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The Sierra chassis isnt the stiffest and ever since fitting the coilover (2 years ago!) it's really needed stiffening up. My welding skills have improved recently with a fair amount of practice! So I'm planning to weld a patch on to the rear suspension turrets and then weld a bar/pipe in between them. See the rubbish MSpaint pic below to show the intended design.......  Just wondering what thickness of metal to uses for the patches? and could I use a scaffolding pole as the strut brace, or is this total over kill  ? better ideas welcome! Any advice would be appreciated ;D Robin |
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Last Edit: Jul 7, 2009 19:39:30 GMT by Robinxr4i
Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
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Dunno is my answer to all your questions but if it were me i'd make it run from the tips of the turrets, if you cant afford the mid height space loss then possibly diagonal to centre of floor.
Not sure of my reasoning but i like it whatever it is. ;D
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Daily: Spazda Mx5
'A52's Fastest steak eater 2010'
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MrSpeedy
East Midlands
www.vintagediesels.co.uk
Posts: 4,786 
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ i agree ! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
i'd say 2mm min for the plates and same for wall thickness of tube, but then i'm no expert !
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rodit
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,683
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Dude make your life really easy.
Get two plates 8 mm thick for each end and have them drilled to suit your top mount bolts weld to a round steel slug that fits into your desired tube, weld all together, romove top mount bolt slip over, slide in new longer bolt job done.
Other one is weld a nut to either end of the tube and then wind in rose joints, simples. For extra bracing two tubes with rose joint's one either side and cross braces welded across them diagonaly.
Hope i have helped in some way?
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Low and slow
Why can't i tune it?
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Fit one across your top seatbelt mounting points.
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rodit
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,683
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Either i missed the irony or i am on a corsa d website (hope i missed the irony)
What good could putting something off seatbelt points be to strengthening the sideway's flex of the shock towers?
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Low and slow
Why can't i tune it?
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Get two plates 8 mm thick for each end and have them drilled to suit your top mount bolts weld to a round steel slug that fits into your desired tube, weld all together, romove top mount bolt slip over, slide in new longer bolt job done. You can buy ones like this but I don't think it would be strong enough. Hence the reason I wanted to weld a fixed bar in (like a roll cage). Dunno is my answer to all your questions but if it were me i'd make it run from the tips of the turrets, if you cant afford the mid height space loss then possibly diagonal to centre of floor. Think I'm going to mount it as high as possible, like you said from tip to tip. As the coilovers now make the whole weight of the car rest on turret top that were only designed to support the damper originally. As the sierra has seperate springs (which I have done away with. I've noticed that some of the seam sealer has cracked but the welds still seem fine. Should have done this from day 1, but ho hum! |
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Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
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Either I missed the irony or I am on a corsa d website (hope I missed the irony) What good could putting something off seatbelt points be to strengthening the sideway's flex of the shock towers? Sorry dad,i just thought he wanted his chassis generally stiffening.  I'd have thought a big ass bar bolted between the rear belt mounting points (already reinforced) right in the middle of that big gaping hole would help to do that. |
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redgt2
Part of things
praise the lowered!
Posts: 863
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don't use scaffold bar.... i got some bar out of a skip and welded it in..didn't use plates...think it looks more aesthetically pleasing welding bar in here.... and by doing so was the most noticeable handlin mod ever...immediately tightened up the rear end handlin and meant i could push thru bends a lot harder....was runnin a 2 inch drop with coilover as well... this mod cost me fudge all as well for most gain....do it..   |
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As the coilovers now make the whole weight of the car rest on turret top that were only designed to support the damper originally. Didn't realise this.....those turrets need reinforcing. I'd make the turret brace a triangle too,as in from turret to turret but also diagonally down to the centre of the floor from each turret. A triangle being the strongest structure evAr. You could use smaller tubing that way too. |
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I also have a Sierra on coilovers and just have a bar between the tops of the rear turrets:  Sorry about the curse word picture. Do your springs rub by the way? By all accounts you don't need to reinforce the turrets but a simple brace will stop any flexing. Charlie |
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Actually I'm not even sure that I do have a bar as I've just noticed that the bar is forward of the turret tops. Anyway, no flexing, no bar, Sapphire race car, so I reckon you should just go for a strut brace.
Charlie
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Actually I'm not even sure that I do have a bar as I've just noticed that the bar is forward of the turret tops. Anyway, no flexing, no bar, Sapphire race car, so I reckon you should just go for a strut brace. Charlie Yeah your bar is further forward than the struts and it look like there is no strut reinforcement either! Well if it's good enough for a proper race car then I'm sure it's good enough for my road car. Still want to weld something in though, as there is still a far amount of flexing. Thanks Charlie  |
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Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
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If it was me,
I'd take a wander round my local steel fabrication places, the little backstreet ones out in the sticks are idea, ask if you can rummage through their scrap bin and grab a bit of tube (probably 42mmo/d would suffice) which is long enough to go between the turrets. See if they have an offcut of 2mm or 3mm sheet, this is ample,but I'd avoid going much thinner. Take all the paint off and clean the area to be welded (you obviously know all that anyways!) shape your plates to the turrets and seam weld them in. Then taking a few measurements between the plates, use a grider to fishmouth the tube you have so it fits perfectly and snugly between your turret plates, take a few measurements to make sure it's level, you'll look a bit of a tit if people constantly tell you it's on the cock. Seam weld it in. I'd agree with folk who say put it towards the top of the strut, and I'd disagree with those saying you don't need the reinforcing plates.
Just my opinion though!
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"Chasin' the gash, with a four-out-the-dash"
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If you want a weld-free solution, I've seen some pretty creative home-made strut braces at a khanacross which seemed to be working very well.
Simply take a round steel tube with about 1mm wall thickness, 20 or 30mm diameter. Crush each end flat in a vice, making sure the flats are both in the same plane (rule a line on the tube first). Drill holes through flattened ends of bar. Insert between bodywork and mounting nut of something appropriate. Job done!
The ones I saw were on a Mk 1 Golf, front and rear between the strut towers. The driver felt a noticeable improvement in handling and body rigidity for very little cost and with almost no tools needed.
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redgt2
Part of things
praise the lowered!
Posts: 863
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i originally had a bar bought for 18 quid which bolted in at the top of the turrets....
waste of money..did nothing noticeable to reduce flex or improve handling.....so welded one in inbetween turrets instead
as said...instant massive improvement
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Stu
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,913
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'89 BMW E30 325i Sport, '04 MINI Cooper S, '09 Volvo V70 D5
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kee
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,990
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personally i'd say 2mm plates and 25mm OD CDS tube around 2.5mm wall thickness. CDS is your best bet as its used for roll cages and 25mm OD should be strong enough to sto pflexing. something like 38m OD would be overkill and weigh a ton aswell.
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CIH
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,466
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If they simply house the dampner tops and not the springs then bracing it will be worthless.
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Actually I'm not even sure that I do have a bar as I've just noticed that the bar is forward of the turret tops. Anyway, no flexing, no bar, Sapphire race car, so I reckon you should just go for a strut brace. Charlie Isn't that a 'cage in there too though? That'll eliminate most flexing on its own if so. |
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? better ideas welcome!
