Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > Aerodynamics
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 09-17-2015, 02:27 AM   #1 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: palmdale ca
Posts: 50

Honda Civic - '91 Honda Civic DX
90 day: 40.65 mpg (US)
Thanks: 15
Thanked 13 Times in 13 Posts
New undertray/flat bottom idea

So my friend has this carbon fiber roll that he has to keep in the fridge. Basically, when you take it out you have a few minutes to cut it to size, wrap it, lay it, whatever you want, and then heat it with a heat gun to harden it completely. I was trying to find out where he got it from, but he's really busy and I don't live next door anymore so it's hard to keep in touch.

Anyways, I was thinking of making flat undertrays by fastening it in between the frame rails of a car with large rivets or bolts or something, then I realized that I could probably just use heavy duty fabric.



Why couldn't I use some fire proof canvas or fiberglass cloth and make a whole undertray? By stretching the fabric tight and bolting or by making wedges to pinch it along the edges it should be strong enough to not flap in the wind.

I know isn't 100% air tight, but it's also not 100% "heat tight" so it may be a good compromise between ventilating transmissions and exhausts and not letting air get all turbulent underneath the vehicle.

Another Idea I had was to make the thing, then coat it in resin with a brush, a few layers to firm it up. then I would be able to cut out or louver it in areas that need venting. it would also retain it's shape when taken off of the vehicle that way

Thoughts?

  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Tulok For This Useful Post:
aerohead (09-19-2015)
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 09-17-2015, 07:44 AM   #2 (permalink)
Needs More Duct Tape
 
MPGomatic's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: the swamps of jersey
Posts: 157

Slambo - '99 Honda Civic HX
90 day: 44.21 mpg (US)
Thanks: 63
Thanked 82 Times in 43 Posts
I'm digging the resin-coated idea! You just lit up a big light bulb over my head.

What if you added a thin layer of foam and a layer of resin resistant material between the underside of the car and the composite weave? That would provide a wee bit of spacing so the tray wouldn't stick during the impregnation process or rub after installation (with rubber grommets or washers for spacing).

Once this is laid up, it might be used to make a mold to produce additional pieces.

It sounds like the material that your friend has in the fridge is "prepreg" … it's quite pricey and needs to be heat cured.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulok View Post
So my friend has this carbon fiber roll that he has to keep in the fridge. Basically, when you take it out you have a few minutes to cut it to size, wrap it, lay it, whatever you want, and then heat it with a heat gun to harden it completely. I was trying to find out where he got it from, but he's really busy and I don't live next door anymore so it's hard to keep in touch.

Anyways, I was thinking of making flat undertrays by fastening it in between the frame rails of a car with large rivets or bolts or something, then I realized that I could probably just use heavy duty fabric.



Why couldn't I use some fire proof canvas or fiberglass cloth and make a whole undertray? By stretching the fabric tight and bolting or by making wedges to pinch it along the edges it should be strong enough to not flap in the wind.

I know isn't 100% air tight, but it's also not 100% "heat tight" so it may be a good compromise between ventilating transmissions and exhausts and not letting air get all turbulent underneath the vehicle.

Another Idea I had was to make the thing, then coat it in resin with a brush, a few layers to firm it up. then I would be able to cut out or louver it in areas that need venting. it would also retain it's shape when taken off of the vehicle that way

Thoughts?
__________________
Ain't Fuelin' - The Beater Build Show :
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...R754kIg_V8Aahm
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2015, 07:50 AM   #3 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: United States
Posts: 27

Tie Fighter 7 - '15 Chevy Volt
Thanks: 13
Thanked 11 Times in 7 Posts
Just an FYI. "Fireproof" doesn't usually mean "won't burn", most fireproof items simply won't sustain a flame. Meaning if you take a heat source or flame to them they will burn or melt but as soon as you remove it they self extinguish.
  Reply With Quote
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to MkVer For This Useful Post:
aerohead (09-19-2015), Istas (09-26-2015), Tulok (09-17-2015)
Old 09-17-2015, 10:48 AM   #4 (permalink)
Not banned yet
 
deejaaa's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Texas Coast, close to Houston
Posts: 907

Blue - '03 Chevy S-10, LS
Thanks: 423
Thanked 265 Times in 212 Posts
harbor freight has fiberglass welding blankets.
4 ft. x 6 ft. for 22.00, 6 ft. x 8 ft. for 28.00, 8 ft. x 8 ft. for 36.00. I have the 6 X 8 and it looks like it would work for a belly pan.
8 ft. x 8 ft. Fiberglass Welding Blanket
__________________
2003 S-10, 2.2L, 5 speed, ext cab long bed.
So far: DRL delete, remove bed mount toolbox.
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2015, 01:03 PM   #5 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
JRMichler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Phillips, WI
Posts: 1,013

