Forum 4x4

moi j'prends ma tisane et je finis mon tricot, pendant ce temps là

il peux aussi regarde en Russie ou j'ai pu voir pour la barre ils ont aussi pas mal d'idée de fou voir si eux l'ont pas déjà fait !!!!


Terrano.drom.ru

ou

terranoirk.ru

J'ai pu discuter via google

mais c'est vrai que j'aimerais bien voir le résultat......



Cordialement Raf

Hi,

Ohh, the 2 first photos didn't pass on the forum Could you do something so we can see your arms ? I m very interested on wat you have realised. The Calmini Arms are not well fited for our european models. They is a littel difference between europeen models and us models. I had to adapt the calmini models

Skalraf and me have created an direction bar. We have done it on the base of a rusian creation. Skalraf could give you the link to the russian bar model. And we could give you our références of pieces we found here in France. An other Idee is to replace the plastic bushes on the direction arm with "bronze" pieces. "Bronze" is like iron but is not iron, I dont find the englisch term for this pieces, sorry. Olivier help!!!! With this "bronze" pieces coming from a Nissan Vanette car you have a better direction arm.

Here the post with the direction bar
http://www.forum4x4.com/threads/95818-K ... +direction

By

Vincent

Hm, I had a look at these in other forums also. But somehow I don't like welding there at all. Тhese components are made from cast iron, not steel, and cast iron does not like welding, especialy welding steel to it. I am planning a more radical changes there. Removing direction bar and direction arm completely, but so far I did not came to the final design and I cannot provide any details.

The A arms: The FOXes: What exactly was wrong trying to fit Calmini arms on european terrano? Two of my friends here have fitted them without any problems. Just a slight cutting in order not to touch the shock absorbers, but this is not because they are made for a Pathfinder, but because calmini shock absorbers are thinner than most other tunning ones.

PP: I see fron other threads what problems you have had with calmini. Some of them are not present with my arms, for example:
- I am using poliurhetane silent blocks made for the original A arms. I can use the original rubber silent blocks if it is needed, but for now (4000km so far) there is not qny problem with these
- I have corrected the design of my A arms so that they do no touch the shock absorbers. There's a minimum 6-8mm distance ina any position between the shock absorber and A arm, both on TrailMaster and Monroe.
- My arms are maybe a millimeter or two longer than Calmini. I now have a 4mm regulating shims on both sides and the camber angle is -0.3 degrees (original - +0.5 +/- 0.5). I think it handles better this way. Byt anyway, if I put another 2-3 milllimeters of shims, the camber angle would be somewhere like +0.3 which will be well within the original NISSAN norms. And after all, I can easily make the arms longer by any amount I need, but I think more than 3mm is not needed.

If you have any other questions, I will gladly answer them if I can.

Hi

Your arm is looking like the Calmini type. It's very good realisation. Are you working on a wrought-iron work ?

My problems with Calmini are:
- The arms are a little bit to short. I hade to install about 8mm regulating shims to obtain a camber angle of -0,3° The bolts are a little to short. I hade to suppress the washer under the head

- The original Calmini silent blocks in polyurethan are not long enough. I had to supress one off the two washer on the horizontal axel. If I conserv the two inner washer on the horizontal rear axel of the arm, the arm could move forward and in back direction. Changing the "carrosage" angle.

- I had to cut the central part of the arm so the Trail Master Shock absorber can pass on it.

- And last, the most problem is that the polyurethan silent block will get jammed into the arm. I had to put WD40 on them all 2000 kilometers to supress the creaking


I am interested on your shock absorbers. I will try to find more technical documentation on them. Will you install this models on front axel ?

By

Vincent

vincent sch a écrit :Hi

Your arm is looking like the Calmini type. It's very good realisation. Are you working on a wrought-iron work ?

