CCM's Cross Country Rally Io
Hi guys,
I'm new on here but have a bit of experience with Io's as I've spent quite allot of time building and preparing one for Rallying purposes since it was purchased in 1999 - So, for a while now!
I've gone and bought one for myself. I always thought they were a strong little truck but couldn't afford one, so previously build myself a Turbo Short Wheel base Vitara. It's now time to retire the Suzuki though and the timing was right as I've found myself a 2003 ZR Spec Pajero Io to replace it.
Car is a repairable write off - Refer images - And needs a little TLC. The majority of the car is looking to be in pretty good condition, however the front radiator support, lower front impact member and drivers side inner guard all need replacing. As timing would have it, I happen to have access to and entire spare shell that is a Stat write off as it was hit in the rear end - And all front parts are in perfect condition. I think that's a pretty clear example of the star's aligning!!!
I am yet to collect it as it is in Melbourne (I'm based in Sydney) however have planned a very quick trip this weekend to collect it and drop it off at a mate of mine's in Meblourne. This mate owns the Io rally car I've worked on previously and also happens to be where the spare donor shell is - Win. I'm only down there for a day and a half (just enough to get the ZR into the shed and cut the front off the donor shell), but I'll make it count
Cross Country (Production) Rally Car...
Cross Country Rallying (for those who've not heard of it) is a cross between gravel rally and off road racing. Think Paris Daker type event, or something a little closer to home, the annual 'Australian Safari'.
The plan is to build this into a Group A1 Production Rally Car which means I need to fit a cage, race seats and a pile of safety gear but leaves me with limited modifications in terms of actualy performance. I can upgrade suspension and brakes except it all has to be relatively factory (Can fit Coilovers, but must use standard mounts etc).
I've obviously got to fix the front end damage and I will be plating the front chassis rails for added strength while I am at it. The car is also Automative at the moment which will be pulled out to make way for a factory 5 speed manual.
I'll be looking to upgrade to custom MCA Coilovers that are more suitable for Cross Country Rally Use aswell as some basic improvements to the brakes in terms of pads, rotors etc.
I really want something super reliable so I can get as many KM's of fun out of it as I can. The other Io I'm involved in is Turboscharged - So while it is incredible fun to drive, it is less competitive in it's catagory as it is against much larger 4WD's and is unfortunately less reliable then a standard production version as everything is pushed that much harder!
Anyway - It might be a slow old process, but thought I would start a build thread - I found this forum doing a bit of homework and gathering some information and beleive in the idea of forums, so over the build perhaps I can help some of you guys out with information and ideas! I'll also throw some info up about the Turbo car along the way as well if you want!
Any questions - Let me know! 8-)
Chris
UPDATE: Car is officially
UPDATE:
Car is officially mine. I drove down to Melbourne on Friday night and picked it up on Saturday. Other than the fact it's had a hit in the front, it's in really tidy condition! 71,000 km's and based on the sticker had a service just 2K ago - Win!
Closer inspection shows that the front passenger rail has moved slightly as well as the obvious drivers side and radiator support damage - But no big drama as I have an entire front cut to graft in and tie it all together to striaghten it up AND ensure it's all nice and strong!
I've prepared a list of stuff I need;
- Drivers Side Headlight
- Driver Side Guard
- AND the two little panels that run under each headlight on the later models such as mine (Don't know what they are called TBH)
- Radiator suit Automatic trans
I'm pretty excited to report - That's all I need! We hooked a battery, temporarily looped the auto lines back into itself and connected a spare manual radiator up to it and it started and purred like a kitten. Another Win!
I'll throw a few extra pictures up when I get a chance.
Next step for the ZR - Source these parts and book myself another trip to Melbourne to try and stitch the front end on and take it from there!
As for your query on the driveline - So far, so good. All the factory driveline, including gearbox, CV's, diff's etc are all beinf used on the existing rally car without a single fault. The only issue it has suffered was premature CV joint failure at it's previously 'too high' stance. Since this was rectified with the current coilovers we've had no issue with it.
nice
What a drive !! Once finished it will be a nice ride. I will follow your work.
