTF ones (been looking into this for the next generation of a mates rear suspension)  Same casting with one leg onger than the other, but the holes DO line up.

 

Having poured over the design for the top mount, I decided that the best solution was to use the two bolt holes and cut the other bit off - just as andy has above> nice to see someone else thinking on the same lines.

 

Jon

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No, they dont - but they do on the MGTF ones (been looking into this for the next generation of a mates rear suspension)  Same casting with one leg onger than the other, but the holes DO line up.

 

Having poured over the design for the top mount, I decided that the best solution was to use the two bolt holes and cut the other bit off - just as andy has above> nice to see someone else thinking on the same lines.

 

Jon

 

Correct-a-mundo, bottom leg holes don't line up but there is (just) enough space in the long leg to drill a hole higher up that does line up. Will have to find some TF uprights for the real thing perhaps to save me some work, ta for the info.

 

As for the top mount I think it still needs a third bolt to the rear for 3 point attachment and there is still plenty of material there to allow this. Or it could be just welded on, though having bolted makes it easier to further modify at a later date.

 

Cheers

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Good stuff, as I suspected

 

MGTF are the hubs to go for in my opinion.

 

Jumping around a few threads here but maybe this is the one to stick with from now on, picked up a Rover 214 (R25) driveshaft yesterday, they have identical spline pattern and are 50mm longer than the Rover 100 shaft.

 

This allows Subaru diff to be fitted with the same track as a swing spring setup, whether that actually works in terms of tyre clearance is yet to be established.

 

In the data I have, there is also another Rover 200 / R25 shaft that is in between the R100 and the shaft I have, I suspect it is fitted to the PG1 gearbox vehicles (1800cc). I guess the important point here is that there are a range of driveshafts that could be used depending on desired track width.

 

As I'm going for coilovers on the rear, I was thinking of getting hold of an MGTF top arm to see if that could be used, anybody have any parts that they could measure up ?

 

Regarding 13" wheel fitting MGF rear hub, The rear MGF disc is identical to Maestro front disc which were fitted with 13" wheels, not sure on the caliper clearance.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hmm, been looking at this again. Have acquired a pair of 340 driveshafts for nothing :) but now thinking about the rest. Seems the MGTF are the way to go, especially as a decent handbrake might be a bonus. Are the short mgf/tf shafts suitable, or are the rover 100 ones needed?

After that bit its just some welding/bolting/buying adaptors. Oh, and getting a spit to put it on!

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Hmm, been looking at this again. Have acquired a pair of 340 driveshafts for nothing :) but now thinking about the rest. Seems the MGTF are the way to go, especially as a decent handbrake might be a bonus. Are the short mgf/tf shafts suitable, or are the rover 100 ones needed?

After that bit its just some welding/bolting/buying adaptors. Oh, and getting a spit to put it on!

 

I think the answer is in this thread already....... MGF short shafts will be too short.  MGTF - I have no idea if the are the same or different.  Nike said that he though that the R100 ones would do at a pinch (bit short) at standard roto track....

 

Nick

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  • 2 months later...

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