C3 Tech/Performance V8 Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Basic Tech and Maintenance for the C3 Corvette
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Billet Alum. Trailing arms ?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 13, 2018 | 06:39 PM
  #1  
super charged's Avatar
super charged
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 156
Likes: 25
Default Billet Alum. Trailing arms ?


This is the start of building trailing arms, more soon.
Reply
Old Mar 13, 2018 | 08:59 PM
  #2  
69427's Avatar
69427
Tech Contributor
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,914
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Default

Ya got my attention. I always enjoy custom fab work.
Reply
Old Mar 13, 2018 | 09:06 PM
  #3  
JoeC427's Avatar
JoeC427
Drifting
20 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,620
Likes: 7
From: Orlando Florida
Default

Originally Posted by 69427
Ya got my attention. I always enjoy custom fab work.
+1
Reply
Old Mar 13, 2018 | 09:51 PM
  #4  
69ttop502's Avatar
69ttop502
Le Mans Master
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,240
Likes: 1,013
From: Watkinsville, GA and Glen Cove, NY
Default

Me too!
Reply
Old Mar 13, 2018 | 10:02 PM
  #5  
Big2Bird's Avatar
Big2Bird
Le Mans Master
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,837
Likes: 1,028
Default

Originally Posted by 69427
Ya got my attention. I always enjoy custom fab work.
Plus 3
Reply
Old Mar 13, 2018 | 10:04 PM
  #6  
bfit's Avatar
bfit
Pro
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 657
Likes: 114
From: Picton NSW
Default

Yes and me as well

Last edited by bfit; Mar 14, 2018 at 06:19 AM.
Reply
Old Mar 13, 2018 | 10:33 PM
  #7  
Richard454's Avatar
Richard454
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
Active Streak: 30 Days
Top Answer: 1
Top Answer: 3
 
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,877
Likes: 3,556
From: Fernandina Beach FL
2023 Restomod of the Year finalist
2020 C3 of the Year Winner - Modified
Default

I like chunks of aluminum!!!!!
Reply
Old Mar 13, 2018 | 11:31 PM
  #8  
super charged's Avatar
super charged
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 156
Likes: 25
Default

Originally Posted by Richard454
I like chunks of aluminum!!!!!
I like chips
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Mar 14, 2018 | 06:09 AM
  #9  
Wee's Avatar
Wee
Drifting
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,857
Likes: 332
From: Cartersville GA
Default

Like we say in the stone business...The trailing arms are already there....You just have to carve away everything that isn't a trailing arm.

What program are you using to draw up the 3d arms....?

Brian
Reply
Old Mar 14, 2018 | 06:16 AM
  #10  
super charged's Avatar
super charged
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 156
Likes: 25
Default

I have MasterCam
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2018 | 10:46 AM
  #11  
Denpo's Avatar
Denpo
Drifting
Supporting Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,626
Likes: 140
From: Kanuckistan
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Default

Reply
Old Mar 15, 2018 | 10:59 AM
  #12  
TCracingCA's Avatar
TCracingCA
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Veteran: Navy
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 38,361
Likes: 2,085
From: California
Default

So 6061, 7075, or a356?

I am a rod and heim guy on two cars, and I modified some Van Steel offsets for the third car, and the fourth has basically strengthened stock arms!

I am trying to think of the pros and cons of this endeavor and it sounds like a cool thought, so I am subscribed! I have changed or made many pieces in one car out of alternate lighter weight materials! At one time I was buying titanium bolts a few each week replacing the steel ones around the car! I started with all of the bumpers! Ultimately I did new bumper braces to in titanium. But since I just took them off again, to return to the race configuration (no bumpers at all). So I will transfer those cool parts for the bumpers over to one of my other cars. On my 1963 autocross car, I have C2 styled fiberglass bumpers front and rear, chrome paint painted. Then I found hollowed drilled ones and did like the intake manifold bolts and other locations! My seat brackets and things were all drilled! Then I found other things to drill holes into to lighten. But then I bought aftermarket seat braces and still lightened those further and put back in my holstered Mini Cooper Paddy Hopkirk aluminum framed bolstered seats from the 1960s, instead of the more modern non-Vintage lightweight nonholstered racing seats that were sold in the car to me. Lightening our pigs, has been a fun endeavor! Seems having all Race stuff, makes the car heavier- like the two piece scattershield, the 4340 steel crank fully circular weighted, the k-Rods even thou profiled, beefier this and that elsewhere. So keeping it all well under 3k, but I haven't taken it down to the scales for many years.

I just think if you pattern the stock arms in dimension, they will crack at the nose end down near the forward bushing end!

Last edited by TCracingCA; Mar 15, 2018 at 11:27 AM.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2018 | 11:19 AM
  #13  
jim-81's Avatar
jim-81
Drifting
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 289
From: Chardon Ohio
Default

What's a chunk of aluminum like that cost?
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2018 | 12:24 PM
  #14  
CA_WxMan's Avatar
CA_WxMan
Racer
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 269
Likes: 52
From: Springfield, TN
Default

Are you going to use bushings or Johnny Joints at the front of those?

I think the Johnny Joints might put less stress on them since they wouldn't be constantly fighting against the bushing to move in their arcs.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2018 | 12:44 PM
  #15  
diehrd's Avatar
diehrd
Safety Car
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,000
Likes: 299
From: New York
Default

Why not use Chrome molly tubing , make a jig and weld them up. They may end up lighter and stronger that way
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2018 | 01:25 PM
  #16  
TCracingCA's Avatar
TCracingCA
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Veteran: Navy
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 38,361
Likes: 2,085
From: California
Default

I know the Global West units are DOM tube! I don't think Chromoly, because the non-tube portions are steel! But those are about the strongest ones made!
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2018 | 01:27 PM
  #17  
TCracingCA's Avatar
TCracingCA
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Veteran: Navy
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 38,361
Likes: 2,085
From: California
Default

Originally Posted by diehrd
Why not use Chrome molly tubing , make a jig and weld them up. They may end up lighter and stronger that way
It would be expensive to buy the billets to machine out the non-tube features! But that would be cool and trick!

PS the OP probably knocks out Gun receivers on the side!

Last edited by TCracingCA; Mar 15, 2018 at 01:28 PM.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Billet Alum. Trailing arms ?

Old Mar 15, 2018 | 04:44 PM
  #18  
super charged's Avatar
super charged
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 156
Likes: 25
Default

OK I could build them out of 4130 or DOM, cut and splice but I don't want to copy others as there in it to make money. Me its just for fun I wanted to do something I see in my head. As far as being strong I see no problems. I maybe wrong but after 40 years of doing this stuff I'm not worried. Any way I haven't decided if Im going to use j joints or bushings in the front most likely bushings the alum. is 6061T6 .A lot of parts on these cars way over built but hay there's always the cool factor in a trick part.

Last edited by super charged; Mar 16, 2018 at 05:54 PM.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2018 | 04:45 PM
  #19  
super charged's Avatar
super charged
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 156
Likes: 25
Default


Last edited by super charged; Mar 15, 2018 at 04:46 PM.
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2018 | 04:52 PM
  #20  
calwldlife's Avatar
calwldlife
Team Owner
15 Year Member
Loved
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 53,648
Likes: 878
From: Southern Cal Ca
St. Jude Donor '22
Default

nice
i wish i had the machines i have used over the years
with tooling.

good luck
Reply



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:28 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE