Opitma suspension arms - clue for the future?

[markbt73 5316]

I'm assembling my Turbo Optima, and I noticed something interesting: extra holes on the front suspension arms. These holes aren't on original Optima arms (on the right), and aren't used in any rear-motor Optima variant... but they are used as lower shock mounting holes on the Optima Mid.

Could it be...?

[frameskip 63]

We can only hope so!! 

[Yalson 514]

Not sure about placement on those for the Mid. The Mid had a cluster of three holes on a flat, raised extension, meaning the lower spring collar had adequate clearance to avoid fouling the suspension arm at full extension in all three holes. The holes here are flush with the swept-back angle of the arm, meaning that the lower spring collar may foul the arm when attached to the outer hole, especially given that I believe Mid shocks have a wider bore than those used on the original Optima. I'd need someone else to check that, though, as I don't have a Mid to hand at the moment.

[Barnoid 71]

On 12/30/2019 at 10:40 PM, Yalson said:

 I don't have a Mid to hand at the moment.

I do! The lowers are definitely different (and they don't necessarily correspond) - although that's not to say that any updated shocks the putative new Mid would run would have any problems with them. I run the new arms on a new build racing Mid I've made (brushless, LWB, slipper clutch, Thorpe internals etc) and they match up with new and old shocks with little conflict. Here is a pic of an original arm on my original Mid. It's slightly different to the rere Optima one, but not massively so. They're a straight swap in terms of overall fitment. The major issue (such as is it) is placement of the hole for the anti-roll bar attachment - but it's hardly a game-changer.

 

[Yalson 514]

On 1/10/2020 at 1:21 PM, Barnoid said:

I do! The lowers are definitely different (and they don't necessarily correspond) - although that's not to say that any updated shocks the putative new Mid would run would have any problems with them. I run the new arms on a new build racing Mid I've made (brushless, LWB, slipper clutch, Thorpe internals etc) and they match up with new and old shocks with little conflict. Here is a pic of an original arm on my original Mid. It's slightly different to the rere Optima one, but not massively so. They're a straight swap in terms of overall fitment. The major issue (such as is it) is placement of the hole for the anti-roll bar attachment - but it's hardly a game-changer.

Ah, right you are. I stand corrected.