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Aug 19, 2010 16:18:49 GMT
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This is totally inconsequential and irrelevant, but I thought maybe someone on here might have the technical knowledge to answer... There are pics of the new DS3 R3 rally car on the Top Gear site. Take a look at this one: Isn't it a bit thick to have a great big wavy kink in that horizontal bar? Surely that would make it inherently weak...? Is it non-structural and just there to hook the harnesses to, or is there something I don't understand in the principles of physics that relates to the lateral loading of bendy shapes?
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ThePollitt
Posted a lot
Fix up, look... at that car on eBay!
Posts: 4,696
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Aug 19, 2010 16:21:58 GMT
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Its main purpose is to be a harness bar, although in the event of an accident the diagonal braces would see to it that the 'kink' remained as rigid and tough as a straight bar would. The gusseting would also add incredible strength too.
If anything, the kink makes it safer for the co-driver as the harnesses are routed over his shoulders correctly (the harness should enter the rear of the seat at 90 degrees, or so Willans tell me). The co-driver tends to be lower than the driver for reasons which are unknown to me, probably to stop his head getting smashed up when they crash.
Chris
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Last Edit: Aug 19, 2010 16:29:12 GMT by ThePollitt
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Aug 19, 2010 16:28:21 GMT
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Last Edit: Aug 19, 2010 16:33:56 GMT by dbizzle
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Aug 19, 2010 17:18:05 GMT
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Looks to be so the harness bars are in the right place for different height seats for driver/nav. Admitedly in that pic the seats look almost level Navigators seats are usually low in WRC cars to keep the weight as low as possible and improve the handling. For the rest of us we wouldn't be able to feel the difference when driving. Eating fewer pies would have a bigger effect for most clubman rally drivers and navs ;D
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kent
Part of things
Posts: 359
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Aug 19, 2010 19:11:11 GMT
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to me the seat on the left looks further forward than the other
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kee
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,991
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Aug 19, 2010 19:15:58 GMT
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to me the seat on the left looks further forward than the other left hand drive
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mr
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,580
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Aug 19, 2010 19:35:27 GMT
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Is have a stab at to save bending the cross bar round the back of the big cross. Its only two bends instead of four. If it was straight across it'd need bending,back,across,forward and then back out and out. As it is, it only requires the two,a down and out. Hahahaha,I just wrote this and don't understand it. Count the bends there and then think how it could have been.....
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Got the car from 105 bhp at the crank to 152 at the wheels.nitrous going on next.....if it ain't broke,keep bolting on go faster parts until it is........ www.fordgranadaclubuk.freefo.de
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Aug 19, 2010 20:06:02 GMT
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purely a safety thing, so that the seat belts do not put any load into the seats during a crash. The result is a kinky bar (!) with gussets (!) to reinforce the structure.
J
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