Tubular parts

[Monochrome]

Not only that but there's the consistency in each frame. When you're doing things by hand, there's always going to be some variance.

Even the Exocet is manufactured from laser cut tubes but most of the bending is still done by hand. Assembly is done in a complex jig which helps keep those specs tighter but there's always some kind of variance.

This whole setup is a multithousand dollar investment that was accomplished simply by one skilled designer and one skilled sales man who hired a third party which manufactures steal for the government simply because the owner of the business was interested in the idea.

Good luck designing and fabricating something like this for the 3/S. Exomotive is making over 100 cars a year now. I doubt anyone could sell 3/S 100 tube chassy frames.

[green-lantern]

[quote=""Monochrome""][/quote]

[DCIV]

Bumping this back up. We have a guy at the fire hall who races cars, works for the same place that built my motor, and gave me two people who work with tubular stuff for vehicles. I'm gonna go see them and see what they want to make some tubular parts. I'm more curious than anything honestly!


Coop

[mjannusch]

I guess if I get bored at some point, I could make a chromoly front crossbrace and the two front to rear crossbraces. No idea how much weight that would save, or if it would even be worth it. I'd just do it for fun...

Anything over $100 in the 3/S community and people think it is outrageously priced. Almost as bad as the DSM guys.

[DCIV]

I just think with front and rears done and some other things then a 3500lb car would be nicer to drive than our 3800lb car. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's not worth it.


Coop

[mjannusch]

You probably won't feel it that much. All those parts are down low where weight reduction makes less difference in the dynamic handling of the car. Saving weight higher up on the car would be better. Hood, hatch, etc.

I guess the front subframe crossbar might be a little better since the front one is forward of the wheels, and parts of the front/rear connectors.

I dunno.... It seems like out of the various ways to improve these cars, tubular components is high on the pain-in-the-ass list to get it just right with not a whole lot of gain.

What do the front and rear subframes weigh? How low can we get them when chromoly? A-arms might be good, to reduce suspension weight. But I get nervous about making those parts because of what happens if one fails.

[DCIV]

I wanna say just when Josh made them, two side and the front, it was a savings of like 35lbs. That's just memory, I should go look it up. Could you think how easy it would be to instal a 6 speed if you had a tubular PS tunnel?

I want it as much for weight savings as I do for simplicity to work on the car.


Coop

[mjannusch]

Make the car so you don't have to work on it so much.

[DCIV]

[quote=""mjannusch""]Make the car so you don't have to work on it so much. [/quote]

I wish that would be the case.


Coop

[mjannusch]

Less custom/one-off stuff.

[DCIV]

i haven't had any of those fail. But part of what I like about the car is it letting me think outside the box, try things, and building with my own hands. Its fun.

Anyways, you ever tune via email Matt?


Coop

[mjannusch]

[quote=""DCIV""]Anyways, you ever tune via email Matt?[/quote]
No, I haven't and don't really have any interest in doing that. Too much risk.

[Boostaddict]

I have no idea if they are on the forums, but Raceline Performance has a couple tube products for our cars including the front bumper and one of the lower cross members. If they had enough interest I'm sure they'd make more parts for "off road use". I like seeing my old vr4 in their fabrication pictures

https://racelineperformance.com/product ... mper-bars/