Era's Optional Rear Suspension...

[Dave Crace]

Is a work of art! Bob this is a nice piece. I find myself crawling up under the car to look at it again and again. I wish I had an extra one to hang on the wall. Can't wait to seel how it performs. I'm kind of curious how this was engineered. Trial and error, divine inspiration, etc?

Any of you guys ordering new cars should definitely put this on your list of options.

Thanks,
DC

[Tongue Pirate]

I'm seriously considering it!

I do have a ? though.

The ERA website vaguely mentions something about the e-brake hook up. Is this a problem with the optional rear? I live on a hill!!!

[ERA-FIA]

The rear is set-up great, e-brake works as well as any.....the ease of bleeding the rear calipers is icing on the cake....

[Tongue Pirate]

Almost sounds like a no brainer Except for the $$$! Do you really have to go with the big front brakes?

[ERA-FIA]

Larger front brakes are not necessary with the optional rear. I ran the standard fronts on my first car for a number of years with plenty of stopping power. Unless your building a track car the willwoods are not necessary.

[Bob Putnam]

Dave,

The nice thing about computer modeling is that you can find all your errors before anything is actually built.

Theoretically.

The tedious part is modelling all the off-the-shelf pieces first so that you can create pieces that match and mount properly.

Laying out geometry for the setup was fairly easy because there's not much compliance, and each arm has essentially one function. Just a matter of checking things through the full range of motion to corroborate my basic "feel" of the layout, and make sure there are no places of interference.

- Do some stress calulations on all the pieces to determine thicknesses, etc.

Then you just give $3000 to the pattern maker, commit to a few thousand dollars of laser cut parts, an initial run of castings, new machine tools and a short initial run of machined parts. Oh yeah - a welding jig.

No problem - unless you screw up.

I was lucky. Since the initial run, I have only made a couple of changes - mostly to make the parts easier to assemble.

[Tongue Pirate]

I don't really "plan" on putting any track time in so I don't really se a sense going all out with the large brakes at this point (& I am on a budget!(yeah Right!)) I just started thinking how nice it would be to have those outboard brakes when it came time to change pads & "if" I ever decide to sell it would also make the car more desireable.

[joea]

It is going on mine for sure!

[Chaplin]

Bob-
I am currently going with the standard jag rear because I do not plan on racing the car- it will be a street cruiser. However, if in the future I change my mind and decide I want the ERA rear, is it possible to buy an ERA rear alreaday in a sub-frame from you guys and just simply swap out the standard jag rear for the ERA rear? Or is it better/easier just to get the ERA rear now?

Thanks,
Mike

[Bob Putnam]

Mike,

Changing to the new rear is just a matter of removing the old and bolting in the new. Just keep some bolts (1/2-13) in the crossmember under the front of the differential so that the internal nuts don't get corroded.