rj Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Is there any reason why nobody has ever made the lower part of the steering column from titanium? - Loosing 50% weight on this relatively simple item seems almost too easy to me... Of course this could be beccause you can't see it with the bonnet on, but is this a show item or have we built it to abuse it? Any views appreciated! /regin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 an ideal carbon opportunity 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted December 14, 2005 Author Share Posted December 14, 2005 Yep, Carbon would be nice. Just until you hit the curb or a hole in the road or... Wuaaaaaargh.... No control! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 if you can have carbon propshafts then i,m sure a steering rod could also be carbon . Remember that the steering shaft wouldnt take a direct loading - the steering rack and steering arms would do that - the steering wheel would get knocked out of your hands before the carbon rod snaps . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted December 14, 2005 Author Share Posted December 14, 2005 Would you dare testing it if I had made one up? (I'm a chicken!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 I expect we would have to use steel ends for the colapseable clamp and rack UJ . I'm a little busy to come to Denmark and test at the moment 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted December 14, 2005 Author Share Posted December 14, 2005 LOL, I can send it to you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 😬 go on then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 I´m up for one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elie boone Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 I think a metal tube will also do the job, i have this on a 60's kit car. Also a tube will be more " colapsable " than a solid bar 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Not viable imy oppinion. To long and would flex, so it would be thicker, heat plays a major part in the 7 engine bay so this would be a factor. It would not be pure carbon and probably would contain plastic composites, like the propshafts do. Titanium would be better, but why stop at just the lower part, upper and steering arms also could be made but at what massive costs ??? Having one rear driveshaft would save the weight alone. Carbon Components Here K9 Composites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinfourth Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 yeah but it would be alot slower with one rear drive shaft The happy handle made me do it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 While i was working in the USA in the summer, I was in that place of haute cuisine, Applebees, enjoying a bacon cheese burger . . . and the high school waitresses (english accent thing ) - anyway, there was an item on the bar TVs - about compacted faecal matter. Taking this super duper stuff they were pushing would shift it all out - as probably would sticking a hosepipe up your bum and turning it on . . . anyway, they reckoned up to 20lbs of material could be lodged . . . So simply taking a good, er, dump, would save you a lot more than lightening the steering column. As would simply driving around to lighten the fuel load . . . Bri (as a sensible aside - watch the MOT - a mates car failed as the steering column had been modified . . it had been to make it reach the rack from the wheel and had so far stood up to the abuse for 27 yrs . . . but new tester . . .) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted December 14, 2005 Author Share Posted December 14, 2005 Peter, Your comment makes sense, but it's just that the lower part is as simple to reproduce as it is. Making the quick release mechanism isn't as simple as just milling the face where the grub screw hits and cut some splines. The other reason is that I probaby can come around a few lengths of 15mm titanuim bar at a resonable cost. (the lower column is 9/16" or ~ 14,2mm). And believe me, depending on my fund of titanium, parts like rear hubs and front uprights made from titanium would have priority as these are unsprung mass. If I were to make the column from carbon, I'd use a carbon / kevlar composite. Depending on the epoxy used, I don't think the temperature is an issue on an RHD car. A LHD where it passes the echaust manifold... Wouldn't do it! Dave, I don't want to go to yet another funeral the next couple of months, so you have to be patient... /regin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Regin, i understand where you might see some major weight saving in the lower column. Using a mix of kevlar and carbon would not exactly work in my oppinion. Kevlar would only stop the carbon shaft from exploding into seperatable sections, so in the event of an accident this would not be an issue. The plastic composite construction will enable it to be a life unit, and give it strength to stop it twisting, as carbon in only one weave pattern will not. There are stringent governing rules regarding steering components on a road going vehcle that have to be adered to, and carbon fibre is not one of those. Seeing that titanium is a lot more to buy and machine than chaep steel is it worth the weight per pound issue ?? Carbon Components Here K9 Composites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted December 14, 2005 Author Share Posted December 14, 2005 Whispering 20£ a metre... Is it worth it? Don't know, but it always annoys me when something is too heavy. But I fully agree with you point regarding carbon; I wouldn't dare. The regs re. roadgoing cars vary from country to country, but "all" the Caterham has proven is that the steering wheel doesen't move more than 5 inch-ish towards the driver in the event of a collision agains a wall at - i think - 30 km/h... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 That is a good price, But...................how much to set up tooling per shaft? This is a major cost! Smetimes it is far more expensive to machine than to buy the material. Carbon Components Here K9 Composites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted December 14, 2005 Author Share Posted December 14, 2005 For myself: Nothing. I've got access to a five axis milling machine that can do the job... I suppose if I were to pay for it, it'd be between 50&100£. Labour *is* expensive, especially here at my shores 🙆🏻 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Bulk buy perhaps?? Carbon Components Here K9 Composites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Eccles Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 If its a bulk buy then count me in Ho Hum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted December 15, 2005 Author Share Posted December 15, 2005 Unfortunately it's not an unlimited source, but I'll dig into it anyway to see what can be done. - and what I'll have to pay if I want to have a lot made op. Machining ten would - as you know - not be ten times as much as one... /r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 count me in RJ - your part is in the post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted December 15, 2005 Author Share Posted December 15, 2005 Thanks Dave, I'll keep you in mind as well! Am I correct assuming your car is *very* lightweight? /r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Ok i will have one if the cost is reasonable. Carbon Components Here K9 Composites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 its pretty light at 472Kg, I'm hoping to shave a further 6 Kg's off the car this winter (and at least 10 kg from me !) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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