From memory this is a repairable write off, once finished do you have to take it back to Victoria to get it check and authorised back on the road or you can do that from Sydney. State to state paper work can be a real pain...
Happy io
For me, It will just be the
For me, It will just be the one car. The 'donor' car is already looking pretty sad (everything from the firewall forward was removed with a 6 inch grinder...) and should be collected for scrap in the next few days. Between MY car and the older existing Rally car, which is a mates, there will be two rally cars in the end.
My ZR is a repairable write-off, you are correct. If I want to register it for normal road use, I need a VIV Inspection, which I can get done in Sydney easy enough. This is just n inspection to note that the repairs were performed to an acceptable standard for road use. If I decide to use it ONLY for rally however I won't even need that inspection. That being said - I'm considering getting the inspection and rego done anyway just to save hassles with moving the car about...
I'll try and get some photo's up shortly from my whirlwind weekend. I took some of the pretty sad looking donor car before we packed up for Saturday which are worthy of posting...
Chris
So Arriving in Melbourne on
So Arriving in Melbourne on the Saturday, I had this to sort out. This is the donor car that was previously pillaged for various parts for the existing Rally car. Finding the 03 ZR on Ebay at the right place had me making a special request of my mate Troy to keep the donor car an extra couple of weeks as I need the front end to graft in to the new one...
It was a balancing act as the entire car was already on stands and I had to cut the front off (From the firewall forward) without it falling on me. Luckily there are no Workcover Inspectors in Troy's backyard. Hefty fines a plenty of ther was! ;-)
4 Cutting disks later, some bruised knuckles and a very cold Chris - tada! Yep - Recon we got our value from this old girl!
Speak of the New ZR -Well 2003 anyway. I like to think of this photo as my Triton towing home it's new little brother. But I do get emotional about cars from time to time.. Well, always actually.
I'm only guessing here - But, One lady owner? This car is extrmely tidy and clean - 71K on the clock and the sticker says it's not even due for an oil change until 78,000 kms! Everything worked the minute we hooked a battery up.. Good start!
Reversed into it's resting place next to the existing rally car. It too is undergoing a bit of a birthday and although the white one is Turbocharged (mine won't be - Atleast for now...) both will have very similar suspension, cages and chassis strengthening! Oh, I think Troy has his eye on my ZR rear wing, so that might need to be donated to the Turbo car which is far - So far Troy has donated a half cut and some garage space in return - Seems pretty fair to me!
As above, first step is to locate a drivers side front guard and drivers side headlight - I'm undecided what to do about a bumper bar as we've got a spare early model one AND I cna always fit a bull bar and be done with it, but not sure.
Once I've got some parts and a spare weekend I'll duck down, cut the parts of the front inner gards and lower rad support that are damaged, striaghten the rail and stitch in the front cut in / over and around the striaghtened ZR front end...
new io
What a week end :)
Do you, by any chance, still have the rear hear rest of the donor, my 99 io doesn't have them.
Check with the RTA, I have read somewhere on the net that only VIC can autorised the car back on the road. Anyway, even if it is, it shouldn't be a big problem.
Impressive work...
Happy io
Yes it was - And (For those
Yes it was - And (For those who don't mind a bit of Aussie Rock, I also made it back to Sydney on time on Sunday to see The Angels play at the Bridge Hotel in Rozelle! Lucky it was a long weekend as I needed the Monday to realx...
You may be right about the inspection - I have honestly not looked into it too much as at this stage it won't impact what needs to be done. Once the car is striaght again and back together I'll work that bit out. AND in any case, if all goes to %^&* then I'll just get it log booked as a Rally car as this process doesn't need any RTA / Vic Roads inspection at all.
As for the head rests - You would be best to message Troy who owns the Rally Car. The donor car might still be in his driveway in which case you might be able to negotiate a deal with him. He's just signed up himself as 'Rally Management Australia', he's (and the car) is based in Melbourne. He's pretty busy but if he doesn't come back to you, let me know and I'll message him myself and ask if the car is still there...
Boring Update... So having
Boring Update...
So having been paid for the month I thought I should purchase some parts inline with the repairs required. Extremely long and convoluted story long - I'm going to be 'de facelifting' my io if for no other reason than than the cost.
