Chassis Stiffening - which kit? Cage?, Stiffening before paint, need help. Options

[RAR]

Speaking of rollbars, is the biggest benefit of same for a 914, tying the front and back of the car together at the top? Has anyone tried using high strength metal tubes in place of the heat tubes in the rockers (don't know what OEM are made of)?

[Jeroen]

Here's some good reading...

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act...t=ST&f=2&t=4702

cheers,

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

More...

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=42

[corpselaurel]

I read a thread the other day which had a few diagrams on reinforcing the shock tower - I'll see if I can find it.

Here is what I am leaning towards (may change of course):
engmans
clams
10 piece

next summer I will see (after I save up and the car runs) if I can have a shop reinforce the shock/strut towers with out a full cage. The more I think about it the more I realize that I would probably hate driving the car on the street with a cage in it. That being said I would still like to autox. So I would like a cage that meets the minimum requirments to bolt in. So I could take it out when I am on the street.

I would still get the benifits of the reinforments since they won't be part of the full cage.

I don't know much about rules and classes etc. I want to build my car the way I want. I don't really care if I get put into a class with faster cars. I just want to drive.

Opinions?

[corpselaurel]

Does anyone have instructions or a diagram for the 10 piece kit? I want to start por15ing my car but I don't want to paint where I need to weld and I don't know where they go.

[Jeroen]

If this is a street / AX car, don't get a full cage, don't even get a bolt-in.
Have a rollbar if it makes you feel safer, and leave it at that.

Next, I'd get Engman's kit and use the required pieces from the GT kit

Like I said earlier, unless you have rust issues on the outer longs, ditch the clamshells

The rear shock tower reinforcements are only needed if you go to 225# or bigger rear springs (and that's very unlikely for a street driven car)

cheers,

Jeroen

[corpselaurel]

Safety isn't my concern, I just thought you had to have a cage to autox in some places. I might visit the drag strip to (since this car is so light and I plan to install a different engine down the road). But I guess I could wait untill I actually need one esp. since I am poor.

I have some rust on the rockers but it isn't that bad. I thought the clams were to stiffen not to repair though (since on pelican's site they say to use the repair kit first.) Engmans does more than enough then so that the clams won't help? I don't want extra weight or cost if it doesn't help.

I am still new to the 914 world but I have read about a few guys running over 400 front and 300 back spring rates. My brother had a mk3 and mk2 gti with 600# and 400# pound springs daily driven. (I love to drive them handles like they are on rails and IMO fine on the street.) So I wanted to have the car ready to accept these in case I wanted to go that route.

[EdwardBlume]

Would the interior weld-in kit work well with a welded in roll bar with a forward bar?

[Jeroen]

Hey Rob,

You have a "petty" bar on your rollbar, right?
(from the top of the rollbar to the pass.footwell)

My guess is that with a set up like that, Engman's kit wouldn't add much (if any) stiffness
Not quite sure though. Depends a lot on where the pettybar attaches in the front

Call Brad, he knows your car... I only saw it at the WCC and didn't pay that much attention to the details of your rollbar

cheers,

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

I am still new to the 914 world but I have read about a few guys running over 400 front and 300 back spring rates

Those are no compromise race cars that run on smooth surface tracks.
On rougher surfaces (like street and AX venues), such high spring rates will make the car bounce and skitter and you'll loose traction/grip instead of gaining it

cheers,

Jeroen

[TimT]

I am still new to the 914 world but I have read about a few guys running over 400 front and 300 back spring rates

I run 450/front-350/ rear

down from 600

600# springs were undriveable...

with the current 450/350 combo... it works at most tracks..

Pocono long makes my car bottom when entering the infield..

spring rates are probably fine... just have to play with the damping....

[corpselaurel]

I think I will pass on all of the kits and do something like this next summer:

[EdwardBlume]

I have a weld in bar (tied into the rear longs and upper door jam) with the front pass long tied in instead of the floor. It does stiffen the car..... mainly on turns but not to the extent a cage would.

I was thinking if the inner long kit works.... it might add the cage stiffness without the cage. - A real plus since a cage is about $2K these days.

With tying in all the points in the 914 diagram, you should consider the class it puts you in. BTDT - you may be putting yourself in a class you don't want to be in.

[Aaron Cox]

rob, can you post a pic of your roll bar please (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[EdwardBlume]

OK- This first pict is the pass long tie. Note the weld in vs bolt in. I figure bolt in is worthless cause it gives.

[EdwardBlume]

Here's a pict of all the upper points. The front bar is bolt in but not at the hinge points. When I turn hard I can feel this bar tighten.

[EdwardBlume]

This pict is the front pickup point welded into the long. Again its bolted on but not at a hinge point. Going into the long was Brad's idea and it makes sense. The only bad thing is that when I jack up the car from the front donut, the windshield gives (cracks). This may be my car's flexy nature by itself.

[EdwardBlume]

Here's the driver's side. Note the position of the front bar changes going into the side long. Looking over to the pass side blind is a chore with 5 pts on.

[EdwardBlume]

Here's a closer look at the drivers side point. Notice how well the bar fits into the corner. The welds are strong. I could probably lift the car with a crane by the roll bar (but why?)...

[EdwardBlume]

I just had to post this one again.