a few dumb questions

[happy harry]

so i've bought this old 750mc F4 spec race car and ive a couple of questions which i guess some people will think pretty dumb, but if you dont know you gotta ask!

1. ive seen for sale somewhere a 'crash box'. mine doesnt have one fitted, its a converted van deimen formula ford by the way F4 spec, 1800 zetec on 40's. does it have to have a crash box or is it like an optional extra or something, i guess it protects the master cylinders? if it needs one where do i get one?

2. i guess that it has no lsd in it. i will use it monoposto classic and i wondered if the cars in that class mainly use lsd's or not?

3. the guy i bought it from swapped the dampers for some old fashioned chrome bilstein things with no adjustment. Any recomendation for damper suppliers? are quantum any good?

Thanks in advance.

[GolddustMini]

not knowing the exact year of your car means ill have to talk more generally!
there are 2 types of crashbox on later model van diemens RF99 onwards there is a seperate unit made from honeycomb aluminium that attaches to 4 bolts off the front of the chassis and fits inside the nose shroud and there is an integral type where it is built into the nose shroud itself, the FF regs tend to favour the former type as people tend to attach it using larger fixings, however you still see the all in one type in use.

the crashbox is there to protect you, it acts as a crumple zone to dissipate energy in the event of a collision.

contact medinasport or fluid motorsport developments as they are a good source of parts for van diemens

Dampers wise alot of it is in the valving of the dampers and its how long is a piece of string as the zetec regs allow steel or ali bodies and remote reservoirs. perhaps a first port of call would be to get your billsteins serviced/rebuilt and see how they handle. quantums are relatively inexpensive for single way adjustables though and alot of FF folks seem to run them at the sharp end.


hope this is of some help. have you checked out the ffzetec facebook group?

[chris bailey]

No such thing as a dumb question Harry. Plenty of dumb answers mind you, so don't believe everything you're told.

On the subject of dampers, Bilsteins are a good choice. Don't be fazed by their lack of adjustment. If they're right for your car, it's one less thing to get side-tracked with when you're starting out. They are very effective across all track and weather conditions.

If you really want get a handle on your car, strip it down to the last nut and bolt and then put it back together, checking everything as you go for fit (and damage). That way, you can be confident that the car is solid, you will learn an awful lot in a short space of time, and the car will be clean and tidy at the very least. It's also a lot of fun. If you do one corner at a time, you'll do your learning in manageable bites (and also remember how it came apart)! Take photos and make notes/sketches as you go.

[happy harry]

thanks chaps, yes i've joined the facebook page, although mine is modified with wing and carbs etc and so not strictly ff spec. its a 01 btw so should have the type you provided a link to i guess.

ive stripped and rebuilt most of it already, im just getting to the finishing stages.

Any suggestions who would service these dampers please?

And what about the diff? i remember when i raced in saloons a (good)few years back, a lsd made such a difference to the car, is it the same with a single seater?

[Lola]

Originally Posted by chris bailey

No such thing as a dumb question Harry. Plenty of dumb answers mind you, so don't believe everything you're told.

On the subject of dampers, Bilsteins are a good choice. Don't be fazed by their lack of adjustment. If they're right for your car, it's one less thing to get side-tracked with when you're starting out. They are very effective across all track and weather conditions.

If you really want get a handle on your car, strip it down to the last nut and bolt and then put it back together, checking everything as you go for fit (and damage). That way, you can be confident that the car is solid, you will learn an awful lot in a short space of time, and the car will be clean and tidy at the very least. It's also a lot of fun. If you do one corner at a time, you'll do your learning in manageable bites (and also remember how it came apart)! Take photos and make notes/sketches as you go.

Agree 100%

Yes. Many cars in mono classic run an lsd.
Try posting this on their site forum.

[chris bailey]

[And what about the diff? i remember when i raced in saloons a (good)few years back, a lsd made such a difference to the car, is it the same with a single seater?[/QUOTE]

Huge benefit, plain and simple. Although you'll experience far less roll than anything you'd get with a saloon, the principle of weight transfer still applies. This means that traction, particularly out of slow(er) corners will be much better with an LSD, particularly given the power output of your engine. The mechanical losses inherent in an LSD are far less of an issue, so long as it's set up properly in the first place.