Custom Tubular K Member, Tubular Control Arms, etc

[gixrman]

Our fabricator has been beyond swamped.

Thats why I learned how to TIG myself. Tell your fab guy nice beads on those welds!!

 

[GSXNXS]

Thats why I learned how to TIG myself. Tell your fab guy nice beads on those welds!!

I will definitely pass on the kind words.

 

[GSXNXS]

Shamus weighed his car tonight...it is missing a few things still like the fuel cell, front mount, and piping. However, it still has all the glass and the stock hatch which will be replaced with lexan and a fiberglass hatch. The car weighed 1700lbs on the digital scale!!! Once complete it should be around 2000lbs with the driver! Un-freaking-believable

The prototype K member for the stock steering rack is also done and was first road tested tonight. Shamus brought the car back to the fabricator because he thought something was wrong. The fabricator took it out for a spin, came back and said nothing was wrong and that is the way a race car will feel on the road. Between the K member and mounts, the car was over 60lbs lighter!

 

[twicks69]

Are you guys intending on reproducing this tubular K-member?

I am intending on keeping the stock power steering for my 2g.

 

[wishihadatalon]

Are you guys intending on reproducing this tubular K-member?

I am intending on keeping the stock power steering for my 2g.

I talked to Shamus at the shootout and he said he is not offering an option for the 2g, but he will be selling these soon.

 

[D_Eclipse9916]

son of a bi***.

 

[pooker]

I can't wait for these to be produced.

 

[Zero Bar]

You build it, I will buy it.

 

[Byrd]

Word.... keep up the good work!

2000lbs! That's INSANE.

 

[Ludachris]

Shamus weighed his car tonight...it is missing a few things still like the fuel cell, front mount, and piping. However, it still has all the glass and the stock hatch which will be replaced with lexan and a fiberglass hatch. The car weighed 1700lbs on the digital scale!!! Once complete it should be around 2000lbs with the driver! Un-freaking-believable

The prototype K member for the stock steering rack is also done and was first road tested tonight. Shamus brought the car back to the fabricator because he thought something was wrong. The fabricator took it out for a spin, came back and said nothing was wrong and that is the way a race car will feel on the road. Between the K member and mounts, the car was over 60lbs lighter!

Where's he getting a fiberglass hatch? Hairyglass?

 

[GSXNXS]

Where's he getting a fiberglass hatch? Hairyglass?

I'm not sure, but I know he has something in mind. I will ask him.

Thanks to all for the kind words. We are not a DSM Tuners vendor, so we can not discuss selling them in the forums. Another one of my friends has been running his for a month or so and has nothing but good things to say about it. I am sure we will bring a prototype to the Buschur Shootout in October.

 

[bmoha2]

I got similar comments when I said I wanted to see a cnc'd aluminum block for a dsm. people told me that the DSM community just wouldn't have the numbers to support/warrant it. Probably true. That being said I think it's an awesome idea. Sure would have helped when I had to re run my hard fuel lines. Unfortunately I don't know the difference between single shear and double shear when it comes to suspension componentry. Could someone explain that to me? Man! If someone would decide to build and sell these for a 2G it would have to have a pretty steep price for me not to buy one!

 

[bmoha2]

That tranny side motor mount sure looks a lot lighter than stock!

 

[Black94DSM]

Is there the option of running a stock rubber/poly mount, or do you have to run solid mounts

 

[GSXNXS]

Is there the option of running a stock rubber/poly mount, or do you have to run solid mounts

No, only solid mounts.

 

[bjones18]

This would be strong enough for daily use I would assume? Also would love to see this in the rear too.

Even the best intention can be foiled... so be very careful. Fabricated parts generally do not have any type of durability specifications, nor do they generally follow any type of GD&T (geometric dimensioning & tolerancing)... don't get me wrong...

the person who made this was very skilled, however, when some one makes 300 of them, will the Monday morning quality be the same as Wednesday afternoon? What tolerances will be allowed at the suspension attachment hardpoints? how much variation left to right is allowed? What is the weld inspection? are they e-coated?

