8 replies to this topic

[oblomov]

Is the outer rear toe link on the VXR hub upright the straight 10mm recessed option or is it the later 12mm tapered option?

 

Thanks - ob.

[FLD]

It should be the tapered one.  The straight one was an early type so mostly on NA's.  Tapered was later so mostly on turbos.  Obviously there's the bit in the middle where it's pot luck.  I believe the VXR was late in the lifespan of turbo marketing so I'd expect it to be tapered.  Obviously there's the 'lotus factor' to consider which makes all this worthless.  Best thing to do is get under and have a look.

[hairy]

Didn't they start using the straight ones towards the end when they ran out of tapered ones as well?

[oblomov]

It should be the tapered one.  The straight one was an early type so mostly on NA's.  Tapered was later so mostly on turbos.  Obviously there's the bit in the middle where it's pot luck.  I believe the VXR was late in the lifespan of turbo marketing so I'd expect it to be tapered.  Obviously there's the 'lotus factor' to consider which makes all this worthless.  Best thing to do is get under and have a look.

 

I think the first VX220 VXR was actually 2004. I've just bought a rear VXR upright off Fleabay but it's not arrived yet, and was wondering which toe link I will need to fit the Spitfire uprated toe link kit, and, if its 10M, whether or not to ream it to 12M.  My originals (2004) are 10M.
 

[FLD]

If the uprights are off the car I'd ream to 12mm.  It's the pain of removal that stopped me doing just that.  However, given the reliability of both I can't see it being an issue.  Maybe ask Spitfire for advice?

[oblomov]

If the uprights are off the car I'd ream to 12mm.  It's the pain of removal that stopped me doing just that.  However, given the reliability of both I can't see it being an issue.  Maybe ask Spitfire for advice?

 

 

I decided to fit the Spitfire kit. I have a problem in that Courtenaysport rounded a hub carrier bolt (the hex socket) so I only have an uprated 10.9 bolt on one side of the nearside carrier.  This is not ideal; to address the problem the whole assembly needs to come off, so I decided to get a spare upright (which are silly prices new), and fit all new components at the same time as fitting the Spitfire kit.  A second hand upright halves the cost of otherwise all new hub components..  Of course having started down that road  I decided I might as well change everything on the offside as well.  If the new/second hand upright is tapered I will have to ream it anyway and so the same on the offside to match.  I don't want to be waiting around for my originals to be reamed, preferring to have replacements up and ready to go straight on. I have my own Heath Robinson way of replicating  the rear geo settings accurately but I can only do one side at a time.  Then there's the VRSAS... 

[FLD]

You sound like you have a plan!

[oblomov]

You sound like you have a plan!

 

 

And the answer is... VXR uprights are 12M tapered!
 

[Spitfire Engineering]

 

If the uprights are off the car I'd ream to 12mm.  It's the pain of removal that stopped me doing just that.  However, given the reliability of both I can't see it being an issue.  Maybe ask Spitfire for advice?

 

 

I decided to fit the Spitfire kit. I have a problem in that Courtenaysport rounded a hub carrier bolt (the hex socket) so I only have an uprated 10.9 bolt on one side of the nearside carrier.  This is not ideal; to address the problem the whole assembly needs to come off, so I decided to get a spare upright (which are silly prices new), and fit all new components at the same time as fitting the Spitfire kit.  A second hand upright halves the cost of otherwise all new hub components..  Of course having started down that road  I decided I might as well change everything on the offside as well.  If the new/second hand upright is tapered I will have to ream it anyway and so the same on the offside to match.  I don't want to be waiting around for my originals to be reamed, preferring to have replacements up and ready to go straight on. I have my own Heath Robinson way of replicating  the rear geo settings accurately but I can only do one side at a time.  Then there's the VRSAS... 

 

 

As mentioned in the Email but for everyones benefit...

 

There are no issues with using different uprights on the car, the casting is the same anyway and the only difference is the detail on the toe link pick up.

Changing the upright type only requires a few new components to be fitted to the toe link bearings and this is both quick and cheap, circa £25 and 5 mins!

Strength wise the differences are not so great assuming the recessed fittings are designed correctly, the differences start to appear when the fasteners are subjected to heavy impacts way beyond any tyre induced forces.

 

Reaming out the upright would be a major headache as they would have to be set in position and then reamed to the correct angle and depth and then preferably replated.

If you wanted ultimate strength then the recessed type bored for a 12mm bolt is stronger as this uses both the M12 and the collet supported in the upright. However you will lose some frangibility so this is not recommended for road and occasional track day cars, much better to keep most of the frangibility as subframes are expensive!

 

Gaz

 

 

 

Edited by Spitfire Engineering, 26 January 2021 - 10:39 PM.