Eric D

Au n egl in this quoted response to the question of things wanted in a track car, at the top of the list is “Steel frame”. Could you elaborate on this? For track cars, is a steel frame better? What about an aluminum frame like in the ZO6 or ZR1? Is mass an issue?

Thanks, just trying to understand what would work best and why.

AU N EGL

Steel Frame is stronger and you can WELD a steel roll cage to it.

the Aluminum frame of the Z06 or ZR1 needs to have a special aluminum plate welded to the frame, then a special epoxy used to hold a steel plate to the aluminum plate, then a bolt hole must be drilled through the plates and the frame, ( Plate on each side of the frame ) and an aluminum tube put through the frame and plates. A special bolts are put through the plates and the frame and tightened up. Making sure no aluminum and steel touch each other.

Then for an 8 point cage, 16 plates need to put on the frame.

Now that all 16 plates arein place, a Steel roll cage can be fabricated and welded to the steel plates.

ie the cost of the a roll cage into an aluminum frame just doubled.

or something like this. ...


Next aluminum frames almost always can not be fixed if there is an accident. where steel frames can be straighten or pieces cut off and replaced.

Steel is also much stronger are resists the twisting stress of racing.

most ppl that race, semi pro to amateur, do not have the resources or money for high priced aluminum framed race cars.

AU N EGL

There are several very good cage fabricators here on the forum. and they can provide greater detail with a phone call or two.

0Randy@DRM

Steel cars are much better club race cars. They can be fixed, welded to easily, and etc. Most race cars have so much weight added to them to meet class rules that the weight isn't that important. At a pro level where weight placement may out weigh the cost and expense of the aluminum chassis.

Just throwing that out there.

Randy

knyght4

John Shiels

ZO6 cage is over double the price of a C5. Steel cheaper to repair as Tom said. I would say it is easier to front chassis pieces also if you did have to repair. Even someone like LGM uses the steel frames to avoid complications and expense.

AU N EGL

Exactly.

and John is right. the Cage for a Z06 or ZR1 is more then twice the price for a steel frame corvette, WHEN done properly.

Eric D

First off I would like to thank all of you that have posted. The primary reason I asked this question, with the current push for more fuel efficiency, mass becomes a bigger player. That said, in my opinion I would expect at some point, things like steel frames might be a thing of the past. I would expect lighter materials to become more common use.

Would there be a better way to provide roll protection if I no longer have materials that are easily welded?

ajg1915

I doubt you'll see mass production cars with aluminum frames because the cost to repair them will out weight the benefit, especially to insurance companies.

I could see the industry going to C5/C6 style car (i.e. steel frame and glued on lightweight panels).

The only other production car other than the C6 Z06 that used aluminum was the Accura NSX that I know of.

Obviously the exotic car manufactures use a combination of materials to make their cars, but I really don't count them as everyday cars.

AU N EGL

Start buying up used C5s and C4s then.

Eric D

After market steel frame to replace the ZO6 aluminum frame????

John Shiels

Remember Ducati still has a steel frame on their RR bikes while Japanese have aluminum. All the cost involved steel is not going anywhere unless repair and manufacturing cost change.

AU N EGL

No, too resell the whole car, when steel frame cars are in short supply.

AU N EGL

With all the little chit econo box unibody aluminum cars, I think I will stick with a steel frame truck for safety on public roads.

0Randy@DRM

We just got done doing that conversion. The customer wanted a safe car that could be repaired, but with the performance of a Z. So we gutted a brand new car and converted it over with some racing flare.

Randy

Eric D

Randy, that sounds like an interesting project. Do you have a thread with photos that I might Drool over??

0Randy@DRM

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...car-build.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...-race-car.html

Randy

AU N EGL

Steel framed Z06

Eric D

Steel framed ZO6 and it is only 3000 lbs!

Eric D

Ok, did a little digging in the Collision Repair Manual for ZO6/ZR1 repairs, they show using a pulsed-MIG (P-MIG) for welding the aluminum frame and using 5356 wire of .035" size with 100% argon shielding gas. Other than the need to supply pads to bolt a steel roll cage to, is there something else that makes repairs harder than steel frames?