IRS musings

[KWM338R]

Anyone seen, done, attempted or thought about an independent rear suspension set up on a Sprint?

I need to replace the back axle or at least rebuild it, I also want LSD for autocrossing. One option is to replace the whole thing with a locally sourced domestic axle (ford 7.5 seems most reasonable and cost effective to modify), the other is to make an IRS setup to go under there. I haven't got under there to do too much in the way of measuring yet but was thinking along the lines of maybe hacking up a BMW E30 rear end to slot in (easier said than done no doubt. A double wishbone set up would be nice, what to use for the uprights though?

So fire away, I have no limitations as far as regulations. Used parts as much as possible would have to be used for cost.

Cheers
Mark

[DavePoth]

For what you want I think IRS would be overkill. In fact I reckon it might be really hard to get an IRS set up properly. the other hampering factor is that the rear end of a Dolly is really narrow. It's pretty easy to adjust a live axle to fit, but I think IRS would be harder.

That said, I'm sure someone can supply a picture of the 4wd 1300 rallycross car with the T2000 rear suspension fitted (which is IRS). You can only see it because the car is in the middle of a crash IIRC.

[JonyPI]

id just get a bmw e30/e36 lsd, more power, more reliaility and no loss of fun

[89mustang]

Impreza?

[jeroensprint]

The fun is to keep the best results of modified original parts. Putting a impreza into a dolomite shell will never become a dolomite.

[DavePoth]

The fun is to keep the best results of modified original parts. Putting a impreza into a dolomite shell will never become a dolomite.

ALG1K? definitely a dolomite, definitely not Triumph running gear. Actually I think a dolly with Subaru bits would be quite funny.

[KWM338R]

I think IRS is too ambitious a project for me right now. I need to get the car running by mid april ready for the first autocross, I'm on the hunt for a toyota or ford rear axle to swap in.

If I happened to have a spare shell kicking around and bags of cash and time I'd persue it more but none of those things are likely to happen in the near (or distant) future.

Cheers
Mark

[jeroensprint]

The fun is to keep the best results of modified original parts. Putting a impreza into a dolomite shell will never become a dolomite.

ALG1K? definitely a dolomite, definitely not Triumph running gear. Actually I think a dolly with Subaru bits would be quite funny.

Yes, you can create something that is very fast and fun to drive and that looks like a dolomite. My personal reason is why i drive dolomites because they are dolomites with all their typical issue's.
The sport for me is to take out all the mechanical misdesigened parts and try to find what is wrong about it and to modify it in a way the factory should had done it without losing the character of the car. It is easy to intall a cosworth engine in a sprint but than it is not a dolomite anymore. For me it is more fun to get the max power of an original type engine.

In the holiday's i alway's go to Italy with my family in the dolomite and meet some italian dolomite people. One man i asked why he drives a dolomite. As an real italian he had some old alfa's and other italian cars and a dolomite. He answered because it is a dolomite, the engine sound and it's typical roadholding. He liked driving his dolomite more than his italian cars. I feel the same way he does. Putting a impreza into a dolomite shell is to easy and you'd better drive the impreza in the impreza shell. Isn't it more fun to try the next bend in the road than already knowing you can get trough with no problems? What's more exiting than a emergency brake stop not knowing you will make it. That's the fun of driving dolomites as they are.

[trackerjack]

Yes I agree with the sentiment that if you change too much it becomes something other than a Dolomite, however I too have contemplated IRS on the Dolomite and it could be achieved by fixing the diff (BMW or Ford lsd) to the underside in the normal way.
Using the existing axle locating arms fix hubs from one of the Ford sierra/Granada rear drive cars the drive shafts on all XR series are bolt in type with spacers so these spacers can be taylored to suit. Now attach a rod from the end of the radius arms to just below the diff, this stops sideways movement and twisting movement can be eliminated by using suitable short struts in place of the normal dampers.
If this does not work use standard dampers but use a shorter strut attached to one side of the diff at the top which will keep the wheel square to the road.
Now where's my welder
Anything can be done if you try.

[KWM338R]

just picked up my new rear axle, so sticking with the live axle set up. 4.10 ratio complete with LSD and rear discs, nice!

Cheers
Mark