The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

The Number One Club for owners of Triumph's range of small saloons from the 1960s and 1970s.
It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 3:22 pm

All times are UTC




Post new topic  Reply to topic  [ 21 posts ]  Go to page 1 2 Next
Author Message
PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 8:47 pm 
Hi all :bluewave:

I am new here and have recently bought the supercharged mx5 engined dolomite built by Richard ("mx5 turbo Dolly" here I believe). I have done regular trackdays for several years and have had a few Mx5 track cars.
Here is my first one:
Image
It had a standard 1.6 engine and was just fully stripped down. Great and bullet proof.
Then a 100% stock one that I used every day... and for the occasional autotest :D
Image
My third one:
Image
Image
Cosworth powered :mrgreen:
My current one:
Image
Image
Image
1.8 VVT with Rotrex supercharger :wink:

And finally the Dolomite:
Image
Image

I just wanted to say a quick hello and ask a couple of questions.
Having been in the Mx5 world for a while I have a few sets of nice wheels sitting in my garage. They are PCD4x100. Has anyone looked into spacers to change the PCD? Any links?
What is the wheel/hub centre bore diameter on the Dolomite?
My car was built as a drift car but I will probably mostly use it on track. Is there anything adjustable in the dolomite suspension geometry? (apart from height with adjustable dampers)
Many thanks,

Nico


Top
   
PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 10:44 pm 
Offline
TDC Shropshire Area Organiser

Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:12 pm
Posts: 7015
Location: Highley, Shropshire
Hi and welcome to the forum! I saw your car at RRG last year and hope you can bring it to Shelsey for RRG this year (31st August)
I think there are some hubs available (though not cheap) to convert to Ford PCD. I wish I knew of some 4x100s as I have rucks of nice Vauxhall wheels in that fitting! Spacers are not really an option on a car which DOESN'T have huge arch extensions like yours so you're probably on your own with that!
Regarding suspension mods, you've got a bit of adjustment in the front camber by de-shimming the top wishbone mounts and that's about it apart from the ride height control you already mentioned. With a live rear axle there's obviuosly zilch you can do with that.

Steve

_________________
'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.


Top
   
PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2014 7:23 am 
Hey up nico
I have ford 4x108 hubs on my Toledo running 15inch ford pattern rims and custom made rear drive flanges that me and a friend made happen.
Check out sprintspeed on the web.


Top
   
PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2014 9:23 am 
Great thanks!


Top
   
PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2014 12:42 pm 
Offline
Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:52 pm
Posts: 7566
Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire
Steve's right. You would need to change the hubs to change the PCD. One alternative would be to fit MGF wheels as they're the same PCD as the Dolly.

Welcome to the forum.

_________________
Toledo Man

West Yorkshire Area Organiser & forum moderator
Meetings take place on the first Wednesday of the month at 8.00pm at The Old Brickworks, Wakefield Road, Drighlington, Bradford, BD11 1EA

1972 Dolomite 1850 auto (NYE 751L - Now for sale)
2003 Volvo XC90 D5 SE (PX53 OVZ - The daily driver)
2009 Mercedes-Benz W204 C200 CDI Sport (BJ58 NCV - The 2nd car)
1991 Toyota Celica GT (J481 ONB - another project car)
Former stable of SAY 414M (1974 Toledo), GRH 244D (1966 1300fwd), CDB 324L (1973 1500fwd), GGN 573J (1971 1500fwd), DCP 625S (1977 Dolomite 1300) & LCG 367N (1975 Dolomite Sprint) plus 5 Acclaims and that's just the Triumphs!

Check my blog at http://triumphtoledo.blogspot.com
My YouTube Channel with a bit of Dolomite content.

"There is only one way to avoid criticsm: Do nothing, say nothing and BE nothing." Aristotle


Top
   
PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2014 4:08 pm 
Offline
TDC Member
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:48 pm
Posts: 8446
Location: Winscombe, North Somerset, England
Sprintspeed sell Ford PCD conversions...

http://www.sprintspeed.co.uk/pages/prod ... tub-axles/

_________________
Sprintless for the first time in 35+ years. :boggle2: ... Still Sprintless.

Engines, Gearboxes, Overdrives etc. rebuilt. PM me.


1997 TVR Chimaera 450


Image


Top
   
PostPosted: Wed May 28, 2014 3:53 am 
Offline
TDC Member
User avatar

Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:57 am
Posts: 669
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
There are more extreme adjustments you can make to a race / track car. Not only removing the shims at the top of the wishbone mount but also where that bolts through the lower part of the subframe you can user spacers to force the lower end out. Also spacers between the lower ball joint and the vertical link. You need longer bolts and loctite in both cases! If you do this you need an adjustable drag strut (the link at 45 degrees forward). That will allow reasonable camber and caster to be set. A thicker sway bar helps as does zero toe, even slightly out.

Don't drop the rear height by much over one inch (measured from axle to body) or you run the risk of raising the roll centre to a point that destabilises the back end and it can snap away from you. Using lower profile tyres is fine, that doesn't affect the roll centre. You can overcome this by raising the body mounts of those 45 degree links to inside the car, just above the rear floor. However you end up with holes into the car which also need to be dealt with (rupture the fuel tank in a crash and you've got fuel in the cabin). Standard or no sway bar on the rear.

