High speed instability

DCMoney

Goblin Guru
Reece was like $150/sheet almost a year ago. Overnitegrafix was $180/sheet plus shipping.
How well do you think these will hold up to normal wear and tear? Do you worry about someone standing on the side skirts and front splitter?
 

OptimizePrime

Goblin Guru
Reece was like $150/sheet almost a year ago. Overnitegrafix was $180/sheet plus shipping.
Just got off the phone with Reece's Charlotte office, they didn't have any in stock (Dallas had the most) and it was $142/sheet. They wouldn't have it shipped to their store, it had to be shipped direct to me.
 

Rauq

Goblin Guru
Just got off the phone with Reece's Charlotte office, they didn't have any in stock (Dallas had the most) and it was $142/sheet. They wouldn't have it shipped to their store, it had to be shipped direct to me.
I've actually worked with Piedmont Plastics in the past, I didn't realize they were a distributor. You're welcome to call them on your own but I'll reach out as well.

Is the advantage of Alumilite over sheet aluminum its rigidity?
 

Gtstorey

Goblin Guru
I think the main use of the aluminum composites is in sign making so you might reach out to a local sign company and see if they will sell to you.
 

SACTX

Well-Known Member
How well do you think these will hold up to normal wear and tear? Do you worry about someone standing on the side skirts and front splitter?
They’ve held up well so far. Including taking out a cone at Autocross.

The last question depends on how big the person is… She weighs about 40 pounds. Alan uses the side skirts to get in and out of the car and he is a little bit over 50 pounds.
 

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DCMoney

Goblin Guru
They’ve held up well so far. Including taking out a cone at Autocross.

The last question depends on how big the person is… She weighs about 40 pounds. Alan uses the side skirts to get in and out of the car and he is a little bit over 50 pounds.
That's awesome!

I've actually worked with Piedmont Plastics in the past, I didn't realize they were a distributor. You're welcome to call them on your own but I'll reach out as well.

Is the advantage of Alumilite over sheet aluminum its rigidity?
Weight and cost are the first two things that come to mind vs a solid aluminum sheet.

My account through Grimco was approved somehow, maxmetal that I mentioned before that is a solid core material with .3mm aluminum on either side is $109 a sheet and I can pick up locally. Might give it a shot.

They have a corrugated 5mm material as well for $139, looks like its a knockoff version of alumilite.

 

Chris_WNC

Well-Known Member
I've actually worked with Piedmont Plastics in the past, I didn't realize they were a distributor. You're welcome to call them on your own but I'll reach out as well.

Is the advantage of Alumilite over sheet aluminum its rigidity?
Piedmont did laminated viewports for ballistic shields for me in the past. Think they would work on a windscreen? :D I’m about three years out of the body armor business and my contact there is with another company now.

CHRIS
 

OptimizePrime

Goblin Guru
My account through Grimco was approved somehow, maxmetal that I mentioned before that is a solid core material with .3mm aluminum on either side is $109 a sheet and I can pick up locally. Might give it a shot.

They have a corrugated 5mm material as well for $139, looks like its a knockoff version of alumilite.
Mine was declined :( if you can purchase single sheets, maybe you could create a generic password and PM the login?
 

Justinreed7

I like anything that goes fast
A front wing isnt needed for stability, just for cornering speed. However, alignment is KEY here. If its off a little bit, it will lane veer over 120. I run 1/8 Toe-IN front and rear. Triple check those measurements and make sure camber and caster are the same on both sides. LF=RF and LR=RR. Rear wing with end plates helps out a lot as well.
 

Chubbs

Well-Known Member
A front wing isnt needed for stability, just for cornering speed. However, alignment is KEY here. If its off a little bit, it will lane veer over 120. I run 1/8 Toe-IN front and rear. Triple check those measurements and make sure camber and caster are the same on both sides. LF=RF and LR=RR. Rear wing with end plates helps out a lot as well.
Your 1/8th toe in recommendation...is that based on you sitting in the car, or with the car empty?

As others have mentioned, mine changes quite a bit depending on the loading in the car. With my wife and kid sitting in it (roughly the same weight as I am, combined), the front wheels toe out a bit, even though they are 1/8 in when the car is unloaded. So, I set toe-in with them sitting in it, and now when the car is empty, it's about 3/16 to 1/4 toe in at the front (rear stays constant at 1/8, roughly).

The car is flighty, mostly under power. I think taking weight off the front end, such as accelerating, and especially while accelerating AND hitting bumps, the thing is a white-knuckle terror machine. It will completely swap lanes before I can get a handle on it. Cruising on the highway is perfectly fine.

I originally set the alignment with no weight in the car, and it was even worse. Toeing the front in a bit seemed to help, but more work is still needed.
 

Gtstorey

Goblin Guru
You want to set the alignment with your "average load" in the the car.

Toe changing with load is bump steer. You may need to adjust where the arm bolts to the hub so the toe rod is closer to level, at least that was what mine needed to get rid of bump steer. You can adjust the arm using different holes on the back of the hub mounts . This greatly reduced the bump steer on mine and then I drilled another hole through the backing plate to drop it even lower. I mounted a mirror to the hub, pointed a laser pointer at it from the side and marked it's path through the travel to determine whether I was increasing or decreasing bump steer. (stock picture, not my setup)
28156
 

G Atsma

Goblin Guru
Something is wrong if the toe measurement is changing under compression/extension. That is bump steer, and means your tie rods are not operating in the same plane as the control arms. Correct that, and many problems go away....
 
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