There just doesn't seem to be any options out there for front strut tower bars for the EVOX. If there was a strut tower bar like this available for the EVO X made out of titanium, would anyone be interested in it? Titanium is stiffer than aluminum, and the look is great. just wondering peoples opinions on such things.

 

i buy it but then i'm already complaining about AL strut bars being overpriced.

 

i would love 1

 

not sure if this is true. in fact, titanium is used in bicycles simply because it does flex. aluminum bike frames are stiffer, and carbon is stiffest. i had a "softtail" before--the entire frame was ti. the ti flexes so much that there is no joint/hinge necessary in the rear triangle--the whole thing can move 1" without one!

ti is probably the worst material for braces. it's mostly for show.

your stock brace is probably the stiffest you can get. notice it has no hinges where there could be further bending. can't beat that. but for looks, yeah, aftermarket stuff might look better.

 

Titanium alloys are what we need, not just plain titanium. This is similar to the case with Aluminum. Many people misunderstand what an aluminum block is similarly. If I had a penny for every post in these boards made about how aluminum is weak. Engineers do not use aluminum, they use its alloys. Plain aluminum is extremely weak in terms of physical strength and temperature withstanding capacity.

Back to the subject, yes, many would be interested in a stronger, stiffer and lighter titanium alloy brace.

 

from:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html

"Stiffness is determined by a property of the material called "elastic modulus" Elastic modulus is essentially independent of the quality or alloying elements in a given metal. All kinds of steel, for instance have basically the same elastic modulus."

"Material Modulus Yield Point Specific Gravity Aluminum 10-11 11-59 (4-22 annealed.) 168.5 Steel 30 46-162 490 Titanium 15-16.5 40-120 280 "

"The advantages of larger tubing diameter can, theoretically be applied to steel construction, but there's a practical limit. You could build a steel frame with 2 inch diameter tubing, and it would be stiffer than anything available--indeed, stiffer than anybody needs. By making the walls of the tubes thin enough, you could make it very, very light as well.

Why don't manufacturers do this? Two reasons.
The thinner the walls of the tubing, the harder it is to make a good joint. This is the reason for butted tubing, where the walls get thicker near the ends, where the tubes come together with other tubes.
In addition, if the walls get too thin, the tubes become too easy to dent, and connection points for bottle cages, cable stops, shifter bosses and the like have inadequate support."

....

It would seem that ultimately in making a strut bar, the thicker the bar, the stiffer it will be. So, each of these alloys have a different density, and thus space will limit the design, and ultimately weight/stiffness.

That said, the strut bars for our cars are normally straight. If held on by a bolted joint to the strut towers, bending/rotation would happen at that joint, not along the bar itself. So, in such a design, effectiveness would most likely be a product of the compressibility of the bar. And since these bars would be relatively uncmpressible along the length of the bar... using a weaker bar probably does not matter much.

However, of course, in such a design, this would only keep towers from coming together. Because there is a rotating joint, movement would occur there if anywhere. And I think that is the real weakness.

I still think the OEM design is best. However, if you can make a ti bar that is very wide and thin walled, and welded to the strut tower brackets, while still weighing less, then that'll be even better.

 

Ok, well I will go ahead and start designing these then. I'll probably make run of 30-50 of them. They will be solid...meaning just one single piece...not a single bar with two brackets on either end as that won't be stiff enough.

Just so you all know I'm actually serious and not just another person saying they'll make something, and then not do it, I just came out with these 7 sided locking lug nuts pictured below, and am really wanting to start taking on larger titanium projects, and the EVO community looks like a good one to start with =)

 

sweet make a rear one to. if the price it right i would buy one. i have some custom anodized titanium raditor pipes and this would be sick!

 

This would be cool. I already bought a strut tower bar though.

 

 

and my tomei expreme ti exhaust just came in. it would all look great together.

 

holy **** fishtix that strut bar is amazing.

 

those bolts look very sexy, if you do make it, how much you figuring it to be?

 

fishstik you know where we can get that?

 

400-500

I need a local EVO X in Dallas to let me take measurements of their car as well. I'll hook them up for the help =)