2G Tubular front k-member build - share ideas!

[99gst_racer]

See thread: http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/group-buy-2g-spherical-4130-front-lca’s.496410/

 

[BLACKCARBON]

any update on the front sub?

 

[Jon Lane]

Off topic, but this is an informed group so hopefully someone will chime in:

The stock upper A arm is stamped steel. Bolts run through the arm ears and through steel liners in the rubber bushings that isolate the arms from the body. These bolts contact the stamped steel arms on the pivot axis.

The design seems to depend on tightening nuts on these bolts to prevent the bushing's steel liners from moving inside the arm ears. This then prevents the arms pivoting freely about the bolt axis like they should - the rubber bushings take the torsion, binding the arms for any substantial suspension travel.

I imagine you'd tighten the nuts once the suspension is loaded, centering the forces of travel and minimizing the torsion on the rubber bushings.

If the nuts aren't tightened completely the arms are free to pivot, unbinding them, but then the bolts can bang around in the thin steel arm stampings, wearing the through holes. I'd prefer to use Nylocks and leave the bolts slightly loose but I'm concerned about wear and noise.

Am I visualizing this right? If so, is there a solution that doesn't eliminate the rubber isolators? Ideally, if the bushings and their sleeves were shorter you could install flanged bronze drill bushings in each arm ear, isolating movement and wear mostly to the bolt shanks and away from the arm ears.

 

[Apache]

Am I visualizing this right? If so, is there a solution that doesn't eliminate the rubber isolators? Ideally, if the bushings and their sleeves were shorter you could install flanged bronze drill bushings in each arm ear, isolating movement and wear mostly to the bolt shanks and away from the arm ears.

I thought I remembered seeing pics of Kevin (greengoblin) doing exactly that for his race car. I do know that he replaced all of the bushings in his car with either solid metal (bronze/aluminum) bushings, or spherical bearings. Hopefully he can chime in and provide some pictures of this.

 

[greengoblin]

The OEM bushing are made so the rubber actually twist (bad) when the suspension cycles. That is why the FSM tells you that inboard bolts must be tightened with the arm parallel to the ground.
Simply switching to the prothane or energy suspension bushing will fix that. There center sleeve is not bonded to the bushing material. When you tighten the bolt the arm and bolt clamp down on the center sleeve and the bushing can freely spin around it . Just use plenty of the provided lube.

Another solution is to use spherical bearings but most people do not need that.
Info on that can be found here : http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/spherical-bearings-2g.320763/

 

[BLACKCARBON]

any news on the front sub frame?

 

[99gst_racer]

any news on the front sub frame?

This isn't something I'm going to pursue after all. I'm having a difficult enough time keeping up on current projects, and I just cannot add building these to the mix. I plan to sell my jig and all of the materials and drawings very soon. I hope someone out there is interested in reviving this project.

 

[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

This isn't something I'm going to pursue after all. I'm having a difficult enough time keeping up on current projects, and I just cannot add building these to the mix. I plan to sell my jig and all of the materials and drawings very soon. I hope someone out there is interested in reviving this project.

Might aswell send me the info and i planned to make my own subframe anyway so may be easier, just depends if i can afford it

 

[mountain_man]

I would be interested in helping take over this project as well.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

This isn't something I'm going to pursue after all. I'm having a difficult enough time keeping up on current projects, and I just cannot add building these to the mix. I plan to sell my jig and all of the materials and drawings very soon. I hope someone out there is interested in reviving this project.

I'm interested I'm in arizona

 

[Henny101]

Did anyone ever end up picking up this project?

 

[99gst_racer]

Did anyone ever end up picking up this project?

Not yet, I'm still sitting on it. I have one last use for the jig but I haven't yet found time to tackle it.

 

[BLACKCARBON]

any updates ?

 

[Archer Fabrications]

It's mine! Lol dibs!

 

[jakelandry]

It's mine! Lol dibs!

Not to sound like a negative nancy here, but I don't see why everyone keeps commenting they want the jig that bad. Is it really that hard to build a jig from a stock subframe?

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Not to sound like a negative nancy here, but I don't see why everyone keeps commenting they want the jig that bad. Is it really that hard to build a jig from a stock subframe?

Support other fabricators! And yea i could, but it would also require bunch of R&D

 

[jakelandry]

I work at an industrial fab shop, as an engineer not a fabricator, and I see the guys make jigs all the time. I've made a few basic ones but nothing as big as a subframe jig. Not trying to down-play paul's work at all or anybodys but don't you just take a steel plate and weld together a square tubing frame that supports mounts where you need them? I know that its a pain to ensure nothing interferes with parts and to ensure structural rigidity, but is it really that hard or is Paul that busy working on my control arms?

 

[Archer Fabrications]

I work at an industrial fab shop, as an engineer not a fabricator, and I see the guys make jigs all the time. I've made a few basic ones but nothing as big as a subframe jig. Not trying to down-play paul's work at all or anybodys but don't you just take a steel plate and weld together a square tubing frame that supports mounts where you need them? I know that its a pain to ensure nothing interferes with parts and to ensure structural rigidity, but is it really that hard or is Paul that busy working on my control arms?

It's not only about the jig. But once the jig is finished you have to design how it all connects... the "engineering" behind the actual product. Anyone can make a jig yea. But subframes arent easy to pull

 

[BLACKCARBON]

It's mine! Lol dibs!

do you have any ideas that you wouldn't mind sharing?

 

[Archer Fabrications]

do you have any ideas that you wouldn't mind sharing?

Not yet. When i have a jig or subframe infront of me i will. I havnt made ang deals with paul yet. He seems to wanna hold onto it a little longer

 

[BLACKCARBON]

update?

 

[mountain_man]

Curious as well.

 

[EJ'sEclipse]

I skimmed through most of the posts but didn’t see where the progress ended up, seems like the topic changed a little so I’m curious as to where it is at now or where we can find out?

 

[josh408]

Any update on this?

 

[99gst_racer]

Any update on this?

No updates. We need to gett his jig drawn in my Bendtech software so that we can start efficiently produce these. We're doing this for the rear subframes right now, so this will follow later this year.