Spreader bar design question
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Spreader bar design question
On another site, I've seen spreader bar brackets designed so that the shell of the heim joints is aligned parallel to the ground, rather than perpendicular like most commercial and homebrew spreader bars. Are there any disadvantages to that alignment? It would certainly fit my engine bay better with that alignment, as the heim joints are going to need to be pretty close to the forward a-arm studs.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
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From: Orange Park Florida
The only advantage would be in the position of the bar, and accessibility of the bolts....easier if vertical....
and you can raise/lower the bar to your requirements much easier when welding it up....
and you can raise/lower the bar to your requirements much easier when welding it up....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,028
Likes: 2
From: North NJ
Ohh I think I get it. Bracket runs perpendicular to the ground whereas the normal bracket runs parallel to the ground along the upper a-arm rod. Never seen what your talking about, the bracket would have to still lay against the pocket or a-arm rod for solid support. I think the other way is easier but i could be wrong.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Ohh I think I get it. Bracket runs perpendicular to the ground whereas the normal bracket runs parallel to the ground along the upper a-arm rod. Never seen what your talking about, the bracket would have to still lay against the pocket or a-arm rod for solid support. I think the other way is easier but i could be wrong.
I hope that clears up the description.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
That's exactly why I want to do it...I just want to make sure that there isn't some sort of negative that my backyard engineer mind hasn't thought of.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
I'm not talking about the orientation of the bracket. All commercially available brackets (and most homebrew ones) orient the heim joint so that the bolt through the joint eye runs parallel to the ground. I've seen one done so that the bolt runs perpendicular to the ground, which would fit better with my serpentine belt system. I'm just trying to figure out if there are any negatives to orienting the joint in that fashion. Bracket will be a piece of angle iron running parallel to the ground between the a-arm bolts.
I hope that clears up the description.
I hope that clears up the description.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,028
Likes: 2
From: North NJ
Gotchya.
Would make access easier for adjustments.
Unless you have a rollcage the frame will twist a little on hard launches so you could get some twisting motion b/w the two A-arms twisting the strut brace.
I'm no expert on heim joints but if you hold your hand like a "V", thumb on one side rest of the fingers on the other. Put a business card or credit card across the gap as if its a strut brace from thumb tip to pointer tip. Now try to close your fingers to eachother and read me your credit card number
. That card will bend up applying a force upwards. This is a bit exaderated but much like our front crossmember the A-Arms want to flex towards eachother when the weight of the front end goes down and the A-arms go away from eachother when stomping on the gas. If the force on the strut brace like the card in your hand is going to be verticle then the design of the heim joint with the outside structure on top and down will give you the most strength. If you turn the heim joint on the side like your suggesting then the outside strength is to the front and rear of the car and you loose that verticle strength. See what I'm saying? May not be a big deal unless your car will see alot of abuse.
Would make access easier for adjustments.
Unless you have a rollcage the frame will twist a little on hard launches so you could get some twisting motion b/w the two A-arms twisting the strut brace.
I'm no expert on heim joints but if you hold your hand like a "V", thumb on one side rest of the fingers on the other. Put a business card or credit card across the gap as if its a strut brace from thumb tip to pointer tip. Now try to close your fingers to eachother and read me your credit card number
. That card will bend up applying a force upwards. This is a bit exaderated but much like our front crossmember the A-Arms want to flex towards eachother when the weight of the front end goes down and the A-arms go away from eachother when stomping on the gas. If the force on the strut brace like the card in your hand is going to be verticle then the design of the heim joint with the outside structure on top and down will give you the most strength. If you turn the heim joint on the side like your suggesting then the outside strength is to the front and rear of the car and you loose that verticle strength. See what I'm saying? May not be a big deal unless your car will see alot of abuse.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,662
Likes: 8
From: Knoxville Tennessee
How often are you going to have to remove the spreader bar for other maintenance or mods? Hardly any. Adjusting the bar is the same wheter it bolted vertically or horizontally; loosen the lock nuts on both sides, turn the bar and retighten the nuts.
Bernie
Bernie
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 101
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From: Paris, FRANCE
here is my version of the speader bar.
I started with an "unwelded" bar from vb&p
unfortunatly, because of the long water pump I used, I couldn't use the vb&p brackets (1/4" thick angle iron)
so I built my own brackets using some 1/4" flats.
the bolt is vertical and the nut is welded to the lower bracket.
I started with an "unwelded" bar from vb&p
unfortunatly, because of the long water pump I used, I couldn't use the vb&p brackets (1/4" thick angle iron)
so I built my own brackets using some 1/4" flats.
the bolt is vertical and the nut is welded to the lower bracket.
