Home made hi-tech spreader bar
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 1,610
Likes: 3
From: Goulburn, Australia NSW
Home made hi-tech spreader bar
Here are some pics of what I've come up with while trying to design my own front spreader bar. This is about as cheap as you could possibly hope for with regard to materials...MDF and plastic conduit...the heim joints are real tho. :rolleyes:
My idea was to centre the brackets that mounted onto the A arm bolts where hopefully it will allow the bar to do it's job of aligning and strengthening the front end better. My only concession has been to lower the bar to clear the water pump pully, but with the added strength of the 10mm (3/8") steel plate for the mounts and 27mm (1 1/8") stainless steel bar I think it should all come together ok. Any comments or opinions on how it's heading so far before I commit to steel instead of MDF?
[Modified by Brutus, 8:02 PM 7/14/2003]
My idea was to centre the brackets that mounted onto the A arm bolts where hopefully it will allow the bar to do it's job of aligning and strengthening the front end better. My only concession has been to lower the bar to clear the water pump pully, but with the added strength of the 10mm (3/8") steel plate for the mounts and 27mm (1 1/8") stainless steel bar I think it should all come together ok. Any comments or opinions on how it's heading so far before I commit to steel instead of MDF?
[Modified by Brutus, 8:02 PM 7/14/2003]
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 1,610
Likes: 3
From: Goulburn, Australia NSW
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (camaroneil)
My reasoning behind mounting it in this position is that it enables the bar to better carry out it's function by being centred between both mounting bolts as opposed to having it positioned at the furthest extremity as seen in the pre-welded production models. I'm open to anything constructive regarding my altered design.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 1,610
Likes: 3
From: Goulburn, Australia NSW
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (camaroneil)
hey, i think it looks great,
i'm just thinking of pinching your design!!!!!!!!!!!!
neil
i'm just thinking of pinching your design!!!!!!!!!!!!
neil
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (Brutus)
I really like it Brutus. As usual your work is great. I am going home tonight and see if I could fit something like that on mine.
Thanks for the idea.
Thanks for the idea.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 1,610
Likes: 3
From: Goulburn, Australia NSW
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (norvalwilhelm)
Norval...maybe I should wait to see what you come up with before I finalise my own version. Anything you could design would certainly be better than mine. Here's a close up of my bracket set up.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (Brutus)
NOw here is an interesting thought, just why would actual heim joints be needed, is there a time the upper A arms are actually stread apart?? I would think from discussions they are push together, hense the term 'spreader'....
so, why not just take say some tie rod ends, cut the ball out of the end...making a fork looking like a ball joint spreader out of it, screwing into a cut tie rod sleeve, and weld to length on another bar/tube??? using similar plates on the ends of course with just a bolt through them...???
seems to be even cheaper yet, and maybe just as good..a little grease in the throat of the 'fork', and it's all set....
GENE
so, why not just take say some tie rod ends, cut the ball out of the end...making a fork looking like a ball joint spreader out of it, screwing into a cut tie rod sleeve, and weld to length on another bar/tube??? using similar plates on the ends of course with just a bolt through them...???
seems to be even cheaper yet, and maybe just as good..a little grease in the throat of the 'fork', and it's all set....
GENE
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (Brutus)
I like it Brutus. Good job. This is another of those things that I would like to do to my vette. Doing it the homemade way is even cheaper. Brutus your design looks good to me.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,254
Likes: 1
From: Edinburgh
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (mrvette)
Gene,
There would be a 2 way movement, but your right you dont need the Heim joint (Rose joint in U.K.). Your idea about the track rod adjustment is goood so all you would need is 2 small pieces of tubing welded on at 90 degrees on each end to take the bolts. Need to be a snug fit though.
Graeme
There would be a 2 way movement, but your right you dont need the Heim joint (Rose joint in U.K.). Your idea about the track rod adjustment is goood so all you would need is 2 small pieces of tubing welded on at 90 degrees on each end to take the bolts. Need to be a snug fit though.
Graeme
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 1
From: Living in the Hartland
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (Graemeinvette)
I don't know, seems you would want some play for going over bumbs, you don't want side going over the bumb to yank on the opposite side when the upper control arm rotates. On a flat track it would probably be great but for us that live in pot hole central I would think you need a small amount of play. But I am not an engineer, I just play one on the internet. ;)
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,254
Likes: 1
From: Edinburgh
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (Fevre)
The main point of the spreader bar is to reduce the chassis flex. Then you can dial in your complience (for bumps etc) where it should be, through your suspension i.e. shock absorber or even spring rate.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 1
From: Living in the Hartland
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (Graemeinvette)
The main point of the spreader bar is to reduce the chassis flex. Then you can dial in your complience (for bumps etc) where it should be, through your suspension i.e. shock absorber or even spring rate.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,254
Likes: 1
From: Edinburgh
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (Fevre)
I was thining more of allow some outward motion of the connection while maintaining a minimum distance between the two a-arms. [/QUOTE]
There is no good reason for allowing any outward motion, chassis flex is a real no no in car design, the spreader bar is really a chassis strengthening item, by allowing it to move one way but not the other would build in more problems - Newton's law etc. The Heim joint is used as an adjuster for the width it has no other function in that situation. They are used instead of rubber bushings in racing cars.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 4,078
Likes: 27
From: Northeast South Dakota
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (Brutus)
The spreader bar looks good. This is on my list for next winter's to do's. I have looked at the VBP spreader bar, but have some question at to how to get it in amongst all of my accessories, so I am thinking of fabbing my own. We'll have to see when winter comes. It's driving season now. :auto:
-Justin
-Justin
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 5,768
Likes: 3
From: San Diego CA
Re: Home made hi-tech spreader bar (Brutus)
It would seem to me, that there is some force applied to the brackets during driving, by having the centerline of that force applied off-center of the mounting bolts, you will be applying a bending force to the two bolts that retain the a-arm crossbar.
there are two possible results form this.
1>due to the thickness of your mounting plate which is quite hefty, there may be no result, worse case might mean some flattening of the threads on the stud.
2>bending or even breaking (highly unlikely IMO) of that stud making at the least it difficult to align and at worst impossible.
I am hoping to craft a system of my own that mounts to the frame below the a-arm mount. In this position it should be possible to remove the a-arm or even align the car without having to remove the crossbrace. I think this would be of benefit for it would seem to me the best alignment would occur with the brace in place and tightened to whatever point you will be operating the car at.
the last thing I would think you would want to do is align your car without the bar on (only option with this and VBP design) then once alignment is set without bar - reinstall the bar and prehaps add a minute spread between the towers. (maybe alignments arent that precise)
in any case your parts look very good and certianly strong enough
there are two possible results form this.
1>due to the thickness of your mounting plate which is quite hefty, there may be no result, worse case might mean some flattening of the threads on the stud.
2>bending or even breaking (highly unlikely IMO) of that stud making at the least it difficult to align and at worst impossible.
I am hoping to craft a system of my own that mounts to the frame below the a-arm mount. In this position it should be possible to remove the a-arm or even align the car without having to remove the crossbrace. I think this would be of benefit for it would seem to me the best alignment would occur with the brace in place and tightened to whatever point you will be operating the car at.
the last thing I would think you would want to do is align your car without the bar on (only option with this and VBP design) then once alignment is set without bar - reinstall the bar and prehaps add a minute spread between the towers. (maybe alignments arent that precise)
in any case your parts look very good and certianly strong enough