New Bumper Bar and Support $80 on Ebay. Collected from North Sydney
Headlight - $195 Delivered from Japan. On route
And something I came across as some inspiration - I found this pic on the interwebs and like the look of the earlier model bar / trim panel with a very Ralliart'esque looking Grille.... This has been a source of inspiration, especially seeing the car will look a little older than it's years when it goes back together - Atleast I can make it look a little sexy while I'm at it!
Seperate to the actual repairs I've spent a decent chunk of time investigating the required CAMS regulations as far as Roll Cage and Fuel Tank requirements. Not to be completely annoying, however I even found a big gaping gap in the reg's as they currently sit and have lodged and official query with Cams about the Fuel Tank requirements. Not very exciting I know, but that's all I have to report.
Except - Wheels
Everything on here says the factory Io wheels sit somewhere in the realms of -45 and -48 offset. With this in mind I'm after some OEM alloys with something more like -35 to -38 offset in order to get an extra 10mm track each side (And strut clearance) while I'm at it. You'll need to have a good imagination on you, however imagine these powdercoated bright (Rally wheel) White!
Perhaps I've lost my marbles, however I think they'll give me the clearance - Should be cheap and will look OK with a paint job and some All Terrains wrapped around them...
Re the Grille - How much
Hi Bob - How much would you be after for it? And where abouts are you located? I might be a little interested in it...
As for the EVO wheels - I can't find any in 16's without spending top dollar on something new. Factory they were delivered with 17's which limit my tyre options and all the rally cars run 15's as there is no such thing as a 16inch rally tyre. Hence the random choice of an AU Fairmost Rim 8-/
Chassis Strengthening
Hi Chris,
You have a very interesting build happening! I'm curious about the methods that you use to strengthen the chassis. Are you using bolt on braces? Do you weld the seams? Do you brace accross the struts? I am also very curious about the handling characteristics after the strengthening. I would greatly appreciate if you could share some of your experience in this area.
Valentin
Mostly plating, seam welding
Mostly plating, seam welding and the roll cage goes a long way to giving rigifity also.
No strut brace as the cage already goes to the front tower. Not to say you couldn't do that as well, however it depends what you are trying to achieve...
What is your application and what type of driving are you planning? It is a massive amount of effort to do and ofcourse has it's benefits, however for a road car come weekend tourer / camper you would never realise the benefits. If bounding the poor thing down bad roads at high speeds is your aim, then it is something you should consider...
There are bolt on braces available which I've come across - Not a bad idea for a road car as they're easy to fit, improved rigidity etc - However if you're seam welding and plating it wouldn't be needed...
Let me know more about your project and perhaps I can give you more specific advise (This isn't my first / only rally / performance car build...)
Thanks for the reply! I
Thanks for the reply! I suppose there are two reasons why I asked the question initially: I am curious about the work that goes into preparing a Cross-country rally car and I would like some info on how to modify my own car.
As it stands now, our iO will be a road car that will be driven on gravel and dirt roads of various conditions during the weekends. I would love to build it into a rally machine one day, but now is not the time. For now I would like to add some bracing to the body to stiffen it up, but nothing as involved as a roll cage or seam welding. I have seen some bolt on braces, but none for the iO. It would be interesting to fabricate something. A question that I have is, what areas of the body typically need reinforcement/sustain the most damage? I suppose these would be the areas that would require the most attention.
ultra racing
ultra racing makes a front strut brace for the io - it also makes other braces but be aware that in ultra-racing cataloge the io and the pajero sport are the same listing - io is the pinin, pajero sport is an ASX type vehicle. Strut brace is the only part that works and if you have a newer io with the washer bottle on the top of the strut you will need to move it for the brace to fit (also if you have a GDI the ECU on the top of the strut tower may also need to move
Ultra Racing
I just looked a the Ultra Racing site and they make a few different braces. The products look like they are made of steel and have good quality welds. It's good to see the placement and designs. It would be good to know where the weak point on the chassis are, and if these braces are in the optimal places and would they actuall make a difference in cornering ability and rigidity. Would they help to maintain chassis rigidity after years of offroad and gravel use?
