Re: [DML] Upgraded Front Suspension

["K.L. (KAYO) Ong" <klo@xxxxxxxxx>]

Marc and et all:
Marc, you mention my name and the condition of NYC's streets I would  
like to have an input of a similar situation with my Bentley and I  
would follow it by questions....
Some three and half plus decades ago, I acquired a S-1 Bentley which  
was my daily car and used right up to 1996.  The streets of NYC were  
horrible then and still are or worst today and I had constantly had  
to replace the front-end parts and or realigned the front end of the  
Bentley.  FYI, the front on the S-1 was always weak because it was a  
"laminated design" which means the primary components was held  
together with a multitude of nuts and bolts and locking fasteners of  
RR design to prevent loosening...  And when hitting a good pot hole,  
the front end would be out of alignment if not incurring damages...  
BTW, the car was 4,700 pounds with no payload!!!
So, the mechanic who serviced my Bentley (who is very in-depth with  
the knowledge of the pre and post war Rolls Royce and Bentley cars),  
had suggested to *transpose* a complete front end from an S-2, for  
the S-2 major component's front end was a "casting" which is the  
modern improvement over at that time over the older laminated design  
and can take impacts better.  BTW, my mechanic was so good, that RR &  
Bentley owners had their cars sent in containers that *other*  
mechanics had failed to completed or done incorrectly!!!  These cars  
would come from the West Coast, Florida and other parts of the USA  
straight to his facility in Queens, New York....  He is that good and  
following his advice was not a problem and I decided to do it.
Several weeks later it was done and Rolls Royce headquarters was  
notified of the modifications and to have it recorded.  RR  
headquarters had sent a team of their experts to investigate.  The  
experts could not believe that it was done to the specifications  
WITHOUT the blueprints, the special design equipments and the jigs to  
precisely install the front-end components...  Anyway, the new  
installed front end was a charm in riding and it worked well and I  
had driven the Bentley from 1975 until I acquired the DeLorean in 1996.
Now the *question* was: If there was a failure, what would be the  
legal responsibilities and to with whom?  Would the insurance company  
or companies COVER the modified installation?
This question can be applied to the modifications to the various  
DeLoreans spoken.  In the last several days there have been much  
chatter about the modification/upgrade and how well it works.  If  
there's failure with the mods/upgrade sometime in the future and if  
there are "property damages and bodily harm," what then?
On another matter about front end suspension on the DeLorean...   
Since my ownership from 1996, I had replaced the OEM front springs  
and shocks with three sets of front ends springs and shocks.  The  
different springs installed no matter who made or sold them, would  
worked well for about six months.  Then they would start to sag.  It  
seems to me that it takes awhile for the replacement front springs to  
settle in and since my DeLorean was on the street used daily this may  
have pushed the springs through a dynamic work out and more then the  
designers had in mind?  Anyway, as a result in a twelve-month's time,  
I had the radiator replaced or repaired twice because of the  
bottoming.....  So, at the present, I am in the market for spring  
spacers, which may alleviate the sagging problems?
Hey, my DeLorean is Thrity Years old this month of October!!!

Kayo Ong
#5508
Lic  9D NY




On Oct 26, 2011, at 1:52 PM, Marc Levy wrote:

> How did Lotus deal with the arc of the ARB? I realize Bill (and  
> others) have said the ARB is flexible enough to move with the arc  
> and not break the mounts- but I still have my doubts about that.
>
> Seeing someone like Kayo beat the crap out of this setup on NYC  
> streets would probably be a good test. :)
>
> --- On Wed, 10/26/11, Martin Gutkowski <martin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Mike mentioned that he had
> > experimented with turning the lower arms into wishbones. He
> > also said that while it is *his* approach, it is merely *an*
> > approach. He acknowledged the reasons behind the design as
> > it stands.
> >
> > Lotus went from a design almost identical to the Delorean
> > towards what is effectively a lower wishbone.
> >
> > Martin
> >



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