4000 series hub / upright / spidle options

[shelby racer]

Originally Posted by Three Peaks

So, you're saying you can't just slip the rotor off? J/K

After looking at the rotor/hub design, would the Wilwood superlite rotors fit and be easier to remove in case of this happening in the future. At least, from what I can glean from this long thread, this is the major problem- not being able to get to the upright bolts due to the non-removable rotor?

Since I have an original style chassis, I would like to eventually like to use the Shelby or Kirkham suspension pieces and I may end up having to deal with these issues. You never know, after this thread a bunch of these front uprights and suspension pieces may come up for sale?

Bob

Hey Bob,
not being qualified to build my own car from the ground up (and apparently making the mistake that who ever built mine in the first place was - or at least cared to do a good job - and sadly not kidding on either point) I admire people who are. I am a decent wrench - better than your average shade tree, but would never call myself a mechanic so I paid SAI a lot of money (less than some have but A LOT to me) for a product that I thought I understood. Even if I have had problems with it that are just inherent to cobras, mine was not an as advertised product. If I knew then what I found out when I got the car, a couple of months after getting the car and all that I have had to go through since - I would have done things differently. In case that was too subtle - I probably would NOT own a Shelby right now. I DEFINITELY would NOT reccomend putting the new CAV derived or original style front suspension from Shelby. Based on personal experience buying a $10 part (and being treated like I bought a whole car), the experience of others I have talked with, and what little I know and understand (and feel comfortable saying that I am smart enough to know that I do not know - which is why I was not offended when someone in the business told me that part of my problem when I was seeking Tech support from a non-Shelby company was that I "just didn't know what I was talking about" - anyone here want to take credit for that one???) I would buy a suspension from Kirkham. It is lighter and stronger and better engineered and you will get better support. Oh yeah, it will also cost less. I am NOT a fan of wilood brakes - based on a dear friend's experience with them on a race car and what I have been told about how they make their street rotors - but some people love them.

Now please don't think that I am saying that SAI is not a good company now or that there have not always been fantastic people there (not all of them and there are still some difficult people who act as though they are Carroll Shelby and deserve all the praise ever associated with Shelby and think that their poop is not odiferous and that they can do no wrong and how dare you question what they say) or that AMY has not done a fantastic job trying to turn it all around.

It is also entirely possible that my car is a red headed step child one-of-a-kind in-bred gap tooth banjo playing mutant that has been going through rehab since I have owned it. It has had soooo many issues and so many serious issues that it is unbelievable to me and others. I think me and my car have not received enough love from its parent company so I lost faith - I think it needs a hug . Things also KEEP coming up. I don't know how different the latest cars from SAI are from mine so I can not say if they are better / worse or the same. People seem VERY happy with their cars. I just have trust issues with mine, but I am still working on the relationship. I guess paying my mechanic to go over the car front to back is like therapy.

As far as parts coming up for sale. It sems like the newer 2nd generation CAV suspension would be fine on a street driven cobra - especially if you stick to street tires

[Three Peaks]

Well, you seem to have a somewhat positive attitude about the whole thing, so at least they haven't killed your spirit (yet).

Hopefully, you'll be on the road soon and it will take the sting of job hunting off your mind and you can enjoy the driving season.

The more I hear these stories about the Shelby cars (yours isn't the first), the more I appreciate and would spend my money, if I had any, on a Kirkham. Hopefully, I will finish my car soon and see what all the fuss about driving one of these is all about.

I'm curious about the issues with the Wilwood rotors, but that is a discussion for another thread.

Bob

[shelby racer]

Originally Posted by Three Peaks

Well, you seem to have a somewhat positive attitude about the whole thing, so at least they haven't killed your spirit (yet).

Hopefully, you'll be on the road soon and it will take the sting of job hunting off your mind and you can enjoy the driving season.

The more I hear these stories about the Shelby cars (yours isn't the first), the more I appreciate and would spend my money, if I had any, on a Kirkham. Hopefully, I will finish my car soon and see what all the fuss about driving one of these is all about.

I'm curious about the issues with the Wilwood rotors, but that is a discussion for another thread.

Bob

Hey Bob,
I am used to it (unfortunately). Seriously - my luck with cars is unbelievable - and no it is not my fault and it does not spread to cars that I have worked on or ones that belong to other people (although I have made my share of dumb or ignorant mistakes). It is my lot in my so I can either accept it and work harder (kind of like the fact that I am dyslexic) or curse the universe. Unfortunately My name is John and I have a problem. I have a car addiction and it truly fits the criteria of an addiction - I know it is bad for me but I can not help myself .

as far as driving a cobra -they look like sex on wheels. Are they all that (+/- a bag of chips) - not even close. Of all the cars I have driven and gotten rides in (including Carroll and Cleo's series 1 with a vortech and alcons) there are betetr rides (pick any criteria - faster, more comfortable, handle better.... although they are sexy and cool and fun). they are kind of like going out with a buxom bikini model. She looks great and can be a lot of fun but is high maintence, you gotta worry about when you take here out and leave her alone, she may not be a real conversationalist, sometimes attracts too much (and sometimes not the right kind of) attention.....I think you get the idea.

As far as the wilwoods are concerned - the way it was explained to me by an engineer (who had great credentials for hi po cars) who was the head driving instructor for Nor Cal SAAC, who wrote a dissertation on building race / track mustangs (that had to be pulled from public circulation due to concerns over legal liability in this wonderfully litigenous society) - has to do with the way wilwood (as opposed to coleman) casts their rotors and the warping that results from this technique. but you are correct that that is another topic for another thread.