The following link is from the RoadRaceAutoX forum, which is dedicated to car racing on road courses and autocrossing. Please note that much of the design is geared to producing downforce or reducing lift and improving cooling of the engine and brakes. However, the cars must use all of the stock bodywork pieces and other modifications are very limited as this is amateur racing with SCCA or NASA so this is all being done on a budget (no carbon fiber to be found here...)
Many of the cars are Honda CRXs & Civics, Nissan Sentras, etc. so the construction techniques and materials can apply to any car on the road.
It looks like coroplast was used. Am I correct that the air dam would have problems with impacting tire debris found on interstate highways?
I've been mulling over how to build a coroplast air dam and side skirts that would not disintegrate upon hitting tire casings on the highway ... bend without breaking or limit the damage to one area. Have you seen anything that might give a 'street' capable air dam?
Bob Wilson
__________________ 2019 Tesla Model 3 Std. Range Plus - 215 mi EV 2017 BMW i3-REx - 106 mi EV, 88 mi mid-grade
Retired engineer, Huntsville, AL
It's alumalite; think of it as coroplast but with aluminum skins and a plastic core: http://www.signboards.com/products/alumalite.asp
I'm not sure of it's impact rating but it's rated for 120 MPH winds.
A very quick search shows that a 4'x8' sheet currently sells for about $100, so finding a place that will sell you a smaller piece or finding some friends to share it with would be pretty important.
It's alumalite; think of it as coroplast but with aluminum skins and a plastic core: htthttp://www.signboards.com/products/alumalite.aspp://
I'm not sure of it's impact rating but it's rated for 120 MPH winds.
A very quick search shows that a 4'x8' sheet currently sells for about $100, so finding a place that will sell you a smaller piece or finding some friends to share it with would be pretty important.
Wow.. that looks like a very useful material. If you bend it, will it retain the shape like aluminum sheet?
Wow.. that looks like a very useful material. If you bend it, will it retain the shape like aluminum sheet?
Nope. Any kind of "honeycomb composite" or anything else with a structure that reminds you of a piece of cardboard will not bend much without breaking - just like a piece of cardboard.
Thanks for the pix (a thousand words). I never heard of alumnite before. Gives me some idears. You drive an Evil Egg?!?!?! Most egg-salad! I found one for sale last July, but I wasn't in the market :
I've been mulling over how to build a coroplast air dam and side skirts that would not disintegrate upon hitting tire casings on the highway ... bend without breaking or limit the damage to one area. Have you seen anything that might give a 'street' capable air dam?
Flexible plastic lawn edging is a common material used for this. The "Home Depot" lip.
Forex or Foamex expanded PVC sheet would also be a good material.
Easily bent/formed using a heatgun , glue able using plumbers PVC glue, comes in a range of colours and is paintable.
Forex or Foamex expanded PVC sheet would also be a good material.
Easily bent/formed using a heatgun , glue able using plumbers PVC glue, comes in a range of colours and is paintable.
I found a site selling expanded PVC for cheaper than I've seen other plastics.
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