The
ERA Independent Rear
Suspension
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
must be comprimised, including normal bump characteristics.
Even
more important for a street-driven car, the
length of most conventional
transmissions 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 resorting to unacceptably stiff spring rates.
Result:
unpredictable handling.
And,
we will do over 1.0g on the skid pad with stock
15" street tires.
| Our rear
suspension is
uniquely carried in a
subframe,
making it easy to assemble,
easy to service and quieter than suspension bolted right to the
chassis.
Components are from the Jaguar XJ-6 sedan - generally
available in wrecking
yards. Cores are also available from us, if you are
time-constrained.
When you buy the "subframe"
option, we shorten the half-shafts and lower
control arms to give
the correct flange-to-flange dimensions. The axle shafts have
proven
extremely reliable under all conditions because of our
special
manufacturing technique and fail-safe
design. New one-piece hubs are
supplied when you get the
optional pin-drive wheels - with bolt-on wheels, the standard Jaguar
hubs
are used.
We do extras
like the brace between the
hub carrier and the shock mount. It also serves as a
convenient tie-down
when transporting your car on a trailer. |
Every rear suspension
that we build (unless
you don't want it) comes standard with a rebuilt Powerlok©
limited-slip differential.
 See here for how we modify
the Jaguar pieces. |
 OPTIONAL!
Our
new rear
suspension is probably the
most sophisticated rear suspension available in any kit car!
From the aluminum
subframe and hub carriers to the 12" outboard brakes, this
design offers
many advantages over our Jag-derived design - or for that matter, any
production-based
suspension. It offers better control at race speeds and large
vented
rotors that are in the air-stream. It is also saves about 50
lbs.
Price is slightly higher than our standard Jag based
unit, but cheaper than the Jag with optional vented brakes. |