This is a read-only archive of the old Madabout Kitcars forum. New posts and replies are no longer possible, but every thread is still here to browse and read.
I have had my Sportster a couple of months now and I have a perenial problem with method of attaching the front mud guard.
The bracket that holds the fibreglass cover is held in place on the front strut by a normal U shaped exhaust clamp ( 51mm fits snugly around the stut ).
The previous owner obviously had problems as there was a surplus of epoxy resin glue around the U clamp. As you drove it the guard moved due to bumps etc. I tried tightening it up but to no avail. I then bought new clamps and fitted nylock nuts and was fine for a while until the clamp broke.
I purchased another clamp recently with nylock nuts again but today it broke again. When I asked the local car bits shop if he had a stronger metalled version, he was unaware of any on the market.
Does anyone know if I can source a stronger U clamp please ?
I'm not sure you can get a stronger U Clamp... Several of us have modified our wing stays to use two of the threaded portion of the clamps rather than one:
A sturdy 6mm steel plate replaces the pressed steel part of the clamp, and some grub screws (replacing the black capheads) dig into the upright to prevent the whole assembly rotating around.
I think we have all had similar problems and there is probably a whole thread somewhere on here dedicated to all the various versions. I've even seen u-clamps welded on by Marlin but a bit of a problem when they break.I tried the epoxy resin solution and it lasted one trip.
Here is my very similar but not so neatly executed version.
Again, this was at mock up stage and now its all nicely painted and doesnt look so bad. (I have the thinner lighter weight 320i struts) Modified wing stay brackets by marlinpeter, on Flickr
The heavy duty exhaust u-clamps were found on ebay but made in Canada.Since these were fitted thay have not move.
I've often thought that u-clamps they used on rear leaf springs would be the strongest but I've never been able to find any the right size.
I would be interested if Nigel or Bobnic's kits have changed to address this fundamental design weakness.
They have changed considerably with the E36 as a donor.
It's not very clear from the picture but the wing stay will bolt between the upright and the hub using the two lower hub bolts. That will eliminate any rotation and should provide a secure mounting for the wings.
Thanks guys, my strut looks like Jason and Peters, Nigel seems to have a different type, either that or I have misssed something.
I have today been in to my part time job and our guy in the workshop is making the plates up to match Jasons solution. I need to be quick about it as it needs to be ready for the show (as said in Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd ) ( if your into that sort of music ).
I have already tried trawling around, including ebay, to find stronger clamps to no avail. Could ask my mate at Lotus Renault F1 if he could make two out of titanium. They would be strong enough. Don,t suppose his bosses would be happy though.
Must admit though, when I was driving it back home for the last ten miles, without the mud guard, I thought it would be really nice to drive around like that all the time. Very racing car like. I bet the law would not be happy though.
Thanks again guys. Hope to meet you all at Stoneleigh and give my thanks personally.
Incidently Peter, The 2012 Endurance event London to Athens is being launched at Stoneleigh. I am popping in to see them while there.
Starting to make a shopping list of things to buy. A bit of personalisation, you know it makes sense ( Delboy quote )
Blimey, he has had some rotten luck
Also thought that my sump sticks down a bit low and thought its in a prime location for a smack on some bump or other. So extremely wary of speed humps, take them real slow.
Had a problem in my youth with a Hillman Imp when I went over a hump back bridge too fast and the car bottomed out after taking off, taking the bottom of the sump clean out, oil all over the road and an expensive repair.
Thanks guys, my strut looks like Jason and Peters, Nigel seems to have a different type, either that or I have misssed something.
I assume that's probably down to Nigel's donor being an E36, and ours are E30s - the uprights differ between the two.
denniswpearce wrote:
I have today been in to my part time job and our guy in the workshop is making the plates up to match Jasons solution. I need to be quick about it as it needs to be ready for the show (as said in Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd ) ( if your into that sort of music )
I've been thinking about making mine again - not because they're not working, but to extend the upper edge to give me another mounting point for another wing stay in the centre of the wing. As everybody else will tell you, they wobble around a lot at speed!
BTW - I'm off to see The Wall at the O2 on the 12th May.
A bit late Jason, I now have them, but as you say they work and yes they do move around at speed. When I took it up over the ton, on a suitable dual carriageway, the mudguard had a rather large wobble on. So now what you mean.
I will try this solution and maybe modify if not satisfactory later.
Incidently Jason, the grubscrews that stop the twisting, how far into the strut do they go ?
I am also seeing Roger Walters but at the NIA Birmingham. Have just seen Australian Pink Floyd at Basingstoke and going to see British Pink Floyd at Oxford next month. So a bit of a Floyd fan and Sportster of course.
Dennis
Only a couple of mm, if that - they just bite in to the upright.
Once I was happy with the height of the wing and the orientation, I tightened up the U bolts and then the grubscrews, the later being what the haynes manual used to call 'fully tight'
Had a subsequent thought, has anyone welded the additional back plate to the actual wing stay, that would probably be stronger than the U clamp that attaches the two pieces together.
In fact I was being a bit hasty, I should have waited for Peters solution. one big bolt holding the two elements together and the U clamps holding it all to the strut.
Very inventive you guys. The British were always good at that.
Reading all the discussion on wing stay fittings I wonder if anyone has tried big end or con rod caps with proper high tensile bolts. My experience using U clamps for various jobs has usually ended in frustration at their weakness. The correct size cap would also give a better grip on the strut. Just a thought - no idea which engine would have the right caps!
I didn't weld mine since I don't weld hence I just bolted it all together with two M10 bolts between the Marlin supplied part and the plate. Big end bearing caps is an interesting idea for someone to try.
By the way, I found where I bought my heavy duty exhaust clamps...
Like Jason, I've often thought about adding an additional third leg to stop the wobble. The e36 version stays had three legs so I think the e30 stays are a bit of an oversight. I think it was Robin who pointed out that they wobble because the stay 'legs' are almost horizontal so they kind of rotate. The third leg would stop the 'rotational forces'. I've not got beyond the thought stage on that.
Excellent Peter, thanks for your thoughts on this and the link to the clamps. I have added the plate but my colleague only had some rather thinner plate available, so I am trying that out with the intention of making thicker guage plates as shown on Jasons and yours. Got more problems though which I will share on a separate thread.
