Project: The AeroFocus - Page 5 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Weather Spotter · 08-11-2012, 10:59 PM

Bigger struts are a good idea, just remember that on windy days the tail will act like a sail. you do not want to tip the car over.

A 2x4 or a 2x2 chuck might work well for an added safety support for when its open, you do not want anything crushed.

HydroJim · 08-11-2012, 11:01 PM

Do you think I could find struts good enough to support the tail when wind is hitting it? I wouldn't want to spend the money only to have a hatch that still needs supported by something.

The hatch itself is pretty easy to lift up because the extra length gives you a mechanical advantage. It does seem pretty heavy though as you make your way closer to the rear bumper.

redorchestra · 08-12-2012, 12:11 AM

i dont know if this is a universal term but would "whalers" work?. basically two flat pieces arranged in an L cofiguration along the length. then you get rigidity in both directions.

Weather Spotter · 08-12-2012, 07:33 AM

Will the struts work? no idea. its a try and see idea

vskid3 · 08-12-2012, 07:34 AM

Nice work so far, can't wait to see it completed. I want to do something similar to my Escape, but I would like to make it easy to remove when needed.

basjoos · 08-12-2012, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weather Spotter

Coroplast does not stiffen things up much. its good in one direction but the other it can fold in half with minimal effort.

A monocoque made with aluminum bar/aluminum sheet is MUCH stiffer than a monocoque made with aluminum bar/Coroplast sheet and won't need as extensive of an aluminum bar skeleton to be strong.

fusion210 · 08-12-2012, 10:14 PM

Looks like great progress!

HydroJim · 08-12-2012, 11:11 PM

I didn't get much done today because my family was over most of the day for my sister's party. I did have some time to work on the wiring inside the hatch although I haven't taken any pictures of it. The wiring is kinda of sloppy because I was using some scrap wire to save money but it's all about function in the ecomodding world. I'll be wiring the lights onto the car's light harness tomorrow so once I get done with that I'll start working on mounting the window.

Any tips for the window? material is my main concern. I have some plexiglass laying around but I know it scratches easy and I'm not even sure that it would be legal.

basjoos · 08-13-2012, 11:05 AM

I used 1/8" Lexan for my rear "glass".

HydroJim · 08-13-2012, 05:27 PM

Based on the strength of the 1/8" lexan, do you think I could get away with a thinner sheet such as 1/16" or 3/32"?