Speedex IFS information please

[John Bonnett]

I'm thinking about using something along the same lines for the Special that I am about to embark on and would appreciate any information and particularly photographs that would help me construct the IFS. 

I would also like to hear from your experience, the pros and cons of the system please.

With many thanks

John

[dickie65]

Hi John,
Have a look at the Bowdenex IFS set up as well.
Track rod needs to be split in the middle and allowed to articulate, with an idler.
I drove a special (Bowdenex ) with a single track rod and the front wheels went all over the place over bumps due to the track changing but the track rod was fixed.

Good Luck
Dickie

[John Bonnett]

Dickie, many thanks for your reply. I have seen pictures of the double spring Bowdenex arrangement and I know there are quite a few examples in use. I would certainly consider buying one if it came up, same applies to the Speedex system. I may be wrong but I feel that should I have to build something perhaps the Speedex option might be the easiest.

I shall also have to fabricate forward facing Ackerman steering arms. I'm hoping to use Hillman Imp rack and pinion steering and with the inner track rod ends lining up with the axle inner pivot bolts there should be no risk of bump steer.

I'm very aware that everything under the sun will have been tried, used or binned and I'm anxious not to fall into any Elephant traps by asking these questions before going too far.

John

[Rogerfrench]

Funny that Roy Lee won the Goodacre Trophy with standard Bowdenex, full-width track rod too.
I had the same on my road-going special, and though there is, of course, some track variation on bump and rebound, the effect is negligible in practice, particularly with the narrow-section tyres used on A7s.
I suspect Dickie's problems may have been deeper-rooted, and a track rod as he suggests, while right for a Ballamy ifs, is still technically wrong for Bowden.