CHIPPO

I know that Steve(MB1r), has, in the past made a rear lower brace from a section of ali bar stock and the details are very simple and available after a short search. And I intend making and fitting one soon , just have to order a piece of ali bar. 1.75 ins x 0.75 ins 6018.

Now I might have to order a 4 metre length and so was thinking what to do with the remains, and looking at front upper braces i already have a plan in my noggin , has any one else made a front upper one, and if so did they fabricate the turret brackets from steel or ali or even machine from billett?Are there any drawings availble or is it out with the old fag packet?

CHIPPO

Just looked at a US thread and the Degrappa front lower X brace is interesting, and a possible make it seems to be made from ali and maybe laser profiled out of sheet. Do the mounting points/ends have a bush or spacer to fit up to the bolts holes ?

GaryB

Send the other half up here

oxhouser

make as many as you can out of the 4 meter and sell them here

CHIPPO

Oh now be careful next thing i will accused of is being a Trader !

But I might consider that, i worked out one needs about 720mm percar for the rear lower brace assuming MB1r's dim are correct in practice. So should get 5 out of a 4 metre bar. Not made my mind up about bolts yet, ie type, but will be stainless.

The front lower "X" brace is an altogether different set of problems, I do have a few contacts with Lazer profiling machines and its fairly easy to get an Auto Cad drawing into one to cut from an aluminium plate , and make dozens , but the cost of a sheet would be high in 10 or 12 mm ali and lots of waste for an odd shape like the "X" brace, esp if one can't find lots of other things to cut form the sheet and sell !!!!!!!!!!

chrispayze

I'll have one if you get that far!

GaryB

I looked at this myself and a piece of ally bar has made it's way on to my Christmas list for the same reason.

I'd resigned myself to just buying the front brace from eBay.

CHIPPO

The "X" brace thing is very much all in my head at the moment, and I have hit a problem with Lazer profiling, as it can be problematic cutting ali with a lazer, apparently the small blobs of molten ali that come off,send small lazers all around the work shop cutiing peoples arms and other extremeites off willy nilly. Not quite that bad but its a problem. My man is now talking to another company he uses that profile using water. The other problem is getting some accurate dimensions betweeen the fixing points. I wont be getting under for the next couple of weekends as am off on hols. But even so getting 4 holes in the right places will be a problem esp if they are not arranged in a perfect grid. We need a set of drawings with dims. Or a De Gappa or what ever its called to copy !

CHIPPO

Steve, I was also surprised about the lazer problem , my man tells me it can be overcome with the addition of some extra components, and they dont normally cut ali so they are not bothered about it.

As well as his mate i have another supplier who profiles using water and actually gets better finishes in stainless and mild steel with water, or so he says lol, but the stuff he has done for us looks good in SS

Funny i was thinking of SS CSK cap heads when i went back and looked at your pictures, was going to fully dress the finished bar any way so we will see about radi on the ends.

Your dims seem fine, do i recal lthat you used the old bar as a jig, or were they derived from measurements taken form the car. Clearly in either case they are not exactly fine tolerance's any way on this type of structural component. It the dims on "X" brace that would be a problem

m1bjr

I 'think' I took them from the oem part.
I picked up centres from the oem mounting holes at either end as they are slightly elongated on the oem part.
It fitted just fine, but if the frame is a little out then it may ne be so easy.

The fact they were slotted to aid fitment (barely visible in zoom, but they are)made me think the oem is not such a great part and liable to move about on its bolts.

TBH, its hard to determine where the forces act on the bar.
I do feel the difference though, far less compliance from the subframe which I like.
As I can feel the slip starting on the rear wheels, and every little hop.

It really was a whim job, and as it worked it stayed. Tsk tsk for my laziness