Nameless - '06 GMC Canyon
90 day: 37.45 mpg (US)

22 Maverick - '22 Ford Maverick XL
90 day: 41.9 mpg (US)
Thanks: 188
Thanked 466 Times in 287 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulok View Post

Another Idea I had was to make the thing, then coat it in resin with a brush, a few layers to firm it up. then I would be able to cut out or louver it in areas that need venting. it would also retain it's shape when taken off of the vehicle that way
If you saturate any sort of cloth or felt with something that goes on liquid, then gets hard, you have created FRP (fiber reinforced plastic). The liquid that gets hard can be polyester resin (the cheap stinky stuff), epoxy resin (better, more expensive), varnish, shellac, etc. The fabric can be cotton, fiberglass, Kevlar, carbon fiber, or paper. Google Taylor paper glass for an example.
__________________
06 Canyon: The vacuum gauge plus wheel covers helped increase summer 2015 mileage to 38.5 MPG, while summer 2016 mileage was 38.6 MPG without the wheel covers. Drove 33,021 miles 2016-2018 at 35.00 MPG.

22 Maverick: Summer 2022 burned 62.74 gallons in 3145.1 miles for 50.1 MPG. Winter 2023-2024 - 2416.7 miles, 58.66 gallons for 41 MPG.
  Reply With Quote
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to JRMichler For This Useful Post:
aerohead (09-19-2015), deejaaa (09-18-2015), whatmaycome14 (09-17-2015)
Old 09-18-2015, 12:30 AM   #6 (permalink)
Not banned yet
 
deejaaa's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Texas Coast, close to Houston
Posts: 907

Blue - '03 Chevy S-10, LS
Thanks: 423
Thanked 265 Times in 212 Posts
The Recumbent Blog » Blog Archive » Taylor-Paper-Glass
Future of Materials in Formula 1. - Forum - F1technical.net
__________________
2003 S-10, 2.2L, 5 speed, ext cab long bed.
So far: DRL delete, remove bed mount toolbox.
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to deejaaa For This Useful Post:
aerohead (09-19-2015)
Old 09-18-2015, 01:23 AM   #7 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
freebeard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: northwest of normal
Posts: 27,562
Thanks: 7,738
Thanked 8,554 Times in 7,041 Posts
Whatever you try, it will sag without a mold. Gravity is inexorable.

Consider fiberglass reinforced plastic panels or PolyMetal.
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to freebeard For This Useful Post:
aerohead (09-19-2015)
Old 09-18-2015, 07:49 AM   #8 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 447

Valerie - '03 Honda Civic DX
Team Honda
90 day: 55.79 mpg (US)
Thanks: 277
Thanked 231 Times in 105 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by JRMichler View Post
If you saturate any sort of cloth or felt with something that goes on liquid, then gets hard, you have created FRP (fiber reinforced plastic). The liquid that gets hard can be polyester resin (the cheap stinky stuff), epoxy resin (better, more expensive), varnish, shellac, etc. The fabric can be cotton, fiberglass, Kevlar, carbon fiber, or paper. Google Taylor paper glass for an example.
So... you're saying that you could buy a couple of bed sheets and saturate them with a resin and make your own underbody tray THAT WAY?!

You're giving me all sorts of ideas!

(obviously it would need to be structurally supported...)
__________________

  Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2015, 10:31 AM   #9 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
kach22i's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Posts: 4,158
Thanks: 120
Thanked 2,790 Times in 1,959 Posts
I have been looking for a larger sheet size of something like FiberFix to repair large rust holes in my black truck (in Black color).

Really large sheets might be used as part of an under-body tray assembly.

FiberFix | Now you can fix anything!


Let me know what you guys find.

Some of the products listed so far sound heavy, prone to moisture absorption and problematic (fire/installation issues - gravity).

The FiberFix is crazy expensive for what you get in my opinion.
__________________
George
Architect, Artist and Designer of Objects

1977 Porsche 911s Targa
1998 Chevy S-10 Pick-Up truck
1989 Scat II HP Hovercraft

Chin Spoiler:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-t...effective.html

Rear Spoiler Pick Up Truck
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-t...xperiment.html

Roof Wing
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...1-a-19525.html
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2015, 12:58 PM   #10 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
freebeard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: northwest of normal
Posts: 27,562
Thanks: 7,738
Thanked 8,554 Times in 7,041 Posts
I tried a roll of FiberFix. The black tape with a picture of a repaired shovel handle on the package.

My experience was that it would barely stick to itself, let alone anything else. YMMV.

  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to freebeard For This Useful Post:
aerohead (09-19-2015)
Reply  Post New Thread


Tags
aero, canvas, undertray

Thread Tools




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com