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View Full Version : concepts: poly foam and roll cages


Enjin
09-07-2008, 04:33 PM
so I was thinking about this... polyurethane foam vs. rollcage.

the foam in question is:

http://images.grainger.com/images/products/4KK28.JPG

this is the foam recommended by the guy who did the writeup on freshalloy. after doing some research, it is relatively less dense than those used in other cars, such as the q45 and the rx8.

it has a density of 1.75 lb/ft., whereas other foams can be 4, 8, or 16 lb./ft.

the question is: is that the best density for chassis reinforcement? how does the density affect the overall handling of the car? is denser always better?

the followup question is: given this, is a cage necessary? is it an AND thing, or is it and OR thing?

it's given that these do the same thing, which is stiffen the car torsionally, allowing the force from driving to be transferred to the suspension rather than the chassis. the only thing is that the cage allows the driver more protection than a foam.

it's understood that there is really no such thing as TOO stiff when it comese to chassis rigidity, but there is such a thing as cost vs. effectiveness.

thoughts? experiences?

98koukile
09-07-2008, 09:40 PM
I wouldn't say there's no such thing as too stiff. You want everything to have some give its just a matter of how much. Too stiff of a foam and it will just crack when any torsion is added to the chassis, thus failing at what you wanted it for. You can't really compare foam to a roll cage, thats just as much for safety as it is for rigidity.

Addicted2Kouki
09-07-2008, 09:55 PM
Here's more info on it.
It was discussed on FA awhile back.

help me decide - Chassis stiffening related - FreshAlloy.com Forums (http://forums.freshalloy.com/showthread.php?t=161474)

also

http://forums.freshalloy.com/showthread.php?t=162693

handinpants
09-07-2008, 09:58 PM
can we use this to fill the cracks in the dash, ?

projectRDM
09-07-2008, 10:28 PM
can we use this to fill the cracks in the dash, ?

If you want the dash to expand, sure.