trailing arm stiffening kit Options

[scotty b]

Is it REALLY necessary ? I've done a couple of these but have yet to understand why. I have NEVER seen a trailing arm bent from anything otther than a hard collision. I see no way they could be twisting or flexing in any way in hard cornering. I'm curious if any of the hardcore racers have seen a true need for them. Anyone ever seen a ARM crack from use not rust ? Sure the consoles crack, the body cracks but the trailing arm ? Seems like unneccesary weight to me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)


Talk amongst yourselves I'll check back in later (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[brant]

I think a lot of the Noticeable flex that was attributed over the years was probably mistakenly attributed to the swing arm when it was actually the chassis and swing arm mount that was flexing....


however they do still flex
a truly skilled builder and racer who is 10 faster in his 914 than I ever will be, insists that he can tell the difference on a car with or without trailing arm reinforcement.

he has built 20-30 914 race cars and always installs both the mount brace bars on the chassis and also the swing arm reinforcements.

Additionally... Chris ran actual flex tests on a bench of trailing arms to design his brace kit that he sells. The thread is one of the best threads that has ever been on this site. It shows that there is flex and that sticky race tires could produce that flex.

So in summary.... a little flex
although the chassis mount brace kits are equally responsible for a little racing flex.


brant

[ChrisFoley]

Additionally... Chris ran actual flex tests on a bench of trailing arms to design his brace kit that he sells.

I designed the trailing arm stiffening procedure I now use during those tests.
The metal we add weighs far less than the boxed reinforcing kits, and doesn't over-strengthen the arm.

I think that welding the box reinforcements warps the trailing arms, adding toe-out.

Previously I had determined that the chassis around the suspension mounts and the outer console bracket both twist in hard cornering.

There are documented failures of trailing arms cracking where the box meets the pivot tube.
Gusseting there provides a significant benefit.

[ConeDodger]

Additionally... Chris ran actual flex tests on a bench of trailing arms to design his brace kit that he sells.

I designed the trailing arm stiffening procedure I now use during those tests.
The metal we add weighs far less than the boxed reinforcing kits, and doesn't over-strengthen the arm.

I think that welding the box reinforcements warps the trailing arms, adding toe-out.

Previously I had determined that the chassis around the suspension mounts and the outer console bracket both twist in hard cornering.

There are documented failures of trailing arms cracking where the box meets the pivot tube.
Gusseting there provides a significant benefit.

I don't understand Chris. Why are you bad-mouthing the box reinforcements. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) You seem to take every opportunity to put them down. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)