The
E.R.A. Standard Rear
Suspension
(Jaguar XJ Based)
The
Jaguar-based
independent rear suspension
is carried in a unique tubular
steel subframe.
A solid
rear axle can be a severe handicap
in a short wheelbase, high performance car like the Cobra.
Torque steer
under high acceleration can create a rather unstable situation.
There
are some live axles that compensate for the driving torque, but
everything
is a compromise: Normal bump characteristics will suffer
then.
Additionally, the length of the original Ford
top-loader transmission makes
the drive shaft so short that
rear
wheel travel would
have to be limited, resulting in the
bad choice of the shocks
bottoming out, or having to resort to unacceptably stiff spring rates.
Result:
unpredictable handling.
Below, you can see the rear suspension /subframe
mounted in a bare chassis.
The subframe is mounted at the top, through urethane
bushings, and
at the bottom, through nylon/aluminum spherical joints. This
results
in a squeak-and-rattle-free ride
and
excellent handling.
 | We shorten
and
reinforce
the original Jaguar lower
control arms and halfshafts so that they are stronger than the
original pieces. Details
here.
|
| The
original Jaguar XKE
suspension also used a subframe and trailing
arms - which worked
quite well in the lower powered car. We found it necessary to
stiffen
up the mounting system to make more precise handling.
Some other kits also
use the Jag suspension,
but because of space and design restrictions, don't
use a trailing arm. This puts the
lower control arm into
stress modes for which it was never intended. With power on
and power
off, the arm will flex forward and back, changing the toe-in
simultaneously.
Not great for predictable handling! Every
rear suspension assembly that we sell (unless you don't want it) is
equipped with a rebuilt Powerlok© limited slip
differential. |
| We
do extras
like
the
brace between the hub carrier and the shock mount. It
actually serves
as a convenient tie-down when transporting your car on a trailer.
You can just see the roll
bar back brace,
mounted directly to the chassis. Both the front
legs are also
mounted directly to the frame. It
really
works.
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to the 427SC home page! |
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