Hey gang,
Just wanted to give update on the design. I have what direction I am going to take with in regards to the rear suspension issue with the GT6/Spitfire chassis. We all know that this was the achilles heel of these cars. I was well aware of this going into the project. I did not think it would take me this long to figure out how I was going to go about fixing it lol :-)
A lot of head scratching has gone into it I can say that! After a lot of self debate and discussing it with others I have decided to go with a De Dion rear axle. These types of axles have been used in all types of cars from high fuel economy like in the VW XL1 prototype to the very popular and fast Caterham cars. Other car manufacturers such Lotus and TVR have used them in the past and I believe TVR still does presently.
I think the De Dion will be a great rear suspension for the car and much easier to implement and dial in than an IRS. I could go into all the benefits of this type of suspension but for those that are unfamiliar all you have to do a quick internet search and tons of useful info is available.
The keys are that its cheap to produce, keeps unsprung weight to a minimum, easy to dial in only needing shims, and less complex than an IRS. For those that are into drag racing you also retain the same benefits as you would with a live axle setup compared to an IRS!
So we do away with the GT6/Spit flawed and dangerous swing axle with a reliable and proven De Dion setup. The De Dion design will be able to handle the torque of the 1.9L 4 cylinder TDI without issue and give us a very comfortable and stable ride in most all conditions comparable to what we would expect from a fully independent rear suspension.
GH
