V1 Spherical upper strut mount group buy

[duthehustle93]

I'm cool with switching to align with the majority on these. I was looking at doing the method that Shadow Lou did years ago by just inserting a 22m OD 12mm ID spherical into the df mount. Money is just a little tight right now so depending on when you decide to place orders will dictate my ability to be involved in this group buy...

I saw that post, and was debating doing something similar initially, but the only spherical bearings that are rated for the axial loads that we'll see on track would consume the thickness of the strut mounting plate. So you either have to run a spherical bearing that isn't rated for the axial loads, or leave a concerningly thin shoulder on the end of your bearing bore.

Thanks for your flexibility, I'll move you over to that list. That puts us at 14 people, so even if 30% of the people back out, I'll still have enough orders to move forward. I'll be collecting money in about a month, and will certainly be posting final designs and more information first.

BC standard mount 0° offset:

1. Gtstorey
2. Comegetjoe
3. Jaredthenav
4. SmsDetroit
5. Rttoys
6. Markm
7. Indy Lonnie
8. OptimizePrime
9. Sparvy
10. WYGoblin
11. ToxicBill
12. AGoblin
13. KSLunsfo
14. Keckster

Koni standard -1° offset:

1. [me]

 

[Markm]

Were you able to get the measurements you were asking for?

 

[Rttoys]

He did

V1 - Request for BC coilover dimensions

Hi All, I'm working on designing some spherical mounts on our rear suspension for a group buy. Can someone do me a huge favor, and verify these dimensions off their BC coilover damper shaft? The differences are pretty minor between the Konis that I'm running and BC, but I'd like to make a mock...

dfkitcar.com

 

[duthehustle93]

Were you able to get the measurements you were asking for?

Yep got em! I was able to print a mock BC coilover last weekend.

Quick status update: I narrowed it down to 4 different off the shelf spherical bearings that are overkill in a good way (the smallest of the 4 is still rated for a 6G axial load, which we'll never get remotely close to since were just supporting the damper shaft). I ordered all 4 for testing, and I'll design around whichever bearing makes the most sense.

 

[Meansol]

You can out me down for 0deg BC

 

[duthehustle93]

Excellent, thanks all for the interest! I should be getting the test bearings in tomorrow, which means I can finalize a design this weekend. I'll be sure to post up the design, so everyone has something to look at.

BC standard mount 0° offset:

1. Gtstorey
2. Comegetjoe
3. Jaredthenav
4. SmsDetroit
5. Rttoys
6. Markm
7. Indy Lonnie
8. OptimizePrime
9. Sparvy
10. WYGoblin
11. ToxicBill
12. AGoblin
13. KSLunsfo
14. Keckster
15. Meansol
16. [me] *modified for 14mm shaft*

 

[95Blitz]

Add me to the list.

 

[duthehustle93]

Awesome! Will do! In the interest of not flooding the comments section, I'm gonna move the buyer list to my OP, and continue updating it as interest continues developing.

 

[David]

Just ran into this post and im interested in a set. I also noticed that my mount is installed on the bottom not the top like the original picture. Which way is correct?

 

[Rttoys]

Under is correct

 

[David]

Under is correct
View attachment 55964

Thank you, had me digging up pictures trying to compare. The OP had a picture of one of each.

 

[duthehustle93]

Yeah, sorry for the confusion... under is the correct way. The pictures I found happened to include one where they installed the plate incorrectly (which has nothing to do with their failure issue). I'll add you onto the list David.

 

[duthehustle93]

Hey All! Here’s the final design; it may look simple, and that’s the point. I’ve iterated and printed about 5 different designs, and tried 4 different bearings. The final result is a plate that is very robust, serviceable, uses standard parts, uses standard stock sizes, has minimal material removal, and can be machined in a single op. This keeps the design affordable, without any sacrifice in performance.