Do you have any updates for us, Chris?
.
Re: Body Strenthening
I thought I'd throw in my two cents worth here, as I know Chris is pretty busy, and might not get back to you in a hurry! I'm the owner of the Cross Country Rally IO that Chris has worked on, and is basing his own build upon, so I can probably have a go at answering your queries. Fundamentally, there is not one specific weak point anywhere on the car that I can see, and we've been rallying this thing for a decade!! Proper shell preparation in the first place was all it's had done by way of strengthening. The firewall, strut towers and suspension pick up points were strengthened, and there was some seam welding down as well. Beyond that, and as Chris mentioned the fitment of a proper roll cage that is linked to the front struts and back through the cabin, it hasn't had anything else done, and even with a few decent hits along the way, the body is in remarkalbe condition. Until now we haven't even run a particularly good sump guard!! I haven't found a need for the sorts of bracing you're looking at with my car, as it is plenty strong enough with what has been done.In terms of handling, the thing that makes all the difference is not the chassis stiffness, but the suspension we've put under it. I have driven all sorts of "conventional" rally cars (WRX, Evo Lancers, VR4 Galants, GT4 Celicas etc) and my IO is infinitely more "chuckable" than anything else I've driven, and by that I mean I can "chuck it" into a corner in whatever fashion I like, and it responds exactly how I want it to! I run custom MCA suspension on the front, not cheap but the best I can find, and fairly standard "off the shelf" type stuff in the rear, albeit a bit taller and stiffer springs. I would think unless you're planning on running the Dakar with your car, you won't need anything near as extreme as what we run! Hope that helps! Regards, Troy
Don't waste your money.
I just looked a the Ultra Racing site and they make a few different braces. The products look like they are made of steel and have good quality welds. It's good to see the placement and designs. It would be good to know where the weak point on the chassis are, and if these braces are in the optimal places and would they actuall make a difference in cornering ability and rigidity. Would they help to maintain chassis rigidity after years of offroad and gravel use?
Do you have any updates for us, Chris?
.
Thanks for choosing this particular brace to use as an illustration - you've saved me the trouble of having to go search for it.
Take a close look - does the lower front crossmember actually need to be braced? That crossmember is strong enough to be used as a jacking point as shown by Mitsubishi in the manuals - what purpose does that brace actually serve other than the transfer of funds from your pocket to Ultra Racing?
That one picture turned me off Ultra Racing - they may have other products that actually work and are worth the money, but this one clearly shows that little or no engineering analyses goes into their products.
Yeah, I totally agree with
Yeah, I totally agree with the UR brace being useless. I chose this photo as this brace looked most questionable. I haven't seen an IO in person, as mine is on the way to Canada from Japan, so it's hard to imagine what it looks like underneath.
" I have actually avoided purchasing a Sump guard for mine and I want to experiment with a steel frame sump guard, rather than a flat / bent sheet of some kind - One that literally bolts to each major lower suspension pickup in the front end such as the Castor rod Mounts, control arm inner pickup and back to the gearbox cross member via the two engine members along the way - Triangulate all of these, throw on a strut brace up top and I'm expecting it to be pretty indestructable. "
The Macpherson suspention does seem like the weakest link. The idea of buiding a steel frame sump gurad appeals alot for this reason. Not only for the strengthening potential, but also for mounting lights, adding solid recovery points, etc. I have seen a similar thing done with Subarus, but it makes links between the unibody frame rails and engine cross member, not points in the suspension. It would be quite easy to fabricate as well. Would it look something like this?
Valentin
Brace / Sump Guard Response
Yeah, I totally agree with the UR brace being useless. I chose this photo as this brace looked most questionable. I haven't seen an IO in person, as mine is on the way to Canada from Japan, so it's hard to imagine what it looks like underneath.
