filthy boy

Actually the disc on the right does look like an improvement over the left.

Si Don't forget the catch all "fit for purpose"! Why do you need the link to be so weak? Even with a Forth Railway Bridge girder type shaft the ram can still do the work. It will be like an "Extreme Audi". They have so much assist they lose feeling but still have solid connections. Just "over servoed". Techy term. FB

I got in touch with the policy man at the Dept for Transport responsible for Construction and Use and he researched the issue before answering. Under C&U it states that you have to have a link of metallic material or similar properties in the steering system. Must connect all the way from steering wheel to steered wheels. So you can use carbon fibre etc. But specifically not hoses and hydraulic fluid as this is not possessing the "metallic" type properties. All vehicles on the road have to comply with C&U for that particular class of vehicle (eg PLG, agri etc). Being non C&U compliant is an offence and negates your insurance. MOT checks that the vehicle is basically sound at the time of the check. It does not check C&U compliance. SVA does check C&U compliance. FB

More likely that pratt of a councilor will give people a bad feeling about Stornoway! Has he got nothing else to get worked up about?? FB PS Where is Bonnatti? Where the residents upset?

I ran a hinged radius arm from Ferrilever. Redesigned it and made a new one. Took it off and gave it away. Great on ramps, lovely for wandering over rocks in a flat river bed. NOt good when you get the front up a big step and then accelerate to bring up the rear. Torque steer like you cannot imagine. Scary at times. The above is based on real world experience!!!! FB

Jez I know. But I still fell kind of dirty. FB

Having got rid of my TGV and box I am now just waiting for my LS1 (from a Holden) to be rebuilt and reprogrammed with all the troublesome bits removed. SO there will be no anti theft / immobilising stuff. Mated to a NIssan GU 5 speed manual and transfer box. All the gears being sorted to match with the reduction in the portals!!!!! FB

I test drove a 110 CSW some time ago that was used by LR to pull a huge trailer around to exhibitions and shows. It had air brakes and a coupling to run the air brakes on the trailer. It was all good until you put the brakes on. Without the weight of the trailer it just tried to eject you through the windscreen. The brakes were either on or off!!!!

Go buggy, all tube, 4 links front and rear and coilovers. FB

Is it just me or do all the shows suck? Nothing new, no variation. Good opportunity to meet friends but that is in spite of the show, not because of it. Why can't someone do something exciting?

They get so incensed when private industry misses a voluntary target. How come they don't get annoyed when politicians and governments miss targets that they promised they would reach to get elected? Like promises on education, child poverty and healthcare? Or when the EU fails by miles to reach its own targets on waste, corruption (within it's own organisation) and idiotic misspend of our taxes???? What's that bit in the Bible about splinters and planks in eyes? Tim

4 links in the front are difficult to package with the correct triangulation and geometry around the engine / sump. 4 link rears are quite straightforward, Standard LR is geometrically a 4 link with the uppers coming to a single mounting point on the axle. 3 link is easier although still hard to get the geometry right in the front and you get a single link taking a load of stresses / forces. Biggest difference in performance is that 3 link still needs a Panhard rod to locate the axle laterally. With lots of travel in the suspension this will make the axle swing in an arc and thus affects handling as the front moves out of line with the rear. However, loads of comp buggies in the US run this setup even when not required by class rules so it works. 4 links are more adjustable for roll centres, roll axis etc assuming they are the right geometry to start with and not just mounted any old how that fits. A properly built 4 link should give you much less roll steer and better toporsional control of the axle. If you run crossover steering then you get bump steer issue with both. Unless you run full hydro (or something else we are working on at the moment ). FB PS I have double triangulated 4 link front and rear but the engine is way way back! PPS both can be built to flex like mad on an RTI ramp but that does not translate necessarily to real world performance.

PFI hospitals (and schools) are oop norf cos thats where the cabinet ministers wards are.

I have to agree. We FEA'd a standard arm and it is actually a superb piece of engineering. The fabricated arms come nowhere close and as unsprung weight is not that much of an issue with non-speedy off-roading they are not ideal. Even more worrying is that the strength of the standard arm is pretty much unaffected by the sort of surface damage they are bound to experience. Significant defects / stress risers can actually be ground out. On the other hand the fabricated ones can be seriously affected by surface damage. FB

Go to Libya. FB

Excellent off road at low pressure. For what they are designed to do. Biggest problem is the weak side wall. SO get the comp spec ones that have extra layers. Why are they no good in your experience / opinion. FB

Spacers or changing the wheel offset / backspace has the same effect on the wheel bearing loads and scrub radius.

This is such a similar debate to the "cheque book" thing. WHy bother? FB PS Pro Comp XTerrain is actually a great tyre

Spoke to the man at the Dept for Transport only last week. The killer for full hydro is in the Construction adn Use regs where it states that there must be a link of a metallic material or something else with the same mechanical properties connecting from steering wheel to wheel. Even if you get through an MOT with full hydro the vehicle is not actually road legal and your insurance etc is therefore void. FB

Will Is this a thread hijack??????? The buggy is moving along well thanks. Getting controls worked out and in, and coming up with interesting proposals for steering. New engine and gearbox will be in soon. FB PS Just messing with this post but interesting how many views you can get, rofl

Seems as appropriate as many posts about orange stuff. In my opinion. FB PS heard of irony / satire / p**s taking?

I noticed the price of SPAM today and was outraged. Should I a) start a campaign on line to slag off SPAM B) organise a sticker and t-shirt campaign against the manufacturer c) picket my local SPAM stockist d) get a friend who works in an abbattoir to custom make me some one off SPAM in his lunch hour using floor sweepings and putting it an old Coke can so it's free or d) get a life and buy CORNED BEEF????? Please help as I am sad and confused. FB

Will Why would you want cheaper????? FB

I have a set of pukka snow chains (4 of) from Austria. Got them for the Cevennol a few years ago. Been in the bags since so only used the once! They are the serious type and once you learn really quick to put on. The co-driver and I could fit them all in deep snow in less than 10 minutes. Not big enough for my tyres now so surplus. PM me if you are interested. FB

Thanks. All the rams and hydraulic locks won't remove the torque steer. FB