Some specs and details:

• Integrated spring perch: Aesthetically, it looks cleaner. More importantly (functionally), this brings the top of spring face in-plane with the axis of rotation of the spherical bearing. This reduces induced side loading from the spring as the assembly pivots. This effectively raises your upper spring seat, so you'll need to adjust your lower spring seat on the coilover accordingly (lay your parts hamburger on the workbench next to the new plate upside-down, and the difference of spring seat height is how much you'll to raise your coilover lower seat).
• 14° of misalignment angle (we'll only be using a few degrees of this)
• US-made COM10T-F1 spherical bearings: I went back and forth with different bearings quite a bit, including some 12mm bearings that would avoid the need to machine misalignment spacers/adapters. However, they have a 1 month lead time in an F1 fit. I wanted to make sure that replacement parts are regularly stocked, if ever needed. I decided to go with a COM10 bearing because they're incredibly common and therefore easy to find and very affordable. On my end, it's more expensive because it adds more parts that need to be machined, but it's absolutely the best option (more misalignment angle, a higher FOS, and you'll be able to find these bearings locally and all over the internet). 'T' means it has a teflon liner, so you don't need to lubricate these bearings, and F1 indicates a tight fit on the bearing. For an axially loaded spherical bearing, having an F1 fit is critical for longevity.
• Gasketed dust cap: This will keep out water and dirt from pooling on the top of the bearing, and also protect your adjuster knob. The leading cause of failure in a properly sized teflon bearing is contamination. The COM10T-F1 bearing is overkill, so if we can keep it clean, it should last for decades. It'll be included in every order, but it's up to you if you'd like to run it or not. Update: If there's enough interest, I can make this a 2 piece cap for easier damper adjustment. Update: The dust cap has been updated to be a 2 piece design.

What you'll be getting:

• 2x billet strut mounting plates (6061-T6, hard anodized black)
• 2x COM10T-F1 spherical bearings + 2x retaining rings (preassembled)
• 2x 3/8-16 square nuts
• 6x 1/4-20 BHCS's
• 2x PETG dust caps w/ gaskets
• 4x misalignment spacers/adapters
• CONUS shipping

Payment: As promised, I will be kicking these into production the 3rd week of March, which means I'll be closing off orders by March 21st, and will need to collect everyones payment by then as well. I'll shoot everyone a PM with my payment information, at which point I can also collect your shipping info.

 

[Rttoys]

Awesome. I like simple with easily available parts.

 

[duthehustle93]

Can I mail someone this 3D printed prototype to test fit? I'll ship it to you, you test fit it, and feel free to keep it as a spare set of hardware/bearings. My chassis #5 has a few bespoke parts, being part of the first production batch. I really doubt that DF changed anything about their mounting plate or gusset welded under it, but it would be prudent to verify before spending thousands on billet parts. I'd only ask that you mock it within a couple days of receiving it, so it doesn't stall the group buy.

 

[Rttoys]

You’re welcome to send it to me. No problem in test fitting it. My chassis number is 184 I think, so all final mods should be done by then.

 

[duthehustle93]

You’re welcome to send it to me. No problem in test fitting it. My chassis number is 184 I think, so all final mods should be done by then.

Awesome, thank you! I'm gonna be shooting off messages for addresses and money in a bit, and I'll grab your address in that.

 

[comegetjoe]

I can already forsee me leaving off the lampshade that blocks access to the adjustment knob.

 

[duthehustle93]

I can already forsee me leaving off the lampshade that blocks access to the adjustment knob.

I spend a few track days adjusting my dampers, and then never touch them again. From them on, I usually bump them on accident and they become more of an inconvenience to me than helpful. I understand some people like to adjust them regularly which is why I purposely made them non-integral, so you can choose to leave them off if you'd like to.

edit: If there's enough interest, I'm realizing I can make this a 2 piece cap for easier damper adjustment.

edit 2: dust cap is now 2 piece!

 

[KSLunsfo]

Thanks for the update, looks great!

Just curious, I see a "machined" chamfer desiged in on the perimeter of the lower side of the plate and not the top. I guess that could have just been on purpose while you were printing prototypes.

Will the perimeter of the top surface also be chamfered or at least edge broken as well?