If you have a standard rear axle, don't forget you can change rear axle ratios using early triumph 2000 crown wheel and pinion which were made in 3.77 and 4.1 ratios. They can be hard to find. With arches you could perhaps modify another wider axle to fit. Maybe one with the pcd for your wheels - a big job though.

Good luck!

Geoff


Top
   
PostPosted: Wed May 28, 2014 7:46 pm 
Offline
Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:33 pm
Posts: 4727
Location: hampshire
Great stuff I love cross pollination and mixing various fans.
I have just built a Lotus 7 type special with an HSK turbo'd 1600 MX5 lump installed and it really shifts.
Busy with IVA at the moment and ready for its final check to clear it for road use.

Wife has an MX5 too :D and to think a few years ago I looked on them as I did Spitfires years ago...............as a girls car :oops:

That Cossie must have been a beast 8)

_________________
track action maniac.

The lunatic is out................heres Jonny!


Top
   
PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:33 pm 
Thanks. Lots of good info.
I have got a couple of things to sort to MOT it. I'll then take it to get the geo checked. Then do a first trackday before doing any further modification. I might like it the way it is! :D

The front suspension and rear axle apparently come from a track prepared sprint. It's fully polybushed, has AVO shocks and a triumph 2000 diff (welded). I also have a spare standard axle and a TR7 axle (I believe).
At the front it's got a Sierra caliper conversion. I don't know what the discs are. I don't know if it has shims removed or spacers anywhere...
Someting I find very strange with the Sierra caliper conversion... it has copper pipes from the sliding caliper up to the bit attached to the top of the upright... surely that can't be right ?!?
(one of the things to fix for MOT is a dragging front brake...)


Top
   
PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:25 pm 
Offline
TDC Shropshire Area Organiser

Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:12 pm
Posts: 7015
Location: Highley, Shropshire
Quote:
Thanks. Lots of good info.

At the front it's got a Sierra caliper conversion. I don't know what the discs are. I don't know if it has shims removed or spacers anywhere...
Something I find very strange with the Sierra caliper conversion... it has copper pipes from the sliding caliper up to the bit attached to the top of the upright... surely that can't be right ?!?
This sounds like a "trackerjack" brake conversion, beloved of all speed freaks on here, including me!
This copper-pipe-into-sliding-caliper idea is the original design, I found it so offensive that I have had some special flexis made to get round the problem, see my thread in the dolomite related section of the this forum entitled "flexis for trackerjack conversion"
I still have one set of the first batch available and some slightly modded ones on order which will end the need to mod and move the bracket on the lower end of the main flexi. They are £29 a pair including uk postage. PM me for more details.

Steve

_________________
'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.


Top
   
PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 11:04 pm 
Offline
Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:33 pm
Posts: 4727
Location: hampshire
Alright alright my first few offered the copper pipe and my own car ran for 14 years with no problems with it like this because if you think about it it only moves the amount a padwears in thickness, however it is not a good solution really.

You can of course use two standard hoses, the first a standard UNF hose to the bracket and fit a female UNF to female Metric adaptor and use a standard Ford hose to the caliper.

There are many ways to skin a cat.

_________________
track action maniac.

The lunatic is out................heres Jonny!


Top
   
PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 7:53 pm 
Offline
TDC Shropshire Area Organiser

Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:12 pm
Posts: 7015
Location: Highley, Shropshire
Quote:
Alright alright my first few offered the copper pipe and my own car ran for 14 years with no problems with it like this because if you think about it it only moves the amount a padwears in thickness, however it is not a good solution really.

You can of course use two standard hoses, the first a standard UNF hose to the bracket and fit a female UNF to female Metric adaptor and use a standard Ford hose to the caliper.

There are many ways to skin a cat.
Sorry Jon, I wasn't trying to be rude! TBH my major concern with the copper pipe is not movement in service, which as you say is minimal and takes place over considerable time, but all the stress put on the pipe when removing the caliper to change pads (or did you disconnect the pipe and have to bleed it all out afterwards, you must have changed a few sets in 14 years!)
In any case you must admit the flexi is a more elegant solution!

Steve

_________________
'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.


Top
   
PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 11:22 pm 
Offline
Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:33 pm
Posts: 4727
Location: hampshire
I agree totally with what you say and no dont tread on egg shells with me :) I know when I am wrong!
Yes pad changing is the problem and I removed the nut that holds the flexi bracket to ball joint but was being a cheap skate :oops:

_________________
track action maniac.

The lunatic is out................heres Jonny!


Top
   
PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 9:08 pm 
I've fixed all the little things... ready for MOT tomorrow morning.
I'll be at Castle Combe on the 28th for this: https://www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk/ev ... ventID=629
I've booked a couple of track sessions.

Anyone from here going?


Top
   
PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 11:08 pm 
Quote:
I've fixed all the little things... ready for MOT tomorrow morning.
I'll be at Castle Combe on the 28th for this: https://www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk/ev ... ventID=629
I've booked a couple of track sessions.

Anyone from here going?
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=27440


Top
   
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic  Reply to topic  [ 21 posts ]  Go to page 1 2 Next

All times are UTC


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited