Idea for chassis reinforcment

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asmallsol

Super Moderator
The del sol is pretty much a taco. I have an extremly agressive suspenision setup, and even while autocrossing, its almost impossible for me to do the "pissing Dog" basicly, it is because the targa top. Just running with the top on really does nothing because the top actually does not take any stress. It pretty much just floats on the top, and the latches are there so that when you hit a bump, it doesn't flyup. Because of this, I am pretty scared to make a bracing system out of this. Reason is, because it is not designed to take any load, by making it take load, you could possibly put too much force on the winsheild or rear window and patentailly crack them. That really isn't an option.

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3.
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The basic part of the sol that needs stiffening up is the passenger compartment. As you can see in pic 3, the top of the sol is basicly held up by the windsheild and the weld from part 2.

In Image one, there really is no supports on the floor. There is the one horizontal support that the seat mounts to, but other then that, its pretty much not there. Now here is where my idea comes in.

I saw this thing on autoweek one time were they show how they make Starcraft vans out of normal ford Full size vans. In full size vans, there really isn't any big windows. What they do is they buy full size windowless vans, then they cut a hole for the window, then they add sheetmetal strips that is folded (looks much like the bars that hold up street signs) around the area to build up strength.

Now what I was thinking is using this same technique on the sol. Basicly add some Vertical supports verticall (front to back) in part 27 in image one. Now how would I go about doing this.
 
Originally posted by Smonkeyboy@Mar 18 2004, 05:47 PM
did you ever think about just getting a 4pt cage?? or just a weld in floor bar?

a full cage sucks for daily driving. Its pretty unsafe too. Sure your good if you ever roll over, but without a helment, your dead.
 
not true you need to place double layer of impact foam on all areas you head would strike
 
Originally posted by hcivic.com@Mar 18 2004, 05:53 PM
not true you need to place double layer of impact foam on all areas you head would strike

yes, that lessens the likelyness of shattering your skull on a full cage, but it is still not the greatest idea for a daily driver/acctional autocrosser/HPDE. Also, for the sol, it is almost impossible to put a cage in without going through the rear wall making the rear window not work. In the sol, the rear window is almost better then the top.
 
what if you took some 16 gaugea sheet and cut it to find and used a toruch to bend to fit the areas and weld it in. Second have you gone around and welded all the seams solid yet? it help abunch in the hb before thae cage and bars
 
cage it if you want that much rigidity. also you can work around the rear glass i have seen it done it just takes some skill and if you do cage it you probaly should research who is fabing tha cage up due to the fact that you dont want shoty welds and pore design
 
Thats actually the same thing i have been thinking about lateley because i might end up keeping my sol and i know that fucker flexes like crazy. i have been trying to think of a cage design that would fit into the cab but not get in the way. i see a lot of sols with the roll bar that basically goes over the head, and i was thinking what about using that but adding on two bars that would run along the side of the roof and come down along the front of the door, attaching to the floorboard under the dash. this would basically be a 4 point cage, i know it might not be the best design but i think for an occasional racer it might be good enough.
 
Originally posted by senate_9427@Mar 18 2004, 08:36 PM
Thats actually the same thing i have been thinking about lateley because i might end up keeping my sol and i know that fucker flexes like crazy. i have been trying to think of a cage design that would fit into the cab but not get in the way. i see a lot of sols with the roll bar that basically goes over the head, and i was thinking what about using that but adding on two bars that would run along the side of the roof and come down along the front of the door, attaching to the floorboard under the dash. this would basically be a 4 point cage, i know it might not be the best design but i think for an occasional racer it might be good enough.

really, I have not seen many bars no less cages that are SCCA legal. I dont want to run a cage. A bar would work, but still, most that I have seen are not SCCA legal, or make the rear window non functional.
 
If you are that concerned with the stiffness of the car why don't you get the chassis seam welded? That would greatly increase the rigidity of it. However, I think that the A pillars are quite strong, along with the windwhield header on del Sols, so I really don't see much of a problem with essentially making it a hard top. It would require a bit of thinking, some creative welding, and im sure more than a few gusset plates to strengthen the factory sheetmetal, but it would be hella easier than seam welding it and much safer than a full cage in it.
 
Originally posted by nfn15037@Mar 18 2004, 09:40 PM
If you are that concerned with the stiffness of the car why don't you get the chassis seam welded? That would greatly increase the rigidity of it. However, I think that the A pillars are quite strong, along with the windwhield header on del Sols, so I really don't see much of a problem with essentially making it a hard top. It would require a bit of thinking, some creative welding, and im sure more than a few gusset plates to strengthen the factory sheetmetal, but it would be hella easier than seam welding it and much safer than a full cage in it.

There would be no welding if I was doing something to the top. The sol would not be a sol if I couldn't take the top off. I will be doing to seal welding eventually, but I would like to do my orginal thinking also.
 
what about just a floor bar??

it woulnd help theflex on the top of the sol but they are supposed to do wonders for chassis rigidity.
 
Originally posted by Smonkeyboy@Mar 18 2004, 11:52 PM
what about just a floor bar??

it woulnd help theflex on the top of the sol but they are supposed to do wonders for chassis rigidity.

what exactly is a floor bar? Got any links? If your talking about the monkey bars that was all over superstreet a few years back, no way, those things would rip floor pans.
 
i think thats what im thinkin about.

theirs was just a bolt in one though

i dont se why you couldnt just weld a bar in on the floor, right behind the seats, essentially being a strut bar but right behind the seats
 
exocage :lol:

I've been seriously looking into building a cage for my sol as well. Fact is, 11.99 and quicker, and im getting sent home. I need something.

I was talking to my buddy mike about it yesterday.

Frankly, all the cages i've seen in sols either suck, or go through the rear window- something i find is not an option for me, and most people who want a street car.

this is hard to explain, and near impossible to draw with no imaging program here at work....

ok, picutre your normal hoop roll "bar" behind the seats
start with that 2 points.
add the \ brace down from drivers roof to passenger floor. +1 point
add another doing the same thing up front and comes under the dash to the floor. no cutting the dash. 2 more points
on the roof, i want an X to connect both hoops, thus, leaving the very side of the roof area open for ease of removing the roof, and getting in the car, and triangles are stronger than squares anyway.
finially, 2 more points, i want a door bar... nothign crazy, but legal. i want it to stop at about just before the front of my seat to the floor, and on a legal angle bwtween my elbow and shoulder up to the rear.

thats the 7 point cage i want.
 
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