" I have actually avoided purchasing a Sump guard for mine and I want to experiment with a steel frame sump guard, rather than a flat / bent sheet of some kind - One that literally bolts to each major lower suspension pickup in the front end such as the Castor rod Mounts, control arm inner pickup and back to the gearbox cross member via the two engine members along the way - Triangulate all of these, throw on a strut brace up top and I'm expecting it to be pretty indestructable. "
The Macpherson suspention does seem like the weakest link. The idea of buiding a steel frame sump gurad appeals alot for this reason. Not only for the strengthening potential, but also for mounting lights, adding solid recovery points, etc. I have seen a similar thing done with Subarus, but it makes links between the unibody frame rails and engine cross member, not points in the suspension. It would be quite easy to fabricate as well. Would it look something like this?
Valentin
Yes - That's precisly what I was thinking about. Perhaps it's a little scary but my background for the last 15 years has been running performance workshops and building Subaru Rally cars - Perhaps I stole the idea from there without even knowing it! ;-)
Principle is the same though - Tie it all together, triagulate for strength and rivet on a thin alloy plate as the 'skid surface' and replace when / if I damage it. As you say easy to make - And thin plate alloy is easier to handle than big thick stuff...
YEAH... what he said! ;-)The
YEAH... what he said! ;-)
The one weakness in these cars is macpherson Strut front end - Traditional Independat Front Suspension 4WD's usually use some kind of Double wishbone setup, bolted to big chunky rails and crossmembers which the io simply doesn't have.
This means your choice of struts are literally the key to reliability - As Troy mentioned, the MCA custom coilovers in the front are the saviour of his car. It was was rallied for many events with considerably poorer quality gear and the torture showed. For anyone running enything less than the BEST coilovers and anticipating a good long bumpy / rough ride you might want to considr tying some of the front suspension points together IMHO - that is to say they're a pretty sturdy chassis to begin with!
I have actually avoided purchasing a Sump guard for mine and I want to experiment with a steel frame sump guard, rather than a flat / bent sheet of some kind - One that literally bolts to each major lower suspension pickup in the front end such as the Castor rod Mounts, control arm inner pickup and back to the gearbox cross member via the two engine members along the way - Triangulate all of these, throw on a strut brace up top and I'm expecting it to be pretty indestructable.
If I make this frame so I can literally just rivet on some 1 or 2mm alloy plate to act as the 'guard' and replace when and if I manage to wreck it / tear it - I think this is an avenue worth investigating. It means I won't need a single / double peice THICK alloy bash plate / sump guard, rather a thin plate connected to a hard core UNDER CAR CHASSIS BRACE.
I'm not quite as fancy as some of the guys on here with CAD so I can't give you a drawing to explain, but when I do get around to it I'll be sure to show you some pics....
I would say even THAT is going beyond what will be needed for a road car, however I am designing it in my head to be suitable for a car in rough conditions where chassis plating and seam welding won't be necesary...
I hope my brain dump makes sense 8-)
PS: The rear of Troy's car has NEVER been an issue, it's a tradional, tried / tested and very sturdy system - It's only the front end (Due to the strut system) that you'll need to be aware off...
The reason you see the signs
The reason you see the signs of stress in the strut tops is because the shocks haven't absorbed the bumps before it bottomed out and transferred it striaght into the strut tops. That the only reason - Either the bumps you are hittin are too big, you hit them too fast, OR your shocks aren't up to the task of hitting them in the first place.
Troy's car had this with inferior suspension solutions - It was literally the cars Achilles Heel... Get some struts that are up to the task and the problem will be a long forgotten one. It goes back to my previous post, MAchperson strut setup for this type of car is a significant compromise to its off road ability, but does go a long way to making it a very nice car to drive overall...
The strut towers in the rally car are double plated in place, triple in others. Everyone new this was a small car attempting big things and precautions were made. Good struts were the solution though!
Hi Bob, In my car I use MCA
Hi Bob, In my car I use MCA custom made competition struts, built specifically with Cross Country Rallying in mind. Cost wise, I can't exactly recall the inital build cost, but I think $2000 for the front end (both sides) seems familiar, Chris may have a better memory! That's not including springs either! They are adjustable, so I do have more ground clearance, and more travel, than standard, and I can stiffen or soften depending on what type of event I am doing. They're certainly not the cheapest, but they are the best! The suspension is absolutely critical to the performance and longevity of the car, particularly with mine being a turbo rocket; it hits things far quicker and harder than a standard car!!We tried Evo Lancer struts (which bolt straight in pretty much), but that limits travel and getting the spring rate right is difficult. In the 12 years that car has been rallying, the only events it ever had issues on were as a result of inferior suspension being trialled. As we finish off preparing it for is 4th Alpine Rally in November, I won't be making that mistake again I assure you!
strut tower
The reason you see the signs of stress in the strut tops is because the shocks haven't absorbed the bumps before it bottomed out and transferred it striaght into the strut tops. That the only reason - Either the bumps you are hittin are too big, you hit them too fast, OR your shocks aren't up to the task of hitting them in the first place.