No, I am a computer programmer. This is just a hobby of mine.
I have done the drawings and given them to a local company to laser cut and bend from a sheet S355J2 steel. I have a lathe, mill and welding machine and done all the rest work myself. Just for fun. Calmini arms costs around 500EUR here.

vincent sch a écrit : My problems with Calmini are:
- The arms are a little bit to short. I hade to install about 8mm regulating shims to obtain a camber angle of -0,3° The bolts are a little to short. I hade to suppress the washer under the head

Mine is -0.3. That is, the tires are closer to each other on top and away from each other at the bottom. This is with 4mm regulating shims. The car handles well this way. we will see if the tires will like this.

vincent sch a écrit : - The original Calmini silent blocks in polyurethan are not long enough. I had to supress one off the two washer on the horizontal axel. If I conserv the two inner washer on the horizontal rear axel of the arm, the arm could move forward and in back direction. Changing the "carrosage" angle.

My polyurethane bushes are SuperPro. I had a little squeaking after 2000km, but remover and relubricated thqm with the special poliurhetane grease again from SuperPro, and there are no problems so far (4000km). I think the problem was in the mechanic that mounted them. Anyway, if they become to squeak again, I will put an original rubber ones. No problem with the length of bushes at all.

vincent sch a écrit : - I had to cut the central part of the arm so the Trail Master Shock absorber can pass on it.

I had to do this thing on my first fabricated arms too. Well, the "second edition" you see on the photo does not have this problem.

vincent sch a écrit : I am interested on your shock absorbers. I will try to find more technical documentation on them. Will you install this models on front axel ?

Yes these are for the front, and they will fit almost without modfication. Just their lower silent blocks are 14mm instead of 12, and are a bit longer - I will have to make an insert in order to make the central hole 12mm, and I have to cut a millimeter from each side to have them with a proper length. I will let you know what will happen when these arrive.

As far as I could check without having them to measure them, the length(expanded and compressed) and the valving(compress,rebound) are both switable for our vehicles. I will be able to check both things when I put them on my T2.

The reason I bought these was because TrailMasters tend to overheat in time especialy in the summer heat and bumpy roads, and become softer then they should be.

FOXes are expensive, but the good thing about them is that you can grab a repair kit (cost $30-40 per shock absorber) and they become like new again. I am pretty sure you will be able to find a FOX distributor in France and they will be able answer all your questions.

PP: By the way, there may be a slight difference between the Pathfinder and Hardbody Calmini arms. Maybe it is the length that is different. I don't know. Just a thought.

Hi,

sparkybg a écrit :No, I am a computer programmer. This is just a hobby of mine.
I have done the drawings and given them to a local company to laser cut and bend from a sheet S355J2 steel. I have a lathe, mill and welding machine and done all the rest work myself. Just for fun. Calmini arms costs around 500EUR here.

The price is approximatively the same here. I'm curious, wat was the price off laser cuting ? Your arm are nice.

Mine is -0.3. That is, the tires are closer to each other on top and away from each other at the bottom. This is with 4mm regulating shims. The car handles well this way. we will see if the tires will like this.

I began with the same angles, closer on the top to each other, but the tires had not a normal wear and tear. Now I did the opposite closer on the bottom to each other and it seams to be better for my tires. I must say that I take the front and rear anti-roll bars off. That will change the performance of the Terrano.

My polyurethane bushes are SuperPro. I had a little squeaking after 2000km, but remover and relubricated thqm with the special poliurhetane grease again from SuperPro, and there are no problems so far (4000km). I think the problem was in the mechanic that mounted them. Anyway, if they become to squeak again, I will put an original rubber ones. No problem with the length of bushes at all.

In the Calmini Kit I didn't find some grease Can you give me more information on this special grease ?

Yes these are for the front, and they will fit almost without modfication. Just their lower silent blocks are 14mm instead of 12, and are a bit longer - I will have to make an insert in order to make the central hole 12mm, and I have to cut a millimeter from each side to have them with a proper length. I will let you know what will happen when these arrive.

As far as I could check without having them to measure them, the length(expanded and compressed) and the valving(compress,rebound) are both switable for our vehicles. I will be able to check both things when I put them on my T2.

The reason I bought these was because TrailMasters tend to overheat in time especialy in the summer heat and bumpy roads, and become softer then they should be.

FOXes are expensive, but the good thing about them is that you can grab a repair kit (cost $30-40 per shock absorber) and they become like new again. I am pretty sure you will be able to find a FOX distributor in France and they will be able answer all your questions.

