Part 4: Front Suspension & Geometry - What makes Baby Blue?

A video series of Frank Kelly explaining what exactly makes up his famous ‘Baby Blue’ modified Mk2 Escort.

[@teed58]

Shame on me, I have aparently missed this for two whole years. As always a great and informative. I hope that the rebuild is coming along well and as planned.

[@cyclefactoryuk]

Fascinating insight, I love the way you just deliver the knowledge and findings with no messing, proper chap👍

[@vinniemoog2110]

Learning massive amounts of trick stuff people never let you see or know, I could listen to you all night Mr Kelly, huge respect, thank you

[@johnturbo7714]

Excellent explanation of your development 👍

[@nonyourbuz5805]

Complicated frontend...Thanks for these videos...I feel like I'm listening to Carrol Shelby....

[@peterfuchs7822]

Infinite thumbs up great work

[@jameslatimer1432]

Looks fab Budd

[@twincamGT]

Pure Legend another great video

[@urbanpkrider31]

Really great info and video!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Been struggling with the Ackerman problem myself attempting to sort out the front suspension geometry on a Capri but still keeping the front mounted rack. I’ve found the steering arms to be completely parallel to eachother when I’ve measured them, with Ford instead using the rack being mounted further back than the outer pickup points to create the Ackerman. Is this what you found also? The only solution I can see is mounting the rack further back or hypothetically lengthening the steering arm pickups even more forward. Would be really interest to hear if this is what you found when sorting out Baby Blue

[@FrankKellyRallying]

Hi Sam, To be fair Ford had it set up pretty well to begin with. The bigger brakes we use and beefed up steering arms probably lost us a little ackerman over the original set up. Moving the rack to the rear was the simplest way i could see to get the freedom i wanted to play with various settings. Interestingly the Ford Motor Company-sanctioned a company in South Africa to develop a Perana Capri that ran a big V8. It had the steering rack relocated to the rear of the crossmember. It could have been to accommodate the engine or were they onto something?

[@pm1395]

Tension bars: What stops the front chassis channels from moving like a parallelogram when force gets applied on either the left or right wheel? Don't you need a diagonal between one of the front mounting points of the tension strut and the opposite side x-member to make that 'parallelogram' stiff (but I guess the sump would be in the way)? And don't the tension bars kind of spring a bit (maybe a good thing...)?

[@FrankKellyRallying]

At the front we have a welded in crossmember between the chassis legs just under the radiator. Then the crossmember bolted on under the engine. The tension bars are designed to have a little give in the event of a hard hit on the wheel. At the end of the day something has to give.

[@1337mofo]

I'm building my first escort (after many other cars) and this series of videos is priceless. Thank you so much. For a weekend tracking street car how far would you go with the rear set up?

[@FrankKellyRallying]

The original leaf spring set up works surprisingly well so long as your not taking on rough terrain and jumps. Decent shocks and and anti tramp bars will do what you need.

[@24lyne]

I am Old school . If it works for Frank at his crazy speeds It has to be work for everyone else.. Gp4. and of course Frank. (Y) Bobc.

[@nigelsmith7366]

Any changes or improvements in the last 4 years?

[@fredrikmyrman4597]

My mk2 rally oversteer very much! Do you have any tips ? Have bars back on the car, 4-link, ohlins . Good grip when driving slow, when going little faster on gravel it feels like wheel spinning and float on the road.

[@christinalloyd9566]

Those tension struts will be seeing a lot of bending due to their shape. Not good for strength or stiffness. That's why the tube diameter of it is effing massive!

[@Mister510]

I'm surprised you're still running the strut rods that are bent for tie rod clearance with a front steer rack. Forward strut rods and rear steer FTW!

[@FrankKellyRallying]

I’ve kept this to allow for big hits. They tend to pull straight when the wheel gets a big hit and give a little. Gets you to service for repairs. The straight tension bars will pull the chassis and snap. Game over. Maybe I should stop hitting shit 😂

[@JDMCARSCIVIC]

What do you use to set the alignment?