Armortek

Another question that needs answering, please peeps.

I've set up all the torsion bars, it's now time to fit the swing arms.

Having fitted and lubed the rubber seals, I slide a swing arm onto the torsion bar, which is a struggle in itself, because it seems a very tight fit, and I find it goes so far, and then stops.

I assume that the torsion bar has reached the end of the hole in the suspension shaft, as no amount of coercion will move it in any further.

The torsion pivot is flush against the hull, and torsion bar 'B' is in the pivot as far as it will go.

So is this gap correct, or should the arm be virtually flush against the hull??

Hi Darryl
also mine suspensions doesn't touch the hull and have a little gap between, about 2/3 mm, i thinck they are correct.

Cheers

Luca

Hi Luca and Daryl.

On one of the models I am building the swing arms fit virtually all the way and sit nicely against the side of the hull! there is no gap as you have on the model I have here... I will take some photo's and post for you tonight. One possible thought have you loose fitted the pivot clamp into the pivot and then slid the torsion bar between the two prior to tightening? I tried this and found on a couple of the assemblys I needed to grind just a little more off the torsion bar flat... or just grind a corner off the torsion bar clamp as the edge of the angle on the clamp was in a small amount of cases hitting the round on the torsion bar and not the flat! this only becomes obvious if you are fitting the clamp last thing.
Or maybe things are just a little bit tight? I tapped the arms in the last few mills with a rubber mallet just to make sure they were seated correctly.
Hope this helps a little, I know its not much use without photo's.
Off to work now.
Cheers Paul

Thanks to both of you for that.

Paul, I was thinking along similar lines as yourself, but I just want to make sure before shortening any torsion bars.

A photo would be a great help, thanks.

Hi Darryl.

Don't worry about the shortening of the torsion bars, I am only talking about perhaps 2 or 3 mm which allows you to get a better fit, another idea is are you completely sure that all the torsion bars are fully inserted into the suspension shafts? they are a tight fit and I always run them gently around on the grinder but only just touching to remove the surface, its much easier to fit them then.
[img][img]http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s8/p ... 0_0554.jpg[/img][/img]
This picture has not turned out so well I am afraid but what I tried to say this morning was., when I was fitting the pivot clamps I noticed on one or two of the assemblies that the clamp was trying to tighten onto the round area of the torsion bar instead of the ground section, and that this may be hindering the final fit on your model? it could be worth a quick look.
Give me a shout if this is no good,
Cheers Paul

Paul,

Yes, I was aware that could be a possibility, so I checked each one as I fitted them, and they were on the flats.

Anyway, there seems to be the same amount of spacing between each arm and the hull, so it must be correct.

I'm sure I've read on the forum somewhere that the torsion bars shorten as they twist, so this gap might be designed in to account for this.

Mark will be able to say for certain.

Adrian.

Daryl.

I have the Panther hull all put together now and there is no gap on the one I have here, like the picture shown above...all the arms sit nicely against the hull? did you try to tap them with a rubber mallet just to be sure.

Cheers Paul

Darryl.
Sorry i cannot see your photo (The red X ) but if it helps i have a gap of 4mm between the hull sides and the inner side of the swing arm. I have not attempted to install the torsion bars yet and this gap is achieved by just inserting the suspension shaft with attached suspension arm into the hull side.
If you look at the suspension shaft you will see that it is machined with a step that sits against the brass bearing bushes in the torsion bar mount, it is this step that sets the overall insertion depth of the suspension shaft and hence the hull to arm gap.
Hope this helps
Steve

Steve Norris wrote:Darryl.
Sorry i cannot see your photo (The red X ) but if it helps i have a gap of 4mm between the hull sides and the inner side of the swing arm. I have not attempted to install the torsion bars yet and this gap is achieved by just inserting the suspension shaft with attached suspension arm into the hull side.
If you look at the suspension shaft you will see that it is machined with a step that sits against the brass bearing bushes in the torsion bar mount, it is this step that sets the overall insertion depth of the suspension shaft and hence the hull to arm gap.
Hope this helps
Steve

Ah! Thanks Steve. That didn't cross my mind.

I can see it now, and should have tried the shaft fittings before fitting the torsion bars, as you have.
Still, I've only got a few fitted, and with the information you have provided, it'll now make it simpler.

Cheers.

Now that I'm progressing slowly with the suspension arms, do these seem to be at the right angle, or do I need to adjust them a bit?

With the full weight of the built tank, I'd have thought that there'd be a fair bit of suspension sag, but I don't want it sitting too high, obviously.

Hello Darryl

On the old Panthers the front 4 was set at 35 and the rear 4 at 40. Start at these it can be adjusted on the new system.

Lee