SS1 introduced in 2000
The Juno Racing Ltd
SS1 sports prototype racing car has been built to compete in
the UK National Supersports
championship. The car has been
designed with versatility in mind and can be configured to
suit a range of championships and formula.
The following
technical specification describe the configuration of the
car, as seen at the Autosport International show 2001.
Technical Specification
Car Dimensions
Wheelbase: 2400mm (94.5")
Front Track Width: 1411mm (55.5")
Rear Track Width: 1520mm (59.8")
Overall Weight: 510kg (1124 pounds) excluding driver in National Supersports
spec.
Power: 220 bhp
Cost
£35,000 plus VAT for a car built to National Supersports
specification less engine.
Chassis
The chassis is a steel
tubular space frame of construction as mandated by National
Supersports regulations. The material used is CDS (Cold
Drawn Seamless) steel tube of varying dimensions.
The integral roll
structure again from CDS tubing satisfies MSA (UK Motorsport
Association) requirements. This mandates a minimum tube
diameter, wall thickness and bend radius. The Juno roll
structure is made from 50mm diameter tube with a 2mm wall
thickness. The bend radius is 160mm
Higher specification
T45 tubing can be used on request. This could lead to a
small weight saving in the chassis construction.
During the design
phase, the fundamental chassis layout was subject to many
hours of computer based stress analysis in an effort to
improve the stiffness to weight ratio of the chassis. The
end result is a chassis with a torsional rigidity in excess
of 22,000 Nm/deg and an overall weight of just 65 kg (143
pounds).
Suspension
The basic suspension
layout is un-equal length double wishbones front and rear.
Pushrods operate billet aluminum machined bell cranks that
in turn actuate Ohlins 46HRC double adjustable dampers and
Eibach springs.
Uprights, front and
rear are steel fabricated units, offering excellent
installation stiffness, bearing retention as well as being
lightweight.
Wishbones are made
from 4130 steel alloy tubing. Aero-section wishbone tubing
is also available at an increased cost.
All spherical joints
are either Silverline or Goldline Ampep bearings.
Adjustable switchblades control roll. Cockpit adjustment is possible if required.
Camber adjustment is
made by the adding or removal of laser cut shims. The shims
are fitted between the billet machined steering arm and the
upright.
With multiple wishbone
pick-up points, the car can be set up with anti-dive and
anti-squat geometry as required.
The rear suspension is
mounted via a billet machined aluminum shear plate. This
ensures dimensional accuracy of the suspension installation
and therefore eases car set-up. Customer cars will also
benefit from the same concept at the front end of the
chassis, following a re-design of the method for suspension
mounting. The new design features a similar shear plate
fitted to the front of the space frame, onto which bolts the
wishbones, steering rack, dampers, bell cranks and pedal
box.
Engine
The car is currently
fitted with a Vauxhall 2.0 litre XE engine that has been
tuned to National Supersports regulations. The engine is
dry-sumped and has been fitted with cams of unique profile
designed for the National Supersports championship. An MBE
ignition box and twin Weber 45 DCOE carburettors result in
power output of around 220 bhp.
The engine bay is very
adaptable and the chassis could accommodate anything from a
Suzuki Hayabusa bike engine through to a V8.
Transmission
The Juno Racing Ltd
SS1 car uses the Staffs Silent Gears Kwikshift 5-speed
trans-axle gearbox. Although an H-pattern shift is fitted as
standard, to comply with National Supersports regulations, a
sequential shift mechanism can be fitted with very little
additional cost. The gearbox has been used in the National
Supersports class for many years and proves to be very
durable. Hewland Mk-9 ratios are used and are readily
available. This gearbox is probably nearing its performance
envelope transmitting the 220bhp from the Vauxhall engine
that is currently fitted to the car. For engines producing
greater torque a gearbox from the Hewland range could be
fitted to the car with minor changes being made to the
aluminium sheer plate.
Clutch
The car is fitted with
an AP racing twin plate clutch. A hydraulic annular piston
is used for clutch release. The clutch system is fitted with
a dry-brake coupling to allow the rear end of the car to be
removed and replaced without the need for clutch bleeding.
Bodywork
The bodywork is split
into 3 main sections. The central section remains fixed to
the chassis. The nose and tail section are quickly removable
upon operating the quarter turn and over-centre fasteners.
The bodywork is made from GRP (glass reinforced plastic). A
single laminate is used in order to keep weight down. Pre-preg,
oven cured bodywork would offer a weight saving in excess of
20kg. The additional cost is likely to be around £3000. The
floor is made from carbon fibre skins with a foam core. The
use of such materials results in very lightweight panels.
The floor is split into four sections to ease maintenance.
There are two main panels plus the front underbody
(splitter) and the diffuser.
Braking
The car is fitted with
an AP Racing Formula 3 braking system. This set-up includes:
Billet aluminium four
piston calipers, front and rear.
280mm diameter vented discs.
Ferodo carbon metallic pads.
Braking is controlled via a cockpit adjustable balance bar.
The rear braking system is fitted with a dry-brake coupling
to allow the rear end of the car to be removed and replaced
without the need for brake bleeding.
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