Be careful assuming this will be lighter or stiffer. Stamped and box-welded sheet metal can be very hard to beat for light weight / stiff structures... look at the cross sectional properties... and if you do not know the significance of 1/12*base*hight^3... just buy and bolt on things that look cool... OEM engineers are a bunch of stupid idots... right?

Good mods are proven on dyno's, test tracks, and the palm of your hands.

 

[Vanish70]

+1 for Omni tubular K member. It sounds like a good reason to go manual rack upgrade.

 

[GSXNXS]

Even the best intention can be foiled... so be very careful. Fabricated parts generally do not have any type of durability specifications, nor do they generally follow any type of GD&T (geometric dimensioning & tolerancing)... don't get me wrong...

the person who made this was very skilled, however, when some one makes 300 of them, will the Monday morning quality be the same as Wednesday afternoon? What tolerances will be allowed at the suspension attachment hardpoints? how much variation left to right is allowed? What is the weld inspection? are they e-coated?

Be careful assuming this will be lighter or stiffer. Stamped and box-welded sheet metal can be very hard to beat for light weight / stiff structures... look at the cross sectional properties... and if you do not know the significance of 1/12*base*hight^3... just buy and bolt on things that look cool... OEM engineers are a bunch of stupid idots... right?

Good mods are proven on dyno's, test tracks, and the palm of your hands.

We have no intention of making 300 of these and the racers that use them fully understand they are custom hand manufactured parts. All parts have been weighed and they are lighter. OEM engineers are obviously not idiots. However, they have to worry about comfort and multi-purpose. We do not have those limitations with these specific parts. They are intended only for track based, straight line drag racing.

We have been proving our rack all summer at the drags. My buddy Josh had not lost until he blew his tranny this week. As a bonus, our local street drags are held on a 5/8th mile NASCAR oval and the finish line goes into the first banked turn of the track. Josh's car runs easy low 11's so he is typically going into the corner at 70 plus mph. So, although we did not intend this rack for cornering it is at least getting some side load and having no problems with it.

I can't wait to get my set of EVO rear trailing arms done this winter which will be drag raced, road raced and raced Solo (autox) on my Buschur Racing "Magnum". Robert Fuller from Robispec is involved. So once again, the parts will be track proven at the palms of some very capable hands within some very capable cars. For racers....by racers.

 

[topstreet]

Hey GSXNXS!....

Like I said like 50 posts ago, if you guys have any extra laying around, let me know.

I would love to have one of those!

Jake

 

[tsi20gawd]

Will those of us interested in a crossmember be provided with contact info on how to get one?

Bryan

 

[GSXNXS]

Will those of us interested in a crossmember be provided with contact info on how to get one?

Bryan

PM Sent

 

[GSXNXS]

Back to the subject of weight...

My friend Shamus weighed the fabricated parts tonight and they came in at 42.6lbs. Here are the parts that were weighed:

Steering rack brackets to attach tubular k-member to stock rack
Control arms
K-member
Front cross member bar
Solid motor mount
Solid tranny mount

In addition to the above stock parts, the front sway bar also has to come off. The power steering pump must be removed as well as all lines and the bracket for the steering pump. Shamus mentioned with the removal of these items it was closer to 80lbs over stock. He doesn't have the stock parts to weigh anymore though so we cannot verify the stock parts exact combined weight. If someone has the exact stock weights for the above items, please post them.

He also said he wouldn't have bothered with the Omni rack as it wasn't lighter enough than the stock rack to justify the money.

 

[Pro3racer]

Can the front crossmember bar be bought and installed individually? Of couse with the new motor mount, but i need to keep my front sway bar(not a drag car, i like turns).

 

[GSXNXS]

Can the front crossmember bar be bought and installed individually? Of couse with the new motor mount, but i need to keep my front sway bar(not a drag car, i like turns).

Sorry, we have no intention for the parts to be used in that manner.

 

[bmoha2]

haha just kidding. I think it's a killer idea. My idea to more to carving curves than drag. I might have to steal a bit of your idea and fabricate my own for my 2G.