I will wait your experience feedback. I will looking for this type of material. Are you doing racing, fast driving, with the Terrano ? I never looked on the temperature of the Trail Master. They have now 200000 km and I will check for change them. I see I should change my signature. The Terrano has now 248000 km.

PP: By the way, there may be a slight difference between the Pathfinder and Hardbody Calmini arms. Maybe it is the length that is different. I don't know. Just a thought.

vincent sch a écrit :Hi,
The price is approximatively the same here. I'm curious, wat was the price off laser cuting ? Your arm are nice.

- Material-30EUR
- Laser cutting and bending-40-50EUR

But in order for them to be equal in length and geometry, an additional frame must be made in order to bolt them to it while welding them. The frame itself costs around 80-100EUR. If I didn't had my own lathe, there would be another maybe 50 euro expences. But these are bulgarian prices. I thing these will be higher in France.

In fact I have made 3-4 sets for some people here for 150EUR per set.

vincent sch a écrit : I began with the same angles, closer on the top to each other, but the tires had not a normal wear and tear. Now I did the opposite closer on the bottom to each other and it seams to be better for my tires. I must say that I take the front and rear anti-roll bars off. That will change the performance of the Terrano.

Hm, maybe I will make the needed corrections in the next edition. Maybe 3mm longer will do the job. From my experiance, a 2mm shims are equal to half degree of camber. This way, there will be around -0.5 degrees (mine now are -0.3, yours +0.3) with 1mm shims and +0.5 degrees with 5mm shims. 5mm are well swited for this. The service manual says that the standart shims are 4mm, and you should not go over 8mm total.

vincent sch a écrit : In the Calmini Kit I didn't find some grease Can you give me more information on this special grease ?

Calmini claims their bushes have an integrated lubricant in them. In fact, i do not know what experience with these my friends have. Go on google.com and seek for a "Superpro bushes", and you will find the needed information. The grease is made especialy for lubricating polyurethane bushes.

vincent sch a écrit : I will wait your experience feedback. I will looking for this type of material. Are you doing racing, fast driving, with the Terrano ? I never looked on the temperature of the Trail Master. They have now 200000 km and I will check for change them. I see I should change my signature. The Terrano has now 248000 km.

Believe me, no one makes a shock absorber that can last 200000km. I suppose yours are far away from optimum from a long time. My front TrailMasters lasted 25000km. This summer their performance was significantly worse than when I bought them. In fact I did not had any problems with the rear ones, and I do not plan to replace them for now.
My terrano has just 103000km behind it, despite the date of manufacture - 11.1998.

I do not race. My terrano is my family car. However, I ocasionaly go offroading, just for fun again. On the other hand I often drive it with 140-150km/h on the highways here. That's why my antiroll bars are still on their places. I fact I am thinking of making an electrical or vacuum disconnects for the rear one, to be able to disconect it when offroading and connect it when on normal road.

sparkybg a écrit : I do not race. My terrano is my family car. However, I ocasionaly go offroading, just for fun again. On the other hand I often drive it with 140-150km/h on the highways here. That's why my antiroll bars are still on their places. I fact I am thinking of making an electrical or vacuum disconnects for the rear one, to be able to disconect it when offroading and connect it when on normal road.

Hi Sparkybg,

I use my T2 the same way as yours, have not modified the front except for +5cm lift and dropped swaybar to keep from pulling on the connectors....however i've taken out the rear sway bar and often drive at high highway speeds on british motorways, southern spanish highways wich are far from ideal as surface is concerned.....no problems whatsoever (except with radars but that is another story :devil

OlivierLB a écrit :Hi Sparkybg,

I use my T2 the same way as yours, have not modified the front except for +5cm lift and dropped swaybar to keep from pulling on the connectors....however i've taken out the rear sway bar and often drive at high highway speeds on british motorways, southern spanish highways wich are far from ideal as surface is concerned.....no problems whatsoever (except with radars but that is another story :devil

Can you make some photos how you have dropped the front swaybar? I am thinking if this too. How many millimeters have you dropped it?