Don-
You ask about tire clearances on a TR3 with modified track...
The last tires I ran on the TR3 race car were 22.5 on 6" rims. These would
just clear the front fenders as long as you didn't try to turn it too sharply
in the paddock as they would rub at the extreme of the turning radius. As I
was running about a 1.5" spacer with these wheels (American Silverstones),
the TR4 chassis will probably clear. The rears however, were not really even
close. I ran slightly "bent" rear fenders (flares were not legal), and with a
TR3 axle I had to grind part of the spring away to allow the tire to clear
the edge of the spring. With this done, I usually greased the inner fender
lip with wheel bearing grease just before a race to keep the slightest hint
of tire smoke down to unobservable. Its that close, but it can be done !
As an interim, before they allowed flares, I made a spacer (legal at the
time) that followed the contour of the fenders. On the front, it started at
about 1.5" wide across the cowl, then as it came to the rear of the fender,
it tapered down to where there was no spacer at the back edge of the fender
so that it bolted up flush with the door. Similar design at the rear. Made it
out of alum square tubing.
With that mod there was no rub at all. When they allowed 7" wheels we could
do all the flare work we wanted so can not comment about that setup.
Now for something completely different.
This may be hard to follow, but here goes. The bolts that hold the brake
rotor onto the hub, normally only bolt to the back of the hub. To really
strenghten this area (a very good idea as the often crack radially at the
outer face of the hub), remove the rotor and drill straight through the inner
rotor bolt hole and out through the outer hub face. Now from the inside bolt
hole, run a tap out through the outer face of the hub (you have to start from
the inside as you want the threads to be "in synch" between the inner and
outer threaded holes. Now get some grade 8 bolts that are all threaded that
will screw through the rotor, through the inner flange of the hub and through
the outer flange of the hub. Cut these bolts so that they end up just short
of the outer portion of the outer hub face. When you install the bolts, put a
nut on the bolt between the two hub flanges. Torque the bolt down normally
and now use the nut as a jam nut against the outer hub flange. If you can
follow all that, it will make your front hubs a lot stronger.
The Car Curmudgeon
Nick in Nor Cal
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