Front crossmember stress bar

[scirocco81@vwmail.net (Eric S)]

--- "T. Reed" <treed2@u.washington.edu> wrote:
>Eric,
>
>The V-bend looks like an interesting idea, let us know how it works. How
>do the brackets at the side attach? They don't appear to be connected to
>anything in the pictures..

Like I said, rough prototype, no holes yet...should have a boltable version this week.  It will bolt on through the bumper bolts and the front cup bolts.

As for the V, its very shallow...and with the square tubing at 45 degrees, its like having a double V.  I have a feeling people are underestimating the strength of the square tubing.

>I'm still trying to re-evaluate my bar now that my brain has been
>flipped upside down as far as which motor mount goes which direction.
>
>Personally, I think the only way to convince the "doubters" on the list
>would be to build a bar strong enough that you can jack the car up from
>it. (I have some ideas about how to do this but the bar would weigh more
>than twice as much..) Fortunately, what other people think isn't too big
>of a concern for me, unless they can show that they're right.

That will be one of our tests, to jack up the car by the bar with the front cup bolts out...measure the deflection (if any) of the bar under serious load.

>My favorite solution to the cracked crossmember problem is to drill out
>the spot welds holding in the crossmember, remove the crossmember, get two
>uncracked ones from junkyard cars (pre-84 would be preferable, apparently
>the metal used was superior), seam weld them together and weld them back
>in to the car. That is the "ultimate" repair, in my book. Stock-looking,
>using stock parts, very strong, and very expensive and very painstaking.

Right, well, it is after all just stamped sheetmetal...so you are effectivly doubling its thickness...which still isn't much.  It surprises me how flimsy these cars are!

>But bolt in bars are "easy", and you can't have it all.

Exactly...our design is not just for the Scirocco list, its for all A1 chassis, and to be able to make a bar that bolts up, and fits all A1, alot of design considerations had to be taken into account.  Not alot of people have the money, time or patience to weld plates or replace crossmembers entirely on thier car, but an effective bolt on stress bar...yes, that is "marketable".

>Anyway, good luck w/your bar..

Thanks Toby....let me know how your tests turn out.

--
Eric
Northglenn, CO

79 VW Iltis
81 Scirocco S (*TDI* swap and complete restoration in holding pattern)
81 Rabbit Truck LX Diesel (Waiting for BAE Turbo Install)
83 Scirocco Wolfsburg
91 Cabriolet (2.0 Crossflow 8v swap and mechanical rebuild in progress)