Troy's car had this with inferior suspension solutions - It was literally the cars Achilles Heel... Get some struts that are up to the task and the problem will be a long forgotten one. It goes back to my previous post, MAchperson strut setup for this type of car is a significant compromise to its off road ability, but does go a long way to making it a very nice car to drive overall...
The strut towers in the rally car are double plated in place, triple in others. Everyone new this was a small car attempting big things and precautions were made. Good struts were the solution though!
I have new strut fitted not that long ago. Doing lots of 4x4 does put some more stress on the top of the strut tower too, and yes the car have hit thing that could be seen as too big (I am still very careful with what I do), I fully understand that. I am curious about your solution of having a better strut system to fix this "problem". I never hit something that hard as to bottomed out (over fully compressed ), I have seen strut that have done that and most of the time the "damper/bump stop" will be damaged. Thanks
Happy io.
Depends on your idea of 'Beyond it's limits...'
In my own eyes...and probably Bobs and Simmos I have pushed my io beyond its limits and then some. Im not sure I want to look at my strut towers... :s Out of curiosity...what would I be looking for damage wize?
Depends on your idea of 'Beyond it's limits...'? ;-)
Disformed body around strut tops mainly... The rest of the car is quite sturdy - It's literally the sheet metal around the strut tops that goes first.
Troy's has been airborn at over 160km/h and as we all know, everything that goes up - Must come down! It's also been in the hands of some pretty insance drivers (note I didn't refer to them as 'Good' drivers) in it's years and there are stories I would never want to know if it were my car - But, it survived!
If I showed you photo of his strut tops you would see what I mean. Even we didn't realise the difference until we parked a standard cat next to it with the bonnet off! 8-)
Why? What's wrong with that?
Are there wats to strengthening the strut mounts without doing this:
Why? What's wrong with that? ;-)
Welding in plates that are formed to suit the strut housing and stitch welding some of the seams around the inner guard, strut tower etc - Is pretty much your only option.
In my isntance - I actually have spare strut towers in the front cut I took to repair my ZR. I'm going to cut them up and into sections and then weld them to the new car as atleast I know they'll fit! But saving that (not having a spare car to cut up) forming sheet steel of approximately 1-1.5mm to the shape of the tops and welding it to the existing mount is the way to go. I am not allowed in the rules I will be running my car in - However if the rules allowed, I would make a strut brace that went from one strut to the other - BUT also went straght down the inner edge of the strut and mounted the engine cross member below it - that would be the ultimate solution, but alas -I'm not allowed 8-(
Unfortunately... No.
Unfortunately... No. LOL
Car is still as per the images in a shed in Melbourne. Time hasn't be in my favour, however I'm hoping to get down there over Christmas / New Years break to weld on the replacement radiator support and put it back together so that it can be driven.
Have collected some more parts and slowly allocating a budget for cage and coilovers... But alas, no real update... sorry 8-(
Syndicate
Awesome!id love to check out
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to join the forum and post! This kind of thing is of great interest to me!
Racing an iO is somthing i have considered in the future also!
Id love to check out the rally iO! there are not many from Melbourne on this forum!
I guess your already, or almost here in melbourne now?
Keen to know what you guys have done in the wat of strengthening the front drive line, CVs and shafts etc?
I have converted almost every car I have had to Turbo since I got off my Ps 15 years ago. The iO will be no exeption. I am conserned about the reliability of the driveline IF i go down the turbo path with it tho.
Yippy i-O
31s 245/75/16 BFGs(33s next) 5" lift Coilovers with 290mm stroke. - 5.29 diffs with Kaiser Lockers.